My classes may have stopped in May but that didn’t stop me carrying my studies with me on an exciting trip to Canada…
This summer I had the joys of returning to Ontario to work at an overnight summer camp. Over the last three years it has become my favourite summer job because I essentially spend all day outside, in a stunning landscape. Aside from the amazing people I work with, the other major perk is the cool creatures and plants in the area too!
I’m sure others will agree that once you start studying wildlife, you develop a deeper curiosity when you see them out in the wild, the same for plants too and that only grows when travelling. I know a few of my friends are slightly sick of me going on tangents about responsible tourism but there we are.
It was a great summer for herpetology (reptiles and amphibians)! I saw a couple of snakes and plenty of frogs and toads (one even jumped onto me during an early morning walk). Equally, I saw an eagle and a black bear but in both cases, I was too in awe to even think about taking a photo.
Enjoy a selection of photos below…
We found this eastern garter snake on the beach. It was a spontaneous opportunity to teach our young people about “appreciating nature from afar”.This American toad came close to being squished in the darkness but stuck around long enough for me to grab a quick photo for iNaturalist!A northern leopard frog… being rescued from the confines of a sandcastle bucket.A painted turtle!Moose tracks?As much as raccoons appear cute, their tendency to tip rubbish all over the floor is slightly…frustrating? This one we nicknamed “big Rob”. He never seemed impressed to see us either.On a trip to Banff National Park, we saw plenty of bighorn sheep just strolling alongside the highway. It was really interesting to see the work rangers were doing to control human-wildlife encounters (including someone following the sheep around and stopping traffic, like their own personal security guards).The lakes in Alberta are just stunning! We visited some that are open year-round and another than has strict seasons for when tourists can visit. Again, another opportunity to learn about the measures conservation areas can use to promote responsible tourism.
