Peterborough Examiner – November 19, 2021 – by Drew Monkman Ten easy activities to engage more fully with nature This week, I’d like to propose some simple activities to enhance a late fall or winter walk, be it alone or with friends or family. Activities such as these are also popular with kids Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – November 12, 2021 – by Drew Monkman A look at the annual winter finch forecast Anyone who feeds or watches birds knows that the relative abundance and diversity of species varies widely from one winter to the next. These fluctuations are most noticeable in a group known as winter or Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – November 5, 2021 – by Drew Monkman The late fall forest is a joy to explore Last week I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days at my brother’s cottage on Big Gull Lake, north of Kaladar. Located on the Canadian Shield, the flora and fauna is almost Read more…
Check out August sightings for Brian Asmunt’s encounter with an Eastern Hog-nosed Snake. Here are a couple of shots of my first Snow Bunting of the year. I saw it at the Omemee marsh on November 1. Driving on the River Road just south of Lakefield on November 4, we Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – October 22, 2021 – by Drew Monkman Our region offers rich experiences in the natural world, but let’s also acknowledge the losses and assaults As the great American ecologist and conservationist, Aldo Leopold, once wrote, “One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a Read more…
I thought you might be interested and surprised (as I was) to know that I heard at least one Chorus Frog calling both yesterday afternoon and evening (October 20) from a wet meadow on the 7th Line Smith near our house. We always have quite a few Chorus Frogs calling Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – October 15, 2021 – by Drew Monkman Seeds ride air, animals, and their own steam to new destinations Nature is never at rest. Even now, as leaves change colour and fall to the ground, all manner of trees, shrubs, and flowers are engaged in a crucial mission: spreading their Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – October 8, 2021 – by Drew Monkman Many children are already anxious or have dangerous misconceptions. They want and need to talk about it. For nearly two years now, we’ve all been talking non-stop about Covid with friends, family, and even our kids. You’d almost think we’ve Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – September 24, 2021 – by Drew Monkman A boom or bust cycle of seed production is no less than an adaptation for survival “Daddy, why do flowers smell nice? Why do ladybugs have spots?” From the time we’re old enough to talk, we overwhelm our parents with Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – September 17, 2021 – by Drew Monkman Cooler temperatures, migrating birds, and a riot of colour are the hallmarks of this wonderful season. Next to spring, fall’s arrival is my favorite change of season. The cooler temperatures and changing colours never fail to shake me out of Read more…
On September 27, while walking on the 3rd hole of the Kawartha Golf and Country Club, I spotted two Giant Puffballs in the little strip of woods just west of the green. They were at least 10 inches in diameter, in perfect stage of ripeness. I was tempted to gather Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – September 3, 2021 – by Drew Monkman Given how quickly climate chaos is unfolding, the Conservative climate plan comes up short. The most alarming story to come out this summer is not the continuing pandemic or the tragedy in Afghanistan. As serious as these problems are, Read more…
This morning, August 30, while entering the Indian River at the Piggery for our ritual early morning swim, we noticed a heron-like bird on a branch close by. The sun was behind it so we only saw its silhouette. When it took off, however, we were surprised to see that Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – July 16, 2021 – by SCOTT MCKINLAY Nature isn’t just good for you; it nurtures climate action The restrictions of the past 16 months have forced many of us to explore new frontiers of entertainment and self-fulfillment, and much of that entertainment has come in the form Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – July 9, 2021– by LINDA AND AL SLAVIN Local 4RG climate group connects us all to the biggest crisis modern humans have ever faced We keep hearing about the climate crisis in the news: more than 700 people died in BC in the late-June heatwave, just a Read more…
I witnessed a very interesting encounter yesterday, July 20, between Common Loons and a Bald Eagle and, although it was not in the Kawarthas, I thought you might like to hear about it. My in-laws own a cottage on Papineau Lake, north of Bancroft, and my family spent the last Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – July 2, 2021– by Marilyn Freeman It seems like a lifetime ago that I read Robert Pirsig’s “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. I’m not interested in motorcycles, but one concept stuck with me. On a motorcycle, he says, there is a connection to one’s surroundings Read more…
A friend of mine saw an American White Pelican on Sturgeon Lake at Sandy Point on June 25. Phillip McKeating Some recent photos of an Eastern Kingbird and a Black-billed Cuckoo near Campbellford. Donald Munro Patricia and I have been puzzled about the Black Walnut trees around our house and Read more…
Each night I awake about 1:00 a.m. In my easy chair, I observe flashes of white on the front deck. These are two or more flying squirrels at play. If I turn on the light, they do not move much and I interrupt their game. A friend asked me if Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – June 18, 2021 – by Drew Monkman Despite some challenges, there is much to look forward to in the coming months To a large extent, “seeing” is knowing what to expect. In fact, the cornerstone of identification is knowing what species are most likely given Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – June 4, 2021 – by Drew Monkman City’s actions don’t reflect declaration of a Climate Emergency On these beautiful June days, it’s hard to imagine the planet is in the midst of a climate crisis. And, even if we accept the science, isn’t the pandemic a Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – May 21, 2021 – by Drew Monkman “These woods were meant for nature walks/ Cross-country skis, and quiet talks./ Instead, we find ourselves among/ An endless trail of steaming dung.” Anonymous, March 2021 I am a dog lover. I still remember the Christmas morning when my Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – May 10, 2021 – by Drew Monkman MPP Dave Smith needs to act now to help protect this rich natural area For many years, Jack’s Lake east of Apsley has been one of my favorite nature destinations. From its rich diversity of butterflies and reptiles to Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – June 4, 2021 – by Katie Krelove, Ontario Campaigner for the Wilderness Committee and member of the Catchacoma Forest Stewardship Committee The clock is ticking: May 17 the last day to comment on proposed logging plan By now it’s common knowledge that the pandemic has driven many Read more…
I got this shot of a yawning Red Fox in Millbrook on April 20. Jeff Keller My daughter, Jennifer, went for a walk in a park today, April 25, and came across these Painted Turtles. She said it was fun to watch them trying to get a spot on the Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – April 23, 2021 17 songs to inspire action to protect our planet As we celebrate Earth Week, I’d like to step back from my usual fact-driven perspective on the state of the environment. Today, I want music to do the talking. I’ve put together a Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – April 16, 2021 Forest Schools take the learning outside – and kids love it! April 22 is Earth Day. For me, it’s always a time to reflect on our fractured relationship with the natural world. This year, however, I’m feeling more hopeful than I have in Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – April 9, 2021 Woodcock’s sky dance a must-see marvel of nature in the Kawarthas With monikers like pop-eyed shot dodger, bogsucker, sky dancer, and timber-doodle, the American woodcock may have the most evocative nicknames of any bird. It’s not surprising. This strangely-shaped species with a ridiculously long Read more…
Peterborough Examiner – April 2, 2021 A look ahead at events in nature as spring arrives in the Kawarthas With early spring now upon us, nature’s most eventful and exciting season has begun. Change is the order of the day. The silence of winter has already given way to ardent Read more…
I’m sending along photos of the two Pine Grosbeaks that showed up at my feeder in late December. I called them “Heebie” and “Jeebie”! One time, Jeebie almost landed on my head, but she decided to pull up at the last second; I could feel her wings. She also eventually Read more…