Category: Nature Knowledge

  • Bats: The mammal, the myth, the legend

    Today’s post comes from Ashley Hanas, a bat technician with the Friends of Pinery Park. Bats are the only true flying mammal. There are currently over 1,400 species and bats encompass 20% of the mammalian species on earth (meaning 1 in 5 mammals are bats!). Bats are essential to the health of our environment, providing…

  • (Don’t fear) The Eastern Hog-nosed Snake

    Today’s post comes from Nicholas Ypelaar, former assistant Discovery coordinator at Awenda Provincial Park.  “EW! SNAKES!” and/or accompanying fearful shrieks are phrases I’m all too familiar with. In defense of all those who have zero affinity to the limbless scaled reptiles of the world, I can understand it. My grandmother grew up in Goa, India, where…

  • "Peent! Peent!" Here comes the Common Nighthawk

    Today’s blog was written by former Discovery leader at Kettle Lakes Provincial Park and current birder and Senior Discovery Ranger at Rondeau Provincial Park, Sarah Wiebe. Meet the Common Nighthawk. This peculiar nightjar (medium-sized nocturnal bird) calls Ontario home during the summer months and can be seen all over the province, including cities and provincial parks!

  • Dinosaurs in parks: the Lake Sturgeon

    Today’s post comes from Christian Therrien, past Northwest Zone senior assistant ecologist. Most agree all dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago. However, looking into species found in parks reveals that some dinosaurs have indeed persisted and can be seen today! From the Snapping Turtle to the Silver Lamprey, remnants from this forgotten time are…

  • A ghost in the attic

    Today’s blog comes to us from Sam Alison, former Ontario Parks Gray Ratsnake researcher at Murphys Point Provincial Park.  I must admit, as a seven year old, I was a little nervous about spending the night at my great grandmother’s cottage. At the family reunion, I had heard all about the seemingly mythical creature that…

  • From the abundant to the rare, parks protect them all

    Today’s post comes from Natural Heritage Education Supervisor Alistair MacKenzie at Pinery Provincial Park. The landscape of Ontario Parks is renowned for being strongholds for myriad species, both common and rare. A primary objective of Ontario Parks is the maintenance and restoration of ecological integrity, and the strengths of our protected areas are evident in the…

  • The dragonfly hunter

    Sonje Bols is an interpreter and naturalist with Ontario Parks, and coordinates the Discovery Drop-in program at a number of parks in Northeastern Ontario. She loves dragonflies: watching them, catching and identifying their species, and pretty much everything else about them. As soon as it’s warm enough to be outside in a t-shirt and shorts,…

  • The trouble with stick forts

    We don’t want to discourage kids from finding magic in nature. But we’re also kind of like the Lorax; we need to speak for the trees (and all the other critters that live in provincial parks).

  • The science and symbolism behind sunsets

    Today’s blog post comes from Sara Moore, a Discovery student at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park.  Have you ever wondered what makes a sunset so special? What gives them their beautiful colours?

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