From Culture Collective:

Nearly three billion birds have vanished from North America in just one human generation. That’s not a natural fluctuation—it’s a steady disappearance unfolding across our continent.

Right now, as March begins, millions of songbirds are migrating north from Central America and the Caribbean. The Indigo Bunting, the Eastern Meadowlark, warblers and blackbirds—species that once filled our skies with color and sound—are returning to breeding grounds that are increasingly fragmented and depleted. Grassland birds have been hit hardest, losing more than half their populations since 1970 as prairies disappear. But the losses extend everywhere: habitat destruction, pesticide use, climate timing mismatches, and the hazards of migration across two continents are all taking their toll.

Here’s what makes this moment matter culturally: we’ve normalized a world growing quieter. Many of us still see birds at our feeders and assume ecosystems are fine. But large-scale science tells us otherwise. Birds aren’t just beautiful—they’re essential. They control insect populations naturally, disperse seeds that regenerate forests, and serve as early-warning systems for deeper environmental problems.

The encouraging part? Individual choices still ripple outward. Native plants instead of sterile lawns. Safer windows with decals or films. Pesticide-free yards that keep insect populations alive. Each choice is small, but collectively they shape whether the landscapes these birds return to can still sustain them.

The question isn’t abstract: Will we choose to be part of the solution, or will we accept the silence?

From Fanshawe Conservation Area:

Fall colours are more than beautiful—they’re chemistry in action! With less sunlight, leaves break down chlorophyll and other pigments become visible. Explore a conservation area, breathe in the crisp air, strengthen your body, and give your mind a natural reset.

From Point Pelee National Park:

Monarch Migration Update September 16, 2026 – 400 Monarchs were observed at the Point this evening. They were in small groups on the west side between the Tip Tower south to the end of the trail, with the most butterflies noted on the southern part of the trai

As part of our Annual General Meeting (held on September 12), the Ingersoll District Nature Club was proud to announce that several benches, including benches dedicated to Don and Ruth Bucknell, John Bomans, Past President, and in loving memory of Jack Janssen, Frank Edwards and Suzanne and Keith Quinn, have been installed along the main trail at the Lawson Nature Reserve, with two more to follow. Thank you to everyone including Country Sports, Tillsonburg, who made this possible.

From Endangered Ecosystems Alliance:

The Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) is one of Canada’s rarest toads. In Canada, it is found only along limited sections of the Lake Erie shoreline in southern Ontario, where it depends on a closely connected mosaic of sandy beaches, dunes, shoreline wetlands and shallow temporary pools. Today, only three populations remain, at Rondeau Provincial Park, Long Point, and in an area of the Niagara Peninsula.

Unlike many amphibians, Fowler’s Toad spends much of its life on land. But it needs shallow ponds and pools to reproduce, making the connection between healthy beaches, dunes, wetlands and aquatic habitat critical to its survival. Its loud breeding call—often described as a prolonged, high-pitched scream—is one of the distinctive sounds of Ontario’s Lake Erie shoreline.

The species has disappeared from numerous historical sites along Lake Erie and is now Endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act and Ontario’s species-at-risk legislation. Shoreline development, beach modification, off-road vehicles, invasive species and the loss or degradation of breeding pools have all contributed to its decline.

Fowler’s Toad is a powerful reminder that protecting ecosystems means protecting the connections between them.

For this little toad, beaches, dunes, wetlands and temporary pools are all part of the same habitat—and losing these connected habitats can put local populations, and ultimately the species, at greater risk.

Please SEND A MESSAGE to federal decision-makers to protect endangered ecosystems across Canada by reintroducing and strengthening the Nature Accountability Bill.

From Current Affairs:

The esteemed TV naturalist has been widely celebrated as he reaches his 100th year, but his warnings about climate and biodiversity loss are being ignored.

Read More.

From Ontario Nature:

August 27 was World Lake Day and we’re reflecting on how Indigenous Peoples remind us that water is sacred. And that we have a responsibility to care for it.

Lake Ontario has deep Indigenous histories and connections and supports countless species and communities. Protecting these waters means honouring these connections and ensuring they remain thriving for generations to come.

Ontario Nature is committed to protecting our lands and waters, and that includes Lake Ontario. But Ontario has not committed to protecting 30% of its lands and waters for 2030 (30×30) despite commitments. Ontario has also received a failing grade for its progress on protecting land and water compared to other Canadian jurisdictions.

Join us in asking the province to protect more of our lands and waters.

Sign our action alert to urge the government to protect more areas now: https://ontarionature.good.do/protected-areas/email/

From Ontario Nature:

Conservation is a team effort.

Our latest Conservation Insiders Report looks back at a busy spring and summer at Ontario Nature, highlighting the people, programs and communities helping protect Ontario’s wild species and wild spaces.

From Lakbay Kalikasan: Connecting Youth to Nature in the City, which introduced Filipino youth to Toronto’s urban wildlife, to our Long-Term Monitoring Protocol training events across the province, there’s been plenty happening on the ground.

We also brought youth together through Salamanders, Species, and Skills: Ontario Nature’s Youth Council at Kilcoo Camp, while youth-led trail projects in Markham and Whitby helped build practical skills for protecting local watersheds.

And in Norfolk County, our field team completed eight reptile surveys, covering 225 snakes and collecting long-term data to support conservation.

These achievements are made possible by the people who show up, get involved and support conservation across Ontario.

Find it here: https://catalog.ontarionature.org/conservation…/page/1

From the City of Woodstock, Ontario:

Woodstock has been named a Bird Friendly City by Nature Canada – and now we have our new official city bird.

The Woodstock Environmental Advisory Committee led the process with Nature Canada, earning recognition for the city’s efforts to reduce threats to birds, protect and restore natural habitats, and engage residents through education and outreach.

As part of the designation, residents were invited to vote on one of three shortlisted bird species that met Nature Canada’s criteria. The poll received strong community participation and the results are in – the black-capped chickadee is the winning bird!

The black-capped chickadee is a familiar species well-known throughout our community as a year-round resident of Woodstock and is regarded as one of the friendliest bird species. As a regular visitor to bird feeders throughout the city, you can also easily see black-capped chickadees in shrubby areas in parks and along trails.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the poll and helped celebrate the birds that call Woodstock home.

For more information about the Bird Friendly City program, visit Nature Canada at www.naturecanada.ca

From Fatal Light Awareness Program Canada:

A new article has been published in The Conversation based on research from the Ecological Design Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University in partnership with FLAP Canada! You can access the article here: http://linktr.ee/flapcanada

Title: “Bird‑safe glass must become the norm to prevent collisions with buildings”

By: Brendon Samuels, Nina-Marie Lister, and Sabrina Careri

Birds are facing a crisis — nearly three billion birds have been lost across North America since 1970 as a result of human activities impacting birds and their habitats.

Each year, billions of birds migrate across vast ranges spanning the Americas. For many, the journey is fatal. In Canada, tens of millions of birds are killed annually by crashing into glass on buildings, most of which are low-rise or residential. This makes collisions with glass a leading direct cause of bird fatalities.

Yet governments lack momentum to address the causes. Nearly two decades after Toronto became the first city in the world to consider bird safety in its planning process, Canadian cities are now trailing behind global peers in protecting birds from colliding with buildings.

The Ontario government recently passed legislation that prohibits municipalities from enforcing green building standards, including bird-safe design, through their local planning process.

This change appears to conflict with federal laws protecting birds that apply to building owners. Canada’s Migratory Bird Regulations and Species at Risk Act prohibit killing birds by causing collisions, even unintentionally. Fines can range up to $1 million per animal for killing a listed Species at Risk.

Our new research explores strategies for designing bird-safe cities. Using Toronto as a case study, we examined how collaborative planning can balance development with ecological sustainability, reducing bird collisions with buildings.

Lessons from building professionals

Reducing bird collisions with buildings starts with following design guidelines during the planning process. Birds drawn to green spaces in cities do not understand reflections on glass and cannot see glass that appears transparent.

In some Canadian cities, buildings have patterns of dots applied on windows and glass railings. These visual markers — first invented in Toronto — are proven to help birds detect glass and avoid colliding.

Designing cities that are safe for birds also involves considering how birds move between habitats and interact with threats in the built environment.

In our study, we convened experts and professionals who work in fields ranging from architecture, landscape architecture, engineering and facilities management to integrate perspectives on bird safety across disciplines.

Through a co-design workshop, we identified key barriers and opportunities to promote wider adoption of bird-safe city building practices. Our paper translates lessons learned in Toronto for a global audience and highlights needs and progress at institutional, local and regional scales.

Our results inform how professionals can be educated by our collaborators at FLAP Canada — a charity dedicated to raising awareness of bird safety in cities.

Some real estate developers argue that bird-safe building design is too costly, “prescriptive” and is a barrier to housing construction.

But researchers and architects point out that bird-safe glass represents a negligible increase in construction costs for typical buildings, and solutions involve using the same manufacturing techniques as popular privacy glass and heat-reduction coatings.

The success of Toronto’s approach demonstrates how engaging across disciplines in the design of bird-safe planning tools results in more effective applications. Our research presents a model for bridging disciplinary silos to develop these tools.

Cities where birds thrive

As Canada steps back, other countries are stepping up. Cities elsewhere are adapting, using design and policy to create environments where birds and humans coexist safely.

In the United States, strategies originally developed in Toronto are now being applied more widely than in Canada. Bird-safe design is required by code in cities like New York and Washington, D.C., and other countries are following suit.

This growth coincides with greater co-ordination between nations and sectors such as through the international Bird Collisions Prevention Alliance.

The Canadian government recently adopted a 2030 Nature Strategy aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Numerous targets under this strategy align with principles behind bird-safe cities. While federal commitments are encouraging, the authority to regulate building construction lies with provincial and territorial building codes. It remains to be seen how governments will co-ordinate the strategy’s implementation between jurisdictions and policy areas.

As governments set plans to build, now is a critical time for regulators and industries in Canada to adjust outdated building practices, mitigate their impacts and support ecologically resilient cities that are safer for people and for wildlife.