A force for nature: Reflecting on those who've guided my conservation career
Ali Giroux, former conservation biology coordinator, planting native trees in an area where an invasive Scots pine plantation was removed, Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, ON (Photo by Chelsea Marcantonio/NCC staff)
After studying and working in the environmental field since 2014, I have been reminiscing on my journey to where I am now. One high school teacher had a profound impact on me, which I didn’t realize until I was heartbroken to hear about her...
Wetlands are our natural defences and need to be conserved
Upper Ohio, NS (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
During the recent UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, over 190 nations adopted a Global Biodiversity Framework. Part of that agreement is to conserve at least 30 per cent of the world’s lands and waters by 2030. While it is not a...
Conservation heroes in the county: John Lowry
John Lowry and Amanda Tracey at a CV event in Newburgh, Ontario, December 2022 (Photo by Chelsea Marcantonio/NCC staff)
One of my favourite parts of working for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is running events — particularly Conservation Volunteers (CV) events. I love meeting new people, learning their stories and what motivates them to come out. I...
Conservation heroes in the county: Richard Bird
Richard with former NCC staff Ali Giroux installing a property sign at an NCC nature reserve in the county (Photo by Amanda Tracey/NCC staff)
You’ll recall from part one of this series that when I started working for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), Prince Edward County (the county) quickly stole my heart. From its rich wetlands to its dry grasslands and migratory birds...
Fighting phragmites on Georgian Bay
NCC staff and volunteers working to control phragmites on Georgian Bay, ON (Photo by Sara Meyer/NCC staff)
When I started with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in the spring of 2022, I had limited knowledge of the invasive species called phragmites (phrag, as many in the conservation circle call it), and also known as common reed, the immense...
Conservation heroes in the county: Cheryl Anderson
Cheryl Anderson at a garlic mustard pull volunteer event in Prince Edward County, ON (May 2022) (Photo by Amanda Tracey/NCC staff)
I’ve been working for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in the eastern part of central Ontario for nearly five years. While my work spans a large geographic area, a lot of my time is spent on the wild south shore of Prince Edward...
Tree girdling
Scotch pine girdling (Photo by Chirathi Wijekulathilake/NCC staff)
I am a conservation intern at the Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC) in Newfoundland and Labrador, and in this role I often have family and friends asking me what NCC is, what their role is in the conservation community, and most commonly, what my...
Land Trust Alliance Rally 2022 – New Orleans
Several NCC staff at the 2022 LTA Rally reception (Photo by NCC)
I had the opportunity to attend the Land Trust Alliance (LTA) Rally 2022 in New Orleans this past September. The LTA Rally is the largest conservation-focused land trust conference in North America. The LTA Rally provides a platform for land...
The global significance of Indigenous-led conservation
Indigenous-focussed sessions at COP15 (Photo by NCC)
The only way forward to achieve the ambitious conservation goals set globally and supported by Canada is to support Indigenous-led conservation. This sentiment was echoed loudly throughout 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN...
OECMs are one of the keys to saving biodiversity
Wetland (Photo by NCC)
The conservation world is no stranger to acronyms. From global events like the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (or COP15), to how we reference areas where Indigenous-led conservation is at the forefront (Indigenous Protected and...
