Dissecting the dandelion
Dandelion (Photo by Yinan Chen, Wikimedia Commons)
This past summer I found myself in an unexpected scenario: on a wild foraging expedition in the heart of a concrete jungle, in my own backyard. The middle of a backyard, from house to gravel alleyway, is not the first place that comes to mind when...
A new hope for nature: Was 2015 a turning point for conservation?
Bayers Island in Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
No one was expecting 2015 to be a special year for nature conservation. As we started the year, it seemed Canadians were mostly focused on the economy, security and health care. Yet when we reflect on the year that was, it’s clear the...
Four ways I’m making 2016 a year for nature
American tree sparrow (Photo by NCC)
Ah, January! Time for a new year, a fresh start and a list of resolutions to be forgotten by February. Not so in 2016! This year, I’ve decided on a resolution that will not only be beneficial for my physical and mental well-being, but also...
#HowToNature series: Hiking
Hikers in Happy Valley Forest, ON (Photo by NCC)
For thousands of years, humans have worked to find better ways to shelter ourselves from the elements. Huddled around an open-air fire, we probably saw owls or squirrels nestled in the hollow of a tree, and thought, “Doesn't that look cosy?...
Longing for the long weekend
Birding at the Tabusintac Estuary, NB (Photo by NCC)
Much of my adolescence has prepared me well for long weekends. I grew up exploring forests, watching clouds and skipping through puddles — an amateur explorer, some might say. And I can assure you that this angst to be surrounded by green...
Your Brain on Nature: A Q&A with Alan Logan, N.D., about the benefits of nature on our mental health
Shell Conservation Intern Hurst Gannon, Sight Point, Nova Scotia (Photo by NCC)
Alan Logan, co-author of Your Brain on Nature, has become a household name here at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). Since its publication in 2012, the book has become a rallying cry for the importance of spending time in nature. In it,...
With deer in cedar: A call to get children back into nature
Looking for wild things at the lake (Photo by Erica Thompson/NCC staff)
To witness a deer in full flight is astounding. It’s particularly impressive when you are standing only a few feet from its flight path. I was walking with friends and their one-year-old son at the back of their farm on the Niagara...
