Caring for Nature Blogs

These blogs will address various topics about how we can connect with and preserve nature in our communities.

How to be Fish-Friendly: Tips and Tricks for Responsible Recreational Fishing

May 24, 2024

How to be Fish-Friendly: Tips and Tricks for Responsible Recreational Fishing By Angela Vander Eyken For many, casting a line out on a calm lake sounds like the perfect way …

The Essential Link Between Lake Health, Calcium, Forests and Forest Floor Ecology

March 1, 2023

The amount of calcium (Ca) in our freshwater lakes is seeing a major reduction. This is due to the lack of calcium in our forest floor from acid rain and …

The Humble Muskrat: Is He Disappearing?

March 1, 2023

Muskrats are often an overlooked species in the Land Between region and are frequently seen as pests. However, muskrats are actually beneficial and have great cultural, ecological, and economic importance. …

The Land Between: Regaining Our Balance With Biodiversity

February 28, 2023

The State of Ontario’s Biodiversity 2020: Summary is an information-rich review of the most recent biodiversity research in Ontario. The summary addresses areas in which we have succeeded in improving …

Plants That You and Your Shore Will Love

February 27, 2023

Have you ever admired a shoreland garden for its dynamic landscape that is rich with colour and teeming with life? You may have been admiring a shoreland garden that …

Wetlands are Wonderous

October 24, 2022

Written by Jaclyn Adams There are four different types of wetlands in The Land Between: bogs, fens, swamps, and marshes. Within The Land Between, 14% of the area are wetlands, …

Keep Your Cats Indoors: Disappearing Birds

June 13, 2022

A study of 500 species of birds in Canada and the US was published in the prestigious journal Science in September 2019. It found that in the last 50 years, 3 …

Kennebec Wetlands Are The Best

June 13, 2022

Recent media attention has reported that a study by environmental scientists Cheng and Basu at the University of Waterloo has found that smaller wetlands are more beneficial to the landscape …

Environmentalism and Populism

June 13, 2022

There is a growing tendency for environmentalists (and their commentators) to avoid input from ‘experts’ and instead to use popular opinion as evidence. The belief, supported by ‘social media’, is …

Creeping Impacts

June 10, 2022

Talk of our impacts on the environment often seems to suggest that the only important impacts are big, severe and obvious. Don’t believe it. Environmental impact statements sometimes have trouble …

Creeping Impacts

Jun 10, 2022

Summary of Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy Discussion Paper

Jun 10, 2022

The Government of Canada is in the process of developing Canada’s first National Adaptation Strategy for climate change. Over the last several months the government has consulted with experts and …

Environmental impacts of glyphosate in Ontario’s forestry industry

Jan 14, 2022

Imagine walking through a forest and hearing nothing but the soft crunch of fallen needles and dry twigs beneath your feet. “You notice the underbrush and poplar are missing; these …

Fed is Dead? Why Feeding Wildlife Can be Detrimental

Oct 14, 2021

The Land Between is home to diverse natural habitats that are full of nature’s sights and sounds. These marvels attract people from all over the world who visit here with …

The Benefits of Having a Connection With Nature

Aug 30, 2021

Renowned naturalist, writer, and biologist, E.O. Wilson theorized that humans have an innate connection to the environment, an evolutionary trait coined by Kellert & Wilson (1993) as biophilia. They argue …

How Can We Make Golfing More Sustainable

Jun 17, 2021

Golf courses have been a hot topic of conservation for many years due to the large expanses of land, management regimes and water extraction methods which they employ. However, golf …

Turn Off Your Lights and Welcome Fireflies

Jun 17, 2021

Did you know that there are 29 known species of fireflies (Lampyridae) in eastern Canada and 19 of which have been found in Ontario?1 These beetles can be found in …

Have You Seen the Drama Queen of The Land Between?

May 31, 2021

Did you know that snakes play an important role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem? They help control rodent populations and also provide food for other predators. The snake gets a …

Policy Levers to Protect Nature in TLB

Apr 23, 2021

A recent project led by Samantha Dunlop (with Ulinks, Trent University and in partnership with The Land Between charity), explored the various policies that upper and lower tier municipalities have …