Reptiles and amphibians of the Happy Valley Forest
Red eft (the immature form of the spotted newt) are the commonest reptile in the Happy Valley Forest and crowd the forest trails during egg-laying time. (Photo by Dr. Henry Barnett)
The reptile species in the Happy Valley Forest number 19. The area provides one of the last redoubts for the threatened Jefferson’s salamander. Red efts are common, red-backed and spotted salamanders will be regularly seen in the but the...
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign!
Group photo at Fishing Lake, ON (Photo by Nick Tardif)
It was the Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign Conservation Volunteers event at The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Fishing Lake property in the Frontenac Arch Natural Area. We were there, on time, and rearing to go. There were six...
A natural take on Black Friday
Crow (Photo by Linda Tanner, Wikimedia Commons)
Learn more about a few of our Canadian species and share these tweets to show others how natural #BlackFriday can be! ...
Mammals of the Happy Valley Forest
White-tailed deer thrive in Happy Valley Forest wintering in the Hemlock areas of relatively less snow. (Photo by Dean Mullin)
In the wintertime the mammals are the most conspicuous form of life in the forest. The largest is the white-tailed deer, of which as many as nine have appeared below our feeder. Squirrels are the commonest mammal, with the black and its colour...
Bats of the Happy Valley Forest region
Little brown myotis (Photo by Brock Fenton)
I’ve had many encounters with bats in the Happy Valley Forest over the years, but perhaps the most memorable was the one day in my practicing years when I was asked to visit on elderly lady at home. Consultants tend to eschew house-calls.As...
Birds of the Happy Valley Forest (Part Five)
Evening grosbeak (Photo by Anna Tchoulik)
Our forest cover in the Happy Valley begins a few miles above the lakeshore of Lake Ontario. Birds stop here each year to feed and rest while on their migration north in the spring, and as a last stop in the fall as they move south. In the fall...
La science des couleurs d’automne
Forêts-parcs à trembles à l’automne, Saskatchewan (photo de Don et Karol Dabbs)
Les forêts du Canada abritent de nombreux personnages colorés. Elles recèlent de fleurs sauvages aux couleurs vives, d’oiseaux chanteurs parés d’éclatants plumages, d’insectes étincelants...
Birds of the Happy Valley Forest (Part Four)
This hawk lives in closed canopies such as those found in Happy Valley and thrives on small mammals and birds. (Photo by Dr. Henry Barnett)
During our five-year participation in Ontario in the Breeding Bird Census, daughter Ann Love and I found 109 breeding species in the Happy Valley Forest area or species seen regularly overhead in breeding season. The Happy Valley Forest has no...
Clarenceville Bog BioBlitz
Clarenceville bog BioBlitz (Photo by NCC)
When people asked what I was doing over the weekend, and I replied “Going to a bog,” the reactions ranged from puzzled faces to outright laughter. In the acoustic sense, the word “bog” isn’t particularly charming. And...
Why forests matter to me: Quotes from staff and supporters
Ogilvie sunset on forest, BC (Photo by NCC)
Across the country, countless Canadians have been celebrating trees and forests last week as well as welcoming the arrival of fall. Although National Forest Week is behind us, there are good reasons to continue appreciating our forests and trees!...
