INTRODUCTION


Who would have thought a 1989 conversation around a campfire in Algonquin Park would lead to this, The Complete Up North, the fifth book in a loose series sparked by simple curiosity about the world around us “up north.”

This book is both a compilation of the best from the first two books, Up North and Up North Again, and also an update based on the many natural changes and scientific advancements since those titles were published in the 1990s. Just two examples: in our early books, there was nary a mention of double-breasted cormorants. But the waterfowl’s population has since exploded, and now the black bird – love it or hate it – merits its own entry. And in our Night Sky section, many entries have been updated to reflect mind-bending advances in astronomical research and even bureaucratic redefinitions: Pluto’s not even a planet anymore, technically speaking.

But the basic premise of The Complete Up North remains the same: it is an attempt to answer, from a sense of wonder, a good number of the questions prompted by our experiences in the woods and wilderness when we go up north.

As much as possible, The Complete Up North aims to incorporate the whole outdoor experience – from the bugs that pester to the northern lights that dance across the night sky. We have concentrated on the most commonly seen or experienced species and phenomena in central Ontario, as they are what occupy your immediate attention most of the time when camping or visiting the cottage.

By central Ontario, we refer to the vast, mixed-forest hinterland from the Rideau Lakes, Kawarthas and Bruce Peninsula on to the rocky Canadian Shield as far as the Temagami and Mississagi Provincial Park areas – the “up north” for millions of Ontarians. Although much of the guide’s information applies as well to other parts of the country, including far northern Ontario and much of Quebec, we have sought, by concentrating on this specific region, to give as complete a picture as possible within the space of the book.

As in the earlier books, we have arranged the entries in a way that we hope is useful to readers. There are four main chapters: Animal Kingdom, Plant Kingdom, The Heavens, and Mother Earth. Each chapter is further divided into subsections, such as Birds within the Animal Kingdom. Finally, within each subsection, individual entries are arranged alphabetically. An index is also included.

Being journalists ourselves, rather than scientists, we have endeavoured to be accurate while avoiding a strict scientific or academic tone in these pages. Our intent is to answer the many questions of campers and cottagers in the same spirit in which they are asked. If we anthropomorphize, it is because that is what people tend to do when they talk about and relate to nature around them. We have tried, however, to ensure that a sense of fun does not distort the true nature of the subject.

We hope The Complete Up North informs and entertains a new generation of cottagers, campers and hikers – while replacing our first readers’ dog-eared copies with a fresh, updated edition.

Doug Bennet
Tim Tiner

To learn more about The Complete Up North and other books by the authors, please visit www.upnorthguides.com.