contact us

Camp Office: 1 (705) 762-5333
Fax: 1 (705) 762-8083
Email: office@beaconbiblecamp.com


Camp Location and Mailing Address:
4488 Southwood Road
Torrance, ON POC 1MO

 

Visit our contact page for maps, staff contact information and more!

 

4488 Southwood Road
Torrance, ON, P0C 1M0
Canada

(705) 762-5333

Beacon Bible Camp is a non-profit organization that exists to provide an adventurous Christian camping experience where people, particularly youth, can be encouraged to respond to the gospel of the Lord Jesus and to grow in their Christian life.

Blog

#BeaconNatureWatch: Snow Survival

Alyssa LaRocque

I am perpetually cold in wintertime. It's not that I don't like winter; it just seems like my core body temperature has never come to terms with Canadian winters. Thanks to warm drinks, slippers, baggy hoodies and fleece blankets, I make it through the winter year after year without freezing solid.

But as I peer out the window in the narrow line of vision between my sweater's hood and the blanket I have pulled up over my face, I see a red squirrel nimbly jump from branch to branch, and I can't help marvel at how the little guy braves the cold! And it's not just the squirrels. There are a number of little warm-blooded Muskoka animals that are active during part or all of the winter, such as chipmunks, mice, shrews, moles and voles. 

So how do these small creatures stay warm and survive in a big, cold world?

Answer: the subnivean zone! This is an insulated layer created beneath accumulated snow where the temperature is moderated and animals can create pathways to food sources and air vents for burrows. It essentially does what the PATH does for downtown Torontonians: it allows them to go about their daily routines with limited exposure to the elements! 

We may not be able to see this hidden network, but we can find its exits! Keep your eyes open on a winter walk; if you see a trail of teeny tracks, following them may lead you to a neat little hole in the ground where the brave adventurer departed from its subnivean sanctuary.

To find out more about the subnivean layer, check out this website!