The York Regional Forest is an invaluable habitat for birds. It's host to an impressive list of breeding bird species, including the Black-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Towhee, and Wood Thrush. Join us for a webinar highlighting the extraordinary species that call this place home.

Are you interested in exploring nature on the Oak Ridges Moraine? Join us for a webinar highlighting some of the region's most fascinating spring phenomena. Learn about ephemeral wildflowers and amphibian courtship. Get tips on where you can find these natural wonders in the York Regional Forest.

Join us for a presentation on one of the most threatened habitats in the Oak Ridges Moraine: grasslands. These imperiled ecosystems support a fascinating variety of life from the Eastern Hog-nosed Snake to the Short-eared Owl. Discover the fascinating prairie plants that call Ontario home. Learn what's being done to preserve the province's remaining grasslands.

iNaturalist is an amazing resource. This smartphone app can identify the plants, animals, and other living things around us. This webinar will demonstrate how to use this app and how it can help confirm plant IDs for seed collectors. 📱🌱

Learn to identify several of the region’s native grasses as we celebrate their ecological significance. 🌾 The Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust is delighted to be joined by talented naturalist Sammy Tangir for this webinar.

Learn to identify ten of the region’s native wildflower species, from Wild Bergamot to Common Milkweed.🌼🌸 This webinar is presented by acclaimed sustainable landscaper Sean James, who will share his knowledge of native plant species with participants.

From Black Oak to Canada Plum, learn to identify a variety of native tree and shrub species! 🌳🌲 This webinar is presented by acclaimed sustainable landscaper Sean James, who will share his knowledge of native trees and shrubs with participants.

The Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust is excited to be joined by gifted naturalist Sammy Tangir for a lunch-and-learn webinar on identifying plants in the wintertime! When most species have lost their flowers and leaves, identification can be a serious challenge. Sammy will help you learn to recognize several familiar local species. ❄️🌱

From finches to owls, discover the fascinating birdlife found throughout our region in the wintertime! Host Maxwell Matchim will share their tips for finding these charismatic species in the York Region. Learn about ethical wildlife viewing and photography and a few of the things you can do to help support our birds!

The Kirtland’s Warbler is a globally rare bird, endangered in Ontario and Canada, that breeds only in young pine-oak communities. Although always rare, the Kirtland’s Warbler was reduced to less than 500 individuals in the 1970-80s due to a loss of suitable habitat. Despite successful repopulation programs in the US, the Kirtland’s Warbler remains in jeopardy in Ontario. Join us with staff biologist Aileen Barclay to learn about the ecology of this beautiful species and what is being done to help its recovery in Ontario.

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Thank you to our wonderful sponsors, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and MapleCross Foundation, for making this presentation possible!

Join Joseph Pitawanakwat, Andres Jimenez and Junaid Khan in a discussion about the depth of ecological knowledge housed in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language) names. Whereas western scientific naming focuses on the most obvious of physical characteristics, geographic range, or paying homage to Europeans, Anishinaabemowin allows us to learn about the roles these incredible flying beings play within our world. In turn, we can learn how best to help and support their populations for generations to come.

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Thank you to our wonderful sponsor, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, for making this presentation possible!

Passionate about bryophytes, botanist Cassandra Robillard has conducted research on lichen and moss communities in vernal pools, created scientific illustrations for bryophyte manuals, and aided in moss and liverwort field surveys in Ontario, Quebec, and the Northwest Territories. Join us, and Cassandra, as we dive into the intricate micro-world of bryophytes!

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Thank you to our wonderful sponsor, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, for making this presentation possible!

Kim “Beartracker” Cabrera joins us once again on the Moraine as a follow-up to her previous wildlife tracking webinar. A certified CyberTracker Track and Sign Specialist, Kim also created the first website dedicated to tracking in 1997. Join us as Kim shares advanced tips and tricks for identifying wildlife signs!

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Thank you to our wonderful sponsor, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, for making this presentation possible!

Beth Foster is an ANFT Nature & Forest Therapy Guide and Trail Certification Consultant passionate about helping people connect with nature as a tool for peace and prosperity. Join us, and Beth, to learn about the immense healing benefits of spending time outdoors!

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Thank you to our wonderful sponsors, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Patrick Barbara Keenan Foundation, for making this presentation possible!

Discover the fantastic world of Ontario’s wetlands with our friends at Ontario Streams. Learn all about the legislation, restoration, management, and conservation of these important ecosystems right in our backyards! 

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Thank you to our wonderful sponsors, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Patrick Barbara Keenan Foundation, for making this presentation possible!

Doug Tallamy is a best-selling author, entomologist, ecologist, conservationist, and professor at the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. Join us, and Doug, as we learn about how native plants can transform your yard into a thriving ecosystem!

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Thank you to our wonderful sponsors, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Patrick Barbara Keenan Foundation, for making this presentation possible!

ORMLT proudly hosted Gary Yankech, a fun, passionate, and knowledgeable teacher of nature interpretation and conservation. Join Gary in learning all about the brilliant butterflies of the Oak Ridges Moraine!

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Thank you to our wonderful sponsors, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Patrick Barbara Keenan Foundation, for making this presentation possible!

We have created a new pollinator garden at our Starcliff Nature Reserve. Using native plants, we have gotten rid of our grass and added much needed biodiversity.  Watch the video to learn how we did it, and how you can create your own garden at home! 

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Thank you to our sponsors – the Regional Municipality of York, the Catherine and Maxwell Meighan Foundation, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Patrick and Barbara Keenan Foundation and all the volunteers that helped plant this garden.  The bees are loving it!!

This restoration project took place on the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust’s MapleCross Nature Reserve. This 80-acre property is located in Schomberg between the Pottageville Wetland Complex and Happy Valley. The project goal is to provide breeding habitat for Bobolink (Threatened), Eastern Meadowlark (Threatened), Grasshopper Sparrow (Special Concern), Monarch (Endangered-COSEWIC) and Mottled Duskywing (Endangered-COSEWIC) by restoring 2.4 hectares of horse pasture to a grassland habitat.

Thank you to the Regional Municipality of York, the Catherine and Maxwell Meighan Foundation, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Patrick and Barbara Keenan Foundation the TIDES Foundation and all the volunteers that helped with this project.   

Learn about the fish of the Oak Ridges Moraine, and how to identify them with our friends at Ontario Streams in this webinar recording.

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Thank you to our wonderful sponsors, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Patrick Barbara Keenan Foundation, for making this presentation possible!

Tracking expert Kim Cabrera a.k.a. “Beartracker” teaches us how to identify animal tracks of mammals on the Oak Ridges Moraine. Learning to identify tracks will help us understand which species we share our yards and local greenspace with!

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Thank you to our wonderful sponsors including the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Patrick Barbara Keenan Foundation.

Trees may stand still but they how many times have you walked by without knowing what they were?

Aileen Barclay will teach you all about trees of the Oak Ridges Moraine, focusing on tree identification to make sure you’re connecting with nature even in the winter months. She will also speak to habitat conservation and how best to support your trees and wildlife.

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Thank you to our wonderful sponsors, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Patrick Barbara Keenan Foundation, for making this presentation possible!

It’s a good thing we have Sheila Colla to teach us about native bees! Sheila has a PhD in Biology and an impressive resume demonstrating both professional and academic experience related to pollinator conservation. Most recently she acted as Scientific Advisor for the At-Risk Pollinator Program at Preservation Wildlife Canada, and is now an Assistant Professor at York University.

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Thank you to our generous sponsors, the Patrick and Barbara Keenan Foundation and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Basil Conlin, a local naturalist and moth watcher, will take us on a journey through the seasons to understand our huge diversity of moths. Topics include how to find moths, where to find moths, and what species of native plants you can include in your gardens to attract and support moths and their caterpillars. Come to the Darkside and see what you’ve been missing. 

We are pleased to welcome back Michael Runtz , naturalist extraordinaire in this webinar about local mammals on the Oak Ridges Moraine. You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know about some of our most charismatic friends!

OMRLT welcomes Michael Runtz all the way from Carleton University to teach us all about dragonflies and damselflies. How many species are there? What do they do and how are they important? If you didn’t think there was much to learn about these unique looking insects, Michael will convince you otherwise!

Let’s get batty!

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We’re excited to have Chris Ketola, Head Field Research Coordinator at Fauna Forever, in this webinar about Ontario’s bats, why they are important and how we can help to protect them on the Oak Ridges Moraine.

Did you know that some salamanders have tongues up to TEN times as long as their body!? Our knowledgeable speaker, Josh Feltham, will be indulging us with neat facts about the various snakes, salamanders and other slithery creatures that make Ontario home. You will also learn how to identify the different species, why they need protection, and how you can help!

Join us with Annick Gionet Rollick, Senior Wildlife Rehabilitator and Zoologist at The Owl Foundation to learn about our local owls, what makes them unique, and what they sound like (hint: not every one whoos)! Annick will also be answering your questions on owls and what we can do to help.

Join seasoned hiker, David Francis, for an online session where you will learn techniques to prevent slips and falls on your walk, how to pack and prepare for any hike, and how to ensure your hike is environmentally friendly and economical. Beginners and intermediate hikers will benefit from this workshop and it is never too early to do yourself a favour and invest in prolonging your mobility!

Join Biologist, Aileen Barclay, for this webinar on identifying animal tracks of animals found on the Oak Ridges Moraine! Did you know that winter is one of the best times to learn this fun skill?

The fall is the grand finale of the blooming season, from asters to goldenrods, the blooms don’t stop just because summer is over! Join native plant expert Paul Heydon in this webinar to learn more about amazing plant species that flower in the autumn on the Moraine.

Leaves aren’t the only thing to change in the fall – birds can change colours too! This and a change in behaviour can make the fall an especially fun time for birding if you have the right tips! Join Kristen in this webinar and get inspired to check out your feathered friends.  

Rain Gardens are the latest gardening trend, as they are a beautiful addition to a yard, allow the planting of some truly interesting plants and help the environment by catching and cleaning storm water so it can sink into the ground, restoring the Oak Ridges Moraine’s precious groundwater. Join Master Gardener, Sean James, as we cover how to design and build a rain garden.

Seeing turtles basking on logs in the sunshine is a summer staple, but how much longer will we see this sight? Ontario’s turtles are facing some big challenges, but together we can help them out! Learn about some of the troubles turtles are in and meet a few live turtles from the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre.

Why do we think that using native plants means a sacrifice in beauty? It does not! Sean James, Master Gardener, will discuss the best native plants to use in your gardens for stunning results, as well as best locations, ideas for difficult soils and situations. Adding native plants to your garden is one of the best ways to help the pollinators and birds.