The incredible migration at Johnson's Mills Shorebird Reserve
Semipalmated sandpiper (Photo by NCC)
From late July to mid-August, the scene at the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Johnson’s Mills Shorebird Reserve on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick is awe-inspiring. There are days when as many as 140,000 semipalmated...
Biomimicry: Every step is a story
A bighorn sheep on Luxor Linkage conservation area (Photo by Bonnie-Lou Ferris)
When I first learned about biomimicry, I was in a math and poetry class at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. It was 2004, and while the professor didn’t necessarily talk about the term “biomimicry,” he introduced us...
Kick-start your conservation career by interning
NCC conservation intern monitoring plant communities (Photo by NCC)
If you’re close to graduating from a post-secondary institution, you may have already started to think about applying for jobs related to your field of study. While school is an excellent place to expand your general knowledge, not all...
Places worth protecting: The Canadian prairies
Prairie Day event, Manitoba (Photo by NCC)
So you’ve decided to conserve biodiversity. This decision may lead to many false starts, disappointments and re-negotiated deadlines, but ultimately and eventually, it will lead to land conservation! Now, how does the Nature Conservancy of...
Five resumé-ready skills gained by volunteering with NCC
Caroline Gagne, Ottawa Valley project manager, doing telemetry research, Quebec (Photo by NCC)
Those searching for a job in the environmental sector may find it challenging to get their foot in the door to gain that valuable hands-on experience that employers are looking for. It can be especially challenging if you’re applying for...
Dinosaurs to the rescue! How paleontology can inform us about the necessity of conservation
A large hadrosaur femur (duckbilled dinosaur thighbone) discovered near a NCC property in Alberta. (Photo by François Therrien)
Dinosaurs are more than just scary monsters featured in Hollywood blockbuster movies; they’re the poster children for the science of paleontology, and one of the best subjects to educate the general public about natural history. Dinosaurs...
Staying fit while exploring nature
Hiking along Horseshoe Canyon, AB (Photo by Brett Gilmour)
When I was applying for jobs, I focused on positions that would get me outside and that were in the conservation field. During my job hunt, I applied for a position with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) as a summer conservation technician,...
I always feel like something's watching me
The curious cows at the Yellow Quill Prairie Preserve. (Photo by Diana Robson)
I usually do field work by myself, but sometimes I get the feeling that I’m being watched. My main observers this year are the cows. The Yellow Quill Prairie Preserve, protected by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), is sustainably...
Supporting the next generation of female conservationists
Danielle Horne in the field (Photo by NCC)
As with many university graduates, the hunt for work in my field of study began right after graduation. Finding meaningful employment can be hard for youth today, and at the time it was a difficult journey for me, too. I was fortunate to be hired...
For the bison: A day at Old Man on His Back
Plains bison, Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area, SK (Photo by NCC)
Upon waking up, I look out the window of the interpretive centre at the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area (OMB) in Saskatchewan. I watch the bursting sunrise stretch...
