Internal parasites and the conservation of birds
Mosquito (Photo from The Weather Network)
Most people, especially Canadians, know how annoying being swarmed by mosquitoes in the early summer can be. There is nothing quite like braving clouds of host-seeking insects while exploring our beautiful forests. However, while most of us can...
Covering a lot of ground...and water: Review of NCC Magazine's spring issue
Danielle Robertson, Port Joli, NS (Photo by Aaron McKenzie Fraser)
While reading the spring 2017 issue of the Nature Conservancy of Canada Magazine, I was reminded of the late former Prime Minister (1921-26) Mackenzie King’s observation that, “If some countries have too much history, Canada has too...
Capturing the beauty in urban nature
Salmon fry swimming among old tree routes. (Photo by Fernando Lessa)
I first found out about the rich Burnaby Watershed in British Columbia while taking a city bus. Being new to Vancouver, I had no idea how close nature was to the city. Due to amazing conservation work from passionate people and volunteers, nature...
Tracking wood thrush through Ontario forests
Adult wood thrush at her nest (Photo by Sue Hayes)
Each year, the wood thrush travels thousands of kilometres from its over-wintering habitat in the tropical regions of Central America to its breeding habitat in forests throughout southern Ontario. This medium-sized songbird, like many other...
An ode to narwhal (Part One)
Narwhal (Illustration by David Scheirer)
a pod of magic /breaks through the floe /what a peculiar way / (Inspired by Moby Dick) The whale series returns with Ishmael’s nostril whale, a.k.a. the narwhal. Whether you pronounce its name nar-wall or nar-whale, this creature’s...
Understanding the buzz of bees
Honey bee (Photo from Bees Matter)
For residents of northern Alberta, the coming of spring is never a guarantee of the mild weather it suggests; but this year we’ve been pleasantly surprised by the seasonal warmth. The bees here have also appreciated the early thaw, with many...
Searching for worms in Ontario’s restored tall grass prairie
Ontario’s largest exotic earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris. (Photo by Heather Cray)
Looking across a beautiful stretch of native tall grass prairie in its full glory, the first thing that might strike you is, well, the grass; big bluestem, switchgrass, Indian grass, all of them might reach up to or above eye level. Then there are...
The prolific nature of the hummingbird
An Anna's hummingbird on one of her nests. (Photo by Eric Pittman)
I had no idea how many nests a hummingbird could build in a year. In fact, I hardly thought about hummingbirds at all until Sweetiebird entered our lives. Sweetiebird revealed herself to us by fluttering out of the pear tree in our backyard every...
This man's first sign of spring
Blue-winged olive (Photo by Paul Weamer)
For many, spring can often be hard to pinpoint. A botanist may list countless flowering plants, a birdwatcher may look to the skies in search of spring in the form of returning melodies, while Homo consumeris will notice the piles of winter...
Broaden your view of nature
Enjoying the view at NCC's exhibit on Wideview at the Art Gallery of Regina. (Photo by Bill Armstrong)
Put your hand up if you would like to experience plains bison grazing their way around your living room walls. Sure, as long as they don’t make a mess on the carpet, you might say. Well, recently Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) offered...
