Birding for beginners
Child with binoculars (Public Domain)
I wouldn’t consider myself a birder, but I am one of the many people who started getting more tuned into the nature around me when the pandemic started. Working from home and making a habit of taking walks around my neighbourhood has made me...
Yay! The ducks are back!
Mallards — male on the left, female on the right. (Photo by Pia Vahabi/NCC staff)
Here in Toronto, winter and waterfowl don’t necessarily sound like two things that should go together. But the truth is, while some birds (and people) escape Ontario’s cold winter to warmer climes, others migrate from the Arctic to...
Four ways I’m making 2016 a year for nature
American tree sparrow (Photo by NCC)
Ah, January! Time for a new year, a fresh start and a list of resolutions to be forgotten by February. Not so in 2016! This year, I’ve decided on a resolution that will not only be beneficial for my physical and mental well-being, but also...
Water: Symbol of freedom and happiness
Cottage in Finland (Photo by Pia Kaukoranta, NCC staff)
Having grown up in Finland, "the land of a thousand lakes," water has a special place in my heart. It has come to symbolize freedom and happiness to me. My fondest memories involve water – swimming in a lake by a cottage with friends,...
Seeing the connections: A systems approach to conservation
Spiderweb (Photo by Josef F Stuefer, Wikimedia Commons)
In order to protect something, you must understand it first. For anyone who wants to protect nature, it is important to understand all the components that make up the environment, and see the connections between them. This is where systems...
Wild in the city: Some interesting facts about four of my favourite underappreciated city dwellers
Pigeon (Photo by Leoadec, Wikimedia Commons)
If you live in a big city like I do, it may feel like you have to venture far away to a conservation area to connect with nature. While it may even seem like there is nothing around but concrete and people, even big cities are bustling with...
