There are many locations across the Ottawa area to go on a hike, including the Old Quarry Trail, Gatineau Park, Bruce Pit, and surprisingly, Carling Campus. Right along Moodie and Carling, the campus is surrounded by a woodlot with an accompanying path leading straight onto the Trans Canada Trail. Though the trails are located on a government campus, they are open to public use. With dense enough forest and winding paths, hikers can easily forget they’re walking between buildings and a large roadway. Along these urban trails, they're brought through a variety of landscapes including woods, gr ..read more

​In May, the Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre had the pleasure of welcoming 60 grade 5 and 6 students from the Kanata Montessori school to explore our campus. One of their teachers, Ms Jenny, is a former employee of the Center and was very excited for her students to see the unique and interesting activities and information the Center has to offer. It was truly amazing to see the curiosity the students held for nature and its creatures.  When the students arrived, our Executive Director, Kate MacNeil gave them an engaging presentation on urban wildlife and wetlands. The students were espe ..read more

The Centre’s slogan “Nature…Discover, Enjoy, Protect” encourages people to get outdoors and appreciate the green spaces available to us in the Ottawa Carleton region. When exploring nature, it is important to do so safely. Following these guidelines will ensure your nature walk is a positive experience. The best way to avoid contact with plants such as Poison Ivy and Wild Parsnip that can grow along trails is to stay on the trail and avoid picking flowers. Furthermore, being cognisant of their shape is also important (see infographics below). If you are intending to go off the trail, or are l ..read more

Winter is well underway at the Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre! After saying goodbye to some of our migrating and hibernating animal friends, there are still so many signs of busy wildlife all around us!    Walking along the trails it is hard not to hear the vibrant song of the black-capped chickadee perched in above branches. Many small songbirds such as the black-capped chickadee, white breasted nuthatch, red-breasted nuthatch, and the blue jay stay for the long winter. Many of these birds can be seen at the bird feeders which are replenished by locals who want to help the bir ..read more

In partnership with TD Park People, the Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre provided free nature resources and activity booklets to the public for an event at Andrew Hayden Park. From July 4-5th people were encouraged to participate in our Explore Nature Near You Event. Participants explored the park and captured their best nature moment for a chance to win binoculars and a field guide! The event was a great success with activities for all ages. From bingo, to nature riddles, to a Bio Blitz, there were lots of opportunities to learn about urban wildlife.  Need some nature inspiration? Check ..read more

​​Thanks to a generous $8000 grant from the TD Friends of the Environment (TD FEF), the OCWC was able to purchase snowshoes, binoculars, and field materials to allow community groups and families to enjoy safe and sustainable exercise in nature. By connecting with their local environment, participants can become stewards for protecting Ontario’s beautiful Greenbelt and meet many local species like White-Tailed Deer, Black-Capped Chickadees, Red Cardinals, and North American Porcupines. This new lending library will be used for years to come by visiting families, individuals, and community grou ..read more

A beautiful card featuring the acrylic on canvas painting “Fortunate to Have You Here” by Nicole Parent was just one of many in the Artists of Stonebridge 2019 Wildlife & Habitat Painting Collection that was gifted to the Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre (OCWC). Kate MacNeil, the OCWC’s Executive Director, accepted the cards along with a donation to the OCWC at the Artists of Stonebridge’s 10th Anniversary Art Show in December 2019. The focus of the show was to promote the wildlife and habitat in our communities, a perfect fit for the OCWC that has been operating in the Ottawa community sin ..read more