Humber Arboretum
205 Humber College Blvd. M9W5L7 Toronto, ON, Canada

Today is the LAST DAY to register your kids for April Break Virtual Nature Camp! We have five mornings of fun, nature-connection activities planned for ages 7-11. Multiple siblings are welcome to join in on the same screen (including those who might be a little older or younger than the target age). Visit our website to learn more & register before midnight:... https://humber.ca/arboretum/learn/camps/virtual-camp.html See more

Coming up at 1:00 pm! Did you know April is Citizen Science Month AND April 7th is World Health Day? Mark both occasions by joining Arb staff online for "Healthy Communities through Citizen Science"! This workshop is free and open to all. ... It is also eligible as a Co-Curricular Record experience for Humber College & UofGH students who attend the event and complete a follow-up survey. https://humber.ca/arboretum/events/citizen-science.html

Coming up at 2 pm! Free and open to all - join us for a Nature Exchange chat about working and volunteering in environmental stewardship.

Do you use the citizen science platform iNaturalist? We're excited that our iNaturalist collection project, Humber Arboretum Atlas, recently surpassed 1400 observations! All you need to do to contribute to the project is make observations with iNaturalist on the Arboretum grounds, and they will be automatically added to the project. (A reminder that while the Centre for Urban Ecology remains closed until further notice, the grounds are open during daylight hours; please respe...ct all social distancing guidelines and City of Toronto by-laws). The Humber Arboretum Atlas is also a great way for those who can't visit the Arboretum to virtually explore some of the organisms others have been spotting onsite. Now the big question is, how shall we celebrate when we get to 1500 observations... https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/humber-arboretum-atlas

Thank you to all of the prospective Humber College students who joined us for this morning's live session as part of Humber's virtual Open House. You can also learn about all of the Humber Arboretum's opportunities for students anytime by visiting http://humber.ca/arboretum/students #WorldReadyCitizens... (Photo of Nature Camp Counsellor Connor, taken by Videographer and Arb Creative Co-Ordinator Brandon Lau) See more

Prospective students attending the Humber College Virtual Open House tomorrow can join Humber Arboretum staff at 10 am to learn about the public garden & urban greenspace connected to North campus! In the session we'll be showcasing the Arboretum itself, highlighting connections the Arboretum has with a variety of programs, and talking about the workstudy and service learning experiences the Arboretum offers for students from any campus or program of study. Register in advan...ce: http://ow.ly/dHwk50Ch6wY See more

Both the Arboretum Ambassadors and the Arb Creatives had their first full team meetings today, officially kicking off our virtual Learning by Leading pilot! We're thrilled to be connecting with Humber College and UofGH students studying around the world. Adapted from a program developed by UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden , Learning by Leading at the Humber Arboretum is a CCR-certified service learning experience that develops skills & mindsets from the Humber Learning... Outcomes while connecting students to nature. Learn more: https://humber.ca//learn/humber-c/learning-by-leading.html #WorldReadyCitizens

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is currently grooving with some birds - live now!

The Arb is still accepting applications from students who want to take part in Learning by Leading this year, but time is running out! Learning by Leading is a service learning experience at the Humber Arboretum open to students from both Humber College and the University of Guelph-Humber in any program or year of study. Two branches of Learning by Leadingthe Arb Ambassadors and the Arb Creativesare being offered remotely for the 2020/2021 school year. Learn how you can get involved: http://humber.ca/arboretum/students

Fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs! Check out this blog post from LEAF - Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests on species you can plant now to help create pollinator habitat.

Happy Reptile Awareness Day! Did you know that in the spring of 2019 Cleo, the red-eared slider who lives inside the Centre for Urban Ecology, got an upgrade from an aquarium to an indoor pond? Her pond featues a basking platform, a biofilter, and plenty of room to swim! Turtles are tricky pets, because they grow much larger than many people expect, have very specific light and dietary requirements, and live for decades. Cleo was given to the Humber Arboretum when her origin...al owner found couldn't care for her anymore, and she is believed to be over 20 years old. Red-eared sliders and other turtles sold as pets can never be released into the wild, because they aren't native species in Ontario and can harm local turtles by spreading disease and competing for resources. If you have a turtle you can no longer care for, reach out to a humane society or reptile rescue organization for help rehoming them. On the other hand, if you're interested in owning a turtle, have done ALL of your research, and are confident you can provide proper habitat and care, please reach out to rescues to inquire about adoption - there are always many larger pet turtles looking for good homes. [Hilarious pond "promo" edited by then-Humber-student, now alumni, Brandon Lau]

Are you a current student of Humber College or University of Guelph-Humber? Whether you're taking classes on campus or studying remotely, you're invited to participate in the new Humber Arboretum iNaturalist Student Challenge! Learn about citizen science, explore nature outside your front door, and add to your Co-Curricular Record. You have until April 15, 2021 to complete the challenge, so you can take it at your own pace. Learn more: https://humber.ca/arbore//humber-college/ccr-learning.html

We are continuing with activities to raise awareness about monarch butterflies. Learn how to draw a monarch butterfly, and find out about events talking place across the country! #feeltheflutter

August 19 is World Photography Day, and we're celebrating by sharing just a few of the hundreds of wonderful photos that were taken by our Nature Campers in previous summers. The Nature Campers were using waterproof Nikon Coolpix to explore the gardens and ponds, looking closely at colours, patterns, shapes, and framing. We were always amazed by their results with these simple point-and-shoot cameras - looks like there are a few potential pros in the making!

The invasive rusty crayfish is the one type of crayfish we don't like to see at the Arb! Originally from the US, these crayfish are more aggressive than our local native species, and often out-compete them when it comes to the best food and aquatic habitat. Kids can learn about rusty crayfish with TVO's FishHeads Explorer Club - watch the full segment with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority on the TVOkids website: https://tvokids.com//leos-f/videos/invasion-rus...ty-crayfish While adults can check out the webpage & fact sheet from Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program: http://invadingspecies.com/rusty-crayfish/ #CrayWeek

#CrayWeek continues! Along with the crayfish you might spot in the Humber River and the Arboretum ponds, there are species who make their homes on land by burrowing tunnels that reach below the water table. Ontario has two burrowing species - the large devil crayfish (Cambarus diogenes) and the smaller digger, or chimney, crayfish (Fallicambarus fodiens). This photo of a chimney crayfish burrow was taken by staff near a trail in the Arboretum meadow. We dig crayfish!

We've just learned that this week is #CrayWeek, Michigan Sea Grant 's online celebration of all things crayfish There are a variety of these curious freshwater crustaceans living in both the West Humber River and the Arboretum ponds, so we're excited to learn more about them all this week! (The crayfish pictured here was all hunkered down for the winter when the Humber River broke its banks last January. Suddenly he or she found themselves washed up onto the West Humber Trail! After a quick photo shoot, the crayfish was escorted by staff back to a safer location.)

We sure do miss exploring the natural world with all of our fantastic Nature Campers, but Mother Nature (also known as Lynn Short) has a fun and simple activity you can try at home! Equipment needed: - access to sand (sandbox, playground, beach, even sandy soil) - a plastic container and a trowel (to collect the sand)... - a small tray - a clean plastic container - a clean plastic baggie - a magnet Let us know if you give this a try. :) #GrowAnywhere

Go mothing with Nature Interpreter Laura! A large part of Moth Week (which takes place annually during the last full week of July) is going out to look for moths. Nature Interpreter Laura (aka Squirrel) shares her tips during an evening of mothing with her partner, park naturalist Robert. (A reminder: The Humber Arboretum is only open to the public during daylight hours. Please only moth in areas which are open after dark, and always take a friend! Please also remember to treat the natural spaces and the nocturnal critters with respect).

Happy Moth Week! The last full week of July is Moth Week, which is a time to learn about the fascinating world of moths and to add your moth observations to citizen science projects such as iNaturalist. To celebrate, we have a video to help you learn all about North America's largest moth, the cecropia moth, from Nature Interpreter Laura (aka Squirrel).

In the past, the Humber Arboretum has worked with the Toronto Wildlife Centre both to get help for animals found sick or injured at the Arb or at Humber College, and as a safe release site for rehabbed animals. They are an amazing organization supporting the health of our wild neighbours. Now the TWC is looking for the public's help to get a new facility built. Read below and visit the link to their website if you are willing to take a few minutes to contact your MPP in support of their application to the Canada Infrastructure Fund:

What We're Reading: "Shark Life" by Peter Benchley (Sticky) July 14 is Shark Awareness Day, which is all about reminding people that although sharks may be cast as the Big Bad in many works of fiction, in reality they are amazing creatures that are a key part of ocean ecosystems and are in need of protection. Nature Interpreter Sticky read this non-fiction book by Peter Benchley, the author of Jaws: "This was a great, quick read of Peter Benchley's experience and stories abou...t sharks and the oceans in general. After writing Jaws, he was often invited to put together television pieces about tagging along with scientists studying sharks. Some of his stories are amusing, others are cautionary. Mostly what comes through is that he loves the oceans and the sharks in them." See the rest of the album: https://www.facebook.com/pg/HumberArb/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1227654103913066