(Peterborough Examiner – March 12, 2021) “How lovely are the portals of the night, when stars come out to watch the daylight die.” Thomas Cooke When I think of early spring, my thoughts often turn to a memorable evening at the Trent Wildlife Sanctuary. Standing with my kids in Read more…
(Peterborough Examiner – March 5, 2021) Higher-than-usual owl numbers are thrilling people throughout the Kawarthas Mysterious visitors on silent wings are among us this winter. Arriving from the trackless expanses of Canada’s north, owls are thrilling people all over the Kawarthas. I can think of no other bird that Read more…
Last week I looked at the scientific facts about the climate crisis – a problem that will prove to be far worse than the pandemic. This week I’d like to turn to the solutions. Here’s the challenge: According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in order to avoid Read more…
“It’s getting the facts straight that gets us to act and not to wait. So, I tell you this not to scare you,But to prepare you, to dare youTo dream a different reality. – Amanda Gorman, U.S. National Youth Poet Laureate, from “Earthrise: A Poem About Climate Change” If Read more…
February 12 is day to reflect on the legacy of Charles Darwin – and why a male cardinal is red! With the arrival of February, bird song is slowly returning to the natural world. A week ago, I heard the boisterous song of the cardinal for the first time Read more…
Recently, I was asked to reflect on how nature in the Kawarthas has changed since I was a child and young adult in the 1960s and 70s. Thinking back, what immediately comes to mind is how much more abundant so many species were. In my mind’s eye, I see the Read more…
Winter can be a great time for birding Although it can seem like birds are few and far between in winter, there are actually many interesting species to be found. Some, like snow buntings, pine grosbeaks, and snowy owls are present at no other time of year. In fact, it Read more…
Record-highs for 16 species recorded on the annual Peterborough Christmas Bird Count Maybe it was our collective cabin fever, the increased interest in birding, or simply fewer Christmas obligations than in a normal year. For whatever combination of reasons, a record 96 people took part in this year’s Peterborough Read more…
Looking ahead to events in nature as the seasons change As I wrote earlier this fall, I’ve been on a quest to see how many bird species I can find in a single calendar year in Peterborough County. On November 8, I tallied number 200, thanks to a surf Read more…
Despite recognition of time spent in nature as a pillar of health, protecting greenspace remains an uphill battle For me, an enduring image of the pandemic will be the unprecedented number of people taking advantage of local rail-trails and parks. Some days, the procession of dog-walkers, cyclists, photographers, joggers, Read more…
November offers much more than meets the eye This week I’ve been thinking a lot about my mother and the huge influence she had on my life – and still does. She was born on November 16, 1925 and died 87 years later on the same day. Coming from Read more…
My quest to find 200 species in Peterborough County in 2020 For a long time now, I’ve taken a degree of pride in no longer being a “lister”, namely a birder who’s obsessed with adding new species to their list. Well, I’ve had to eat crow this year. An Read more…
Despite the onslaught of bad environmental news, there is much to be encouraged about Although it might come as a surprise, there is much to feel positive about when it comes to environmental problems like climate change and biodiversity loss. It’s vitally important that people know this. Not seeing Read more…
A road trip across the country is a must do for all Canadians Wow. We live in a big country. This fact was impressed upon my wife and me during our recent road trip to Surrey, B.C., near Vancouver. I’d nearly forgotten that traversing Ontario represents about half the Read more…
As a retired elementary school teacher, I can vouch for the fact that no other time of year gets kids more excited than Halloween. And it’s not just about costumes, pumpkin carving, and candy. Much of Halloween’s attraction has to do with experiencing the adrenaline rush of fear within 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…
It’s wonderful to see outdoor learning exploding in popularity this fall. Not only does it provide cognitive, social and health benefits – both physically and mentally – but it’s seen as an effective way to lower COVID-19 transmission. Since parents and teachers may be looking for activity ideas, I thought Read more…
No matter how you measure it – demand for camping equipment and bicycles, provincial park reservations, traffic on local rail-trails, or sales of feeders and bird seed – the pandemic has led to a huge uptick in the number of people engaging with nature and the outdoors. Read more…
A group of dedicated young people is keeping a close eye on the health of local lakes Not everyone would take delight in standing thigh-deep in muck to learn the difference between stinkpot and snapping turtles, but Rosalyn Shepherd was thrilled. The third-year environmental science student at Trent University Read more…
It’s easy to tune out the commonplace in our flora and let it become part of the “green blur”. This is especially true when it comes to ferns, which are among the most common plants you’re likely to encounter on a forest or wetland walk. However, just recognizing and paying Read more…
Many areas of the Kawarthas have been devastated by gypsy moth caterpillars I suspected something was up last summer. Swarms of small, brown moths were flying everywhere around my brother’s cottage south of Bon Echo Provincial Park. Closer examination revealed they were male gypsy moths. After a bit of searching, Read more…
A new invasive plant is rapidly spreading through the Kawartha Lakes In 2018, a water plant by the charming name of starry stonewort (SSW) was identified in Stony Lake. Fast forward two years and this highly-aggressive, invasive aquatic species is now turning up all over the Kawarthas. For many cottagers Read more…
A Kawarthas Summer Nature Almanac With summer almost upon us, 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, normal to above-normal temperatures are expected this summer, according to Dave Read more…
“In spring the moccasin flowers reach for the crackling lick of the sun…” Mary Oliver For anyone with an interest in wildflowers, June is synonymous with orchids. At least a dozen species of this fascinating plant family bloom this month in the Kawarthas, and the spectacle is not to be Read more…
Engaging activities to help kids grasp the basics of evolution The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. Marcel Proust One of the greatest gifts you can give children is a sense of wonder in the natural world. At the same time, Read more…
The pandemic has been an opportunity to enjoy spring migration at some of our great local birding destinations The news that all of Ontario’s parks, both provincial and national, would be closed this spring came as a big disappointment. A birding trip to Point Pelee and Rondeau has been a Read more…
“Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting.” — Mary Oliver, “Wild Geese” From all accounts, nature seems to be doing just fine as human activity has been dialed down in recent months. Read more…
“Welcoming the birds of May” The time that birders have waited for since the lonely, frigid days of winter is now upon us. With May comes the peak of spring migration as long‑distance migrants pour into the Kawarthas from the neo‑tropics ‑ Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and South Read more…
If there is a bright side to the COVID-19 crisis, it is the gift of time that we’ve been given. Why not use it to reconnect with nature and, in the process, celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day? With schools now closed, many families are looking for ideas to Read more…
Despite all the chaos and suffering caused by COVID-19, there is much to restore our faith in humanity and brighten our day. In my neighborhood at least, more people are out walking and acknowledging each other with a smile and a few words than I ever recall. Kids are even Read more…