Audio Transcript

Oh Canada...it's our natural variety and beauty that makes our fine nation twice-as-nice!  ...wanna see what I mean?...well 40 kilometers northwest, just 15 kilometers west of Parry Sound lies the ecologically significant Killbear Park!   

 

On one hand, there's the sandy beaches like those of the Great Lakes, and on the other hand breathtaking pine covered rocky ridge beaches.  You can swim or hike, camp or fish, bike or boat...there's just so much variety… and as they say, too much of a good thing.. is a good thing!

 

The area was formed by glaciers, but made accessible by early Canadian loggers who painstakingly cleared roads and access points.  When they were done, the Ontario Government designated Killbear Park a Provincial Park in 1960.

 

With wetlands, meadows, shorelines, rocky outcroppings and never ending natural beauty, there’s no wonder the area supports so much wildlife.  In Killbear Park, you'll find spotted turtles, Blanding’s turtles and eastern Massassauga rattlesnakes.

 

You’ll also find reptiles considered Species of Special Concern, like the five lined skink and the hognose snake. See, people just notice the snakes nose,...ya, he's a little homely,...but  he’s got a great personality, a sense of fashion and is always,...uh punctual....ya.. ya looks aren't everything folks..   

 

These two creatures are of special concern because they're endangered under the Species at Risk Act of 2007.   Loss of habitat and being killed by vehicles has caused the population to decline.