Republished with permission from Watersheds Canada. Blog by: Nathaniel Sneyd-Dewar, Riparian Habitat Restoration Intern
Fireworks have long been a spectacular sight for people worldwide, but outside of the sounds and visuals, the effects of dispersed particles are less considered. While once reserved for national holidays and other major occasions, fireworks have become increasingly affordable, available, and used by families and friends in increasingly diverse locations. This shift presents a change from large shows in urban centres to firework displays in more rural locations like parks, cottages, and campsites.

Republished with permission from Invasive Species Centre
With support from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Invasive Phragmites Control Fund is seeking proposals for grants to support groups or organizations to implement Phragmites prevention and control activities in Ontario.

The purpose of the Invasive Phragmites Control Fund is to support local on-the-ground action on Phragmites and amplify and expand control activities into a provincial scale, coordinated Phragmites program. Read on to learn more!

By: Carolinian Canada Coalition
Native plants, commonly defined in North America as species that existed on the land prior to European
colonization, are the foundation of healthy biodiversity and resilient ecosystems. Having evolved with
local environmental conditions, such as soils, climate, and other native wildlife, and having had strong
relationships with Indigenous peoples since time immemorial, these plants provide the best suited
resources to support local ecosystems and communities. Ontario is home to thousands of native plant
species that form the basis of a diverse web of life.

Republished with permission from Watersheds Canada. Blog by: Ty Fischer, Riparian Habitat Restoration Intern
It is no secret that winters can be harsh here in Canada. Between the cold weather and the lack of sunlight, this is the time of year that many choose to stay inside and cozy up to the fire with a hot beverage and a good book. Next time you make a pot of hot chocolate, however, consider reaching for the travel mug instead! The winter season can provide you with incredible and magical opportunities to get out and connect with nature. There are lots of ways you can get outside and have fun, learn something new, and appreciate the intricacies of the natural world in a whole new way.

Read on to learn about 10 ways to have fun outside while celebrating winter!

By: US Forest Service
The Huron-Manistee National Forests of northern Michigan, USA, is hosting the annual Kirtland’s Warbler Young Artists’ Calendar Contest once again this year.  Each year, wildlife staff and educators visit schools and reach out to communities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Canada, and The Bahamas to invite students to learn about the rare Kirtland’s warbler and their unique habitat. Students are then invited to create artwork depicting the Kirtland’s warbler or other wildlife and plants of the bird’s habitat. 

By: Brittany Killingbeck, Stewardship Technician, Hamilton Naturalists’ Club
Hamilton is a biodiversity hotspot with a diversity of unique natural heritage features like the Niagara Escarpment, Cootes Paradise Marsh, and Lake Ontario among many other woodlands, wetlands, and waterways that provide refuge for people, animals, and plants alike. A biodiverse, healthy landscape provides critical benefits to Hamiltonians such as managing flooding by storing water, reducing air pollution by filtering out harmful air particulates, and sequestering carbon.

By: Ben Woodward, International Geography Olympiad Alumnus
Canada’s qualifiers for the International Geography Olympiad (iGeo) are just around the corner, and
Canadian Geographic Education is looking for Grade 11 and 12 students to represent Canada at 2024’s
iGeo in Dublin.

iGeo is an annual, international competition that brings together over 150 of the best 16 to 19 year old
geography students from over 40 countries. The competition consists of written tests, map and graphic
interpretation (the multimedia test), and a fieldwork exam. Each of these tests assess students’
knowledge of many areas of both human and physical geography. The week-long event also features a
day-long trip, a poster contest, and a chance to make lifelong friends from around the world.

Reprinted with permission from PLT Canada
Project Learning Tree Canada (PLT Canada), an initiative of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), works to advance environmental education, forest literacy and career pathways, using trees and forests as windows on the world. SFI and PLT Canada are getting ready for the Back-to-School period with the unveiling of the newest environmental education resource in Canada, the Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide.

By: Matthew Perry, Forest Communications Advocate, Canadian Institute of Forestry/Institut du Canada (CIF-IFC)
From September 17-23, 2023, Canadians from coast to coast to coast are invited to celebrate National Forest Week (NFW). Through this one-week campaign led by the CIF-IFC, individuals from all ways of life can learn more about the forest sector and its significance to Canada’s culture, history, and future, while also supporting a greater recognition of forests as a valuable, renewable and green resource.

Reprinted with permission from Watersheds Canada
One of the best things about creating a pollinator garden is the diversity of beauty that can be included! However, not all pollinator gardens welcome the same diversity of species. Bees are the most important and common pollinator type, with over 800 species in Canada! Luckily everyone’s favourite gentle friend the bumblebee is not only cute, but a native species as well. Be sure to respectfully admire the females who can sting multiple times unlike the non-native honeybee.

By Megan Seed, Outreach Technician, Adopt-A-Pond, Toronto Zoo
Snakes have a stigma associated with them that they can't seem to ssshake! On World Snake Day, let's break the stigma and help the world see snakes as the fascinating animals that they are! Ontario snakes range in size, with some reaching up to 183 centimeters, like the gray ratsnake, and others as small as 20 centimeters, like the northern red-bellied snake. If you believe that snakes are slimy, dangerous, and mean animals, getting to know Ontario's snakes may change your mind!

By Carissa Stauffer, Adopt-A-Pond Outreach Technician, Toronto Zoo
Why did the turtle cross the road? To build her nest, of course!

Ontario’s turtles are seasonal species, with their active season typically lasting from April to October. During this time, they have been found to be most active during the months of May and June, where they search far and wide for suitable habitats to build their nests. This nesting quest can take these turtles through wetlands, streams, along shorelines, and most dangerously – across roadways. Unfortunately for our native turtle species, this has become one of the most common causes of turtle mortality. So, as we continue through another busy nesting season, let’s learn about what goes on during this turtle quest and how we can protect these turtle-y awesome species!

By Dana Buchbinder, Citizen Science Coordinator, Ecospark 
Help put Toronto and the GTA on the map to win the title of the wildest city in Canada by taking part in the City Nature Challenge 2023 from April 28 - May 1!

The City Nature Challenge is an annual four-day global event where cities across the world compete to see which city can gather the greatest number of wildlife observations, find the most species and engage the most people at the event. EcoSpark is once again proud to be the regional organizer for the city of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area.

By Philip Harker, Citizen Science Intern, EcoSpark
We tend to focus quite a lot on the earth’s flashier organisms: ferocious tigers, adorable axolotls, and towering trees. These organisms capture our imagination and help us to motivate others to protect our biosphere.

But these charismatic plants and animals don’t always tell the full story of the ecosystems that they come from. All across the world, ecosystems are highly dependent on the simpler organisms that we tend to take for granted. Today, we explore a diverse, weird, and fascinating (yet often overlooked) group of organisms: algae!

By: Danika Strecko, Senior Education Manager, Project Learning Tree Canada
The forest is teeming with life – from the tiniest microorganisms and fungi to birds and bears. The interdependence between everything growing and living in forests is truly awe-inspiring.

And while one of the best ways to learn about nature is to get outside, we realize that’s not always possible. Perhaps you don’t have easy access to forests or the weather in your neck of the woods (pun intended) isn’t ideal this time of year. That’s why Project Learning Tree Canada developed a fun online learning experience, Forest Quest, for teens and young adults.

You’ve probably heard this from us before: if you see an invasive species, report it to the web-based mapping system EDDMapS. Reports allow for early detection and response, which can lead to the successful management of an invasive species. But can one person submitting a photo from their phone actually make a difference in preventing the spread of invasives?

by Watersheds Canada
Whether you are a seasoned winter explorer or new to Canadian winters, there are lots of fun ways to enjoy this season. All of these activities will help you and your family get outside, help local species, try a new activity, and appreciate nature. Let’s get started!

By: Peter Soroye, KBA Assessment and Outreach Coordinator, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada
In the last few years, we’ve written to BEAN’s readers about what Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are and how we are identifying them across Canada. These KBAs are the sites across our country (and the rest of the world!) that are most important for the maintenance of biodiversity. Whether on land, sea, or underground, and whether important for rare species, threatened ecosystems, or incredible gatherings of wildlife, each KBA is highlighting some exceptional piece of nature that Canadians are responsible for. Building from the existing Important Bird and Biodiversity Area program, and working with a broad network of experts and knowledge-holders, Indigenous partners, NGOs, federal, provincial and municipal governments, and other stakeholders, we’ve identified over 1000 potential Key Biodiversity Areas across the country, with over 130 in Ontario.

By: Andrew Orlando, Habitat Technician, Ontario Streams
Known to some as the “King of Fish”, the Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) has one of the most storied histories across the Atlantic Ocean. Recently however, this history has not been entirely positive. Utilized as a food source for thousands of years, human induced pressures on the fish have only increased over the years to the extent that Atlantic Salmon are now one of the most heavily regulated fish in the world. Believed to have colonized Lake Ontario during the last post-glacial period when the lake was easily accessible by sea, historic populations adjusted to freshwater life. By 1896 however, they were declared to be extirpated (locally extinct) and thus began early recovery efforts.

By: Madison Sturba, Training & Outreach Intern, Invasive Species Centre
Did you know that forests are home to more than 80% of all terrestrial species? Plants, animals, insects, and humans all benefit from the forests ability to stabilize climate, produce oxygen, regulate water, provide habitat, and supply food.

By Sydney Shepherd, Ontario Piping Plover Conservation Technician, Birds Canada
Piping Plover are a small, sandy coloured shorebird that is listed as endangered both federally and provincially. After a 30-year absence, Piping Plover returned to the shores of Ontario in 2007.

As invertebrate-eating carnivores and habitat specialists, they are considered an indicator species. Their presence (or absence) sends us signals about the health of their habitats. So, where you see Piping Plover, you know you’re on a healthy beach.

By: Eric Buiter, Sr. Habitat Technician, Ontario Streams
In today’s world of constant progression, with pressures from large scale land alterations from agricultural intensification to urbanization, it seems like we humans are always on the go, always moving forward with shovel in hand. It’s no wonder how in a world that’s constantly moving forward, we tend to forget the needs of the non-humans when we build things, such as our infrastructure. Roads and bridges are designed to make our lives easier, but how do our movements affect how wildlife gets around?