As a millennial my 1990’s childhood was the target of the most sophisticated and prolific marketing aimed at children in history to that point. My generation has an inherent understanding of marketing and sales, we could point out product placement by the time we were 8 and we can automatically …
Discovering the Alvar: Reflections from My First Carden Challenge
As a birding novice—and first-time visitor of Canada—the 2024 Carden Challenge was an unforgettable introduction to species identification, and a unique opportunity to discover the region’s wildlife. Taking place annually on the Carden Alvar, the challenge is a birding event and fundraiser hosted by the Couchiching Conservancy. The Alvar is …
Field Notes – Monarch Monitoring
With the return of the monarch butterfly, begins the start of the monarch monitoring season for the Couchiching Conservancy community science program. Monarchs are Endangered in Canada1 , and face various threats across their range including habitat loss, pollution (herbicides and insecticides), extreme weather, and disease 2. Our monarch monitoring …
Release the Wild – Youth in Action
Youth in our region are acting to help species like White-tailed Deer, Moose, and Black Bear by participating in hands-on conservation projects! On June 1st, 2024, the Angela Rehhorn Commemorative Project hosted an impactful workshop focused on removing fences that obstruct wildlife corridors. This initiative not only aimed at enhancing …
Who are the Sentinel Species?
It’s dark, damp, dripping. Workers with sore backs descend staggering depths to reach their claustrophobic destination. Dangerous, dirty, sweaty; one heavily geared man carries precious cargo, a brightly coloured, charming bird. Yes, it’s a Canary in a coal mine. Canaries were used in mining as recently as the 1980s. These …
Meet our summer staff!
Jen Willoughby has a degree in Zoology from the University of Guelph, where she took courses in Ecology, Animal Behaviour, and Wildlife Conservation and Management. During her degree, Jen was a summer intern at a wildlife rehabilitation center and was offered a paid position the following summer. She believes this …
Ontario’s Ash Species, Threats, and Ecology
Introduction Ash trees (Fraxinus sp.) are a foundational tree species around Lake Couchiching and throughout the entire Great Lakes Region. They are observed in large numbers in a wide variety of ecosystems, including moist forests, meadows, alvars, floodplains and swamps. In aquatic ecosystems, the fallen leaves of many ash species …
Field Notes – Reptile Surveys
My first expedition with The Couchiching Conservancy is one I will remember for a long time. I joined Conservation Biologist, Toby Rowland, Youth Stewardship Coordinator, Alysha Henry, and community science volunteers Morah Fenning and Paul Robinson for reptile surveys. Our goal was to observe as many species as possible while …
Unveiling the Hancock Hermitage Easement
On Friday May 3rd, Conservancy staff, board members, volunteers, and easement holders gathered for a celebration of the completion of the Hancock Hermitage Easement, held by Ron and Sharon Hancock. The easement was completed in January 2023 – check out the OrilliaToday article here. This 47-acre easement is in a …
Field Notes – Amphibian Migration
Perhaps nothing symbolizes the end of winter like the return of the amphibians. Amphibians such as Jefferson-blue spotted salamanders, toads, and wood frogs emerge from winter hibernation, typically on the first warm/rainy/wet nights early spring, after the ground has thawed. They make their way into wetlands where they will mate …