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...
Remembering his cedar canoe
My grandfather's canoe, his pride and joy. Our neighbours out for a paddle in the canoe (Photo courtesy of Asha Swann/NCC intern)
The cedar canoe hanging from my grandparents’ garage roof stands out for good reason. A dusty photo album in the basement with “1993” scrawled in my grandmother’s cursive tells me that this canoe is older than I am, though...
My three months as NCC's national communications intern
Gillies Grove trail (Photo by Asha Swann/NCC intern)
I highly anticipated being part of the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) team this summer. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been passionate about animals and the environment. In middle school, I became obsessed with The Story of Stuff, a...
Cockroaches and colours: Exercises in attention on Pelee Island
Woodburnings of some my favourite species on Pelee Island: the eastern banded tigersnail, broad-banded forestsnail, and striped whitelip. These snails are all nationally endangered and threatened by a range of factors including climate change, habitat loss and competition from introduced snails and slugs. (Photo by Hashveenah Manoharan/NCC intern)
On one of my first days working for the Nature Conservancy of Canada as conservation intern on Pelee Island, a cockroach had nestled itself into my copy of Mary Oliver’s collection of poems, Devotions. As a lifelong urbanite, my instinct was...
A thank you letter to the young professionals of conservation
The 2021 eastern Ontario team at Elbow Lake, ON (Photo by NCC)
Spring is one of the best times to be a conservation biologist with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). I get to dust off my field boots, turn off my laptop and get back outside. There is a beautiful rhythm to resuming field work, and my to-do...
The fossils of Camden East Alvar
A particularly exposed section of the Camden East Alvar, an NCC property just west of Kingston, Ontario. (Photo by NCC)
Doing field work in the middle of the summer can be hot, but doing it on an alvar feels even hotter. An ecosystem formed with little to no soil on top of limestone bedrock, alvars typically have large areas of low-lying vegetation and exposed...
Volunteers make Big Valley flourish
Volunteers and staff prior to planting (Photo by NCC)
The Qu’Appelle River Valley is one of Saskatchewan’s prominent scenic landscapes. Its picturesque slopes and waterways host a wide variety species and offer views unlike any other in the province. I’ve driven through this region...
A week away: Cape Breton Island
Cain's Mountain (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
Being able to work directly in nature is one of the reasons I love working as a conservation intern for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). Gaining more field work experience at NCC as the summer weeks progressed made for an epic, four-night...
Introduction to NCC and field work
Samantha Stegen at Prospect, NS (Photo by NCC)
Since a young age, I have had a deep appreciation for nature, leading me to complete a bachelor of science degree in environmental science at Acadia University in 2020 and begin my master’s of resource and environmental management at...
UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: 5 ways NCC volunteers are contributing
Restored wetland, Pelee Island, ON (Photo by NCC)
2021-2030 marks the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, indicating the urgent need for humans to prevent and protect our Earth’s ecosystems from further degradation. As a new summer intern with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC),...
