Hello Junior Naturalists!
This week’s theme is forests! We are very lucky to live in a city with a large urban forest. Toronto’s tree canopy covers about 28% of the city, which is much more than most other major cities in the world!
Forests provide many ecological, economical, and social benefits. They give us oxygen, clean our air, clean our water, reduce flooding, help combat climate change, and provide habitat for wildlife. Studies show that people feel better when they live in an area with lots of trees, and they spend more time outdoors. So forests help our mental health and physical health!
Visit the City of Toronto’s website to learn more about Toronto’s urban forest and where you can access it. https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/parks-gardens-beaches/ravines-natural-parklands/
You should also flip through the digital version of the Trees, Shrubs & Vines of Toronto booklet. It describes different forest and plant types, and highlights many of Toronto’s native species.
If you’re looking for a challenge, try out the forest-themed word search below!
We got a lot of great contributions this past week! Check out the gallery below for some amazing nature photos – many of them are from wetlands and meadows!
Caitlin saw an amazing meadow in Algonquin Park 
Willow Pine Cone Gall 
White Admiral butterflies clustered around ‘scat’. They suck up extra minerals like nitrogen, which they can’t get from nectar 
Moose tracks spotted on Anne’s Quetico Canoe trip 
Mystery creature near a lake 
Daria and George help a painted turtle back to a pond 
Painted turtle 
Painted turtle
I hope you have a great week! Try to get out to a forest, and send us photos! 🙂