So you’ve acquired a property. Now what? (part one)
Is this what you think of when you hear conservation biology? ( Photo by Mike Dembeck)
New things are exciting. In my first few years as the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s coordinator, conservation biology for eastern Ontario, I couldn’t figure out why my favourite property kept changing. At first, it was the Emma Young...
Smile for the camera
Deer caught on trail cam (Photo by NCC)
We use a lot of intricate technology at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). When I’m out surveying an ecosystem in eastern Ontario, radio waves are bouncing between satellites in the sky and a receiver in my phone, to precisely locate...
First snow at Gillies Grove
Newly planted eastern white pine (Photo by NCC)
There is something magical about the first snowfall of the year. As the coordinator of conservation biology for eastern Ontario with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), I’m lucky that I get to experience all of our beautiful properties...
Conservation collaboration: How sharing knowledge is shaping the next generation of environmental professionals
Bell at Elbow Lake (Photo by Charles T. Low Photography)
Nature doesn’t work in isolation. Trying to undertake effective conservation science programs without the support of partners would be impossible; the scope is simply too large. Not everyone can be an expert in everything, but if you draw...
Invasive Species Olympics
Phragmites javelin (Photo by NCC)
The Olympic Games: the spectacle of international competition, where every four years, thousands of athletes from over 200 countries compete in the pinnacle of their sport. Inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, first held in Olympia, Greece, in...
Volunteering abroad for nature
Clearing reed bed vegetation (Photo courtesy of Megan Quinn/NCC staff)
I don’t vacation very well. The problem with loving my job as a conservation biologist is that I have a hard time taking a holiday (and even when I do, I usually keep an eye on my work email inbox). So when I had the volunteer opportunity to...
Wetlands in the Frontenac Arch
A wetland in the Frontenac Arch, ON (Photo by NCC)
Late last autumn, I was travelling with a friend through the Frontenac Arch. For me, this is a daily occurrence, but I sometimes forget that other people don’t see forests, lakes and wetlands on their morning commutes. It’s always a...
Never underestimate the importance of socks in nature
Nature-themed socks definitely help me track butterflies and flowers in the field (Photo by Megan Quinn/NCC staff)
Life is too short for boring socks! At least, I've adopted that as my motto when I carry out my job as the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) acting coordinator of conservation biology for eastern Ontario. If you see me hiking up...
Nature perspectives through art
Megan Quinn, conservation biology coordinator in Ontario (Photo by Charles T. Low Photography)
I am not an artist by any stretch of the imagination. Don't get me wrong; I do like art. I was the high school student who spent her evenings in the art room, trying to build canvases that didn’t fall apart, and twist wires into the shape of...
Other duties, as assigned: The real scoop on being a conservation biology coordinator
Megan Quinn working in the forest (Photo by NCC)
I finally did it! Back in 2016, on the last day of my conservation technician internship with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), I promised myself I would do everything possible to return to the organization, and here I am. I am the new...
