The Beauty of Winter: Nature Crafts in the Cold
There is something magical about a winter landscape. If there is snow on the ground, edges become softened, sound is muffled, and the world feels fresh and clean. Even if there isn’t any snow, the colour palette of the winter season reveals itself in subtle...
The Nose Knows
Stop for a moment. Take one large breath in and smell the air around you. With every inhalation and exhalation (about 23,000 times per day!), we smell the world we’re surrounded by. We are awash in odours of all kinds, from the pleasant fragrance of lily to the sharp...
Animals Keeping Warm and Cozy: Making Winter Nests
Fall is a time for new beginnings and sad endings as we say goodbye to the warmth and freedom of summer. On or around September 21, the sun marches across the equator on its annual southward course, marking the official beginning of the season. As trees shed their...
For the Birds
The temperature has dipped to minus 20 degrees Celsius. Wind is whipping snowflakes into white swirls and pine boughs are bending under the weight of growing mounds of snow. We are cozy and warm inside while birds do their best to make it through the extremes of...
Hole Patrol: How Animals Keep Warm in Winter
Photocopy a Hole Patrol Card (provided) and take it with you on your next walk in the woods. Be on the lookout for snags and use the cards to help you figure out which species might be living in your “NeighbourWood.” Compare the size of your hole with your card. Look for additional clues such as feathers, scat, pellets, chewed cones, tracks, and scratch marks. What did you find?