Ontario Nature Blog
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© Lora Denis
Fen, H.N.Crossley Nature Reserve © Smera Sukumar
For Ontarians, some of our most beloved summertime activities revolve around the spectacular Great Lakes. Swimming, boating, fishing and paddling attract millions of us to the waterfront to enjoy time with friends and family (or just ourselves!) out in nature. Behind the scenes of our summertime fun, there is a secret key actor working overtime ...
Peat isn’t just something you put in your garden. In fact, it may be time to re-think using peat moss altogether. Recent research suggests that Ontario’s peatlands may be our largest carbon reservoir. However, mining them impacts their ability to sequester and store carbon. With emissions on the rise, nature-based climate solutions like protecting peatlands ...
December 15, 2021–Jenna Cardoso
Climate Change•Indigenous Relations•Protected Places•Stewardship and restoration•Wetlands•Wild Species
James Bay peatlands © Ray Ford
Ontario’s peatlands store the most carbon in the country – more than all the other natural ecosystems in Ontario combined – making these terrestrial wetland ecosystems an essential nature-based climate solution. Yet, only 10% of peatlands are protected in Canada. What Are Peatlands? Peatlands are wetlands such as bogs and fens. Peat is created in ...
December 9, 2021–Graeme Smith
Boreal Forest•Climate Change•Habitat•Land-use planning•Wild Species
On the heels of the recent 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and Canada’s commitments to natural climate solutions and ending deforestation, it is imperative to take a critical look at Canada’s current emissions and the ways in which they’re counted. A new report by Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Nature Canada, Environmental Defence ...
Catchacoma Lake © David Allan Barker CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
On November 2nd at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (known as COP26), over 100 world leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pledged to end and reverse deforestation by 2030. Nature-based climate solutions, such as protecting and restoring forests, are premised on working with nature to meet our climate and biodiversity targets. Old growth forests ...
Laurel Creek Conservation Area © Carl Hiebert / Grand River Conservation Authority