The rare Charitable Research Reserve
1679 Blair Road N3H 4R8 Cambridge, ON, Canada

I am a Northern Leopard Frog -- While the Covid-19 pandemic has concerned everyone this year, I am a native amphibian species that has been fighting our own global pandemic for the last two decades - Chytrid fungus and Ranavirus! These diseases have caused massive mortality events in frog populations all over the world but don’t be unhoppy, luckily at rare we are staying healthy. You can find me in many rare habitats from the wetlands to the community gardens. Help me and other frog populations out by cleaning your boots and nets if in a wetland, and please do not to move me from one place to another if you see me! Symbolically adopt me today and give the Gift of Nature! https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/55898

I am a mink -- I live in forested areas near streams, lakes and marshlands. Nature photographers walking on the rare River Trail love to snap photos of my furry face as I swim across the Grand River, most often seen during dawn and dusk. I’m often dining on fish and other water species, so I can be impacted by pollution in the water and on land. I love when you keep the water clean and protect the forests at rare so I can stay happy and healthy in my natural habitat. Symbolically adopt me today and give the Gift of Nature! https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/55898

Happy Holidays from all your friends at rare! The rare office is officially closed for the holidays between December 23 to January 4. Do you have any favourite holiday activities or traditions? Maybe even out in nature? Although our office is closed, our trails are still open for you to get outside! https://raresites.org/trails/

As an intern at rare, Ethan worked hard to contribute to research that could help save forests from an invasive species. Read Ethan's impact story on the University of Waterloo website! Thanks for being part of the rare team, Ethan!

I am a Mourning Cloak butterfly -- an excellent social isolator butterfly species that spends the winter season alone as an adult butterfly hunkered down under the bark of a tree, in the crack of a rock, or other sheltered place to wait for spring. Even though you likely can’t spot me now that winter is arriving, I am one of the longest-lived butterflies and can be observed early in the spring, all summer long and late into the fall throughout many different habitats at rare. Look for my dark red-brown colour, and a thick golden yellow border on my wings that make me quite unique! Symbolically adopt me today and give the Gift of Nature! https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/55898

Today we are excited to share with you all the second video in our four-part series highlighting the role of land conservation as a climate change adaptation st...rategy. In this video, we hear from the #LandTrustHeroes of rare Charitable Research Reserve as they discuss the restoration of a cool water stream and it's importance as a nature-based climate solution. Each of these videos was created by Vincent Luk and his photography and videography team for OLTA’s Climate Action Program funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Throughout this project we worked closely with our Climate Action Working Group and land trust partners from Haliburton Highlands Land Trust , The Bruce Trail Conservancy , The rare Charitable Research Reserve, Thames Talbot Land Trust and Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy (EBC) to create each of these amazing communications materials celebrating the nature based climate solutions that land trusts provide. Be sure to stay tuned for the release of more exciting climate change communication resources that we have been developing!

Thinking of warm summer evenings, wandering through The rare Charitable Research Reserve, and finding this lone dragonfly on the reeds by the river. Even thoug...h it was fairly late in the evening, the air was warm, the light was golden, and there was no one else around. Just my partner and me and the birds and the bugs. Evenings like that, you need something to remember them by. You need to go back into your photos and pull them out, close your eyes, and remember. If a photo isn't worth looking at the second time, it's not worth keeping. And maybe not even worth taking. And maybe that's what really matters. See more

Our annual trail closure is in effect! Trails included are: River Trail, Woodland Trail, Osprey Tower Trail and Cliffs & Alvars Trail. This trail closure is done for your safety and also the safety of our wildlife overwintering at rare. You can still get out in nature -- see a map of all rare trails here: https://raresites.org/trails/ Thank you for your cooperation!

Thank you, Ontario Land Trust Alliance!

Check out the Emerging Leaders for Biodiversity's podcast with rare's Executive Director tomorrow!

Fall colours on the Grand River. #grandriverconservationauthority #grandriver #rarecharitableresearchreserve #rarecharitablereserve #fallcolours #galtlove #cbridge #landscapephotography #sunrisephotography #grandtrunktrail #lovewhereyoulive #canonphotography #canon6d

What do kids in rare Nature School think about getting out on the reserve? "You learn a lot of things and it’s very fun to be here. One thing I’ve really liked doing is going to the ‘Salamander Forest’ and when you lift up rocks, you can find ants under there. I like ants. Zahar, age 12 ECO delivers curriculum-based outdoor environmental education programs for K-12 and offers specialized Mirrored Research programs that allow students to mirror the research and monitoring... activities conducted on the reserve. You can support ECO programs and rare's Nature School by participating in rare's Online Auction from October 29 - November 4. Only two days away! Check out all the exciting items here: https://www.32auctions.com/2020rareonlineauction

A breathtaking sunrise. Good morning from rare!

Join us from Thursday, October 29 to Tuesday, November 4, 2020 for rare’s third annual Online Auction. Fantastic items will be made available in support of rare's Every Child Outdoors (ECO) program. Don’t miss out on your chance to bid on some tremendous items and experiences! Get ahead of the holiday scramble and secure year-end gifts for your loved ones. Visit the rare Online Auction website: https://www.32auctions.com/2020rareonlineauction

Thank you to everyone that followed along with us during our first ever Virtual Arts & Science Showcase! Catch up on anything you missed here: https://raresites.org//arts-and-science-community-showcas/. We will be announcing the winner of Madhur Anand’s new book, This Red Line Goes Straight to Your Heart on Tuesday. This event would not have been possible without funding from a Cambridge & North Dumfries Community Foundation Community grant.

THROWBACK: Have you attended a rare bioblitz? Our first ever rare bioblitz in 2015, with participants from all over the world, resulted in the addition of more than 1800 species added to our species list. https://raresites.org//C.-Sobel-et-al.-The-complete-pictur Centre for Biodiversity Genomics... Photo by Maryam Fatahi

It’s the final day of our Virtual Arts & Science Showcase. Enjoy the featured artists, scientists, and projects today, including a book reading and Q&A with Board Member Madhur Anand. Share any content from the 3 day showcase and tag rare for a chance to win her new book This Red Line Goes Straight to Your Heart! https://raresites.org//arts-and-science-community-showcas/ This event would not be possible without the support of The Cambridge North Dumfries Community Foundation - Community Grant.

Last week I started a nice morning walk on the Linear trail in Cambridge just across from The rare Charitable Research Reserve. It was a beautiful morning but ...fairly uneventful species-wise. However, just below Settlers fork I could see a coyote sitting along the side of the river on the Grand side of the island. I was luckily prepared for water and mud as i made my way along the shore until I could get close enough for some decent shots. Always a good day when I can capture wildlife. Love it! #rarecharitableresearchreserve #settlersfork #coyotesighting #coyotes #fsfotos

Continued post following the bald eagles along The rare Charitable Research Reserve as seen from the other side of the river at sunrise...so beautiful is our grand river.

THROWBACK: October is Bat Appreciation Month! We are re-sharing this information on Bats of Ontario and how to construct your very own Bat Box to provide safe alternative roosting sites in your neighbourhood. Click on the link to learn more! https://raresites.org//2020/04/Bat_box_information_rare.pdf

Join us for another day of rare project highlights on Day 2 of our Virtual Arts & Science Showcase! https://raresites.org//arts-and-science-community-showcas/

THROWBACK: Relive the creation of Don Russell’s Stone Clay and Fire Circle at rare from June 2018! https://www.cafka.org/cafka18/don-russell-stone-clay-fire Watch Cafka (Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener and Area)'s interview with Don Russell about the piece here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulwpwt0dpXI

It’s Day 1 of our Virtual Arts & Science Community Showcase! Check out the line up of amazing content to learn more about projects happening at rare: https://raresites.org//Arts-Science-Showcase_-Daily-Schedu Share any content from our Arts & Science Showcase from October 6-8 and tag rare for your chance to win a copy of Madhur Anand’s new book, This Red Line Goes Straight to Your Heart.

Happy World Teacher’s Day! THANK YOU to all the teachers that continue to lead and teach in our community and help to reimagine the future. Whether elders, professors and artists, we are so grateful for all the teachers that join us at rare especially University of Guelph's Dr. Brian Husband, Paul Kron, Dr. Karen Houle and artist Diane Borsato, our panelists for our upcoming Arts & Science Showcase webinar! Register for the Apples Everywhere panel discussion to learn all about apples and join our virtual apple tasting: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../161.../WN_1JYCe0qYSNKAG9AFhfUq4A

Celebrate the turn of the fall by joining rare for a virtual apple-themed conversation with scientists and artists on Tuesday, October 6! The event will feature our lovely panelists from the University of Guelph: Dr. Brian Husband, Paul Kron, Dr. Karen Houle, artist Diane Borsato and our facilitator from Musagetes, Anna Bowen! Register today: https://us02web.zoom.us//1616014/WN_1JYCe0qYSNKAG9AFhfUq4A

On October 6, 7 and 8 2020, the research department at rare will be hosting the first ever virtual Arts & Science Community Showcase! This free three-day event will feature exclusive content such as a webinar, videos, articles and throwbacks of ongoing research and community projects with rare you don't want to miss it! Access all content at https://raresites.org//arts-and-science-community-showcas/

Do you love apples? Join rare for a feature webinar as part of our first ever virtual Arts & Science Community Showcase next Tuesday! Dr. Brian Husband and Paul Kron from the University of Guelph will discuss their long-running crabapple study at rare alongside Dr. Karen Houle, author of The Grand River Watershed: A Folk Ecology, and artist Diane Borsato who will discuss an orchard of unusual apple varietals planted as public art. Be sure to bring your own apple! You will be ...guided through a virtual tasting to experience the feel, smell and taste of apples in a whole new way. Register for this free Zoom webinar here: https://us02web.zoom.us//1616014/WN_1JYCe0qYSNKAG9AFhfUq4A