Nature

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See also Green Cottaging, Environment

• Algonquin Park
  Website: www.algonquinpark.on.ca
  Visit this site to browse listings of seasonal programs and special events offered in the park. Users can also find information about area wildlife and brush up on wildlife viewing dos and don’ts. This site is home to an online bookstore that sells park maps and trail guides as well as their highly regarded series of nature books. The Friends of Algonquin Park is a registered charity.
• American Animal Hospital Association
  Website: www.healthypet.com
  The American Animal Hospital Association is an international veterinarians’ organization. Its website has a large library of articles with tips for keeping your pets healthy (one article deals with car sickness) and out of mischief (another asks and answers the question: "How do I keep my dog from rolling in stinky things?"). There’s also a searchable database with the addresses and phone numbers of animal hospitals across North America, including a handful in Ontario cottage country.
• Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
  Website: www.aspenvalleywildlifesanctuary.com
  The Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary is a Rosseau-area wildlife reserve where injured or orphan animals are nursed back to health until they can return to the wild. Their website includes tips on what to do if you find wildlife in need of help, as well as a downloadable PDF guide to co-existing with wildlife in cottage country. A registered charity, their Adopt-an-Animal Program makes a great gift. Recipients will receive a picture, story and adoption certificate of one of the Sanctuary's residents.
• Bartlett Tree Experts
  Website: www.bartlett.com
  Includes a searchable archive of fact sheets on various trees and their predators, along with articles on pruning techniques, dealing with lightning damage, preparing sensitive foliage for winter, and more.
• Bill Bat Boy
  Website: www.billbatboy.ca
  Got bats? If you’re looking to rid yourself of the spooky flying mammals, or simply to understand their behaviour a bit better, have a look at this site, maintained by University of Western Ontario biologist Bill Scully. Bill is a frequent guest speaker at The Cottage Life Shows, and he's an expert on what attracts bats, as well as what to do if you have them hanging around your cottage
• Bird Studies Canada
  Website: www.bsc-eoc.org
  Information on how the West Nile virus is affecting local bird populations, links to more than 15,000 birding sites worldwide, and an application form to become a loon watcher for the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey.
• Canadian Museum of Nature
  Website: www.nature.ca/rideau
  Presents the Rideau River Biodiversity Project, which followed the health of the river from Smiths Falls to Ottawa. The multi-layered site runs through biological info on wildlife and water-quality statistics, and describes ways you can preserve and improve the biodiversity of this or any other river.
• Coleman Canada
  Website: www.colemancanada.ca
  You don’t have to buy a cookstove to take advantage of dozens of links to parks, fishing info, and outdoor adventure websites. You can also print out one of the handy checklists of items to bring on your next hike or paddling trip.
• Confluence Hunting
  Website: www.confluence.org
  Using a GPS unit, confluence hunters visit the exact spots on the globe where lines of longitude and latitude evenly meet (for example, 45o00.00' N x 76o00.00' W). Once there, they snap pictures of the area, which they then post on the site, along with a description of the journey. Many of the points already posted are in cottage country, and can help give cottage-hunters a sneak peak at a particular locale.
• Conservation Ontario
  Website: www.conservation-ontario.on.ca
  The Conservation Ontario homepage has info on watershed management projects, flood forecasting, links to all 36 regional Conservation Authorities, and details on the activities available in the province’s 200 publicly accessible conservation parks.
• Cottage Life
  Website: www.cottagelife.com
  Download Cottage Life’s booklets, The Shore Primer and The Dock Primer, co-produced by Cottage Life and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
• DIY Network
  Website: www.diynetwork.com
  Here’s a handy site for DIYers, no matter what the "I" happens to be. This site contains illustrated, step-by-step articles on boat repair, birdwatching, gardening, home-improvement projects, and woodworking, to name but a few of the many categories covered.
• Ducks Unlimited Canada
  Website: www.ducks.ca
  Ducks Unlimited’s website has detailed descriptions of waterfowl (some include audio and video clips), information on wetlands and their preservation, and downloadable plans for building a duck nest or a bat box. Support wetland conservation and research by making a donation to Ducks Unlimited.
• Earthroots
  Website: www.earthroots.org
  Earthroots is an Ontario-based environmental activist group devoted to wilderness protection through grassroots education programs. For example, from their main site, you can connect to Wolves Ontario, full of wolf trivia and biological information designed to "change the way we look at wolves." The Park Alert! sub-site explores threats to two protected cottage-country wilderness areas, Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park and Mellon Lake, northeast of Belleville. Earthroots is a charitable organization.
• explore
  Website: www.explore-mag.com
  We live in a big country. explore magazine pokes its nose in all the corners and lets you know how to share in the adventure. Check out the Gear section for guides to mountain bikes, camping equipment, kayaks, and more.
• Federation of Ontario Naturalists
  Website: www.ontarionature.org
  Detailed information about the group’s conservation programs, descriptions and directions to the 20 nature reserves in its care, and extensive links to other naturalist organizations around the province. Donations to this charitable organization help protect nature in Ontario.
• Fish Cam
  Website: www.fishcam.duluth.com/
  The Benthic Explorer, or Ben, is one of the more unusual webcams we’ve come across. It’s located 30 feet below the surface of Lake Superior, near Duluth, Minnesota, so cottagers and other piscatorial peepers can spy on fish in their natural environment. There’s also a section with colour photos and biological information on species of fish found in the Great Lakes.
• Fish Habitat Advisory Group
  Website: www.fish-habitat.com
  Want to protect or just learn about the aquatic habitat at your cottage? Check out this site, run by federal and provincial agencies that oversee lakes and shorelines.
• Fish Ontario
  Website: www.fishontario.com
  Casting about for some local fishing advice? Fish Ontario’s website has the answers you’ve been trolling for: forums, a calendar of events, recipes, topical classified ads, links to further information, and more.
• Gardening for Life
  Website: www.goforgreen.ca/gardening
  A national program to encourage water-wise, chemical-free, native gardening. Read through fact sheets such as “Gardening without chemicals” and “Gardening with native plants.”
• Geocaching
  Website: www.geocaching.com
  In the September/October 2005 issue of Cottage Life magazine we introduced you to the sport of geocaching, a game of hiking hide-and-seek that can take you to remote areas of cottage country. Visit this site to find out the coordinates of more hidden caches and to get acquainted with the geogaching community.
• George Barron, mycologist
  Website: www.uoguelph.ca/~gbarron
  Ever wondered about eating a forest fungus? This University of Guelph mushroom aficionado has set up a site with more than 500 of his photos and descriptions of fungi found around the province.
• Gloucester Pool Cottagers Association
  Website: www.gloucesterpool.ca
  The Gloucester Pool Cottagers Association, which maintains this site, boasts members from four Parry Sound-area lakes: Little Lake, Baxter Lake, MacLean Lake, and Gloucester Pool. Their website contains information on local history and events, and explores environmental issues of concern to cottagers across the province, including the invasion of Giant Hogweed, the troubling migration of Canada Geese, and the logistics of water testing.
• Health Canada, West Nile Virus
  Website: www.westnilevirus.gc.ca
  Does the lack of reliable information on West Nile Virus bug you? Take your questions to Health Canada’s official site on the subject. In addition to a thorough background on the history, symptoms, and treatment of the virus, the site provides advice on how to protect yourself. You can also download videos and brochures and view a cross-Canada map showing regions where dead birds have tested positive for the virus.
• Hike Ontario
  Website: www.hikeontario.com
  If you haven’t already explored all the trails that skirt your back 40, take advantage of links to hiking clubs and trail maps. (See also www.trailpaq.com.) Hike Ontario is a registered charity.
• International Dark-Sky Association
  Website: www.darksky.org
  Shines a spotlight on the negative impacts of light pollution and how you can help prevent it. Donations can be made on their website. (For information about the Torrance Barrens Dark Sky Reserve – a 1,900-hectare night sky-protected conservation area northwest of Gravenhurst – visit www.rasc.ca/light/print/muskoka/dsr.htm.)
• Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre
  Website: www.kawarthaturtle.org
  Read about the Peterborough organization’s program for healing injured tortoises, check the hours for drop-off centres, and follow the progress of patients in the Recovery Room.
• LandOwner Resource Centre
  Website: www.lrconline.com
  The LandOwner Resource Centre provides information and training on a wide range of shoreline naturalization and wetland preservation programs. Its website includes details about the centre’s programs and events, a list of brochures and videos available for order online, and links to government sites and related organizations.
• Ministry of Natural Resources
  Website: www.mnr.gov.on.ca
  The “Water Resources” section has info on water levels and quality. The site also has links to provincial parks, the Leslie. M. Frost environmental centre, and contact information for local MNR offices, plus searchable database for ministry news and bulletins on everything from work permits to nuisance bears.
• Ministry of the Environment
  Website: www.ene.gov.on.ca
  Check out the air-quality index for three dozen monitoring stations around the province or find advice in fact sheets ranging from coping with well water shortages to gardening without chemicals.
• MNR Bear Wise
  Website: www.bears.mnr.gov.on.ca
  This Ministry of Natural Resources site has a number of fact sheets on black bears, including one on what cottagers can do to keep bears away, and another on how to deal with a bear encounter. The site also contains a useful map showing that the area with the highest bear population density in the province (40-60 bears/100 km2) cuts a wide band through prime cottage country.
• Muskol
  Website: www.muskol.com
  The first thing you’ll want to check out on the Muskol website is the "Bug Forecaster." It’s a clickable map of Canada that gives a three-day prediction on the "probability of being bitten" (low, medium, and high) in various areas across the country. There is also a section about West Nile Virus, and a number of "Bug Bytes" (mosquito trivia).
• National Office for Pollution Prevention
  Website: www.ec.gc.ca/nopp/docs/fact/en/p2cottage.cfm
  The National Office for Pollution Prevention, part of Environment Canada, publishes a cottage-specific Pollution Prevention Fact Sheet, found at this site. It offers tips for preventing the generation of pollution at the lake as well as some suggested activities to help protect natural resources through conservation and the efficient use of resources.
• Nature Conservancy of Canada
  Website: www.natureconservancy.ca
  If you’ve been thinking of donating your cottage land or establishing a conservation easement on your property, this is the place to go to find out how. A charitable organization, they can also send out cards for money donations made on a friend's behalf.
• Nordlys Northern Lights
  Website: www.northern-lights.no
  You’d have to have a really remote cabin in the far, far north to get the breathtaking views of the Northern Lights the average Norwegian does. But Ontario cottage country is also home to some stunning views of the aurora borealis. This English-language website from Norway helps explain the science behind the greatest light show on earth. Includes hints on when and where to see them, and delves into the history and mythology around the phenomenon.
• Hike Ontario
  Website: www.hikeontario.com
  If you haven’t already explored all the trails that skirt your back 40, take advantage of links to hiking clubs and trail maps. (See also www.trailpaq.com.) Hike Ontario is a registered charity.
• Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters
  Website: www.ofah.org
  Most cottagers could ID the notorious zebra mussel and purple loosestrife, but how about a round goby or rusty crayfish? This site has photos and bios of these and other “invading species” and explains how to prevent their spread. There’s also an online form for reporting a sighting.
• Royal Ontario Museum
  Website: www.rom.on.ca
  Scan field guides to birds (including bird calls), amphibians, and fish. The site also hosts the ROM/Ministry of Natural Resources’ Species at Risk section with detailed info (including range maps) for all the flora and fauna in Ontario listed from vulnerable (eastern grey wolf) to extinct (passenger pigeon). The ROM is a charitable organization.
• Steve Marshall, entomologist
  Website: www.uoguelph.ca/~samarsha
  Handy for identifying what’s bugging you. University of Guelph professor and regular Cottage Life contributor Steve Marshall has compiled photos and descriptions for a portion of the school’s one million-strong insect collection.
• The Living By Water Project
  Website: www.livingbywater.ca
  A national organization that promotes healthy shorelines for human and non-human residents. Learn about the littoral zone and why it’s so important to the aquatic ecosystem or read a detailed guide to re-naturalizing your waterfront.
• The Park To Park Trail Association
  Website: www.parktoparktrail.com
  The Park To Park Trail Association is trying to establish a public trail linking Killbear and Algonquin provincial parks. The site includes information on the organization’s effort and a map showing existing and proposed trails that would complete the network.
• The Weather Network
  Website: www.weathernetwork.ca
  Rain, rain not going away? Check to see if there’s any sun on the horizon. There’s also a Marine Forecast for boaters. (For official Environment Canada weather and marine forecasts, visit www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca.)
• The Wildlands League
  Website: www.wildlandsleague.org
  The Ontario chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society has been a leader in fighting many environmental threats to the province’s lakes and forests. The group is currently onside with cottagers protesting a quarry on Mellon Lake, near Kaladar, Ont. Learn what’s at stake and how you can get involved. The Wildlands League is a charitable organization.
• The Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre
  Website: www.wyemarsh.com
  The Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre in Midland promotes an understanding of the environment and wildlife with year-round programs. Take a canoe for a spin through the marsh - home to a diverse array of birds and mammals. Explore their hiking and walking trails on your own or with an Outdoor Educator. The Wye Marsh is a registered charity.
• Township of the Archipelago
  Website: www.thearchipelago.on.ca
  The Township of the Archipelago spans an island-heavy chunk of the Georgian Bay coast. Their website includes a list of cottage associations in the region, information about safe burning and fire safety, and the fun page, Survivor: Archipelago, highlighting some of the extreme nature of the area, including bears, mosquitoes, and the famous massasauga rattler.
• Wildflower Farm
  Website: www.wildflowerfarm.com
  Cottage gardeners will want to peruse Wildflower Farm’s online catalogue. Use their Wildflower Selection Guide to get specific information on plants and seeds native to cottage country, including their optimal soil and shade growing conditions and colour photos of each species.

Back to Editors' Web Picks

See also Green Cottaging, Environment