Did you know that wild bird populations have dropped by nearly 30% (or 3 billion birds) since 1970? Now you can help Save The Song Birds while having some fun with nature on these cold winter days. Learn more at Wild Birds Unlimited.

The Oxford County Trails Council has released their Winter 2023/2024 issue of The Trail Times. Great information about nest boxes and more.

From Nature Canada:

“Today is a day to celebrate. We are taking big strides in the journey to protect the Seal River Watershed. We welcome the collaboration with the Manitoba Government and Government of Canada, because we know this Nation-to-Nation-Nation approach benefits all of us. The Seal River Watershed Indigenous Protected Area will help our communities heal, create land jobs for land people, and help Manitoba and Canada meet reconciliation and conservation goals. And most of all, we are showing our youth that even though we come from small communities, we can do big things.”- Stephanie Thorassie, Executive Director of the Seal River Watershed Initiative.

Learn more.

The walk in the Embro Conservation Area on January 20, 204, did not disappoint… a beautiful morning with fresh snow and sunshine. We were met by a hairy woodpecker, chickadees and blue jays and saw evidence of pileated woodpeckers. After the walk a tour of a Langlois Eco Home model was provided… Embro’s new master-planned community designed for active living and connecting to nature.

A big thanks to Nicole and Mark of the Langlois Family for the model home tour on January 20, 2024, showcasing The Village Farm, eco modern country living in Embro. Their “passive homes” are amazing! Beautiful design with unsurpassed energy efficiency, comfort and healthy indoor environment. A passive home standard means it consumes 90% less energy than most existing buildings and 75% less than conventional new homes…Inspiring! The photos speak for themselves… as does their passion for the neighborhood they are building. For more information visit langloisecohomesltd.com.

From Ontario Nature:

After a decade-long run, Ontario is making some timely adjustments to the provincial Invasive Species Strategic Plan (2012). To guide updates to the plan, the government invited the public to provide their vision for the future of invasive species prevention and management in Ontario.

Ontario Nature did just that, incorporating feedback from 19 of our Nature Network member groups.

The David Suzuki Foundation provides tips for connecting with nature in fall and winter.

Discover the enchantment of fall and winter by immersing yourself in nature. You may even fall in love with the special seasonal benefits of these cooler months. Find inspiration in these connecting with nature tips.

Read more.

Saving Monarchs has compiled a list of the birds that went extinct during 2023. They have also included a link to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s list of the 21 species delisted from the Endangered Species Act due to extinction.

From Environment and Climate Change Canada – posted by Nature Canada – December 18, 2023

“The scale of the biodiversity crisis—the worst extinction since the dinosaurs—requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. To ensure that our efforts to reach Canada’s 30×30 conservation target have the greatest possible impact, we will need our towns and cities working hand in hand with other levels of government as champions for nature. Nature Canada is proud to bring our partners together to work with municipalities on a mission to protect nature in communities across Canada.” – Emily McMillan, Executive Director – Nature Canada

Read more.

From the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority:

From time to time there is unsightly foam flowing down the river or accumulating along the shoreline in the Upper Thames River watershed. If you have every experienced this, you may have immediately thought this was some chemical flowing down the waterway. In a majority of situations, the foam is a natural phenomenon. Read more on the UTRCA website.