Summer brings new opportunities for nature enthusiasts. Peterborough Examiner – June 20, 2025 – by Drew Monkman The celestial wheel has once again brought us to the summer solstice and a new, exciting season. The American nature writer Hal Borland spoke of late June as “long, sweet days we bought and paid Read more…
“Seeing” often comes down to knowing what to expect. Peterborough Examiner – June 21, 2024 – by Drew Monkman Like a celestial clock, events in nature tick off the time of year and the progression of the seasons. The predictability of these happenings – often within a few days of the same date Read more…
Nature enthusiasts have much to look forward to in the coming months. Peterborough Examiner – December 22, 2023 – by Drew Monkman All you have to do is step outside this month to get a sense of how quickly global heating is accelerating. In fact, 2023 will have been Earth’s warmest year on Read more…
Fall is the perfect time to reconnect with nature. Peterborough Examiner – September 8, 2023 – by Drew Monkman As I do at the beginning of each season, I want to look ahead this week to the many events in nature that are typical of fall in the Kawarthas. A big part of Read more…
Lots to look forward to in the coming weeks Peterborough Examiner – June 23, 2023 – by Drew Monkman As I do at the beginning of each new season, I’d like to look ahead at some of the events in nature that we can expect over the coming months.To enjoy some of these Read more…
Spring is an exciting time for nature enthusiasts Peterborough Examiner – April 14, 2023 – by Drew Monkman As we enjoy spring’s arrival, I’d like to provide a taste of some of the wonderful events in nature to look forward to in the coming weeks. Before doing so, however, let’s look back Read more…
Looking ahead to what nature has in store this winter Peterborough Examiner – January 6, 2023 – by Drew Monkman As global heating continues, it comes as no surprise that 2022 was a warmer-than-average year for Peterborough. In fact, nine of the past 12 months registered a mean temperature higher than the 1971-2000 Read more…
Keep your eyes and ears peeled Peterborough Examiner – May 20, 2022 – by Drew Monkman As we begin to transition from spring into summer, I’d like to provide a taste of some of the wonderful events in nature to look forward to in the coming weeks and months. Top of mind for Read more…
With autumn weather upon us early this year, the natural world is responding in kind. Leaves are rapidly changing colour and bird migration is well underway. A host of species we haven’t seen since the spring are now passing through the Kawarthas. I’m keeping a particularly close eye on Read more…
An almanac of spring in the Kawarthas – Published April 10, 2020 At this time of great uncertainty in our lives, the natural world provides something we all need more than ever: predictability. I am talking about the predictability of change as one season slowly slips into the next, Read more…
This week, I’d like to share more nature sightings from the past year that readers have shared with me. I am always pleased to learn about what people are seeing and to try to answer nature-related questions. To stay abreast of the latest sightings in Peterborough and the Kawarthas, please Read more…
Looking ahead to events in nature in the Kawarthas Although we enjoyed a comfortable summer in the Kawarthas – sunny, not too hot, and no extreme weather – the biggest story for the planet as a whole continues to be the climate crisis. July was Earth’s hottest month since temperature Read more…
Now that summer has officially arrived, I want to look ahead to some of the events in nature that we can expect over the next three months. As for the long-term weather forecast, seasonal temperatures are expected this summer with frequent swings from hot to colder. These swings will mean Read more…
Looking ahead to events in nature after another summer marked by climate change As it was in the summers of both 2016 and 2017, the biggest story of the past three months has been the weather chaos unleashed on planet Earth by climate change. Just in Canada, we saw the Read more…
A preview of summer nature events with a nod to climate change Now that summer has officially arrived, I want to look ahead to some of the events in nature that we can expect over the next three months. As a result of climate change, however, the actual timing of Read more…
Expect a lot of snow and a ‘classic Canadian winter’ In my fall nature almanac, I had the temerity to predict that the sunshine and cool temperatures of early September would lead to extraordinary leaf colour. Well, I sure got that wrong. In fact, this fall’s colour show was one Read more…
For anyone paying attention, the biggest story of the past summer has been the fury unleashed by planet Earth as a result of climate change. As Clive Hunter, an Australian public intellectual, said on CBC Radio’s Ideas recently, “What we’re now confronted with is a wakened, angry, raging beast.” The Read more…
Now that summer has officially arrived, I would like to look ahead at some of the events in nature that we can expect over the next three months. The actual timing of events is directly affected by temperature, rainfall, and day length. While these environmental factors obviously change throughout the Read more…
As we turn the corner into spring, let’s pause a moment to reflect back on the winter that’s been. For many people, the temperate weather was a blessing, with only moderate snowfall and temperatures well above average. Yes, the abnormally mild winter did make life easier for most of us. Read more…
Looking back at the fall of 2016, the warming trend that is affecting the entire planet was certainly noticeable in the Kawarthas. While the average temperature for October was only 1 C above normal (compared to the mean temperature for 1971 – 2000), both September and November were nearly 2 Read more…
Looking back at the summer of 2016, two words come immediately come to mind: drought and heat. August was a whopping 3.7 C warmer than the 1971-2000 average, while as of this week, September is about 3 C above normal temperatures. As for precipitation, July only saw one-third of normal Read more…
For most anyone who enjoys the unfolding of a new season, spring stands head and shoulders above any other time of year. The greening of the landscape and explosion of animal life never fails to amaze. Spring is a season that regales all of the senses. Our ears reawaken to Read more…
Sitting down at the computer this week to write my column was a real pleasure, especially after an absence of 10 months. I used my time away to work on a nature activity guide entitled “The Big Book of Nature Activities: A Year-round Guide to Outdoor Learning”, which should be Read more…
We don’t often think of November as a particularly interesting month. For many, it’s simply the grey, damp interval between the dazzling leaves of October and the swirl of lights and decorations of December. For me, however, late fall has always been a favourite time of year. I love the Read more…
“From dewy lanes at morning The grapes’ sweet odors rise; At noon the roads all flutter With yellow butterflies By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer’s best of weather, And autumn’s best of cheer” – Helen Hunt Jackson This week, I would like to propose some Read more…
Although fall’s official start is still almost three weeks away, a sense of the new season is already upon us. The blanket of goldenrod in fields and roadsides, the heavy morning mists and the hints of colour change in the leaves all tell us that summer is quickly waning. As Read more…
Although the flamboyant reds, yellows and oranges of fall always receive the most attention, there is an equally beautiful showing of colour in May. From the radiant white blossoms of serviceberries and trilliums to the fresh, lime‑green leaves of sugar maples, May paints the landscape with a gentle warmth all Read more…
After the brutal winter we’ve been through, most of us are awaiting the arrival of the true spring with bated breath. I think it’s fair to say that we’ve already bought and paid for the coming warmth and greening of the landscape with the cold and snow we’ve endured Read more…
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.” – Anne Bradstreet Despite the bone-chilling cold of this winter’s Polar Vortex, life carries on all around us. It might just take a little more effort to seek it out. To the curious and attentive observer, Read more…
A late fall Kawartha’s nature almanac In late fall in the Kawarthas, a pre-winter stillness settles upon the land. The calls of migrating sparrows and kinglets cease, most robins bid us farewell and the last crickets surrender to the cold. Damp, often cloudy weather, leafless trees and faded grasses Read more…