Ontario Nature Blog

Despite the physical barriers presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Youth Circle for Mother Earth (YCME)’s Coordinating Circle continues to engage with one another, learning together about cross-cultural literacy and working to bridge the gap between Western science and Indigenous knowledge systems. For instance, in March we organized a virtual retreat series that replaced the ...

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The Lake Simcoe Protection Plan is now up for its required 10-year review. The question is whether the provincial government will take this opportunity to strengthen or weaken the plan – or do anything at all. The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks has not revealed its intentions. Rather than proposing specific amendments for consideration, ...

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It’s October 2017. I’m in Vancouver, British Colombia for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) International’s General Assembly (GA). One forester colleague had warned me to get lots of sleep, drink water and do yoga in the weeks preceding the assembly. He warned it would be like running a marathon. That was an understatement. FSC holds a ...

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September is always an exciting time at Ontario Nature. It is when our Youth Council shines as they bring to fruition months of planning and organizing to host the annual Youth Summit. The Youth Summit is a weekend-long gathering with over one hundred youth (ages 14–20) from across the province. It is a highlight of ...

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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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