Environment

The last cougar in Ontario was shot at Creemore in 1884. Now, after the passage of more than a century, a modest “re-wilding” is underway. But what of the cougar? Has the cat come back?

Spotty Apples, Sleepy Bees and Mad Economists. Miscellany from Douglas G. Pearce’s Countryside Digest.

Headwaters Sketchbook — A rainy day in October, a good day to open treasure boxes and dream of summers past or plan a winter holiday on tropical beaches.

Monarchs are children of the sun. The boldness of Sol this summer has energized their life cycle.

Nighttime flyers with a sweet tooth! (ironic considering they have no teeth at all!). If you plan to host a dinner party for them, a mélange of sugary foods and alcohol is called for.

Grist for spinners of tall tales, snapping turtles are on the verge of becoming endangered. May these reptiles of prehistoric visage long patrol our wetlands.

At this time of year when we celebrate Canada Day, Don Scallen celebrates the hardy bumblebee, the “true Canadian” of the insect world.

With its glorious pink and white blossoms and thumb-sized pouches, this orchid is perhaps the most exquisite of all our wildflowers.

In “Flight of the Bumblebee” Don Scallen says we owe a debt of gratitude to pollinating insects for keeping food on the tables of the human race!

It’s called community-based planning, and with it citizens hope to shape a sustainable future in the hills.

An American town in the Brazilian jungle, J. Paul Getty and Mark Twain. Miscellany from Douglas G. Pearce’s Countryside Digest.

Headwaters Sketchbook — Cicadas buzz-saw through the silence of a sweltering August mid-afternoon.