ABOUT
Frequently Asked Questions
Ticks are tiny, eight-legged critters that live on grasses and shrubs and, like mosquitoes, they eat blood. They don’t jump or fly, but they wait “questing” with a few of their legs out, ready to grab onto whatever walks by.
Blacklegged ticks or deer ticks can carry Lyme Disease and other diseases and they have been found in our Conservation Areas! Please protect yourself by wearing bug repellent with DEET, staying on the trails, wearing light-coloured clothing including long sleeves, long pants, tall socks and closed-toed footwear, and keeping your dog on a leash. Avoid long grass and be sure to check yourself after spending time outside.
Do not approach or touch the animal. Often wild animals have the best chance of survival if left on their own. This is why it is important to assess the situation carefully. Please follow Soper Creek Wildlife Rescue's directions to determine if an animal needs your help. If you are concerned, please contact the Toronto Wildlife Centre or Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge (Pefferlaw). If the animal is a turtle, please contact the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (Peterborough). If it is an animal emergency, be sure to contact the rescue centres by phone rather than email. The goal is always to rehabilitate and return wildlife back to the location where they were found.
Recognize that it is illegal to keep any wild animal as a pet.
If you find an injured turtle, contact the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. Sometimes they can even harvest and incubate eggs from recently deceased turtles!
Help keep turtles safe! Please watch for turtles on the roads and help them cross safely—in the direction they are going.
Please remember, turtles, like all wildlife, are illegal to keep as pets.
Please use caution if you see a wild bird acting strangely or find a dead bird (especially a hawk or owl) that has no obvious signs of death. These sightings can be reported directly to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative.
Learn more about the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza:
Please report poaching of wildlife or eggs to:
MNR TIPS line: 1-877-TIPS MNR (1-877-847-7667)
CLOCA at info@cloca.com
Black bears live in most parts of Ontario and are rare visitors in our conservation areas. For your personal safety, and for the well-being of bears, it is important to learn about bears and their behaviour. Please review the "Be Bear Wise" from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
For an immediate emergency call: 911
To report a bear sighting in a conservation area call: 905 579 0411
Report your observations to the Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program hotline to help track target areas and species ranges.
Show us what you've seen on your Conservation Area adventures! We're looking for excellent, calendar-worthy photos of landscapes, close-ups, even selfies taken in our Conservation Areas in all seasons!
By submitting your photo(s) you are permitting CLOCA to use them on their Instagram and/or Facebook account, website, Conservation Area Brochure, and other online and printed material.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to catch your contributions!
Spills can be reported to the Province of Ontario by phone or through an online form.
Fill out and submit our Access/Correction Request. A $5 fee applies.
We do! We offer accessible trails at:
Bowmanville Westside Marshes Conservation Area
Connector to paved Waterfront Trail (200m) surface: crushed granular
Maple Leaf Trail (750 m) surface: crushed granular
Iroquois Trail (Town of Whitby, 2.3 km) surface: asphalt
Lynde Shores Conservation Area
Waterfront Trail (3.1 km) surface: asphalt
Purple Woods Conservation Area
Discovery Trail (900 m) surface: crushed granular, rolling terrain though slopes do not exceed 8%
Unfortunately we do not offer camping or canoe rentals at any of our Conservation Areas; however, Darlington Provincial Park offers seasonal camping and canoe rentals.
Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are permitted in all of our conservation areas, pending conditions, however, there are no equipment rentals available. If you are interested in trying out snowshoeing, we do host an annual event in February where we invite the public to enjoy this winter activity at Enniskillen Conservation Area.
Fishing is permitted at Enniskillen Conservation Area and Heber Down Conservation Area. Anglers are asked to stay on the designated trails and carry out garbage. Anglers should be aware that while fishing is permitted, it is still regulated through the Province of Ontario, which includes the possession of a valid fishing license and adherence to provincial catch limits. Safe consumption guidelines can be found at ontario.ca/fishguide.
We encourage photography for personal enjoyment in all our conservation areas. Wildlife and landscape photography can be entered into our photo contest. In accordance with Ontario Regulation 688/21, we do charge a fee for professional photographers who are using the Conservation Areas to do business.
Show us what you've seen on your Conservation Area adventures! We're looking for excellent, calendar-worthy photos of landscapes, close-ups, even selfies taken in our Conservation Areas in all seasons!
By submitting your photo(s) you are permitting CLOCA to use them on their Instagram and/or Facebook account, website, Conservation Area Brochure, and other online and printed material.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to catch your contributions!
Garbage receptacles in conservation areas are an attractant for our wildlife. Raccoons, skunks, and flying insects are all drawn to garbage, and can create a public safety issue for visitors. Wildlife and garbage generally results in garbage being spread over a large area, and possible health impacts to wildlife.
Garbage is expensive! Staff time and equipment is required to collect and transport garbage along with disposal fees. Recovering the costs related to garbage receptacles would impact the parking fees and we make every effort to keep parking fees low so we can continue to offer affordable visits to our Conservation Areas.
Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority does not sell or supply any products or materials that would generate garbage, such as drinks and snacks. Any garbage at the Conservation Areas has been brought in by visitors. We think it is reasonable that visitors who bring in garbage can take the garbage home for recycling and disposal. Staff hope that the "carry in, carry out" policy for garbage actually invokes thought about the waste we generate and encourages waste reduction and recycling at home.
Fill out the Application to Access Sensitive Areas and submit by email or in person to Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority.
For urgent issues, please call 905-579-0411.