Something's Fishy: A year underwater
Eastern sand darter, Grand River, ON (Photo by Alan Dextrase/Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry) © Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2016
For someone who writes about fish, it is no surprise that when I tell people what I do, it is always prompted by an inquiry about which finned species is my favourite. That’s like asking a mother which of her children she likes...
How to conduct your own soundwalk
Volunteers have dropped off all sign posts and signs at their designated installation sites and are heading back to the central meeting area for a well-deserved break. (Photo by NCC)
A soundwalk is a walk where you focus on the sounds around you, and immerse yourself completely in the environment that you’re in. Soundwalking can be a very rejuvenating and meditative experience. Why not try doing a soundwalk on your next...
Take only Poké Balls, leave only footprints: Tips and tricks for Pokémon Go users for getting up close and personal with nature
Gaff Point in Kingsburg, Lunenburg County, NS (Photo by NCC)
It’s safe to say Pokémon Go has made a Gyarados-sized splash for mobile users around the world. The app (which is not yet available in Canada) is turning smart phones into a window to a virtual reality where you can see a Bulbasaur in...
In the eye of an osprey
Osprey in flight (Photo by Lorne)
Since the publishing of “An osprey family affair,” I’ve made three trips to a primary nest site to witness the arrival of the Kawartha Lakes osprey this spring. As a photographer, waiting up to four hours for even a short burst,...
Owl angels in the snow
Have you ever seen an owl's snow angel? (Photo by Jaimee Dupont/NCC staff)
My hometown is a small, lovely and isolated boreal mining town in northern Manitoba. On a recent trip back to visit family, my husband and I were out for an evening walk when we stopped alongside the edge of town to marvel at the silence. That...
Ingredients of a great explorer (Part Two)
TA and her group walking the Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal (Photo by TA Loeffler)
Excerpts and images are taken with permission from TA Loeffler's blog, Adventures that Move. So you want to be an adventurer? In Part One I described how being an adventurer, storyteller and teacher are all part of what makes TA Loeffler one of...
Ingredients of a great explorer (Part One)
A view of the Antarctica landscape - taken during TA’s expedition to climb Antarctica’s highest peak (Photo by TA Loeffler)
Excerpts and images are taken with permission from TA Loeffler's blog, Adventures that Move. Earlier this week the local newspaper caught my eye with the headline, “Local woman named one of country’s greatest modern explorers.”...
Archaeology research on NCC lands in Port Joli, Nova Scotia
Port Joli on a clear summer day. (Photo by Matthew Betts/Canadian Museum of History)
In May of 1604, Samuel de Champlain sailed down Nova Scotia’s southern coast and mapped all he encountered. Early in his voyage, he came across a harbour so beautiful that he named it Port Joli. Of course, he did not know that the indigenous...
2015 - A natural reflection and year list
Belted kingfisher at Lake Ontario (Photo by Tianna Burke)
Blogging for me has always been as much about sharing nature with others as it has been about personal reflection. I have never written a year-end post before, however after learning about the Nature Conservancy of Canada's (NCC's) Creative...
Are you up for the #21daysofnature challenge?
Muddy hands at Nature Days (photo by NCC)
It takes 21 days to form a habit, or so they say. This year (or even for many years), if you’ve once contemplated staying active and closer to nature, but just aren’t motivated enough or unsure of where to start, we have a challenge...
