The clock is counting down: It’s time to have a tick talk
Adult deer tick (Photo by Scott Bauer/Wikimedia Commons)
Whenever I hike with my non-naturalist friends, I give them the usual safety spiel: wear long sleeves and long pants, stay hydrated, watch for poison ivy and nettles, and bring along some bug spray. But, as of late, I find myself adding a fifth...
Get to know one of Canada’s rarest snakes
Desert nightsnake (Photo by W. Mason CC BY-NC)
Working at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has taught me many things, including the fact that many people are infatuated with snakes. Whether people are afraid of them, invested in protecting their habitats or enjoy learning about what...
Don’t trust lady’s-slippers (if you’re a bee)
This honeybee was tricked into pollinating this yellow lady’s-slipper. (Photo by Steven Anderson/NCC staff)
Before I began working at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), I spent six years studying the pollination of two species of lady’s-slipper orchids in Manitoba and the northern U.S. While I no longer spend all of my time thinking about...
Sex-changing species
Kobudai/Asian sheesphead wrasse (Photo by Zack CC BY-NC)
I recently watched a fascinating nature documentary series called Blue Planet II and was blown away by the wildlife spectacles that I saw and learned about in the series. One scene that especially stood out to me featured a 10-year-old female...
Camping in the tall grass prairie
Tall grass prairie, Manitoba (Photo by NCC)
This past summer, the tall grass prairie of Stuartburn, Manitoba, was filled with the sounds of footsteps and laughter. Stephanie Murray, a former communications and engagement intern with the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s)...
The birds and the beans
October 1 marks International Coffee Day (Photo from Creative Commons)
October 1 marks International Coffee Day, a day that celebrates and recognizes the millions of people across the globe who work hard to create and serve the warm, blissful beverage that we all know and love — especially in the morning. From...
Something’s Fishy: Back to school
Black crappie (Photo by Eric Engbretson, USFWS)
September is a time for new beginnings. For many across Canada, a new school year has begun. Some may have just started post-secondary school, thousands of kilometres from their parents, while others might be attending school for the very first...
The birds of southwest Manitoba
In July 2019, I visited southwest Manitoba for a research scouting trip from the University of Oklahoma. (Photo by Paula Cimprich)
In July 2019, I visited southwest Manitoba for a research scouting trip from the University of Oklahoma, where I am a PhD student in the biology department. I was scouting for bird species and potential study areas to help with a University of...
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...
Everything you need to know about the threat of grass carp to the Great Lakes
Grass carp (Photo by the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee)
Do you love fishing and boating on the Great Lakes? Are you passionate about the wildlife that live in the Great Lakes? If so, we have an important mission for you: Be on the lookout for grass carp! Grass carp is one of four invasive Asian carp...
