Pointe Saint-Pierre: A site of natural splendour and heritage
Pointe Saint-Pierre, QC (Photo by NCC)
With four months off between two university semesters, I had a decision to make: Would I work, or would I travel? I looked for work away from the Quebec City centre, and the best of both worlds offered itself to me. I could actually work and...
Why take the time?
Bioblitz in action at Dundurn, NCC's newest property in Saskatchewan (Photo by Meghan Mickelson)
A first-timer’s experience with volunteering for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC): It was a Saturday morning in June — cloudy and windy, as most prairie days are. My partner and I loaded up our gear and head off to pick up a...
When shorebirds and super moons collide
Flock in flight at Johnson's Mills, NB (Photo by NCC)
The moon on July 12 was a super moon, a time when the new or full moon is at its closest point in its elliptical orbit to Earth. Super moons appear brighter and larger than regular moons, thus their nickname. This summer, the unusually high tides...
Emblems of Canada: bird edition
Blue jay (Photo by Gregg Williams)
Right at our doorstep is one of the most fascinating and watched creatures in Canada: our flying feathered friends. There is nothing that says, or better yet, sings nature than the sound of birds. While many birds call Canada home year-round, our...
When hope flies home: What the recovery of the peregrine falcon teaches us about endangered species
Peregrine falcon, ON (Photo by Brian Ratcliff)
There was a time when I never thought I’d see a peregrine falcon. I grew up in the 1970s, a time when the peregrine falcon was a poster species for wildlife loss. Hinterland Who’s Who told me it was already gone from eastern Canada,...
Something's Fishy: A razor-sharp invader
Zebra mussel (Photo by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
My first encounter with zebra mussels is an experience many Canadians can relate to. It started with searing pain, a yelp and a quick hobble out of the water and up onto a rocky shoreline to examine the bottom of my foot, sliced open ever so...
Sharks? In Canada?
Great white shark (Photo by Terry Goss/Wikimedia Commons)
Do you really know what’s swimming in Canada’s oceans? When most people think of sharks, they usually associate them with tropical environments. However, you may be surprised to learn that Canada’s oceans have a great diversity...
Summer intern interviews: Meet the fresh faces of NCC's Saskatchewan Region (Part two)
Summer interns of NCC's Saskatchewan region (Photo by NCC)
Summer interns help the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) complete valuable science and education projects across the country. In part two of this two-part series, we continue to learn about our summer interns from NCC's Saskatchewan Region. Read...
Is it time for Canada and the world to create carbon parks?
Black River Bog, NS (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
Parks and protected areas have been established across Canada to conserve many things we value. Banff National Park was originally established in 1885 to protect hot springs and breathtaking scenery for tourists. In 1893, Algonquin Provincial Park...
If you build it, they will come: Black bear dens on Vancouver Island
An example of the purpose-built den pods (Photo courtesy of Helen Davis)
For 26 years, I have been captivated by black bears and where they spend their winters. It all started with my masters of science research project in the Nimpkish Valley on Vancouver Island. I’ve been to lots and lots of dens ― usually in...
