Running for nature: How marathon training and conservation are very much alike
Running shoes (Photo by Jean-Yves Couput, Wikimedia Commons)
I used to smoke two packs of cigarettes a day. Then, at the age of 22, I was given an ultimatum involving kissing. At that point in my life it was the right motivation — more compelling than any arguments about heart health or cancer risk. I...
A nature treasure hunt: Keeping an eye out on the Asquith North properties
Jody Bush at Asquith North, SK (Photo by NCC)
About a year ago I came across a Facebook post about volunteering with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) as a property steward. My partner, John, and I are always looking for excuses to get out of the city and explore nature so this program...
A summer to remember: Looking back on my summer as a communications intern
Deep Cove, Nova Scotia (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) will always have a special place in my heart, especially after completing an editorial internship there during the summer of 2010. I learned many important skills during my time there that I still use on a...
Ermine
Weasel (Photo by Wikimedia Commons, U.S. National Parks Service)
It was a winter afternoon, warmed by the brightness of the sun, as I sauntered along the park’s walking trail. The air was crisp, refreshing and invigorating. I felt relaxed and my spirits were buoyed by the peace and tranquility of the...
What do protected parklands and conservation areas mean to Canadian tourism?
Greg Girard with his day pack in Nova Scotia (Photo courtesy Canada eh Travel & Adventure)
Everything! Tourism in Canada is highly dependent on our parks and conservation areas. We would even go as far to say that our protected parks and conservation areas in Canada are the foundation of a successful future in tourism for Canada....
Gratitude for Gaff Point: A winter hike
Gaff Point, NS (Photo by Amanda Cashin Photography)
The natural undisturbed beauty of Nova Scotia is alluring for many. Visitors are drawn to the vast ocean views, long sandy beaches, and pristine forests. Yet on more than one occasion, when people arrive they are quick to cut down trees and build...
OPINION: Not-for-profits must earn their social license
Alpine plants on Darkwoods, British Columbia (Photo by Bruce Kirkby)
With much in the news these days about the troubles facing a prominent BC land trust, it is no surprise that people are raising questions about what the future might hold for other conservation areas and heritage sites, and for land trusts in...
Did scientists discover a 70-million-year-old reindeer antler at Sandstone Ranch? The answer may surprise you!
Fossil discovered at Sandstone Ranch (Photo by François Blouin)
Early this fall I and two colleagues travelled 40 kilometres south of Magrath, Alberta to the Sandstone Ranch. MULTISAR had been contracted five years ago to develop a conservation plan for the ranch, which is co-owned and managed by the Nature...
At home on the tundra: Why I fell in love with the Arctic landscape
Dundas Harbour (Photo by Carolyn Mallory)
If you’ve never had the opportunity to visit the Arctic tundra, perhaps your first moments will compare to mine. When I stepped off the plane in Iqaluit, Nunavut in 1999, I knew immediately that I would call this place home. The landscape...
Of bugs and slugs: Pint-sized citizen scientist discovers a strange blue slug, far from home
Blue-grey taildropper (Photo courtesy of Habitat Acquisition Trust)
My seven-year-old son Malcolm was excited about going on the Slug & Snail Walk at Chase Woods. He loves hiking, and I hadn’t the heart to tell him that there likely wouldn’t be a lot of actual hiking on this field trip. Slugs and...
