Three reasons why it’s important to study winter
Me, my husband and dog bundled up during the polar vortex (Photo courtesy of Meghan Duell)
We tend to think of winter in temperate regions as cold, maybe snowy, maybe grey and with short daylight hours. Maybe you hate winter because you dislike feeling cold, having chapped skin, driving on icy roads and...insert weather problem here...
Frick, I love nature: Comedy as nature education
"Frick, I love nature" logo (Photo by Stephen Robinson)
Last fall I was on a trip with my girlfriend on Vancouver Island. While there, we spent a good chunk of our time exploring its national parks and learning about how life survives in those particular ecosystems. While soaking it all in, I had a...
A budding conservationist
Zoe Saranchuk (Photo courtesy of Zoe Saranchuk)
My name is Zoe Saranchuk, and I love going to Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) events. I love being out in nature and seeing its wonders. I go with my Oma [grandmother], who is also interested. I have always loved animals and learning about...
What ash trees and bumble bees are telling us
American bumble bee (Photo by K.S. Gardener/iNaturalist)
Black ash and American bumble bee are not species I thought we would ever need to save. When I started my studies in conservation over 25 years ago, bumble bees still seemed commonplace, and I thought of ash as a common tree that was great for...
Ten good news nature conservation stories from 2018: Our collective actions can have a big impact
Lands within the Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor (Photo by Brent Calver)
Around the world, we are at a crossroads in our relationship with the planet. For the first time in human history our environmental impacts are happening at a scale that is affecting all life on Earth. Our collective experience in solving big,...
Reigniting a love of insects
Monarch (Photo by NCC)
The love of insects can be a tough sell to many adults. Much like a fascination with dinosaurs, it seems that an interest in insects peaks during childhood and then declines for most people. Butterflies, however, are one of the few insects that...
Combating invasive species in a globally rare habitat
Leaders in Conservation in Carden Alvar, ON (Photo by NCC)
On a hot and humid day this past summer, I visited Carden Alvar in Ontario with a group of Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Leaders in Conservation. We meandered through the forest and stepped onto the limestone plain alvar, which stretched on...
Three ways to get closer to nature
Busenius Property, AB (Photo by Kyle Marquardt)
Canadians are more disconnected from nature than ever before. We spend more and more of our time indoors, and a large per cent of us live in an urban setting away from large natural areas. We’re losing touch with the natural world, one that...
Adventures along the Humber River
The Humber River at sunset (Photo by Adam Hunter/NCC staff)
Whenever I stay with my dad and step-mom in Toronto during the spring and summer, I often cycle and walk on the Humber River Recreational Trail near their house. As its name implies, the path goes along the Humber River, a Canadian Heritage River....
A natural misconception
The lake near the campsite (Photo by Logan Salm/NCC staff)
The idea that nature is silent is a lie. Nature is loud, and sometimes obnoxiously so, especially when you’ve been paddling or hiking all day and just want to fall sleep. Don’t get me wrong: I’ll take the sounds of nature over...
