Fabulous Field Finds 2025

Explore This Year’s Discoveries

Another field season has wrapped up and our teams have traded in waders and nets for desktops and data sheets. Before the snow flies, we’re looking back at some of the fascinating discoveries made across the Credit River Watershed this field season. From rare species sightings to unexpected ecological insights, each find tells a story about the health and diversity of our local environment. Here are a few of this year’s fabulous field finds.

Party Time

Young milkweed tussock moth caterpillars love to hang out and eat together. They feed in big groups, munching between the leaf veins of common milkweed. As they grow, they spread out but keep up their hearty appetite.

Spectacular Spider

The goldenrod crab spider is a master of disguise and can change its colours from white to yellow to blend in with the flowers it hunts on. Using this clever camouflage, they wait patiently for visiting insects, then grab them with their long crab-like front legs instead of spinning a web.

A Delicate Find

This tiny yellow orchid is called the small yellow lady’s slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum var. makasin). It’s named for its pouch-like petal that looks like a little shoe. Its dark maroon petals twist into delicate spirals and is often found growing near eastern white cedars.

Sky Sighting

The green heron is a small but striking bird often spotted along the edges of ponds and rivers. With its glossy green back and chestnut neck, it blends right into the wetland scenery while waiting patiently to strike.

Pre-dazzling Dragonfly

Dragonflies spend most of their lives underwater as nymphs. These small hunters live in streams, lakes and wetlands where they feed on other aquatic insects. After months or even years below the surface, they crawl out of the water to transform into the dazzling fliers seen over ponds and wetlands in summer.

Pardon Me!

It wouldn’t be field season without spotting some baby snapping turtles. After hatching, snapping turtles make their way to the nearest waterbody entirely on their own. They begin life at just a few inches long and face many hazards including predators, habitat loss and road mortality, before reaching adulthood.

Say Cheese!

An underwater camera (owned by Ministry of Natural Resources) in the Credit River captured a river otter gliding gracefully through the frame. While previously rare, otter sightings have been increasing in the Credit River Watershed, which may be linked to our efforts to restore habitat, improve water quality and protect green spaces. Learn more about their comeback.

Friends at JTLCA

During summer sampling at the Applewood Wetland in Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area (JTLCA), staff discovered an abundance of baby fish. The wetland has been thriving as a spawning and nursery habitat for key wetland species like bluegill, rock bass and brown bullhead.

Each observation our staff make in the field helps us better understand the health of the Credit River Watershed. Long-term monitoring allows us to see whether our ecosystems are improving, deteriorating or remaining stable, providing valuable insight into watershed health.

This science-based information guides water and land management decisions and helps us and our partners develop long-term strategies to protect and enhance the watershed’s natural resources. By following rigorous protocols established by federal and provincial agencies, our monitoring work ensures we’re using the best available science to guide restoration, protect species and adapt to a changing climate. Learn how you can get involved in our programs and activities to improve the health and learn about our watershed.

Learn more about previous fabulous field finds and share your own nature discoveries with us on Instagram, Facebook and X.

By Kimberley Laird, Associate, Marketing and Communications

• Environmental Monitoring
• Integrated Watershed Monitoring Program
• Nature and Wildlife
• Watershed Science