Maps & field guides
Websites:
The Federation of Ontario Naturalists was established in1931 and has been a prominent spokesperson for nature in Ontario every since. The site offers an on-line community and it allows anyone to ask a question about nature in the province. The federation is sustained by over 140 member organizations and 25,000 members and supporters.
Andy Fyon’s Northern Ontario wildflower site has been around for many years. Although the site focuses on wildflowers around Sudbury, Ontario, many of these species appear in large parts of the province. Beautiful flowers and easy identification systems make this a wonderful site to visit.
A site maintained by Walter Muma. Enjoy the many beautiful wildflower photos.
South Peel’s Naturalists Club. “Keeping an eye on nature in Mississauga, Oakville and surrounding area.”
This is an identification program for wildflowers in the northeastern and north-central parts of United States and adjacent Canada. The site allows users to fill out a quick identification form. Based on these data, the site will search for flowers that match those characteristics.
This beautiful site, hosted by Trent University, is maintained by the Field Botanists of Ontario. It is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1983 for those interested in botany and conservation in the province of Ontario.
Maps and field guides
Toronto with Bicycle Routes. MapArt Publishing. 905.436-2525. Full colour, highly detailed city map showing cycle lanes, routes, and off-street trails, a complete street index and a downtown insert. Must-buy resource!
The Hike Ontario Guide to Walks Around Toronto. Cundiff, Brad. The Boston Mills Press (imprint of Stoddard), Toronto, Ont. 1994. Excellent route descriptions, maps, and information on flora, fauna, and unique features on the trails. www.bostonmillspress.com
Toronto’s Ravines. Walking the Hidden Country. Seymour, Murray. The Boston Mills Press. Erin, Ont. 2000.
Very detailed routes.
Hiker Mike’s Best Hikes. The Megacity and Beyond. Kirby, Mike. The Boston Mills Press (imprint Stoddard Publishing), Erin, ON, 2000.
Great Country Walks Around Toronto within Reach by Public Transit. Katz, Elliott. Great North Books, Toronto, ON 2002.
Handy pocket-size guide with detailed maps and transit routes descriptions. www.greatnorthbooks.com
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers. Eastern Region. Niering, William, and Olmstead, Nancy C. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY.
This book shows a photo of the most common wildflowers in the region. Although a leading field guide and much loved by many, it may not offer the type of skill building encouraged by the Peterson’s Field Guide (see below). Nevertheless, this is an important resource on this topic and an excellent investment in nature exploration. http://www.audubon.org/market/licensed/fieldguides.html
National Audubon Society. First Field Guide. Wildflowers. Hood, Susan. Scholastic Inc., New York, New York, 1998.
Beautifully illustrated and fairly easy to navigate, this book is part of a series intended to reach ‘beginners.’ The language, however, requires at least Grade 8 reading skills. Although an attractive guide in a handy pocket-size format, a full-fledged field guide may be a better investment for most families.
Nature Hikes. Near Toronto Trails and Adventures. Eagleson, Janet. The Boston Mills Press. Toronto, ON 2002.
Focused on conservation areas within the Golden Horseshoe. Arm-chair hiking for those of us who can’t be tempted into 5 a.m. walks under any circumstances. www.bostonmillspress.com
The ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Dickinson, Timothy et. al. McClelland & Stewart Ltd with The Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON 2004. This guide includes educational text on wildflowers, landscapes, and habitats in the province. Readers may be especially interested in habitat ranges the guide identifies for each flower and tidbits of information about the origins of plant names. Close-ups of flowers as well as photos taken of the entire plant illustrate the book. www.ROM.on.ca
Wildflowers. Northeastern/North Central North America. Peterson, Roger and McKenny, Margaret. The Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, NY, 1968.
A leading field guide to help you interpret wildflowers. Although this guide doesn’t include as many photos as other books like it, its pencil illustrations help the reader identify plants and flowers with ease. This guide has stood the test of time and encourages its users to learn the skills required to correctly identify flowers. You will find it worth your time to read the introductory sections of the book. This is a key resource and an excellent investment in nature exploration. http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/peterson/fieldguides.cfm
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