At Ontario Nature’s Annual Gathering from May 31 to June 2, we were pleased to officially announce the 2024 Conservation Award Winners. These awards go out to individuals and organizations working to improve nature conservation in our province. We are pleased to recognize all these wonderful achievements. Thank you to the winners below for your great work! To see more details about the awards and the work that earned them, see our Conservation Awards webpage.
Ontario Nature’s 93rd AGM which will be hosted virtually on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Anyone may attend and Nature Network groups may have a representative vote on their behalf. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear about the most pressing environmental issues and recent conservation wins in Ontario. You can also test your knowledge about wild species and wild spaces through our nature quiz. Caroline Schultz, Ontario Nature’s executive director, will present our collective achievements from the past year and the vision moving forward. Registration is required. See the webpage for details to register!
Heart Lake Turtle Troopers (HLTT) is a community science group that is dedicated to protecting local turtles. With more than 1,300 members and 150 active volunteers, HLTT collaborates with the Centre for Urban Environments at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Their research focuses on the impact of urban heat island effect on the nesting ecology of freshwater turtles in Ontario. Heat islands are created in cities because infrastructure such as roads and buildings trap heat more effectively than natural areas with vegetation.
Turtles in urban areas can be vulnerable to impacts of urban heat island effect because they are ectotherms and rely on external temperature to regulate their internal temperature and biology. This research project aims to compare nesting habitats of painted and snapping turtles in an urban-rural gradient to understand how the urban heat island effect impacts egg and hatchling life stages.
By collecting data, community science groups like HLTT contribute to research essential for informed conservation decisions. Collaborations between scientists and volunteers promote healthier ecosystems for people and wildlife alike.
Article and photo provided by the Heart Lake Turtle Troopers
The 2024 Youth Summit for Mother Earth will be held in-person at Tawingo Outdoor Centre in Huntsville from September 13–15, 2024. Nature Network groups can still sponsor a local youth aged 14–20 to attend this unique cross-cultural event.
To learn more about the 2024 Youth Summit and the sponsorship process, please contact Christine Ambre at christinea@ontarionature.org or 416-444-8419 ext. 244.
Thank you to all the groups who submitted applications! It was great to learn about the many on-the-ground projects by Nature Network members to advance reptile and amphibian conservation in your communities. Congratulations to the grant-winners:
See our events calendar for a complete listing of events organized by Ontario Nature and Nature Network groups.
To submit your public events to our online calendar, email them to noahc@ontarionature.org and allow up to a week for posting. Please send only events that are open to the public and no more than three per month.
We want to include more content from the network and will feature a story or two each month from network groups, as well as other resources. We encourage you to share your stories and links by emailing them to naturenetwork@ontarionature.org.
Ontario Nature @ Centre for Social Innovation720 Bathurst Street Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R4
Photos © Noah Cole, John Hassell, Brian Lasenby, Pauline Smith, Gillian Johnson, Eugene Jankowski, Teagan Netten, Todd Petit CC BY-NC 2.0