© Lora Denis
Vernal pool, Altberg Nature Reserve © Noah Cole
What better day to celebrate vernal pools than March 21st – the International Day of Forests. Vernal pools are those temporary spring flooded areas in your forests. They are known by many names – ephemeral pools, intermittent wetlands, spring wetlands – but whatever you do, don’t call them a puddle!
Cook’s Bay, Simcoe County © Joe Mabel
The momentum that’s building around growing the Greenbelt (#GrowOurGB) couldn’t come at a better time. The provincial government is currently discussing where and by how much our Greenbelt will grow. Last week, I attended a meeting in Barrie where 150+ people had gathered to discuss Greenbelt growth in Simcoe County. The event, Bluebelt/Greenbelt: Simcoe’s Watershed ...
Southern Ontario wetland © Sean Marshall CC BY NC 2.0
Today is World Wetlands Day – celebrated around the globe each year to raise awareness about the importance of wetlands. It is a perfect day to consider the storm that is brewing over wetlands in Niagara. Wetlands provide critical habitat for wild plants and animals, including more than 20 percent of Ontario’s species at risk. ...
Pickerel weed in wetland © Rusty Clark CC BY 2.0
Since I began volunteering for Ontario Nature last year, I have learned a lot about Ontario’s species at risk. Recently, I discovered that more than 20 percent rely on wetlands for survival. Habitat loss is the key driver of species decline, and wetlands have been hammered by development over the last century. In fact, southern Ontario has ...
Paswe Protected Area © Carter Dorscht