by Geoffrey Carpentier This is an exciting time of year, bird-wise. You might think winter is so close, nothing much is happening out there, but you’d be wrong! I’ve talked of hawk and eagle migrations in the past, but an additional migrational phenomenon is emerging, right now. It involves owls which come south every year, in varying numbers, not to escape the cold, but more so, to find food. Many species of owls migrate annually, and many individuals will settle in North Du

NORTH DURHAM:  Discover the secret lives of Humpback; Fin; and the biggest of them all, the Blue Whale. This is a closeup perspective of the magnificent and largest creatures on this planet. Meet the researcher, who has devoted his life to studying them, and hear how he is answers some of their biggest mysteries, on Tuesday, February 24th, starting at 7 p.m. Franco Mariotti is a Biologist, Naturalist and Science Communicator. He was employed at Science North, for 32 years, wh

by Geoffrey Carpentier The idea of animals being spies in our midst is not a new phenomenon. Historically, we used animals for varying purposes, mostly functional, such as beasts of burden, but over time we realized they could be used for other purposes. For example, during WWII, carrier pigeons were used to deliver messages to and from the front lines, to help the Allies. During the Cold War, the CIA developed small cameras which were strapped to homing pigeons. As the birds

by Geoffrey Carpentier Animal mimicry, an important adaptation which many animals employ, to lure prey or survive predators, is an adaptation where one species resembles another organism to gain a survival advantage. Mimicry can manifest itself in many ways, through physical or behavioural means. It can be Batesian - a distasteful or dangerous model is mimicked by a harmless one, to fool predators. For example, a Viceroy Butterfly may mimic a Monarch (which is distasteful) an

RACHEL SNODDON Moto Solutions UXBRIDGE: Students in the automotive program at Uxbridge Secondary School will now have access to industry-standard brake machining equipment thanks to a recent donation from Moto Solutions, a Canadian supplier of professional automotive and heavy-duty shop equipment. The company has donated a fully serviced Ammco 4000 Brake Lathe package to the school’s technology department, giving students the opportunity to train on equipment commonly used

by Geoffrey Carpentier Throughout history, people offered the unsuspecting public snake oil – a cure-all for everything from childbirth to hemorrhoids to cancer. These elixirs contained no snake byproducts and certainly no snake oil - whatever that is? The concept arose in the 18th and 19th centuries, when travelling salesmen mixed up ‘secret’ blends of unspecified products and claimed they were proven to cure myriad ailments. Hogwash! Many stories persist about traditional m

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: Local non-profit organizations have new opportunities for support, as Kawartha Lakes announces the opening of its 2026 intake for Economic Development Funds. Applications officially opened, on Friday, November 21st, with three programs available, to help strengthen community-based economic and cultural initiatives. This year brings a significant update with the launch of a new cultural projec

Deborah Movoria, FCC Media Relations SCUGOG: Farm Credit Canada (FCC) invites the media to attend its FCC Young Farmer Summit event in Port Perry, Ontario, on November 29th. The FCC Young Farmer Summit is a series of free events across Canada aimed at attracting and engaging the next generation of farmers, as well as food manufacturers and retailers. Participants will get real-world advice from engaging speakers, network with peers and take control of their business journey.

COLLEEN GREEN The Standard SCUGOG: Port Perry residents are being invited to help shape one of the community’s most valued public spaces, as the Township of Scugog launches its Your Voice, Your Fairgrounds campaign. With the future of the Port Perry Fairgrounds still undecided, the township has hired consultants Darwin Pivot and J.L. Richards (JLR) to gather ideas, concerns, and aspirations from across the community. As part of this effort, residents will have several oppo

JAY THIBERT  NDN NORTH DURHAM/KAWARTHA LAKES: North Durham Nature and the Scugog Lake Stewards are hosting this special talk that will focus on aquatic plants and birds in Lake Scugog. These two organizations have invited Mark Dorriesfield to explain the importance of Lake Scugog to bird populations, and Brett Tregunno to share his expertise on aquatic plants in our lake. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the amazing ecology that is near and dear to the resident

by Geoffrey Carpentier In the last few columns, we explored the lives of some of the amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals and how they catch and consume their prey. So now let’s focus on some smaller critters and see what techniques they utilize to capture and subdue prey. In higher animals, mandibles refer to both the upper and lower jaw, but in insects, these structures refer to the lower part of the mouth only. Mandibles in insects are pairs of hardened structures that

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiativer Reporter for The Standard BROCK: The Brock Township Public Library is inviting residents to embark on an unforgettable adventure, without ever leaving Beaverton. National bestselling author and professional adventurer, Adam Shoalts will appear at the Beaverton Branch Public Library, on Tuesday, October 21st, from 6 to 7 p.m., sharing stories from his solo expeditions across some of Canada’s most remote wilderness regions. Mr. Shoalts

by Geoffrey Carpentier In the last column, we explored the lives of some amphibians and discovered they use a variety of techniques to...

DURHAM: The Durham Agricultural Advisory Committee (DAAC) successfully hosted its 23rd annual farm tour, at Kubota Canada Limited...

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: The next generation of entrepreneurs in Kawartha...

by Geoffrey Carpentier The observant, amongst you, will notice, as I continue the discussion of animals’ mouths and jaws, I cleverly...

by Geoffrey Carpentier People sometimes ask me how I decide what topics to write about, when I tackle my column. The simple answer is, my...

NORTH DURHAM: Dave Ellis will showcase the wildlife of Kawartha Lakes, through his photography, at the September meeting of North Durham...

by MANLEY LAVENDER Throughout my Myasthenia Gravis (MG) journey, I have learned about the MG patient, caregiver and doctor community in...

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: Council recently received a petition from, Sunderland...