ON Nature magazine

Spring 2012

Nature lovers enjoy an early spring every year By Caroline Schultz Conservation groups fight back against mining in old-growth forest; more than 11,000 people sign petition to ban the hunt of snapping turtles; First Nations demand opportunity for meaningful participation in Ring of Fire environmental assessments; citizen scientists help Ontario Nature’s atlas project. Ontario [...]

The Secret To Its Success

ON Nature’s Spring 2012 issue has a beautiful picture of a bufflehead on its cover. Brian Banks’ article looks at why this tuxedo duck is thriving, when so many waterfowl populations are shrinking. The bufflehead, which is less than 500 grams in weight, is North America’s smallest sea duck. Enjoy more photos of this lovely little duck here.

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The Whimbrels are coming!

The Whimbrels are coming, but not in the numbers bird lovers used to witness. Scientists are currently analysing data collected by volunteers in order to uncover what’s causing the whimbrels’ numbers to decline. This map tells you more about the migration paths of these long-distance fliers. For more information, please visit: http://earthsky.org/biodiversity/a-satellite-transmitter-chronicles-two-years-of-a-whimbrels-migrations.

Friend or foe?

Negotiating with former adversaries comes with a unique set of challenges. by Julee Boan In the early 1970s, a popular bumper sticker read: “If you are cold, hungry and out of work, eat an environmentalist.” At the time, and for many years after, an “us versus them” mentality dominated the discourse between tree huggers and [...]

The problem with aggregates

by Caroline Schultz A strong wind whipped in heavy grey clouds, and the threat of rain was imminent as several hundred shivering people queued up at the edge of a woodlot north of Shelburne at the beginning of a unique demonstration of civil society. They were lining up to protest against the proposed “mega-quarry” [...]

Carbon credit swap

by Allan Britnell Most of us have known for years that trees are good for the environment, particularly because of their ability to sequester greenhouse gases spewed by cars and the other conveniences of our lives. Yet, until recently, no one knew precisely just how much carbon forests could store. But a detailed analysis published [...]

Follow the leader

by Joshua Wise This summer, the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation took a bold stance to protect the Big Trout Lake watershed by ratifying a watershed declaration and consultation protocol aimed at preserving 1.3 million hectares of boreal lakes, rivers, forests and wetlands that form the spiritual, as well as physical, centre of the community. [...]

Climate change economics

by Peter Rosenbluth Many in the environmental community found that the recent provincial election was as notable for what was not discussed as it was for the points of contention. Absent from most debates was any discussion of conservation in an era of climate change. While candidates crossed swords over, for example, the applicability of [...]

Beetle mania

by Peter Gorrie After nearly a decade of destruction due to a voracious, invasive insect, a glimmer of hope is stealing into Ontario’s gloomy ash forests. The emerald ash borer has already destroyed most of its host trees in southwestern Ontario, specifically Essex County where this creature entered the province nine years ago. On its own, [...]

In search of creepy crawlers

by James Paterson From Toronto to Thunder Bay, Ontario Nature staff have been travelling across the province in search of snakes, salamanders and other creeping, crawling and slithering wildlife. As part of the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas project, conservation staff have conducted workshops, presentations and field surveys to increase awareness of and gather data [...]