Friends Of Ferris Provincial Park

06/07/2026

Happy National Trail Day! 🌳 🚶‍♂️ 🚶‍♀️ 🥾

Which is your favourite trail in Ferris Provincial Park?

Did you know you can download a copy of our trail map from the Friends Of Ferris Provincial Park website?
www.friendsofferris.ca

06/06/2026

We know a lot of our visitors are interested in exploring our parks, and maybe taking a piece of it home with them.

06/05/2026

Photo share - courtesy of Diane, who often joins in on the Tuesday guided walks in Ferris Provincial Park.
Hosted by the Friends Of Ferris Provincial Park, there's so much beauty to take in!
Photos are
🌳 One of the many trails taken on the walks
🐛 Millipede crossing the trail (always share the trail with those who call Ferris home)
🌼 Jack in the Pulpit (take photos only)
🐦 Indigo Bunting (there are nesting boxes in the park specifically for our feathered friends)
🌼 Lady slippers (take photos only)
🌱 May Apples in bloom (non edible, poisonous fruit)
Join us on the next guided walk Tuesday at 9am, rain or shine.

06/03/2026

Another great day, another great turnout!
🚶‍♀️ 🚶‍♂️ 🚶‍♀️ 🚶‍♂️

25 joined Carole on Tuesday for the Friends Of Ferris Provincial Park guided walk.

Meet the gang every Tuesday 9 am at the suspension bridge ready to walk, rain 🌧 or 🌞

Note the informal "tick check" post walk 😊

Complete details are on our website
www.friendsofferris.ca

06/01/2026

Big or small, brake for them all!

It's turtle nesting season which means that turtles are on the move. Turtles tend to nest in soft sandy places, which unfortunately makes the sides of roads perfect places for them.

Here are some ways you can help turtles this season:
🐢 Abide by the speed limits within the Park.
🐢 Keep your eye on the road, especially near wetlands.
🐢 Watch for turtles on the recreation trail when hiking or biking.
🐢If you see a turtle on the road, carefully move it off the road. Move the turtle in the direction it was going.

05/28/2026

Fun fact: it's not just Ferris staff who collect and share important data on the plants and animals in parks.

It's also community science volunteers, and it could be YOU! Help Ferris discover what's in its backyard this season.

We've made the switch from citizen science to community science. Here at Ontario Parks, we love it when our visitors can get involved.

05/28/2026

What a "gorge-ous day" for a walk! 🚶‍♂️ 🚶‍♀️
(get it?😉)

Twenty-six joined Carol yesterday for the guided walk.
The group discovered Colts' Foot in seed, 1 single asparagus stock, several Yellow Lady Slipper, 2 Jack in the Pulpit, paired with beautiful sunshine and a breeze just enough to keep the bugs away. Perfect.

We walk every Tuesday morning 🌧 or 🌞, meeting at the suspension bridge at 9 am.

Join us at our next meeting June 1st, plus there's still time to submit your creative entry into our sticker contest.
Details in comments.

05/21/2026

Keeping dogs on-leash protects our parks’ ecological integrity and keeps your dog safe. 🐶🌲

🌳 A leashed dog can’t go “barking up the wrong tree." Some dogs have a heightened prey drive, others are curious, and some just like to chase things.

🚫 Without a leash, your dog may unintentionally wander into a protected or sensitive area. Dogs may trample, disturb soil, dig up trees, plants and woody debris that act as essential sources of food/habitat for species, as well as essential nutrients for the earth.

💩 Keeping a dog on leash allows us to see where he/she decided to…y’know. Aside from the obvious reasons to pick up after your dog, dogs (yes, even healthy ones) can carry viruses, bacteria and parasites which can be passed on to wild animals.

☀️ You may love your dog, but not everyone else does! Other hikers may not appreciate your pooch’s enthusiasm, and we want to respect everyone visiting the park and those creatures that call Ferris their home.

Remember: Ferris has a off-leash pet exercise area, which is the only area that dogs are allowed off leash in the park!

Share this post with other dog-lovers as a “furr-iendly” reminder!

05/20/2026

18 walkers joined Carol on the guided walk Tuesday morning. Rain had been threatened, but it never happened.

Reporting back, the group identified plants and trees in the park -
Trees: Chinkapin Oak, Bur Oak, Hophornbeam (iron wood)
Shrubs: Lilac, Prickly Ash
Spring Flowers: phlox, garlic mustard, hepatica (not in bloom yet), poison ivy, white, yellow and purple violets, false solomon's seal, field chickweed, trillium and a new one to Carol AND new to the park - wild tulips. These were identified through an app Murray was using, it's a thing! 🌷 🌿🌸

Carol also featured the Ferris House on Saskatoon Avenue, speaking of the history of the Ferris family name, and the donation of property to what is now an Ontario Provincial Park.

What did you do yesterday? Feeling a little left out? Join us next Tuesday at 9 am rain or shine.
Don't forget our sticker contest ends soon, and we would love to have you join us for our next meeting June 1.
Check out all details on the socials and our website.
Follow us to avoid FOMO. 😉

See you next week!

01/10/2026

Even with Icetrax on boots, a very icy walk on the trails in the park today.
Be careful if you venture out.