Ontario Nature Blog

The provincial government has recently announced policy changes regarding land use planning in Ontario. I sat down with Professor Roger Keil, to discuss how land use planning works and how public participation could play a role in protecting the environment by influencing policy decisions.  Keil teaches at the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University in Toronto, and he researches global suburbanization, urban political ecology, cities and infectious disease, and regional governance. ...

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Caring about the Earth is hard. There are some very rewarding and fulfilling experiences, but there is also serious despair. It seems that every time we check the news there’s another setback. Emissions increasing, biodiversity loss, Indigenous rights violations, ignorant political leaders – stories almost designed to make our battle to save the planet seem ...

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I have a distinct memory of being in Grade 10 English class and staring out the window, waiting for the bell to ring so I could go to track practice or play baseball with my friends. Fast forward 30 years and I’m still staring out the window, only this time I’m the teacher and I ...

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Some areas undoubtedly merit protection. In Peterborough County (Treaty 20), the lands and waters surrounding Jack Lake (also known locally as Jack’s Lake) are highly valued by First Nations and the local community. Now, mineral exploration and quarrying threaten this ecologically and culturally significant site, which emerged as a priority candidate for protection at community ...

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Although we are uncertain as to the origin of COVID-19, it is conceivable that transmission of a virus from a single bat may have resulted in a series of events that has brought human activity on Earth to a grinding halt. As the world is gripped with the COVID-19 pandemic, attention is drawn to the ...

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