Re: “Butcher of the Alvar“. I like how it reveals the vulnerability of all species by highlighting the personality and decline of one of Canada’s most ferocious songbirds, the eastern loggerhead shrike. If a carnivorous avian warrior who sings while impaling its prey on thorns can become endangered, then we should be concerned about the […]
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Author: ON Nature
Published quarterly by Ontario Nature, ON Nature brings readers closer to nature by exploring Ontario’s natural areas and wildlife and providing insight into current environmental issues.
This award-winning magazine features in-depth articles on the environment and conservation issues and stunning colour photography. Read about wilderness travel and destinations, natural history and up-to-date news on conservation battles.
Volunteer Salamander Surveys
Re: “Volunteer Salamander Surveys” (Summer 2017). Teaching at a Forest and nature school, we often search for salamanders. On our last day of classes before being forced to close by government mandate, we found a red-backed salamander! That same week my husband and I found a vernal pool filled with several egg sacs at McCrae […]
Minesing Wetlands
Having lived near the Nottawasaga River for the last decade and witnessing all the changes taking place with development in the area, I feel it’s extremely important to protect these incredibly sensitive natural habitats. We only get one chance at this. Once those habitats are gone, they are gone for good. – Lisa Jasiurkowski
Lawns Vs. Habitat
There is an area of urban land that we need to change or at least modify. If all of this land in Canada was joined together we would have an area equal to the size of British Columbia. Presently this land is completely wasted due to a useless cultural practice that benefits an industry and […]
A Breath of Fresh Air
I loved Julia Zarankin’s cover story, A Breath of Fresh Air. Well-written, thoughtful, and with two important themes that deserve separate articles. One theme is nature every day in the city, wherever you are. Most Canadians live and work in urban areas and we cannot just focus on wild and remote nature. Few people have the privilege of […]
Spring 2021
38 | Last Word Ontario’s “Zombie Highway” (Highway 413) is Back. By Tim Gray 36 | Our Community Voices of Ontario Nature members. By Chris Robinson, Ann Atkinson and Spencer Burton 35 |Our Member Groups Fighting for Lake Simcoe. By Lisa Richardson ON Nature magazine is an award-winning quarterly that brings readers closer to nature […]
Winter 2020
38 | Last Word When the going gets tough… By Anne Bell 36 | Our Community Welcome to the Gananoque Lake Nature Reserve. By Caroline Schultz 35 |Our Member Groups A nature experience for all. By Lisa Richardson ON Nature magazine is an award-winning quarterly that brings readers closer to nature by exploring Ontario’s natural […]
Restoring Nature’s Health
I just read Victor Doyle’s opinion piece on “Restoring Nature’s Health Post-COVID” (page 38, ON Nature, Fall 2020) and found it important and revealing. I am former land use planner myself. Although a short piece, it’s clear that he has revealed what many of us either knew, or suspected – that the current COVID-19 crisis presents a “public distraction” […]
Drowning in Plastic
Reader responses to: “Approximately only 8% of plastics are recycled in Ontario. The remaining plastic waste inevitably ends up in landfills or in the natural environment. Who should be responsible for tackling plastic pollution, consumers, the government, or corporations?” Corporations – that made plastic products and reaped the profits – should be held responsible for […]
Biodiversity Offsets
Reader responses to: “Novel business plan: Companies can earn their social licence to operate by creating new habitat.” It’s a great idea, but not a fast-enough solution. It takes several years for a habitat to recover and become sustainable. Then there’s the time required for all the flora and fauna to return to normal. […]
Slide Towards Sameness
“Some experts argue that our attitudes towards non-native species echo xenophobia. Should non-native species be considered less ecologically valuable than native species?” Absolutely don’t agree! – Shirley Baumgartner If they are ousting native species, then they should go. – Nancy Miles I don’t know enough as an expert or even someone more learned about […]
Death By The Numbers
Re: Death by the numbers, ON Nature Winter 2013 One of my social websites carried a petition against South Stormont Township, attacking a “Cat By-law” and claiming to have already more than 12,000 signatures. They seem to especially want people to keep feeding feral cats. I am an old guy, a nature lover; supporter of several environmental […]
Owl Magazine and Poetry
When I read on your website timeline that you were responsible for changing Young Naturalist to Owl Magazine – I just had to get in touch! As a child in the 1070’s I was a subscriber to Owl for years and loved it (Who didn’t love the Mighty Mites?)!! In a time with no Internet and only two TV […]
A Healing Harvest
Re: “A Healing Harvest” [Summer 2020] I was particularly interested in “A Healing Harvest” by Cecily Ross in the Summer, 2020 edition of ON Nature magazine. The term “regenerative agriculture” rang a bell with me. I’ve been listening to Fiber Shed’s “Regenerating Our Textile Systems Course” from California and learning a little bit about regenerative agriculture. The Fiber Shed […]
Fall 2020
DEPARTMENTS 5 | This Issue The case for protected places.By Caroline Schultz 7 | Earth Watch Youth Summit goes virtual, Bog at risk, Land-use policy news, Photo contest winners, Mer Bleue bog, natural burials And more… 38 | Last Word Restoring Nature’s Health Post-COVID By Victor Doyle 37 | Our Community Awards Celebrate Nature Heroes […]
Summer 2020
DEPARTMENTS 5 | This Issue A new normal.By Caroline Schultz 7 | Earth Watch Great Lakes Guide, Nature reserve restoration, Bear hunt resumes, New fish in Junction Creek And more… 38 | Last Word Nature’s slide toward sameness. By Rachel Plotkin 37 | Our Community Revitalizing our relationship with Mother Earth. By Kirsten Dahl 36 […]
Double Green Trillium
Re: “Woodland Wonders” [Spring 2020] I’ve enjoyed the magazine for many years now and particularly liked the feature on trilliums in the Spring 2020 issue. It brought back memories of many trips to Trillium Woods Provincial Park near Sweaburg. I decided to share a photo of what appears to be a double green trillium. It was […]
Woodland Wonders
Re: “Woodland Wonders” [Spring 2020] I really enjoyed the latest issue. A lovely article for sure. Brian Carson seems like a gentle giant and very interesting fellow. On one hand I appreciate the work he is doing – trying to “save” rare species of Trillium. On the other, I’m concerned about his separating and hand […]
Black Ash
Re: A Tree Woven Through Culture Correction: On page 18/19 of the spring 2020 magazine we mistakenly placed a black walnut tree (below) in the article about black ash trees. We have corrected the digital version of the magazine (with the spread above) and regret the error.
Can Ranavirus Be Stopped?
Re: “Can Ranavirus be Stopped?” [Spring 2020] Thanks for a lovely issue. The article on Ranavirus found in Cheldyra serpentina is interesting, but even if you are working on developing a baseline with current data, like with the Coronavirus, there is very little testing so it is nearly impossible to know the scope of its effect on the C. […]
ON Nature Magazine Spring 2020
DEPARTMENTS 5 | This Issue The path forward.By Caroline Schultz 7 | Earth Watch Mushroom workshops, Fighting phragmites, A new breeding bird atlas, Protecting the Holland Marsh And more… 38 | Last Word Where is the political will to protect habitat? By Julee Boan and Rachel Plotkin 37 | Our Community Citizens save a wetland. […]
Corrections
Letters to the Editor
Please send letters by email to onnature@ontarionature.org or by mail c/o Editor, and include your full name, address and phone number. You can also submit your thoughts on social media by tagging us. Letters should be 75 words or less and they may be edited for length and clarity.
Monarch Butterfly Effect
Re: “The Monarch Butterfly Effect” [Winter 2019] About 33 percent of Monarch Watch recoveries in Mexico are from reared monarchs. Lab rearing conditions (12 hours replicating day and night, 27 C constant temperatures) failed to provide environmental cues that lead to reproductive diapause or migration. Induction of a non-reproductive state and migration is complicated and […]
Blue Frogs
Re: “Do Green Frogs Get The Blues?” Hello: I have enjoyed yet another edition of Ontario Nature magazine. The article on page 13 “Do Green Frogs Get The Blues?” was especially appealing as the property we listed in your magazine’s spring edition did indeed have a blue frog on it. Refer to my website: pbase.com/snorkelady/image/170206425. Thank you […]
ON Nature Magazine Winter 2019
Seasons Magazine Winter 1995
DEPARTMENTS 8 | Earth Watch Calling a halt to the spring bear hunt; Bats only—no gate-crashers allowed; voice of support for the escarpment plan; sustainable-forest plan tested; a chance to protect roadless wilderness; Canada and Mexico protect monarchs; J. Murray Speirs Ecological Reserve is created; update on Presqu’ile plan. 42 | Insider Introducing Eco-net; Petrel […]
Seasons Magazine Autumn 1995
DEPARTMENTS 7 | Earth Watch Lead shot banned for waterfowl hunting; can Quetico’s wilderness survive?; forest management; Temagami: five lost years; the Morris Tract: a jewel in our midst. 27 | Birder’s Notebook Were they just quiet today? By Ted Cheskey 35 | Insider New structure for FON council; conference report. FEATURES 14 | Presqu’ile […]
Seasons Magazine Summer 1995
DEPARTMENTS 7 | Earth Watch Ontario expands Wabakimi Park to 900,000 hectares; Parks Ontario: putting the pieces back together; wolf/coyote report is seriously flawed; Ontario’s proposed new Endangered Species Act dies. 36 | Insider Unauthorized fire set at Pelee Reserve; caring for our nature reserves; rare-bird reports now available. 38 | Election Special With the […]
Seasons Magazine Spring 1995
DEPARTMENTS 9 | Earth Watch Westside Marsh: Wetland or quarry?; subdivision threatens Lynde Marsh; still no final word on Wabakimi; 404 extension: road going nowhere?; still timber, not forest, management; Algonquin timber plan revisited. 40 | Insider Eagerly awaiting our first easement; invasive species brochure in the works. 43 | Birder’s Notebook Stalking the elusive […]
Seasons Magazine Winter 1998
DEPARTMENTS 5 | In This Issue The stories stones tell.By Victoria Foote 6 | EarthwatchRouge Valley victory short lived; Lake Erie too clean; lack of legislation leaves species at risk. 14 | Letters 17 | This Season Gary and Joanie McGuffin go on the adventure of a lifetime, again and again.By Margaret Carney 36 | Insider Behind the […]
Seasons Magazine Autumn 1998
DEPARTMENTS 5 | In This IssueJohn Muir shows us the way.By Stephan Fuller 6 | EarthwatchVictoria Point victory; tampering with the science education curriculum; the regeneration of a savannah. 14 | Letters 17 | This Season Uber-birders Mike Runtz and Bruce Di Labio go head to head in the Taverner Cup.By Jeff Harrison 36 | Insider Behind […]
ON Nature Magazine Fall 2019
DEPARTMENTS 5 | This Issue A vote for nature. By Caroline Schultz 7 | Earth Watch Tree planting program saved, How to photograph a bumble bee, Wetland protection in Ontario, Photo contest winner unveiled, and more… 36 |Our Member Groups Soaring into the fall. By Noah Cole 37 | Our Community Wetland gift creates a […]
Neonic Lawsuit Ruling
Re: The Disappointing Decision on the Neonic Lawsuit To the Editor of ON Nature, Further to Anne Bell’s Neonic lawsuit article, the Blue Mountain Watershed Trust Foundation has monitored the use of pesticides applied by seven golf courses in the Collingwood area for over 10 years. The area golf courses are using Class 9 Pesticides […]
Norway Maples
Re: The Leafy Viking I read your article regarding Norway maple trees with interest. I am very interested in preserving our native caterpillar populations and support planting native tree species. To that end I have planted two paper birch trees, a swamp willow, a striped maple and a tamarack on my residential property. I also […]
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Hemp
Dear Ontario Nature, it is more important now than ever before that we stop being afraid, we must stop living from a state of fear of hemp. Hemp is the most useful versatile plant in the world, you name it, hemp can do it, there is almost nothing this plant cannot do, thats why it […]
Red-backed Salamanders
Re: Urban Planet Hello, I enjoyed reading your Summer 2019 issue, particularly the article “Where are all the bugs?”. The loss of insect populations and diversity is a terrible threat, like climate change, that more people should be aware of and taking action on. On page 33 of “Urban Planet”, bottom of the middle column, […]