July’s Highlights: Resilience, Reptiles, and Restoration
July brought its share of challenges, with wildfire smoke and poor air quality forcing us to adjust some of our field work and outdoor activities. While the health and safety of our staff and students always comes first, we were still able to make meaningful progress on our research, restoration, and outreach initiatives. It was a busy and rewarding month, filled with important conservation milestones, exciting community engagement, and plenty of reasons to celebrate the dedication of our team.
A Slow Start, A Strong Finish
The wildfire smoke that blanketed our region in July made it clear: protecting our community’s health comes first. Outdoor activities were paused, and plans were adjusted to ensure everyone stayed safe. While it was a slow start to the month, it gave us time to reflect on the importance of our work and the resilience of our team.
Blanding’s Turtle Watch Program: A Community Success
One of the highlights of July was the successful recapture of a Blanding’s Turtle as part of our Blanding’s Turtle Watch Program. After a great deal of effort in the field, our staff were able to safely locate and recapture this at-risk turtle, providing valuable information about its movements and habitat use. Each recapture helps us better understand the habitats turtles depend on throughout the year and the areas that are most important for activities such as nesting, foraging, and overwintering. Every observation and recapture brings us one step closer to protecting this remarkable species.
Photo by T. Eles
Keeping up with Fowler’s Toad Surveys and Snake Surveys
Our field season has been in full swing, with staff dedicating long days—and many late nights—to monitoring Fowler’s Toads along the Lake Erie shoreline. In addition to conducting daytime and nighttime surveys, our team has been removing invasive plant species to help restore and enhance critical shoreline habitat for this endangered amphibian. In Wainfleet Bog, snake surveys are also well underway after a brief pause due to poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke. The season has already been productive, with several recaptures from previous years, providing valuable information on the health, survival, and long-term trends of the local populations.
Above photos by T. Vittanachchi
Above photo by G. Parker
Above photo by T. Eles
Looking Ahead: World Snake Day Celebration
While July may have been a bit unpredictable, we’re already excited about what’s coming next. Mark your calendars for Saturday August 22, when we’ll be celebrating World Snake Day with our friends at Safari Niagara!
This event was originally scheduled for earlier in the summer but had to be postponed due to the poor air quality. Now, we’re thrilled to finally come together to celebrate these often-misunderstood creatures and share why we love snakes. Come out and join us—there’s so much to learn and appreciate about these incredible reptiles!
To keep up with what we will be doing in August follow us on all socials and keep an eye on our pages for updates!