Thirty-four matches, it all comes down to this: our two species have passed several challenges and now face each other to determine who will be the 2023 March Species Madness champion. This year, the battle for supremacy pits the birds against the reptiles, as the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) takes on the Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta).
It’s easy to see why these two creatures captured our hearts. Who can’t be charmed by the great horned owl’s stately gaze, its impressive hunting abilities, its keen ears and eyes? Who isn’t impressed when they hear the bird’s “whoo-oo-oo” at night? You know you’re in the presence of nature when you see or hear these birds. Consider how many kids turned out to see Einstein, Wild Ontario’s rescued owl, when they visited rare back in February. These highly adaptable birds are among the most common birds of prey in Canada, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need protected natural spaces. Like most creatures, they are negatively affected by urbanization and loss of habitat, and by the disruption of their prey.
The great horned owl’s opponent is close to a lot of our hearts. As you know, our mascot, Tophat, is a rescued painted turtle, and while we must remain neutral in administering this match-up, it warms our hearts a little to see the painted turtle advance to the championship. It warms our hearts to see the support the community shows for this species and other turtles during breeding season when people call our Turtle Hotline to report vulnerable nests, and rare staff and volunteers work hard to rescue eggs, incubate and hatch them, and release them into the wild.
We set up March Species Madness last year as a fun activity to beat the winter blahs and to catch a little of the attention given to the basketball tournament, but we also do it to remind everybody of the many and diverse species that can be found at rare. And if these species can be found at rare, they can be found anywhere in southern Ontario, except where they are under threat from urbanization, human activity, pollution, and other challenges. The lands that rare stewards protects these species and gives them a home, and it ensures that we all keep a connection with healthy ecosystems in our communities. Without protected natural areas, our ecosystem would not be as healthy, and neither would we.
And none of the lands we steward could be protected without your support. By following rare, by donating to our organization, you are protecting these species, now and for the future. Thank you.
Now, cast your vote below and decide our next champion!