Photographing Halton's urban nature
A photo essay of a year spent documenting the nature of an urban park in Halton Hills that proved great images can be found anywhere
In 2025, my photography shifted to the urban parks and trails around Halton after a chronic injury temporarily prevented me from heading into the field. At first, I was a bit discouraged. I much preferred the tranquillity of being alone with just my camera and my thoughts somewhere in the woods or a field. But I now found myself working within earshot of roads, and sometimes beside buildings and other man-made structures.
In this Field Notes photo essay, I hope to convince you, as I’ve convinced myself, that great photos and nature can be found wherever you’re willing to look.
Near a busy intersection in Norval is the site of a former trailer park that, after multiple flooding incidents, has since been converted into a park. I was surprised by the amount of activity I saw there over the year.
In the spring, I started by observing and photographing a pair of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), which I assumed had nested nearby.
Around the same time, I found a cluster of Forget-Me-Nots. After a bit of work, I came away with this shot.
I was even able to capture some of the spring warbler migration as it made its way through Halton Hills, including this Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata).
And of course, there were plenty of Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) around, sometimes giving me a staredown.
During the summer, this Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) made a brief appearance on a newly created sandbar due to the low water levels Ontario experienced in 2025 from the summer heat.
This American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) didn’t seem to mind the heat, as it basked in the evening’s glow amongst the duckweed.
Lastly, as this photo essay comes to an end, this Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia) landed near me in September. It thankfully stayed in position long enough for me to grab my camera and spin back around to photograph it.
These photographs were all taken during a few short visits to this Norval park. I hope these photographs help show what I have come to understand: moments of nature and beauty are waiting everywhere we decide to notice them.
Editor's note: This article is a personal essay or reflection. It contains editorial perspective and opinion, and readers should distinguish it as such, separate from our factual and investigative reporting.
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Very beautiful series.