LEO Network

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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Wildfire smoke affecting millions of Canadians expected to linger for at least 2 days
Smoke from Canadian wildfires will make breathing outdoors difficult today for millions of people across the six largest provinces and into the United States.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
CBC

Burlington bat has rabies. 1st case this year, Halton public health officials say
Halton Region Public Health confirmed the first case of rabies in a bat this year after finding the infected animal in Aldershot, a neighbourhood in Burlington.
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
CBC

Dog dies after contracting avian flu in Oshawa
A pet dog in Oshawa has died after testing positive for avian flu, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says. The CFIA says the number of documented cases of H5N1 — also known as avian flu — in other species like cats and dogs is low, and based on current evidence, the risk to the general public remains low.
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
CBC

95-year-old Toronto woman on morning walk withstands 'monster' raccoon attack
Earlier this year, Merrijoy Kelner was walking through a park in the Annex when a raccoon attached itself to her leg and began viciously biting her. Animal services later captured the raccoon, and it tested negative for rabies.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Two die shoveling snow; those with cardiac risks advised to 'just let your driveway fill up with snow'
An "extreme" lake-effect storm that dumped 77 inches in Orchard Park has left the Buffalo metro area, but forecasters from the National Weather Service warn that blowing snow on Sunday could make travel difficult.The storm turned deadly for a couple of men who died of heart attacks while clearing snow. "It can be very, very dangerous for some individuals, people who have high blood pressure, people who have any type of cardiac history, to go out and shovel the snow, especially right now, because the snow is so heavy," said Burstein.
Orchard Park, New York, United States
Buffalo News

Rabid bat discovered in Toronto's High Park
A bat in High Park tested positive for rabies on Wednesday, according to Toronto Public Health.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Goldfish invasion of Hamilton Harbour
Pet fish dumped in local waterways have become the scourge of Hamilton’s marshes and harbour
Hamilton Harbour, Ontario, Canada
Macleans.ca

New song in Canada's white-throated sparrows
Most bird species are slow to change their songs, preferring to stick with tried-and-true tunes to defend territories and attract females — but this shift went viral across Canada.
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Emerald ash borer keeping some GRCA properties closed
That includes the trail at the south end of Wrigley Lake in North Dumfries
Byng Island Conservation Area, Ontario
KitchenerToday.com

Don't feed the baby foxes now running around Toronto, officials plead
The City of Toronto is asking residents to stop feeding a family of foxes that have made a boardwalk in The Beaches their home.
CTV

Daytime raccoon (Procyon lotor) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) activity
Unusual raccoon and red fox activity in Toronto.

Dead Ash Trees Across Western New York State
Churchville, New York, United States

Rat infestation plagues Toronto neighbourhood
Her right hand protected by an old plastic bag, Donna Devlin carefully reaches into a shallow sewer basin in her driveway, and drags out a dead rat the size of her forearm. It's the latest casualty in a war that Devlin and her neighbours say they've been fighting, on and off, for two decades.

Walls of ice bulldoze ashore from Lake Erie
Extreme winds from a huge weekend storm over the Great Lakes pushed huge walls of ice on the shores of Lake Erie.
Hoover Beach, New York, United States
CNN

Ecological collapse of Toronto's ravine system has begun, researcher says
Ravines in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
CBC News

Spread of the Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) into Southern Ontario
Welland, Ontario, Canada

Toronto beats temperature record as students swelter in schools without AC
Students and teachers at hundreds of Toronto schools without air conditioning sweltered their way through record-breaking heat on Wednesday, as the city’s largest school board said it understood why some parents might choose to keep their children at home.
CTVNews

Tick reports increasing in Niagara
Despite facing drastic increase in the number of ticks being reported in Niagara, the region’s acting medical officer of health says the chance of getting Lyme disease remain relatively low.
Wainfleet Bog, Ontario, Canada
StCatharinesStandard.ca

Human mood drugs end up in Great Lakes fish
Study finds Zoloft, Celexa, Prozac and Serafem in multiple Great Lakes fish species — possibly changing their behavior and impacting the ecosystem
Niagara River, New York, United States
Detroit Free Press

Lake Ontario levels are falling – but damage costs are rising
Taxpayers are staring at a $4.5-million-plus bill to repair everything from eroded trails to disappearing beaches to flooding streets.
Bayfront Park, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
TheSpec.com

Mosquitoes from hell: Why you shouldn't go outside unless you're prepared to get eaten alive
April’s high levels of rainfall led to continued flooding across the Greater Toronto Area‘s many beaches, creating a “breeding ground” for mosquitoes and West Nile Virus.
Vancouver Sun

Erosion and Habitat Disturbance at Mimico Creek
Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada

Potential Indicators of White-nose Syndrome in Bat Sighting
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

From winter to summer: Where is the spring in Toronto?

Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)
Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Central Welland River Fish Kill
Common carp (*Cyprinus carpio*) and channel catfish (*Ictalurus punctatus*) die from low dissolved oxygen and ammonia that are the result of an over-application of biosolids.
Welland, Ontario, Canada

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