Conservation Resources
Fact Sheets
Black Bears (PDF 170k)
Seeing a wild black bear is a memorable event. But the best sighting - for you and the bear - is a fleeting glimpse because problems begin when bears and people meet. You can protect your belongings and Ontario's black bears if you know some basic biology and take precautions in bear country.
Conservation Easements (PDF 121k)
C.P.R. for Wetlands: Conserve, Protect and Restore (PDF 134k)
Habitat Creation With Native Plants (PDF 655k)
Nature Reserves (PDF 132k)
West Nile Virus (PDF 63k)
Wetland Restoration and Rehabilitation (PDF 610k)
A Citizens' Toolkit for Nature Conservation
A Greenprint for Action (PDF 172k)
You have just learned that a favourite wetland or woodland will soon be destroyed by development unless you do something. Fast action is needed to save the area. What do you do? Here are the important steps that you should take.
About Making a Delegation to a Municipal Council or Standing Committee of Council (PDF 127k)
Whether you live in a big city with a large municipal council, or a small municipality with only a few councillors, you, too, can make your voice heard by your local officials. Council delegations allow citizens to get local issues into the public arena, and are a basic component of the municipal democratic process.
Influencing Decision-Makers for Nature Protection (PDF 143k)
Influencing the corporate or government decision-making process is not easy. As a person attempting to influence the process, you need to be aware that there are potentially hundreds of variables; however, some are more important than others. Here are some basic guidelines to get the types of decision you want.
Effective Letter-Writing (PDF 143k)
So you're upset with the government's record on protecting woodlands. Or maybe they've just caved in again to yet another sprawling development proposal. You want to do something to help change their ways, but the enormity of the task makes success look hopeless. What can you do? One of the most effective weapons, readily available and proven by the test of time, is a letter.
Writing a News Release (PDF 129k)
An effective news release is one of the most common ways of getting media coverage. At major news outlets, the same story will likely have to compete with hundreds of other news releases every day, so yours has to stand out.
Protected Areas Toolkit
Ontario Nature: Who We Are (PDF 714k)
- Why A Protected Areas Toolkit?
- Scope and Purpose of the Toolkit
- Tembec Inc. and the Gordon Cosens Forest – An Opportunity for Change
Why Do We Need Protected Areas? (PDF 10.6MB)
Protected Areas Policy and Planning in Ontario (PDF 106k)
First Nations Participation Checklist (PDF 290k)
How Are Protected Areas Selected? (PDF 255k)
Gordon Cosens Forest - Conservation and Constraints Mapping (PDF 162k)
Additional Reading and Resources
Contacts (PDF 106k)
Woodlands Fact Sheets
Cores and Corridors – The Importance of a Green System in Southern Ontario (PDF 394k)
One of the most fundamental principles of conservation is that there should be a system of natural (or ‘green’) corridors across the landscape, interspersed with large core natural areas. These core and corridor areas provide an inter-connected web of natural habitats. This fact sheet explores the importance of cores and corridors at three different scales: the local community, a regional scale (e.g. Oak Ridges Moraine), and a bioregional scale, such as southern Ontario on the whole. It introduces the Big Picture, 2002 concept.
Introducing Old Growth – The Ultimate Forest (PDF 755k)
This fact sheet is a simple guide to old growth features of southern Ontario woodlands. It does not define old growth, because each forest has been uniquely crafted by local soils, climate, geology and landforms and is populated by its own collection of plants and animals. Instead, it guides you to things you can look for in any woodland, to assess its old growth potential. Old growth features can develop “anew” in forests as young as 100 years, while some existing features are remnants of the past. By seeking out old growth features you can learn about what makes old growth special, and why they are important parts of southern Ontario’s woodland heritage.
Ten Ways to Save Your Local Woods (and Water!) (PDF 414k)
All across Ontario, individuals and communities are mobilizing to protect their local woodlands in a variety of creative ways. Here are 10 ways to save your local woods. These 10 ways work equally well for wetlands and other aquatic habitats (coastal habitats, river valleys, etc.), alvars and other non-forested wilderness.
Forest Fragmentation (PDF 170k)
The loss of woodland habitat in southern Ontario is alarming. Over 80 percent of the upland woodlands south and east of the Canadian Shield have been lost since the nineteenth century. Not only has there been overall loss of woodlands, the quality and ecological viability of many of the remaining woodlands are also being degraded. Simply measuring the amount of woodland cover fails to address how well these features function or how effective they are in providing environmental benefits. Forest fragmentation, or the “carving up” of woodlands into smaller and more isolated patches is threatening forest ecosystems in southern Ontario. Understanding forest fragmentation is easier if you know a little about woodland ecology.
Urban Forests: An Important Part of Our Natural Heritage (PDF 102k)
The urban forest is an integral part of our woodland heritage in southern Ontario. This resource is typically located in areas under intense pressures from human activity. At the same time, these forests have a direct influence on the urban population and provide us with a host of essential environmental, economic and psychological “goods and services.”
Making the Connection Between Woodlands and Water (PDF 259k)
Like wetlands, forests store great volumes of water in themselves. They help replenish underground stores of water and protect watersheds by limiting erosion and flooding. Many life forms are dependent on forest habitats. The trend of ever-hastening loss of forest cover is contributing to a dangerous disruption of natural systems.
|
