We all know that littering is bad for the environment. Did you also know “throwing away” our garbage pollutes the earth? When the garbage truck comes every week, they take the trash to a landfill, where everything is left to breakdown. Putting organic food waste into a landfill does not breakdown properly, and can create […]
Have you practiced searching for animal signs in your backyard? Have you given a helping hand to a species at risk? Have you collected photos of your neat nature findings? If you own the first edition of the Kids in the Biosphere Activity Booklet, your answers to these questions will be “Yes!” Released by the […]
Have you completed the Mad About Maps activity sheet yet? If so, you may have mastered the art of using a compass! Humans have developed many ways to tell directions including maps, compass and GPS. But without these methods, could you tell which was is north? You may have heard some tips to look out […]
Water is one of the most important resources that we have. 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, however only 1% of this water is available for humans! The obvious ways we use water are to wash, clean, cook, and drink. Water was also used to make the clothes you wear, the plates […]
During the warmer months of the year, you may notice turtles crossing the road. Turtles are so slow, and cars are so fast… why would turtles take that risk!? Turtles have been on this land long before cars were and in some cases even long before roads. They know that one particular wetland is perfect […]
Happy Canada Day!! Do you know what kind of leaf is on the Canadian flag? If you guessed a maple leaf then you are correct! Maple leafs are popular in Canada and are even the name-sake of the hockey team in Toronto! While the leaf on the flag is based on the sugar maple there […]
We are going to have a fantastic summer exploring and learning in the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve! We hope that you and your family have fun swimming, cycling, having adventures, and using your Activity Kit! Let us know what your favourite part of the Activity Kit is! If you haven’t gotten to pick it up […]
One of the best ways to study the state of Georgian Bay is to look at the fish community, and specifically whether each species of fish is naturally reproducing – or if the population is declining. Fish are a useful indicator of aquatic ecosystem health because they reflect changes in nutrients, prey availability, water quality […]
Think about what makes life possible under water. Phosphorus is the “food” that microscopic plants and animals need to survive. As the foundation of our food web in Georgian Bay, phosphorus is an important nutrient for us to measure when we study the health of our ecosystem. You can imagine that there wouldn’t be many […]
The home of the great blue heron, feeding grounds for rattlesnakes and fox snakes, and breeding habitats for numerous amphibians are all being threatened. These are the coastal wetlands of Georgian Bay and they are essential to a healthy environment. Unfortunately, wetlands across the world are at risk from shoreline modifications invasive species and from […]
Many of us love hearing the call of a loon or seeing a majestic bald eagle. These species are the top of the food chain, relying on a healthy diet of fish. But what feeds the fish that they eat? Scientists are researching what they call “the lower food web” in Georgian Bay, and we […]
When the United Nations launched the World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 1970, one of its main goals was to conserve landscapes, ecosystems, individual species and genetic variation. Core protected areas within a biosphere reserve, such as national and provincial parks, provide the physical space—or ecosystems—species need to thrive. In eastern Georgian Bay, we have […]
Georgian Bay is warming, our local food web is collapsing, and invasive species are on the rise. With each passing decade, we make the ecosystems upon which we depend more vulnerable. Isn’t it time we stopped putting so much carbon dioxide into our own atmosphere? The most powerful computers on earth show that warmer winters […]
Since the Industrial Revolution, when we began burning coal and then oil, people have been changing the planet’s climate. According to NASA and the world’s scientists, burning fossil fuels and other human activities has increased the carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere from 280 parts per million to 400 parts per million in the last […]
Monarch Butterfly. Eastern Foxsnakes. Massasauga Rattlesnakes. Whip-poor-will. Bald Eagle. Blanding’s Turtle. Little Brown Bat. Lake Sturgeon. What do all of these species have in common? Not only are they iconic species that we can find in our Biosphere, but all of these are also species at risk of extinction. Eastern Georgian Bay is home to […]
Do you ever wonder about the state of Georgian Bay? How is the water and habitat for wildlife and fish? How is climate change affecting the Parry Sound area? In 2008, conservation groups asked the same questions and launched a research program that led to the first “State of the Bay” report in 2013 to […]
Over 200 people attended Building Our Bridge: Our Journey to Reconciliation at the Stockey Centre on November 9th to support student’s work at Parry Sound High School. The book was read at area elementary schools to over 700 students, many of whom attended the event with their families. Each page of the book was […]
Silhouettes and cartoon images of bats are common sights as Halloween approaches. At a time when local bat species are beginning their hibernation or have already migrated, these illustrations portray a simple version of one of nature’s most complex mammals. Bats might seem spooky at first, but they play a vital role in the ecosystem […]
Have you built your terrarium yet for the Seeds of Life activity? Most plants start life as seeds. Seeds are produced by plants for reproduction! These seeds help produce the next generation of plants, but in order to do that they need to disperse to new areas. After all, if plants just dropped their seeds […]
Do you ever see spiders and think “ew“? I used to too, but that was before I realized how cool spiders are! Since many spiders don’t have the best eyesight, they often use their “spidey senses” to locate their prey! What are these “spidey senses“? They are vibrations that spiders can feel through the strands […]
