Tag: community science
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Christmas Bird Count — keep the community science tradition going!
Today’s post comes from Cortney LeGros, the Healthy Parks Healthy People coordinator at Ontario Parks. The holiday season is steeped in tradition. No matter how you celebrate, there’s one scientific tradition that’s been around for over 120 years to help mark the holidays. For me, the holidays would not be complete without participating in at…
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What's a bioblitz?
When you first hear the word “bioblitz,” you might be a little confused. What does this strange word mean? When you break the word down into smaller pieces, it becomes much easier to understand: “bio” means “life” and “blitz” means a “sudden, energetic, and concerted effort, typically on a specific task.”
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Join our community of science
We’ve made the switch from citizen science to community science. Here at Ontario Parks, we love it when our visitors can get involved in science. From iNaturalist to Bumblebee Watch, eBird, bioblitzes, and more, volunteers help us to collect important information about our parks. These efforts help us to understand how plant and animal populations…
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An iNaturalist milestone: 500,000 observations!
In today’s post, Algonquin Provincial Park‘s Assistant Superintendent David LeGros helps us celebrate a big milestone for community scientists around the province! For over five years now, Ontario Parks has been encouraging park visitors to submit their observations of nature — everything from plants, animals, and fungi — to our community science project in iNaturalist. Over…
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Join us for Science Literacy Week 2022
Today’s blog comes from Jessica Stillman, School Outreach Coordinator at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words: counting, measuring, weighing, and calculating? For us, it’s connection!
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Monitoring birds in northern protected areas
Today’s article comes from our bird recording specialists, Zone Ecologist Ed Morris and Zone Operations Technician Rebecca Rogge. Birds are interesting. Most are visually striking, with noteworthy songs to match their brilliant feathers. They are also very important. Birds contribute to the health of our environment. They disperse seeds, pollinate plants, and help to control insect populations.…
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Square bashes with the Breeding Bird Atlas
Today’s post comes from Anna Sheppard, an Assistant Ecologist for Ontario Parks’ Northeast Zone. I am admittedly not a morning person by nature — if I had it my way, I would sleep in every single day! But I am passionate about birds, and for just a couple of months each year I’m willing to…
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Spotted on iNaturalist: our staff's favourite observations
Did you know April is Community Science Month? It’s no secret that we’re big proponents of community science, especially using a beginner-friendly app like iNaturalist! Every observation contributes to park research and helps maintain ecological integrity in our natural spaces. Not to mention the cool and unusual species we’ve spotted along the way! Check out…