Ten of nature's strangest mating strategies
Angler fish (Photo by David Shale)
During my final year of university, I took a course called Evolution and Reproduction, which explored various animal mating strategies. It was one of my most fascinating classes; the material was mind blowing, the professor was a hoot and the...
From woodsman to grandsons to Canadians
Alan Bonnyman and his two sons (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
Whether they live in big cities or small villages, Canadians often see their identity as defined by nature: by our dramatic seasons, by the sheer size of our country and by living near oceans, rivers, lakes, mountains, prairies and forests. This...
The silence of the hillsides
Fort Ellice, Riding Mountain (Photo by NCC)
For the past six months, I’ve worked as an assistant conservation biologist with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in Riding Mountain Natural Area in western Manitoba. I found that a summer in the area challenged me to reconsider how I...
A plea for conservation
Iceberg off of Maddox Cove, NL (Photo by Ronald Stone/Stone Island Photography)
Sir David Attenborough is a name that has become synonymous with conservation. Reuniting with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Natural History Unit, Attenborough and the BBC have come together once again to follow up their widely...
Out for a walk
Approaching the Bay Bulls lighthouse with the last of the daylight (Photo by Lanna Campbell/NCC)
An unnatural thirst for physical pain and the lure of making memories set the stage as we carefully planned out nine days’ worth of trail food. My tent-mate, Megan, would later ask me a few days in, “Did I want to do this hike, or did...
From prairie to forest: My journey to a new natural area
Tall grass prairie (Photo by Jenna Siu/NCC)
I spent many of my formative years as a field biologist in the Carolinian region of Ontario, which includes Norfolk and the surrounding counties. The fragmented landscape is largely agricultural with bits of restored tallgrass prairie and...
Partners in conservation: The Nature Conservancy of Canada and Parks Canada
Wood Buffalo National Park, Alberta & Northwest Territories (Photo by Parks Canada)
Canada’s Parks Day takes place on the third Saturday of July each year, at all national parks from coast to coast to coast. It serves as a reminder of our country’s beautiful natural landscapes. As Canada’s leading national...
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...
Spot the species on World Wetlands Day
Coastal wetlands of Sandy Island, eastern Georgian Bay coast, Ontario (Photo by NCC)
If one slogan can help us appreciate wetlands more, for me it would be: “wetlands are not wastelands.” In fact, the term “wetlands” represents a wide variety of habitats (such as bogs, marshes and swamps) that offer a rich...
The rocky intertidal: Starring Pisaster ochraceus
The sea star team (from left to right: Maggie Cascadden, Marianna DiMauro, Chloe Boyle, Aimee McGowan, Mike Huck) (Photo by Anne Salomon)
Between ocean and land exists a remarkable place unlike any other in the world: the intertidal zone, where marine ecosystems are both exposed to air at low tide and under water during high tide. This unique space where land and sea meet is...
