Himalayan blackberry and English holly and Japanese knotweed…oh my!
East bank of Centre Creek overrun by dense Himalayan blackberry (Photo by Lynn Pinnell)
As part of my bachelor’s degree at the University of British Columbia, I had the honour of doing an independent research project with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). For the project, I mapped all occurrences of invasive species at...
Five ways to save a lake
Lake Winnipeg (Photo by Christine Chilton/NCC staff)
There has been a lot of bad news lately about Lake Winnipeg. Algae blooms occur regularly, and zebra mussels are settling into their new home. Lake Winnipeg was named the world’s most threatened lake in 2013 by Global Nature Fund, and some...
Manitoba's amazing ash forests, invasive emerald ash borer and how you can help
Emerald ash borer adult (Photo by by U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Buy local. Burn local. Don’t move firewood. This is not just another green slogan put out by conservationists in the new year. Allow us to explain… Many people have heard about how non-native invasive species, including insects and...
Something's Fishy: Carp, the misunderstood outsider
Common carp (Photo by William Crochot/Wikimedia Commons)
Born and raised in Ontario, I have a hometown pride that carries me throughout the lands and waters of this fine province. This territorial instinct reminds me of the boundaries set by the Greasers in S. E. Hinton’s novel The Outsiders. The...
Something's Fishy: The legendary lamprey
The Lamprey, 2. The Pride, 1866 (Illustration by Robert Hamilton)
Anyone who knows me could tell you I’m really into folklore. Fairy tales, spooky stories and legendary accounts of people, places and mystical things have intrigued me for as long as I can remember. I'm also really into fish. So if there is...
Something's Fishy: The good, the bad and the goby
Round goby (Photo by Peter van der Sluijs/Wikimedia Commons)
Think of the meanest, toughest fish in a Canadian river. The one other species actively avoid, swimming faster as it approaches. Is it the longnose gar, with its mouth full of sharp teeth? Or the largemouth bass, a species which devours its prey...
Something's Fishy: Ghosts of fishes past
A 60-day-old American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) fry (Photo from Wiki Commons)
They’re there, lurking the depths of Canadian lakes and rivers, unseen by humans or other fishes. Ghosts of fishes extirpated or extinct from waters across Canada haunt other species and scientists alike. Their absence leaves an impression...
The eastern subterranean termite: An introduced species in Ontario
Eastern subterranean termite (Photo by United States Department of Agriculture, Wikimedia Commons)
Most of us in Ontario, I think it is safe to say, don't give a moments thought to termites, or realize that they are found in this region. In fact you are unlikely to ever meet the acquaintance of one, unless your house unfortunately becomes...
Gardeners & lawn owners beware: Invasive species may be in your care! (Part Two)
Do you know which species are invasive in your yard? (Photo by Dru Bloomfield)
Whether you are living in an urban centre, suburban subdivision or rural regions, manicured gardens provide a stark contrast to vegetation growing freely in forests, wetlands and roadsides. Many of us have been brought up to appreciate...
Fighting the good fight: getting rid of garlic mustard
NCC staff tackle invasive garlic mustard (photo by NCC)
Spring on Pelee Island for Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) staff Mhairi McFarlane and Jill Crosthwaite is a bittersweet time, because although the wildflowers are emerging and birds are returning, so too is a nasty invasive plant: garlic...
