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Piles of poop and off-leash dogs bad for Creemore Nature Preserves

'By picking up after their pets, nature lovers can ensure they’re giving the species here the best chance to thrive and grow,' says Nature Conservancy of Canada program director
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NEWS RELEASE
NATURE CONSERVANCY OF CANADA
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The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is providing human and canine visitors with simple tips on how to be responsible nature lovers at its properties: among them, leashing dogs and picking up dog waste.

“When left unchecked, dogs and dog waste threaten ecosystems in the Creemore Nature Preserve,” says Rick Simpson, NCC program director for Central Ontario – West. “By picking up after their pets, nature lovers can ensure they’re giving the species here the best chance to thrive and grow. And in doing this, pet owners will leave the space clean and ready to welcome them again on their next visit. Picking up after your dog is also an act of respect to the many people, of all ages, visiting the preserve.”

When dogs rove off-leash, they can harm species, crush eggs and nestlings, or even find themselves nose to nose with wild coyotes. Come spring and summer, opportunistic ticks can latch onto roaming pets for a meal and then transfer them to humans. This risk can be reduced by keeping dogs leashed, where they can be kept away from tall grasses and other tick habitat.

Leashing your dog makes it even easier to pick up after them, too. This is important, because dog waste can contaminate nature with foreign bacteria, diseases and unnatural nutrients that can severely impact local plants. It can also be an awful surprise when it turns up on the bottom of a visitor’s walking shoes.

To protect nature, our dogs, ourselves and our enjoyment of nature, it’s vital — and it’s the law — that all four-legged visitors to the Creemore Nature Preserve stay on-trail and on-leash, as is posted at the main trail head. By reducing our impact on natural spaces, we give plants and animals their best chance at success.

“We know that exploring nature helps us connect with nature and understand nature’s benefits to us,” says Simpson. “Nature needs allies, and getting out there helps build these forces for good, but we have to respect its needs as well.”

About

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the country’s unifying force for nature. NCC seeks solutions to the twin crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale, permanent land conservation. As a trusted partner NCC works with people, communities, businesses and government to protect and care for our country’s most important natural areas. Since 1962, NCC has brought Canadians together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca.

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