Learning to love wetlands
Crossing bogs in Algonquin Park to study Canada jays (Photo by Sam Knight/NCC staff)
For a few years I looked forward to February because it was the start of the Canada jay research season at Algonquin Park and I assisted with the field work. At that time of year, we crossed frozen bogs to check up on the birds, yet the spring...
Appreciating hibernation
Richardson's ground squirrel (Photo by Charles Thomas Hash, Jr. CC-BY-NC)
January 21 marks Squirrel Appreciation Day, an occasion meant to recognize squirrels’ importance in nature. It also happens to be the middle of winter, a time when many animals, including some squirrel species, are hibernating. To me, one of...
Diving into winter hibernation
Northern map turtle (Photo by D. Gordon and E. Robertson)
It’s official: winter has made its way across Canada, and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Humans layer up to brave the cold, and migratory birds make their way to warmer climates, but turtles have their own way of toughing out the...
Take them to feel the forest: Winter sensory activities for kids
Snowshoeing in Parc de la Gatineau, QC (Photo by DJ)
I‘ve walked in the woods all my life, but it wasn't until I took young children with me that I noticed how fascinated they were with the variety of textures found in their surroundings. Kids can spend hours feeling, building, touching and...
A Canadian winter warrior
Snowy owl (Photo by Gregg McLachlan)
A few winters back, during the continued irruption of snowy owls into southern Ontario, I was lucky enough to come across a “snowy hot spot” just 25 minutes from my home in Guelph, Ontario. My husband and I have passed many Sundays...
World Habitat Day 2021: There is no protected habitat too small to benefit biodiversity
Great blue heron with a cityscape in the background (Photo by iStock)
October 4 is World Habitat Day, which has been celebrated annually by the United Nations since 1986. This year’s theme is accelerating urban climate action. The day is followed by Urban October, a month where we are encouraged to reflect on...
The greatest tool in tackling climate change needs our help: nature
Green Mountains, Sutton, Quebec (by Mark Tomalty)
As we mark National Forest Week, (September 19–25), let’s consider what our forests provide. The short answer is: much more than we realize. The roots of trees, from BC’s hulking cedars to PEI’s flaking black birches, reach...
Grasslands, close-up
Western bergamot (Photo by NCC)
As a conservation intern with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) this past summer, I have had the wonderful opportunity to explore the land that we help conserve here in Saskatchewan. Growing up in this province, I developed a love for the...
Why nature in Canada’s cities could change conservation forever
Colpitt Lake in the Shaw Wilderness Park (Photo by Adam Cornick, Acorn Art & Photography)
When the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) was founded almost 60 years ago, there was growing recognition that unmanaged urban expansion was threatening nature. In fact, our first project was to try to save a section of Rattray Marsh along the...
A call to action: The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
A restored wetland in Norfolk, ON (Photo by NCC)
Earlier this June, on World Environment Day, the United Nations kicked off the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, lasting from 2021 to 2030. The goal of this global movement is to “prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on...
