These ancient insects belong to the order of ‘Odonata’ meaning ‘toothed ones’.  More about their mandibles at our July 24th workshop. ...

Ancient Greek: Dendron, (Trees), Logia, (Study). The study of trees before leaf out is a fascinating world. Each species of tree is...

The official Christmas Bird Count (CBC) including mammals is held every year between mid December and the first week of January. The...

We are proud to announce and would like to formally acknowledge that Robert (Bob) L. Bowles has been inducted into the Orillia Hall of...

With no rain for two weeks, we were a little concerned about finding mushrooms on the morning of our workshop,The Mushroom World,...

We gathered on Saturday, June 17th for the second part of our Alvar Flora Tour Walk. Unique flora grows and blooms on the Alvar during...

In 2014, a part of the area known as the Carden Alvar just east of Orillia, Ontario became a Provincial Park called Carden Alvar...

This past Saturday we had a lovely group of people attend our Winter Dendrology class. Dendrology is the scientific study of shrubs and...

We have had a resident Barred owl (Strix varia) with us for some time here at the nature centre. We named him/her Berty the Barred Owl....

Just a day and a half after our Mammal Tracking workshop, not one but two moose came to visit early Monday morning. We went live on...

We didn't really know what to expect with only a couple of inches of snow on the ground; nevertheless everyone came prepared for a hike...

Just when we thought we would never see the sun again, it broke over the eastern horizon and shone brightly all day for the first time in...

As winter approaches and the days shorten you may be asking yourself how and what you will do to maintain your connection with nature...

And what a World it is! With over 50,000 species world-wide there is no shortage of finding exquisite looking and sometimes delicious...

Father's Day, this year, was a beautiful day that began with a small group of us prepared and ready to learn about the unique flora on...

The month of June is a very extraordinary month on the Carden Alvar. Unique flowers, over 400 species, endure the harshness of Alvar...

Bird watchers and seasoned birders joined us at the Nature Centre last Sunday morning to observe and learn about the rare and endangered...

Dendrology; The science and study of woody plants, specifically trees and shrubs. We had our second workshop, led by Bob Bowles, this...

Most of us learned about trees in elementary school. We learned how to identify them mainly by the shape of their leaves and on...

At this time of year, the pond at the Nature Centre is alive with activity. Compared with the summer months, the pond is nearly double...

If you are an early riser and specifically an early riser on March 27th, you are in for one of the top ten sky events for 2022! This...

Happy Spring Everyone! Spring officially arrived in the Northern Hemisphere today, March 20, 2022, at 11:33 AM EDT. This day is also...

Diagonal walkers, pacers or waddlers, bounders and gallopers; are just some of the new terms we learned at our Mammal Tracking workshop...

One morning, during the early part of February, while walking on trails at the nature centre we saw what looked like swirling snowflakes...

Once a month or more specifically every 29.5 days we have a full moon. Most people are generally in awe when gazing at the moon, whether...

We started our bird and mammal count, at the nature centre, just after the sun rose on Monday January 3rd. It was certainly a very...

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." ...

We just had to write about the massive and majestic Moose (Alces alces) after capturing this great photo with our game camera of a bull...

We wrote in a previous blog (in June) about a local organization, Friendship Force Lake Simcoe (FFLS) that provides opportunities to...

Our last 3 blogs were about wetlands and their significant role in keeping our environment healthy and combating climate change. Our...

King rails (Rallus elegans), frogs (Lithobates), salamanders (Ambystoma), spotted turtles (Clemmys Guttata) and 7 other turtle species, ...

Last week we talked about the importance of wetlands and listed 5-10 benefits of protecting and restoring our wetlands. Just to recap,...

We have all heard of wetlands but do we really know their significance and importance to the health of our environment. Let's start with...

Our 'Giving Thanks For a Rainbow of Colour (and Mushrooms)' workshop, held over Thanksgiving weekend, was a success even though it rained...

Some would think Tis the Season with the activity that is happening currently on social media. So much excitement and enthusiasm going on...

Those beautiful, tall, (sometimes)yellow flower heads facing the sun. You can't help but smile and acknowledge their beauty when you see...

We wrote at the beginning of September about the migration of the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) to Mexico. During our online...

Did you know the third generation of Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in Ontario undertake a spectacular journey in late August,...

This article was written by Bob Bowles for simcoe.com and appears online and in Orillia Today. New invasive aquatic plant taking over...

These majestic birds can have a wingspan up to 3 meters and weigh between 7-13 kgs making these the heaviest, native waterfowl in...

We watched as "Monty" the Monarch butterfly took his first flight last Saturday, July 31st at our workshop "Monarch Butterfly Birthday-A...

We recently had a report at the nature centre, from a local birder, that an American Robin had discoloration throughout its plumage,...

The Carden Alvar Butterfly and Dragonfly counts were held this past weekend, July 17th and 18th, celebrating its 24th official year. We...

One of our goals, at the nature centre, is helping to save endangered species and what better way to assist than to build a butterfly...

Bob is the 1st-vice president of friendship force Lake Simcoe and is looking forward to introducing visitors from around the world to the...

Well, a new word in my vocabulary; spittlebug. During our recent walk with Bob here at the centre, he pointed out a whitish, foamy...

Growing up I had always heard my family talk about the Cameron Ranch, now part of the Carden Alvar, northeast of Orillia, Ontario. I...

There's a bluebird on our window sill, there's a rainbow in our hearts here at the nature centre with promises of things to come this...

Sedges are often overlooked or thought of as clumps of grass. But like everything in nature it seems the more you look, and the closer...

During our daily walks at the Nature Centre, we've discovered more spring ephemerals and some spectacular wildflowers. It seems the more...