Benthic Macro Invertebrates (BMI’s) are important environmental indicators of the health and integrity of watersheds and for this reason, can be effectively utilized in urban stream studies. EcoSpark assembles preserved BMI study sets that are used to teach students how to collect and identify these species.

Hellgrammites are fascinating benthic macroinvertebrates that go through a complete metamorphosis, involving the complete four stages of the life cycle; egg, larval, pupal, and adult stage.

Interested in birding and citizen science? Join Friends of Sam Smith at this year’s annual Family Christmas Bird Count on Boxing Day at Colonel Sam Smith Park!

The no-see-um is a fascinating benthic macroinvertebrate that goes througha complete metamorphosis, involving the complete four stages of the lifecycle; egg, larval, pupal, and adult phase.

Action Research in education involves teachers identifying a question focused on their own teaching practice and then planning to take action with their students to help answer that question.

Lynn Short is a Professor and Researcher at Humber College in Horticulture. She is also the owner of a cottage in Tiny Township on Georgian Bay, where she developed an innovative technique to remove invasive Phragmites (common reed) without herbicides.

The blackfly is a fascinating benthic macroinvertebrate that thrives in running clear, unpolluted water bodies. Today we will explore: What happens after the blackfly pupae leaves the safety and familiarity of the water?

Student participants had a lot to say about the 2018 Sparking Science through Mentorship Conference! This EcoSpark blog is by two students who wanted to share their experiences.

To celebrate the upcoming 2018 Sparking Science through Mentorship Conference, EcoSpark is featuring two STEM mentors from last year’s conference. Sparking Science is an annual event that showcases women working in STEM who will mentor grade 9 girls from Durham Region.

To celebrate the upcoming 2018 Sparking Science through Mentorship Conference, EcoSpark is featuring two STEM mentors from last year’s conference. Sparking Science is an annual event where women working in STEM mentor grade 9 girls from Durham Region.

Kudos to you if you guessed bumble bees. It’s sad but it’s true that this genus of key pollinator is in danger due to human activities such as pesticide use, climate change, and habitat fragmentation.

Every year, International Youth Day takes place on August 12. This day was declared by the United Nations General Assembly on December 17, 1999 to promote the empowerment and inclusion of youth. Today, youth make up 1.8 billion people on the planet – the largest in history!

I had just looked up from the bug cupped in the hands of one eager student when I saw something that immediately brought a smile to my face. Another young girl who, unlike most of the other students, was not wearing rubber boots had decided to join her classmates in the water despite having only running shoes.

This blog was contributed by Milliken Mills students Shamar Brown and Thuvarakan Jeyasanthan. These students were inspired by the Changing Currents program to take action in protecting their local environments.

When I was a young student, I was originally given the impression that geography was about memorizing the map of Canada along with its provinces and territories. Towards the end of high school, I was told by family members who had studied geography at university that there was so much more to the discipline than I could have ever imagined.

Happy Geography Awareness Week! As an Education Consultant with EcoSpark, I deliver workshops to teachers and students about how to build sustainable communities. As a former teacher and someone who is passionate about protecting our environment, I really enjoy speaking about how we can build our communities to help protect green spaces, reduce climate change, and accommodate a growing population.

World Town Planning Day takes place annually on November 8th and is an international day celebrating the importance and great contributions of planners in their communities whether they are urban or rural. According to Statistics Canada, about 86% of the population lived in urban areas while 14% in rural communities in 2011.

A few days ago, I went with EcoSpark to a small stream in Unionville called Bruce Creek, which I hadn’t known was even there, to do stream assessments with people from my school - Milliken Mills High School.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency in the US, household waste rises more than 25 percent between Halloween and New Year’s Day. To celebrate Waste Reduction Week (October 16-22), EcoSpark has compiled a list of 10 ways to make this an eco-friendly holiday.

Outdoor Classroom Day is a global campaign that encourages the integration of outdoor learning and play. Every year, schools around the world take part in outdoor lessons and prioritizing outdoor play.