Ontario Nature Blog

Any birder who’s seen one, will tell you about the excitement of spotting a red-headed woodpecker. With a striking crimson head and a loud, harsh call, this unmistakable woodpecker takes centre stage on the backyard suet or drilling away into a tree. But unfortunately, things are changing quickly for this woodland standout. A May 2021 ...

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The decline of bees worldwide has been of scientific and public concern in recent years, yet their diversity in Canada is not fully understood. From drilling through wood, cutting leaves, or even mining through the ground, the behaviour of bees is incredibly varied. There are over 800 native species of bees in Canada, 400 of ...

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When Ontario’s Endangered Species Act (ESA) was brought into force in 2007, the Ministry of Natural Resources granted a one-year exemption to the forestry industry on the premise that industry needed time to develop a compliance framework. Since then, the forestry industry has claimed that the provincial Crown Forest Sustainability Act (CFSA), under which it ...

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Bats in Canada face multiple threats from habitat loss and disease. As towns and cities expand, the larger and older trees are being cleared, which means bats are losing their roosts. Bats need a warm and secure place to roost during the day in the summer. A bat box is a simple and effective way ...

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I grew up in Rossport on the north shore of Lake Superior in Ontario. The summers brought tourists from all over, and many visited my dad’s pottery shop. Many tourists said they came to paddle Lake Superior and see the caribou, which inhabited the Slate Islands off the shoreline behind our house. I felt proud ...

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