Parks Blog

Tag: ecological integrity

  • An Ontario Parks glossary

    Are you new to parks, or maybe a park veteran looking to brush up on your knowledge? We’ve assembled a handy guide to all the terms you’ll need to know and understand before you visit the park…

  • Welcome home, Mottled Duskywings!

    A missing piece of Pinery Provincial Park’s biodiversity has recently been replaced! After a long absence, the Mottled Duskywing butterfly (Erynnis martialis) is once again taking wing in one of Ontario’s busiest parks. This is the story of how a small butterfly was lost and brought home again.

  • Planes, paddles and portages: a journey of garbage

    This is a story about garbage. It wasn’t a quick journey. It took a plane ride, some paddling in a canoe, portaging, more paddling, another plane ride, and a drive on the highway. This garbage was left in Algonquin Provincial Park’s remote backcountry, something that, unfortunately, happens far too often.

  • How will I know ecological integrity when I see it?

    Preserving ecological integrity is a priority for all of us here at Ontario Parks. But just what does ecological integrity look like? Algonquin Provincial Park Naturalist David LeGros explains… When I start many of my evening programs at Algonquin, I often ask the audience if they like nature. Usually I get a lot of hands…

  • Why is biodiversity important?

    Biodiversity is a big word for the variety of life on Earth. Biodiversity is you — and every other living thing on the planet. We see biodiversity every day, but it’s more than bugs and animals and trees. It’s about how everything is connected. If we lose one piece of biodiversity, the rest is affected.

  • Bats at Ontario Parks

    Today’s post comes from Natural Heritage Education Supervisor Alistair MacKenzie and Bat Stewardship Technician Heather Sanders. Bats are the only mammal capable of true sustained flight, and with over 1,300 species and counting, they make up the second largest order of mammals.

  • 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…

  • Forever protected: why Bon Echo belongs

    Our “Forever Protected” series shares why each and every park belongs in Ontario Parks. In today’s post, Lisa Roach from the Discovery Program tells us Bon Echo’s story.  A favourite for generations of people, Bon Echo provides amazing scenery, relaxation, and a place for families and friends to reconnect. Indigenous peoples, artists, and early recreationists…

  • Saving the unseen: managing habitat for Eastern Whip-poor-will at Pinery

    For some, it’s the song of summertime. For others, it’s the song that signals impending doom. It was part of what made Hank Williams (so) lonesome, but many consider its presence far too surrounding. Whatever your interpretation, it’s easy to learn this bird’s classic “WHUP-poor-WILL” song.

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