Dr. Ryan Norris, a professor in Department of Integrative Biology, and PhD student Karen Ong, will be featured in an upcoming episode of the program Secrets of the Forest on TVOKids. 

Three people in winter wear sit on the snow in a forest holding mugs of hot drinks
PhD student Karen Ong, show host Taviss Edwards and Dr. Ryan Norris, filmed the episode in Algonquin Provincial Park

The TV and web series follows 10-year-old host Taviss Edwards as she travels Canada to meet with ecologists and naturalists to get to the bottom of the forest’s many mysteries. 

In the episode entitled “Forest Freezer” that airs May 6, Edwards meets Norris and Ong in Algonquin Provincial Park to learn more about Canada Jay birds. The team dons snowshoes to visit the cold-loving birds up close and learn about their unique habits. 

Norris conducts research on a nearly 60-year-old Canada Jay research project in Algonquin, studying the birds’ behaviour amid ongoing threats to their populations.  

Their research has been supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada, the American Ornithological Society, the Society of Canadian Ornithologists, and the Weston Family Foundation Fellowship Program. 

Beyond his research on Canada Jays, Norris researches the behaviour, conservation, and evolution of several migratory animals, birds and insects, examining the effects of climate change and habitat loss.   

The “Forest Freezer” episode airs Monday, May 6 at 5:50 pm. on TVO Kids. It will also be available on the TVO Kids website and on YouTube. 

Related posts:

  1. Oh, Canada! The Canada Jay Gets Its Name Back in Time for the Holiday
  2. Freeze-Thaw Spoiling of Cached Food Threatens Canada Jays, U of G Study Finds
  3. Sibling Rivalry Pays Off for Canada Jays, U of G Research Finds 
  4. Freeze-Thaw Events Hindering Iconic Canadian Bird’s Food Stores, Breeding, U of G Study Finds