Check in throughout the season to see what volunteers and staff have been up to! You never know who, or what, we’ll cross paths with… In summer we take to the meadows where Monarch caterpillars hunt for their only source of food: The Milkweed plant. The caterpillars will eventually cocoon and emerge …
Rosebush Landing comes to life
The dream of a canoe & kayak launch at Ron Reid Nature Reserve is now a reality. This 729 acre nature reserve is surrounded by QEII Wildlands Provincial Park, and has a 4 kilometre stretch of the Black River running through it. It’s an ideal destination for a paddle, yet …
Local family raises funds & has fun for the Carden Challenge
The Campbell Blue Jays, a family team from Oro took part in the Carden Challenge for the first time. Here is their story. We have always enjoyed walking on Couchiching Conservancy nature reserves, especially Grant’s Woods and Scout Valley. We also love enjoying wildlife in natural spots and it is …
Spring 2022 Notes from the Field
Check in throughout the season to see what volunteers and staff have been up to! You never know who, or what, we’ll cross paths with… On Saturday June 4th we hosted ten teams of expert birders who travelled from as far away as Hamilton and Kingston for the 6 a.m. …
Thank you! The 18th Carden Challenge
14 teams and 66 participants searched for as many species as possible from Friday, May 27 at 6:00pm to Saturday, May 28 at 6:00pm, while raising money to help the Conservancy protect the Carden Alvar. All together they counted 247 species and raised over $33,000 for alvar conservation efforts! See …
My First Carden Challenge
I remember my first Carden Challenge; how could I forget? It was the first time I woke up pre-dawn for something that wasn’t an international flight. Although, that something did have wings. I’d opted to participate in the Conservancy’s largest fundraiser of the year, a 24-hour birding and biodiversity marathon …
Earth Day a perfect day for spring cleanup of Scout Valley
In celebration of Earth Day, approximately 20 local people took part in a cleanup of Scout Valley Saturday morning. The Couchiching Conservancy, which has an easement on Scout Valley, hosted Saturday’s event as part of their Passport to Nature program. Participants roamed around the parking lot and onto the trail armed with garbage bags …
Kick off your spring by giving back to nature
Join the Conservancy on Saturday, April 23 for a group clean-up in Orillia at Scout Valley OR choose to pick up garbage throughout your neighbourhood or favourite walking place. Garbage bags will be provided at the group clean up, but please bring your own gloves. Share your photos with us …
Passport to Nature is here!
The Couchiching Conservancy is inviting you to get out, connect and protect nature through the popular Passport to Nature program. This year the conservancy is offering a hybrid program of in-person events, virtual seminars and downloadable activities. New for this year are the Family Fun Collection of downloadable activities, two …
Notes from the Field – Winter 2022
Winter provides an opportunity to explore corners of protected land we don’t see very often. When wetlands freeze over and dense bush disappears under deep snow, it’s time to slip on the snowshoes and go exploring. Through an extended Canada Summer Jobs grant, we were able to keep Ryan Lamoureux …