A personal story from the field amplifying the need for both knowledge and preparedness when exploring the areas common for black bears. Being home to the second largest black bear population in the North Americas it is important that their presence both wondrous and powerful, are given special considerations to keep the safety of both us and the bears a priority. As fall approaches it human-bear interactions may increase due to searching for food before hibernation. 

Reflecting on the past few months, the Central Algoma Land Trust owes much of this season's success to our outstanding 2026 seasonal team members. Whether they were out monitoring protected properties, leading local stewardship initiatives, or engaging the public, their enthusiasm left a lasting mark on our local landscapes.

For the third year in a row, the Central Algoma Land Trust was proud to support the Algoma District Regional Envirothon and Competition, at Stokely Creek Lodge. This year’s event was especially meaningful, as one of our team members, Jazmin, returned as an instructor after once competing in Envirothon as a student herself.

From hands-on stream testing to field challenges and presentations, students spent two inspiring days building environmental skills and teamwork. Read the full blog to learn more about this year’s competition and why Envirothon continues to make such a lasting impact.

World Migratory Bird Day at Fort St. Joseph was another extremely successful day! 121 eager birders showed up on May 9th at Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site to experience the wonders of spring bird migration. This was the 4th annual partnership between Parks Canada and the Central Algoma Land Trust to host this event in celebration of World Migratory Bird Day.

“Although I only began working with the Central Algoma Land Trust in October, I already feel like I have learned so much! From day one, the team has been exceptionally kind, welcoming, and supportive as I settled into my new role. Everyone has taken the time to share their knowledge about the wide range of work that we are involved in, both past and present (and there’s a lot!).”

This week, Corinne and I led a guided snowshoe along our Gravel Point Preserve Hiking Trails. We explored just under 4 km of trails, taking in the sights and sounds of the forest in winter.

We had a fantastic summer here at the Central Algoma Land Trust, thanks in large part to the hard work and dedication of our seasonal staff. Their contributions helped us accomplish a great deal over the past few months, from fieldwork and stewardship activities to community outreach and beyond.

The Kensington Conservancy had a fantastic team of seasonal staff join us this year. We hope you enjoy reading their recaps of their time with us. ​We wish them all the best in this future endeavours!

Thank you to Roxane and Bella for their time with us this summer! We asked them to write about their experiences, which you can read here.

Thank you to Vince and Rachel for their time with us this summer! We asked them to write about their experiences, which you can read here.

A big thanks goes out to everyone who participated in The Kensington Conservancy's Birding Big Day on September 8th! We had eight teams consisting of nineteen participants record a total of 101 different bird species over the course of nine hours in the Central Algoma area.

I had the pleasure of joining a group of Sault Naturalists for a birding trip to Point Pelee National Park from May 7-11. The idea was that I would increase my knowledge of birds and observe the conservation and recreation efforts of the park and hopefully use this new knowledge during my work with the conservancy. Our group was one of a select few groups who had the pleasure of camping at the actual park, giving us a break on travel and parking each day.