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© Lora Denis
Participants learning to safely handle an eastern gartersnake © Tabris Cao
In June 2024, Ontario Nature joined Field Research in Evolution and Ecology Diversified (FREED) for an immersive five-day event at Queen’s University Biological Station. FREED events provide university students from underrepresented backgrounds in conservation with hands-on field experiences and an opportunity to connect with peers and mentors in their field of study. Teagan and Justine, ...
Piping plover and chick © Ian K. Barker
The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas is an ambitious project that maps the breeding distribution of birds in Ontario. This knowledge will help improve conservation initiatives to protect Ontario’s breeding birds and their habitat. The only caveat is that there are not enough researchers to cover the entire province. However, through community science, the atlas has ...
Setting up a digital unit to record a 5-min point count. This is an easy and fun way for birders of all levels of experience to contribute to the Atlas © Gary Dowe
Northern Ontario’s boreal forest is known as the songbird nursery. Anyone who has heard its incredible dawn chorus would agree that it is a captivating place to be on a summer morning. This is where an important portion of the beloved songbirds that delight birders each spring in southern Ontario go to nest. We are ...
April 17, 2024–Ontario Nature Staff
Community Science•Environmental Education•Reptiles and Amphibians
Reptile and Amphibian Day, Rouge Valley Conservation Centre © Kavita Dogra
The world of conservation is vast and intricate. A major challenge lies in fostering an understanding and appreciation of nature from a young age. One powerful approach to achieving this is by integrating real-world conservation efforts, such as the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas (ORAA), into educational curricula. By doing so, teachers will not only ...
Blackburnian warbler © Mark Duchene
The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas is a multi-year project that aims to map all of Ontario’s breeding birds. Over 5 years, hundreds of volunteers search for evidence of breeding birds within 10 x 10 kilometre squares. Our goal is to have all the squares in southern Ontario surveyed by 2025, and a strong sample of ...
Laurel Creek Conservation Area © Carl Hiebert / Grand River Conservation Authority