Ontario Nature Blog

Author and conservationist Rachel Carson writes “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature…the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” Last weekend I had the good fortune to ...

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Wartyback, snuffbox, round pigtoe, pocketbook… no, we haven’t gone crazy. These are just a few of the 41 wild and weird freshwater mussel species found in Ontario. Hidden at the bottom of rivers and lakes and nestled under a layer of sand, these native molluscs often go unnoticed. But don’t let their odd names and ...

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Ontario Nature’s 26 nature reserves have a lot to offer explorers in southern and eastern Ontario. I’ve crafted the following dichotomous key (a field guide tool that helps identify unknown organisms) to help you decide which of our nature reserves to visit this summer. To use the key, read the first question and both options ...

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The Sydenham River Nature Reserve is Ontario Nature’s first riverine reserve. Acquired in December 2016, the property is located within the Carolinian Life Zone that stretches from Windsor to Toronto. It is an area that includes some of the most significant habitats and threatened plant and animal species in Ontario.

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On a pleasantly windy day on the north Saugeen Bruce Peninsula, volunteers and conservation staff gathered at our Baptist Harbour Nature Reserve to clean up the shoreline. With water lapping at the dolostone, shorebirds flying overhead and the orange cedars surrounding us, we explored the property in search of washed up garbage and evidence of ...

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