Ask the Naturalist

Do you have a question about nature in Ontario? Would you like some help identifying those wildflowers at the side of the road or that unique bird in your backyard? Ask your questions or search through our new Ask the Naturalist forum for your answers.

Click here to enter the Ask the Naturalist forum.

Allan Foster. Photo by Brian Denney.

Ontario Nature would like to thank our expert, Allan Foster, who is taking the lead in the Ask the Naturalist forum. Allan's knowledge of nature and experience answering questions are invaluable resources. We hope you come in and join the discussion!

Allan Foster

Allan Foster was raised in St. Thomas Ontario where his parents were founding members of the St. Thomas Field Naturalist Club. He spent most of his summers in Muskoka. It first dawned on him that he wanted to become a professional naturalist when he spent a summer as student naturalist at Killbear Provincial Park in 1967.

He loves to travel and has visited parks and nature preserves throughout North America including the Canadian Arctic. He studied in England for a year; volunteered in Tanzania for a summer and has visited nature preserves in Europe, China, Japan and Central America.

He recently retired as director of the Kortright Centre for Conservation after 33 years of service. Although he is a trained biologist, his passion is learning about nature through nature stories. He obtained a doctorate from the University of Toronto researching how people learn through stories.

In 2004, the Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs presented Allan with their Distinguished Public Education Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to educating the public in the life sciences.

"The best thing about being a naturalist," he says, "is learning something new everyday," To this end, he is looking forward to answering questions posed on the Ontario Nature website. He admits that he will be stumped often, but he hopes that he will usually know someone to call for the answer.

Visit the Kortright Centre's webpage to read Allan Foster's stories.

The opinions expressed in the forum do not represent Ontario Nature's view on the discussion issues. If you would like information about Ontario Nature's official position on a particular issue please contact us.