Frontenac Arch Biosphere
PO Box 281 K6V 5V5 Lansdowne, ON, Canada

Striking Balance episode 3 on the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere is airing Saturday (tomorrow) night at 7pm on http://strikingbalance.ca/ or at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmzwMS7KfTVSEPrEjOF9Wrg - Senior Terrestrial and Wetland Biologist, Jessica Linton, examines a Jefferson Salamander as part of her work to recover the endangered species.

Story Walks in the Biosphere - Kendrick's Park, Lyndhurst.

Story Walks in the Biosphere - Lorne Park, Newboro.

Story Walks in the Biosphere - Front of Yonge Library, Mallorytown.

Story Walks in the Biosphere - Gan Trail, Gananoque.

Story Walks in the Biosphere - Recreation Park, Mallorytown.

Final 2020 Installation of the Story Walks in the Biosphere!

Kendrick's Park hosted the very first Story Walk for the Story Walks in the Biosphere Series. There are some beautiful Bur Oak Trees there, making it a great place for our final installation "Because of an Acorn" by Lola M. Schaefer. Some people may have heard or even shared the phrase "everything is connected". Rachel Carson once said, "In Nature, nothing exists alone". We have a great story to help you and your littles connect with Nature and explore the fascinating webs th...at connect all of us,. from the smallest of beings to those that take flight. If you have not had a chance to read "Because of an Acorn", there is no better place to check it out than with the Story Walks in the Biosphere Series, at Kendrick's Park. "Because of an acorn, a tree grows, a bird nests, a seed becomes a flower. Enchanting die-cuts illustrate the vital connections between the layers of an ecosystem in this magical book. Wander down the forest path to learn how every tree, flower, plant, and animal connect to one another in spiraling circles of life. An acorn is just the beginning" - Goodreads. A note on the story location and level: you can park your vehicle in the parking area at Kendrick's Park (Short Point Road) and begin the hike here. Follow the story through the park, as you head East. The park is relatively flat in this area and a great place for littles to explore a variety of tree species, bugs, birds, and the sounds of waves of the shore - with adult supervision. Thank you to our Wonderful Sponsors: Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands Children's Services of United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Township of Rideau Lakes Township of Front of Yonge Front of Yonge Library Town of Gananoque Gananoque Public Library Keenan Irwin - Keenan's Concrete Finishing

The perfect trail for this story because it is full of leaves of all shapes, sizes, and colours. The artwork in this book is sure to inspire readers of all ages. A note on the story location and level: this story begins at the Parking Lot for the Medical Building, off John Street in the beautiful village of Newboro. This trail is the perfect 1km loop for all ages. Century old oak and maple trees will be your natural guides on this Story Walk. ... ***IMPORTANT NOTICE: There is poison ivy found along the trail, that can be easily avoided by staying on the trail. This time of year, it is starting to die back and is presenting less of a challenge, as the cooler weather blows in. Thank you to our Wonderful Sponsors: Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands Children's Services of United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Township of Rideau Lakes Township of Front of Yonge Front of Yonge Library Town of Gananoque Gananoque Public Library Keenan Irwin - Keenan's Concrete Finishing

So many great reasons to get outside and enjoy the Autumn Season. Here is another one: "Hibernation Station" by Michelle Meadows and Kurt Cyrus is a seasonal favourite. Everybody at the station! It’s time for winter hibernation! The sweet rhyming text of this book will calm even the most rambunctious kids and have them dreaming about what it’s like to hibernate. Young readers will be soothed and delighted as this story introduces them to different types of hibernating anima...ls. The creatures on the train are preparing to snuggle into sleep, although with a passenger list that includes chipmunks, bears, snakes, hedgehogs, groundhogs, frogs, turtles, mice, bats, and more, there’s a lot of noise! Will the hibernating critters ever get to sleep? Take a trip to Hibernation Station to find out! Goodreads A note on the story location and level: this story begins in the parking area at the Front of Yonge Library (76 County Road 5). As you wander through the beautiful Heritage Gardens, take a moment to feel the grass beneath your feet and watch the cloud pass above. We love this park not only for the close proximity to the library but because it lends itself to the smallest of friends, to wander and explore in a more independent way - with adult supervision :-) Thank you to our Wonderful Sponsors: Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands Children's Services of United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Township of Rideau Lakes Township of Front of Yonge Front of Yonge Library Town of Gananoque Gananoque Public Library Keenan Irwin - Keenan's Concrete Finishing

Another FABulous story to share. "We're Going on a Leaf Hunt" by Steve Metzger has made it's way to the Gan Trail in Gananoque. "Join three friends on a fun leaf-finding adventure! This bouncy new version of the popular song begs to be read out loud.... There are lots of beautiful fall leaves to find! Three friends have a big adventure hiking over a mountain and through a forest to collect leaves of all kinds and colors. What will they do with all their leaves at the end of the story? Jump and play in them, of course! With easy rhyming text and fun sound effects, children will delight in this rollicking autumn story." - Good Reads. A note on the story location and level: this story begins in the parking area behind the Gan/TLTI Arena in Gananoque, which is beside the soccer field. This trail is smooth to begin with and gets a bit more diverse in the forest area. Although the story is only on a portion of the trail (less than 500 meters), the rest of the trail is lovely for all experience levels. Check out the Gan Trail System Maps at https://www.travel1000islands.ca/plan/maps Thank you to our Wonderful Sponsors: Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands Children's Services of United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Township of Rideau Lakes Township of Front of Yonge Front of Yonge Library Town of Gananoque Gananoque Public Library Keenan Irwin - Keenan's Concrete Finishing

Check it out! "Tap the Magic Tree" by Christie Matheson is at the Recreation Park in Mallorytown. Tap the Magic Tree is a wonderfully crafted picture book about the magic of nature and the changing seasons. It incorporates beautiful collage and watercolor images and allows the reader to lend a hand progressing the story as they flip through the book. It is an interactive story that engages the imagination and observation skills of the reader. he anticipation of what will ...happen next blends well with the book’s simple text that instructs the readers to tap, shake, wiggle their fingers and blow kisses at a bare brown tree trunk to help it grow. With a surprise on each page, this is a delightful book to read out-loud. Great conversations can be developed about the animals on the page, pollination of flowers to apples, eggs to chicks and practicing basic learning concepts like counting and colours. Richmond Public Library A note on the story location and level: this story begins in the parking area at the Recreation Park (2 Park Lane, Mallorytown). It will take you on a relaxing wander through open spaces and into a great forest explore site. Bring a picnic lunch and your kites, there is a lot of great, open space here. Thank you to our Wonderful Sponsors: Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands Children's Services of United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Township of Rideau Lakes Township of Front of Yonge Front of Yonge Library Town of Gananoque Gananoque Public Library Keenan Irwin - Keenan's Concrete Finishing

FINAL INSTALLATIONS You are just in time. We have completed our final 5 installations for the Story Walks in the Biosphere Series. Autumn is a FABulous season to explore the outdoors and take in the cool, crisp air as you witness the trees transition from green to the most vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds. ... It has been a lot of fun, exploring the trails in the Frontenac Arch Biosphere and sharing these wonderful stories, authors, and illustrators with our community. If you are someone who has enjoyed these stories and trails, please feel free to send your feedback to Kelly McGann at [email protected]. With your support, we hope to make the Story Walks in the Biosphere a permanent feature of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Region. Thank you to our Wonderful Sponsors: Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands Children's Services of United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Township of Rideau Lakes Township of Front of Yonge Front of Yonge Library Town of Gananoque Gananoque Public Library Keenan Irwin - Keenan's Concrete Finishing

Striking Balance episode 2 on Manicouagan-Uapishka biosphere is airing tonight at 8pm on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmzwMS7KfTVSEPrEjOF9Wrg or at http://strikingbalance.ca. A collaboration between the Biosphere Reserve and the Pessamit Innu resulted in the establishment Station Uapishka. But the research station is threatened by rising waters from the nearby Manicouagan Reservoir.