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© Lora Denis
August 19, 2025–Christine Roberts
Invasive Species•Nature Reserves•Stewardship and restoration
Christine Roberts and Marcus Maddalena at George G. Newton Nature Reserve © Kirsten Dahl
Volunteering as a nature reserve steward is a rewarding experience with many benefits, such as the satisfaction of helping preserve natural habitat. That may include removal of invasive plants that outcompete native species and reduce biodiversity. Huron Bruce Nature (HBN) has cared for the George G Newton Nature Reserve since 1996 creating and maintaining trails ...
January 31, 2025–Carly Davenport
Great horned owl © Paul Janosi
The lethal impact of toxic rodenticides reaches far beyond their intended target: rodents. Like other pesticides, scientists are uncovering just how ubiquitous rodenticides are in the environment. The sight of the black bait station boxes outside buildings is so common that people may not pay them much attention. Some pest control companies make people believe ...
Phragmites australis, Lost Bay Nature Reserve © Smera Sukumar
Nestled along the biodiverse Frontenac Axis of Eastern Ontario, the Lost Bay Nature Reserve protects both terrestrial and aquatic habitats, including forests, rock barrens, and wetlands. Many of the wetlands on the property belong to the provincially significant Lost Bay and Charleston Lake wetland complexes, which provide high quality habitat for species at risk and ...
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid ovisacs © Stephanie Muckle
Harold Mitchell Nature Reserve, located in the Niagara Region, is a stunning mature forest containing red maple-hemlock swamp. Eastern hemlock on the property shades the forest floor and the nature reserve’s many vernal pools, providing temperature regulating services, shelter and habitat important to many plants and animals. The hemlock trees here are one of the ...
Elm zigzag sawfly © dinodancer
Invasive species are a major contributor to biodiversity loss, and new arrivals are a particular concern. However, some invasive species get more attention than others. You may have heard about the spotted lanternfly or the box moth, two introduced insects currently spreading across Southern Ontario. Agencies like the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are actively tracking ...
Laurel Creek Conservation Area © Carl Hiebert / Grand River Conservation Authority