Ontario Nature Blog

It is interesting how readily nature advocates can be dismissed as tree huggers or bleeding hearts – as if caring about our fellow creatures were somehow improper. Rachel Carson herself was belittled as being too sentimental and emotional – even hysterical – in her fight to raise awareness about the deadly impacts of pesticides on ...

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In its rush to cut “red tape” and ensure Ontario is “open-for-business,” the Government of Ontario is taking a sledge hammer to our environment laws and policies. First it cancelled cap-and-trade, designed to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and meet internationally agreed-upon targets to address climate change. Then it dismantled the office of the Environmental ...

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Data shows that the MNRF must be more diligent in protecting species at risk Throughout childhood, understanding what conditions classify species at risk and how to help endangered species is something that I have always been passionate about and is something that drives me throughout my work, both as a researcher and as an environmental ...

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Happy Halloween! Bats have a bad rap, especially around this time of year. Thanks to Dracula, bats are seen as thirsty, bloodsucking creatures of the night but these harmless mammals play a vital role in sustaining the balance of ecosystems across the globe. Bats are amazing animals. They help us pollinate important food crops and ...

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This spring a snapping turtle found in Hamilton’s Cootes Paradise was confirmed to have been infected with ranavirus. This potentially devastating virus has killed numerous amphibians, but this is the first time a Canadian reptile has been infected. What causes ranavirus and how is it transmitted? Ranavirus is an infectious DNA virus known to infect ...

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