Ontario Nature Blog

In 2022, the worldwide production of plastics reached over 400 million metric tonnes, marking an increase of about 1.6 percent from the previous year. With mounting pressure to find a solution to our plastic addiction, the United Nations Environmental Assembly voted to create the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC). By the end of ...

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Lurking underground in Canada’s boreal forests, zombie fires are the latest concern in an ever-growing list of issues arising from a changing climate. Ever wondered how wildfires start so early in the spring, shortly after all the snow melts? Zombie fires – commonly known as holdover fires or overwintering fires – are often to blame. ...

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Nature advocates have come a long way since the days of “fortress conservation” when nature was thought to be a place where humans aren’t. We now understand that humans have always been a part of nature, and conservation doesn’t work if it comes at the cost of Indigenous rights or local livelihoods. But it seems ...

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In a province already experiencing extensive wetland loss, one would think all efforts would be made to protect those that remain. However, from March 2023 to March 2024, 156 hectares of wetlands across 17 municipalities lost their Provincially Significant Wetland (PSW) designation and the strong provincial protection that designation imparts.* The highest proportion of these ...

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As spring unfolds and summer draws nearer, many migratory species are making their way back to Ontario. One such species is the iconic monarch butterfly. Their long journey is a multi-generational undertaking: while it typically takes only one generation to make the southward journey in fall, it takes several generations for monarchs to make their ...

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