Nine out of 10 Canadians are happier in nature
Backus Woods, ON (Photo by Neil Ever Osbourne)
Canadians are spending less time outdoors, despite evidence that reveals we’re happier when we spend time in nature.The Nature and Me survey, released by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), in partnership with Ipsos Public Affairs,...
Exploring Elora
Elora Quarry (Photo by Adam Hunter/NCC staff)
Earlier this summer, my friends and I took a day trip to Elora, Ontario, to visit the Elora Quarry and Elora Gorge conservation areas. Elora is a small town near Guelph, about a 90-minute drive west of Toronto. The drive there was very scenic,...
What the heck is a neotenic salamander?
Lemon-yellow prehistoric-looking creature that I later found out to be a western tiger salamander (Photo by Sherry Nigro)
My dad told me about it during a phone call. A neighbour had discovered some weird, not-seen-here-before creatures in his dugout. Bright yellow ones, dark ones, some with frills around their necks like miniature dinosaurs; these creatures were...
Discovering the small but mighty butterflies of Carden
White admiral, Carden Alvar, ON (Photo by NCC)
Volunteering has always played a big role in my life. I’ve participated in my fair share of volunteering for the environment, from tree planting to garbage cleanups. But the butterfly count I attended in late July, an annual Conservation...
Top 10 backpack essentials for any nature lover
Hiking gear (CC0 Public Domain)
Nature enthusiasts know there is nothing better than experiencing all of the sights, sounds and smells that nature has to offer. With an abundant variety of beautiful landscapes in Canada, it’s no wonder the great outdoors call to...
Fifty shades of green
Croatian coast (Photo by Gayle Roodman/NCC staff)
“Holy smokes, this is stunning!” I exclaimed for the umpteenth time. “This is not at all what I was expecting.” I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting when my husband and I embarked on our self-supported two-week...
Saving wonder
One of my most treasured photos of my kids discovering a turtle when they were little (Photo by Dan Kraus/NCC staff)
“I caught a turtle!” The call rang out repeatedly over the lake near Algonquin Park, where my family has a cottage. It was early, my teenage boys were still in bed, when the turtle-catching alarm came. It was from across the lake, in a...
A mega-rare mistle thrush visited my mountain ash
Mistle thrush (Photo by Peter Gadd)
On Christmas Day 2017.... It is here! It is here in the mountain ash tree at the crack of dawn. It is a brief appearance, as it turns out, but one long enough to perhaps sense it is sending a Christmas greeting. A bird, once known as the ...
On a quest for the alluring swift fox
Swift fox cub and its mum (Photo by Catriona Matheson, Cochrane Ecological Institute)
My unsuccessful search for the elusive swift fox has spanned nearly a decade.It was 2008, the winter semester of my first year at Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alberta, when I first learned about the history of swift foxes in Canada. The smallest...
Keeping my distance from a gentle giant
Moose on Mount Hereford, QC (Photo by MRC de Coaticook)
I have had a great respect for moose ever since a misadventure at Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Nova Scotia, more than 20 years ago. While hiking along the popular Skyline Trail, my boyfriend and I came across several moose grazing on low...
