Wild at Heart Niagara

12/17/2025

It’s incredible to think that Illinois Tick‑trefoil, a plant long thought gone from Ontario, might still be hanging on in the Brantford area. Discoveries like this remind us that even small patches of natural habitat can hold hidden treasures and why protecting them matters!

More on this from the Canadian Wildlife Federation, here:
https://cwf-fcf.org/en/news/releases/2025/locally_extinct_plant_rediscovered.html

12/17/2025

Hey everyone, this is really important for Niagara’s natural areas. The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority is officially opposing the province’s decision to merge conservation authorities through Bill 68. It will weaken local decision-making, funding, and hands-on protection of our watersheds. Right now, NPCA would be folded into a huge Western Lake Ontario authority instead of staying focused on our local needs.

Check out the Narwal article about how this is creating deep concern among local conservation staff and boards.

If you care about protecting Niagara’s watersheds, you can leave a comment at the Environmental Registry (ERO #025-1257) before Dec. 22, or even reach out to your local MPP to let them know why local voices matter.

https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/025-1257

12/17/2025

12/15/2025

If you want to know whether a plant is actually native to Niagara, it helps to check more than one source. One of the best for our region is Michael Oldham’s 2017 “List of the Vascular Plants of Ontario’s Carolinian Zone (Ecoregion 7E).

Because Niagara sits right in this Carolinian zone, this list reflects what truly belongs here, not just what’s native somewhere in Ontario. Using local plants matters because they support our native insects, birds, and pollinators, are adapted to our soils and climate, and help protect the unique ecosystems that make Niagara special.

LINK
http://bit.ly/45aIGQa

12/14/2025

Great news!

In Quebec, 31 invasive exotic plant species could soon be banned from sale and cultivation for distribution purposes.

12/08/2025

A tidy yard is often a deadly one.
Winter pushes small creatures to the edge of survival, and leaf litter becomes the only insulation they have left.

• Fireflies begin life in the soil and leaf layers — removing them erases next summer’s glow.
• Moths, butterflies, and beneficial beetles overwinter in folded leaves.
• Birds rely on these insects for scarce winter protein.

Leaf litter isn’t clutter.
It’s habitat.
It’s shelter.
It’s life.

If you want a thriving spring, protect the hidden world beneath your feet this winter.
A small act of patience creates an entire generation of wildlife.

12/06/2025

The dirt on soil!

12/06/2025

Today, the NPCA Board of Directors held a special meeting to review the province’s proposal for the regional consolidation of conservation authorities.

While we support modernization, digitization and provincial investments in service improvements, NPCA does not support the proposed RCA boundary framework as outlined in ERO #025-1257 due to risks to local representation, service delivery and watershed expertise.

We encourage our community to review the proposal and submit comments. Public input matters.

➡️ Read NPCA’s full comments: https://buff.ly/54GO4bp
➡️ Provide your feedback on the ERO posting: https://buff.ly/NkaIk23