Terminarch: Making music out of birdsong
Sage thrasher (Photo by Dick Cannings)
One of the best things about composing music for the concert hall is that inspiration can come from just about anywhere. My latest work, Terminarch, is a 10-minute piece for a quartet of percussionists based on the birdsong of 12 endangered...
An original poem: The Bluebirds Have Returned
Mountain bluebird (Photo by Leta Pezderic/ NCC staff)
Springtime is making its appearance across the country. Buds are starting to appear on bare branches, blades of grass turn green again and signs of critters abound. One feathered friend is particularly endearing, and a delight to welcome back: the...
Tales of recovery: Trumpeter swan
Trumpeter swan family (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
Their call is unforgettable. When you hear it for the first time, “trumpeter” makes perfect sense. Even when silent, a trumpeter swan remains impressive. With a wingspan that can stretch to three metres, this white swan is the largest...
Using migration patterns to understand bird population declines
A tree swallow sits on a barbed wire fence (Photo by Lisha Berzins)
I don’t know about you, but by this time of the year I am ready for winter to be over. I think birds feel the same way. As soon as the sun comes out of hiding and the temperature inches above freezing after a dreary Ontario winter, the...
Look for these first signs of spring across Canada
Red-winged blackbird (Photo by Bill Hubick)
With the springing forward of our clocks and the increased daylight, many Canadians are getting antsy for the arrival of spring. What can be more delightful than noticing the little signs that signal the arrival of a new season, such as the...
50 bird species and the sounds that they make
Tufted titmouse (Photo by Jocelyn Anderson, Wikimedia Commons)
While many of the birds included are not native to Canada (but may be present as farm animals, pets or invasive species), it is still enriching to listen to birds from around the globe. Some examples of native Canadian birds on the infographic are...
Exploring the boreal forest with an interactive story map
Canada warbler (Photo by Gerald Deboer)
Imagine taking a flight across Canada’s vast and breathtaking boreal region, which stretches across approximately 60 per cent of the country. Now take a step back from this picture of grandeur to focus on the littlest bird residents flitting...
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...
The shorebirds’ favourite rest stop
Piping plover (Photo by Sean Landsman)
Over the last 20 years, several conservation organizations, including the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), have supported the operation of the Chaplin Nature Centre, located just outside of the town of Chaplin in southern...
A thank you letter to NCC
Leigh Gustafson (Photo by Brendan Kelly Photography)
For as long as I can remember, I have loved animals. I used to spend my spare time sprawled in the grass with a pencil in hand, drawing pictures of my favourite animals from my Dad’s Mammals of North America atlas. I incessantly dreamed of...
