Environment

Wildlife populations in Dufferin and Caledon have come and gone over the past few centuries, most dramatically since European settlement. Some species have vanished from the landscape. Others have arrived. Now things are changing again.

Trail (or game) cameras are rugged, motion-activated devices about a quarter the size of a loaf 
of bread and meant for extended, remote use outdoors.

How I learned to find and cook spring’s local bounty.

The reappearance of otters in our hills is a hopeful sign that the capacity of our rivers and landscapes to support wildlife is improving.

Tracks inscribed on snow by unseen animals offer tantalizing multilayered puzzles.

Football-sized bald-faced hornet nests, hanging from branches, are prominent in the winter landscape.

The reasons burls grow on trees are still not fully understood, but infection by viruses, fungus and bacteria are likely causes.

Local climate change activist pounds the Orangeville pavement weekly to get her message out.

Howling blizzards, ice storms, power outages. Emergency services are on high alert, but when disaster strikes, the first line of defence is you.

Handy lists for the items you’ll need and the steps you’ll want to take before you hunker down at home or hit the road in an emergency.

The research into the co-operative nature of trees is in its infancy.

Most of the nocturnal critters my friends and I find are insects, but spiders, millipedes and amphibians also appear in our flashlight beams.