Knowing the songs of common birds opens the door to greater enjoyment of the natural world May’s explosion of leaves will soon draw a green veil upon our neighbourhoods and woodlands. As beautiful and welcome as the burst of foliage may be, it complicates seeing and appreciating the many bird Read more…
The flowers of our common trees are an under-appreciated element of spring’s beauty A beautiful spectacle unfolds above our heads each spring. The lengthening days and increasing warmth are stirring flower buds that have lain dormant through the long winter months. Where only weeks ago there were just bare branches, Read more…
Despite Ford’s reckless and self-serving attacks on intelligent climate policy, signs of hope remain. Next Monday is Earth Day, an occasion that for me evokes bittersweet emotions. As a teacher, I was involved in organizing numerous Earth Day events to inspire students to learn and care more about the environment. Read more…
Against a backdrop of more dire climate change reports, we can still enjoy the arrival of spring Following on the heals of last fall’s International Panel on Climate Change report, which stated that global warming must be limited to 1.5-degrees Celsius to avoid a non-stoppable, runaway climate crisis, two other Read more…
From finches to cacti, the fingerprints of evolution are everywhere in the Galapagos Over the year leading up to my Galapagos trip, I read just about every available book on the islands. My favourite by far was “The Beak of the Finch”, by Jonathan Weiner. Now a nature classic, the Read more…
An unforgettable trip to the “laboratory of evolution” and the inspiration of Darwin’s earth-shaking theory The shadowy form appeared out of nowhere in the turquoise water. It made a bee-line towards me, swimming just above the bottom. What is this? Within seconds, however, its dark back, white underparts, and stout Read more…
Should we decimate a native bird at a time of unprecedented planet-wide species loss? Doug Ford’s buzz saw assault on Ontario’s environment never stops. It’s now clear that “open for business” really means “open season on the environment”. Since taking office, he has cancelled Ontario’s cap and trade program, Read more…
The average North American child can identify over 300 corporate logos, but only 10 native plants or animals – a telling indictment of our modern disconnection from the natural world. Even though children are born with an innate interest in nature, our society does little to nurture this predisposition. It Read more…
Latest IPCC report warns we have 12 years to limit climate catastrophe “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead Monday’s dire International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report weighed heavy on my mind Read more…
Looking ahead to Peterborough and the world of 2038 “The universe is a communion of subjects – not a collection of objects.” Thomas Berry Here is the reality we face, courtesy of the laws of physics. Scientists have calculated how much more greenhouse gas (GHG) humans can emit before temperatures Read more…
Additional obstacles to taking action on climate change When Al Gore described climate change as an inconvenient truth, it was a mamoth understatement. In fact, it is more like a perfect storm. As I argued last week, a huge number of obstacles make it near impossible for humans to engage Read more…
Low turnout at climate rallies highlights the huge disconnect between the evidence for catastrophic climate impacts and a sense of urgency for action Last Saturday, with its sunny skies and cool temperatures, was a beautiful day for a rally. More than 150 people showed up for Peterborough’s “Rise for Climate” 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…
Get up close and personal to nature while reducing your carbon footprint “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best.” Ernest Hemingway Riding a bicycle can be a wonderful way to engage with nature and the changing seasons. The feeling of setting off Read more…
Flocking provides many benefits but questions remain “How early in the year it begins to be late” Henry David Thoreau Nature plays a cruel joke on us in early July. Just as summer is getting started, intimations of autumn can already be seen. One such sign is the formation of 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…
Last of a three-part series exploring local nature destinations This week, I will conclude my exploration of some of the best nature-viewing areas in the Kawarthas – and beyond – by looking at destinations located mostly south of Peterborough. Almost all of these areas offer excellent opportunities to see a Read more…
Part 2 of a 3 part series This week, I would like to continue my exploration of some of the best nature-viewing areas in the Kawarthas by looking at destinations located mostly north of Peterborough. I have started in the northeast with the Carden Alvar near Kirkfield and worked eastward Read more…
Part 1 of a 3 part series on local nature destinations People often ask me where they should go to see birds and other wildlife. My initial answer is usually “just about anywhere.” Although this is true, I realize that a little more detail might be helpful. This week I’d Read more…
All eight species of Ontario turtles are now designated as at risk With the arrival of June, turtles are once again on the move. Unfortunately, this migration often involves a hazardous trek across busy roads and highways. Clearly, a turtle’s shell is no match for the crushing weight of a Read more…
I’ve just returned from my annual birding trip to Point Pelee and Rondeau parks in southwestern Ontario. And, yes, the birds of spring were present in all their diversity and beauty. Every year, however, I notice something deeply unsettling: the reduction in abundance. Take the Wood Thrush, for example. Instead Read more…
From botanical gardens and wildlife centres to museums and coffee farms, the San José area has much to offer As we boarded the bus to San Isidro de Heredia, we were sorry to leave Puerto Viejo, but felt satisfied that we’d experienced much of what Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast has Read more…
The Beekeeper’s Lament “O bring me palanquin, All my companions have scattered” Renée Sarojini Saklikar in “Listening to the Bees” Several years ago, a Letter to the Editor appeared in this paper that struck me as particularly poignant. It was from a former Trent University student, Rick Fisher. In the Read more…
Wildlife in Costa Rica can almost seem other-worldly: toucans with rainbow-colored beaks nearly as big as their body; huge Blue Morphos cruising about like computer-generated butterflies from the movie Avatar; and, as I’ll describe this week, wing-snapping manakins leaping back and forth like frenzied ping-pong balls. This amazing offering of Read more…
If Costa Rica taught me one lesson, it was to never go anywhere without my binoculars and camera. Not to put clothes on the line, not to go for water and especially not to walk into town. I could be certain that some kind of exotic creature – be it Read more…
“There is no fundamental difference between man and animals in their ability to feel pleasure and pain, happiness, and misery.” Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man A decade or so ago, I came upon a considerable mystery. It was a fall afternoon and, while walking down the road toward my Read more…
February 12 is a day to reflect on the principles of perpetual curiosity, scientific thinking, and hunger for truth as embodied in Charles Darwin. With the arrival of February – a time I like to call ‘pre-spring’ – bird sound is slowly returning to the natural world. A week ago, Read more…
Abundant Wild Turkeys entertain rural residents with their interesting behaviours. It was a blockbuster trade for the ages. However, it wasn’t athletes that were shuffled around. It was wildlife. In 1984, Ontario sent River Otters to Missouri, Ruffed Grouse to New York and Moose to Michigan in exchange for 274 Read more…
Exploring the characteristics of twigs and buds is a great winter pastime After the dramatic reds, oranges and yellows of fall leaves, it’s easy to think that the seemingly barren trees of winter offer little of interest. Fortunately, for those of us who enjoy winter botanizing, the trees Read more…
The annual Christmas Bird Count reveals the ups and downs of bird populations – and always some surprises. Between mid-December and early January, birders in more than 2,500 localities across North, Central and South America take a break from the holiday festivities to spend a day outside, identifying and counting Read more…