An ode to whale (Part One)
Sperm whales (Illustration by Elena O'Neill)
royalty’s fish / radiating into the night / to fathoms and float / (Inspired by Moby Dick) Facts: I’ve been reading Herman Melville’s Moby Dick during my lunches. Needless to say, this book is markedly different from my...
We live on a green planet: An interview with Brian Keating (Part Two)
Brian Keating, Antarctica (Photo courtesy of Brian Keating)
This is part two of a two-part interview with Brian Keating, who has dedicated his life to promoting a conservation ethic and raising awareness about the natural world. He has travelled the world in search of great nature stories, and used his...
We live on a green planet: An interview with Brian Keating (Part One)
Brian Keating, Antarctica (Photo courtesy of Brian Keating)
This is part one of a two-part interview with Brian Keating, who has dedicated his life to promoting a conservation ethic and raising awareness about the natural world. He has travelled the world in search of great nature stories, and used his...
Celebrating Canadian species: Bald eagle
Bald eagle (Photo by Keith Mombour)
It wasn’t the first time I’d seen a bald eagle. It wasn’t even the first time I’d seen a bald eagle that winter, but it was by far the most emotional. I had recently relocated from Montreal to Victoria, and the constant...
Celebrating Canadian species: Grizzly bear
Grizzly bear (Photo by Peter Sulzle)
When I put my boots on in the morning, I never really expect or seek to see a grizzly bear. Despite the fact that my Rocky Mountains backyard is home to many brown bears, any encounter always feels like a surprise. Meeting a bear in the wild...
More endangered than pandas: 40 Canadian species at risk of global extinction
Earlier this month, a conservation success story resonated around the world. The giant panda, perhaps the preeminent poster species of nature conservation, was down-listed from a global status of endangered to vulnerable on the International Union...
Hittin' the marsh
My one educational breakthrough was to teach them to emulate my hayseed ways by chewing on a piece of grass before touring the property (Photo by NCC)
It wasn’t even really that hot. I think that’s the thing that got me. Warm? I guess…for early June. Sunny? Mostly, but there were clouds and a bit of a breeze, so even saying it was warm is pretty generous. And forget about a...
A whoosh in the night
Common nighthawk resting on its nest (Photo by NCC)
Wandering through the forests, grasslands, and alvars of the Bruce Peninsula at dusk brings a certain calm to the soul; a type of peace that is seldom found in the bustle of a city at night. The forests are abuzz with the sounds of nocturnal...
Optical illusions in the wild
Ruby-throated hummingbird (Photo by Brian Lasenby)
Yet another optical illusion has the internet up in fits. In case you missed #TheDress and its sequel, the Adidas jacket, an image of what appears to be a rock lodged in a brick wall will make you think twice about the reality you perceive. So...
Darwin, phoebe and International Biodiversity Day
Eastern phoebe (Photo by John Benson, Wikimedia Commons)
I saw an eastern phoebe yesterday. Phoebes are small and drab birds, they don’t have a pretty song, they don't do anything particularly endearing, other than bob their tails when perched on branches. I know, I know...big deal. Phoebes...
