Category: Ecological Integrity
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Why do we leave dead trees in the forest?
Today’s post comes from Sheila Wiebe, a marketing and development specialist at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Provincial parks are all about protection. We protect significant natural ecosystems and habitats while offering many outstanding and sustainable recreational opportunities for the people of Ontario. This isn’t always an easy task. Invasive species have challenged our ecosystem management,…
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Bark if you love nature!
Today’s blog comes from Ontario Barks’ Activities Director. We all know the excitement that builds in your chest when you feel the car pull off the highway, gently rolling up to the gatehouse of your favourite park. As your person navigates parking, a dance takes over the back half of your body, with your tail…
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5 ways to keep ecological integrity in mind this fall
Ecological integrity can be a tricky concept to nail down. But in the simplest terms, it means keeping nature — and all of its component parts — whole. Planning to visits our parks this fall? Here are the top five ways to keep ecological integrity in mind during your visit:
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Finding a place in the sun for the Pitcher's Thistle
In today’s post, former Chief Park Naturalist Angela Gunn reflects on the at-risk Pitcher’s Thistle. Almost 20 years have passed since we mindfully took notice of the Pitcher’s Thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) and added it to our provincial species-at-risk list. Standing up to a metre tall, the Pitcher’s Thistle casts its slender silvery profile against dune and…
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F.B.I.: the not-so-Secret Service of Ontario Parks
Today’s blog was written by Jessica Stillman, school outreach coordinator at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. When you visit a provincial park, you will likely interact with staff from several departments. From the gate staff who greet you to the maintenance crew that keep facilities clean, the park operates smoothly because everyone has a role to play…
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The trouble with balloons
Today’s post was originally published in 2016 and comes from David Bree, then our Senior Discovery Leader at Presqu’ile Provincial Park, and passionate protector of Ontario’s shorebirds. I don’t know Jason. But I do know he turned six sometime in the last two months and he had a wonderful party with cake, presents and balloons, surrounded by…
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Subject: Please do not disturb
In today’s post, we’ve compiled emails from some of the wildlife that call provincial parks home. Keep wildlife wild, respect wildlife, please do not disturb wildlife. These are common phrases… but what do they really mean? To help break it down, we have compiled a few recent emails from some of our furry and feathered…