The calming effects of natural soundscapes
Birds, wind, rain – these sounds enrich our experience of natural landscapes. (Photo by André Cook, Pexels)
Birds chirping, wind brushing through treetops, the babble of running water — nature’s music is abundant and has long been a source of comfort for humanity. Shakespeare noted the beauty of nature’s sounds in The Tempest: The...
Pushing petals: Exploring Canadian botanical art
Illustration by Raymond Nakamura
Summer has turned to fall, as the pandemic blurs the days. If you are able, please stay at home. But remember that you can still go outside and enjoy some nature, while maintaining a safe distance from others. Plants can provide a nature-based...
Don’t forget to brake for snakes
The western rattlesnake. (Photo by Stephanie Winton)
The Okanagan Valley, a hot spot for many at-risk species, is located in the south-central Southern Interior region of British Columbia. It is home to 185 wineries, many golf courses and fruit orchards, and an incredibly diverse landscape that...
Hummingbirds: The forgotten pollinator when it comes to pesticides
Female rufous hummingbird (Photo by Jennifer Kepler CC BY-NC)
When life is leaping forth in its freshest tender green and shrubs are casting their best wine-rich blooms of colour, there comes a humming. Not just from the song of spring rising in the world, but from wing beats — 52 to 62 per...
Digging into soil health
Left: new undies; right: official SCCC undies dug up at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum in Ottawa, ON (Photo by CNW Group/Soil Conservation Council of Canada)
Across the country, people have been digging up buried underwear. In fact, they buried the underwear themselves to learn more about soil health as part of the Soil Your Undies campaign from the Soil Conservation Council of Canada. This backyard...
Innovative learning experiences are putting the art back in science
The Herbarium Project, 2017, Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC (Photo by Four Eyes Portraits)
If you’ve heard the terms “science art” or “sciart,” you’re probably familiar with the idea of using visual art to represent, explain or bring attention to some aspect of science. The wonderful realm of science...
Climate change, fire and their implications for species
Will forest fire hazard signs be over into the red more often because of climate change? (Photo by Aaron H Warren CC BY-ND 2.0)
The role of fire in forest ecosystems Forest fires are powerful and devastating. But they are also necessary for the rejuvenation of some ecosystems. Many plants are well adapted to fire. Some trees have dense bark or shed their lower limbs to...
Bidding farewell to National Poetry Month with a nod to science-inspired poets
Composite of book covers (Photo by Science Borealis)
Poets need scientists. And some might argue that scientists need poets. In the second semester of my master’s of fine arts program in writing (studying poetry and creative non-fiction), I began thinking about how a lack of basic scientific...
The elusive wolverine: Beyond the X-Men character
The elusive wolverine. This individual was caught on camera making off from the bait station with a large piece of beaver carcass. (Photo by InnoTech Alberta and Alberta Environment & Parks)
When you think of a wolverine, do you think of an elusive, almost mythical creature with superpowers, or do you think of the comic book character? Most people have heard of X-Men, either through the movies or the comic book series, but few people...
Keep them in your heart: Monitoring Bicknell's thrush
Bicknell's thrush (Photo by Serge Beaudette)
John Burroughs, an American naturalist, once said, “You must have the bird in your heart before you can find it in the bush.” While that might be true, unless you’re planning a trip to the Greater Antilles, you won’t have...
