Adventures in elk country: Exploring conservation, wildlife and nature
Elk at Lockerby, AB (Photo by NCC)
As the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) conservation intern in the Red Deer River this past summer, I assisted in monitoring more than 35 properties in central Alberta. A critical aspect of monitoring involves making species...
A close encounter like no otter
Two river otters peeping their heads above the water (Photo by Nila Sivatheesan/NCC staff)
Walking through fields of wildflowers and towering trees is an incredible feeling. It reminds me that there’s so much more to this life than just me and my bubble. It’s a humbling feeling. But what’s even more incredible is...
Symbolic species and habitat adoptions are back!
Snowy owl (Photo by ThinkStock)
Looking for the perfect gift for the nature lover in your life? I’m excited to share that symbolic species and habitat adoptions are available again through the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). You may remember our former adoption...
Hop into the new year with these Canadian lagomorphs
Eastern cottontail (Photo by Alain Mochon, CC BY-NC 4.0)
Rabbits are one of the most easily observed species in my suburban neighbourhood. Even during winter here in southern Ontario, you can find hints of their presence. My two young kids gleefully alerted me to a set of eastern cottontail tracks...
Bringing bison back to the landscape
Bison at Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area (Photo by Jason Bantle)
When thinking about the Prairies, images of the iconic plains bison often comes to mind. These massive animals, also called buffalo, influence grassland ecosystems by a magnitude proportional to their size. Bison grazing patterns shape the...
Wild cats of Canada
Bobcat (Photo by Gary Kramer, courtesy of USFWS)
When it comes to big cats, many people may think of the iconic tigers of Asia or the lions of Africa. But did you know that we have three wild cat species found in Canada? All of Canada’s wild cats need large, interconnected habitats. The...
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...
Wallowing: More than scratching an itch for plains bison
Bison at Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area (Photo by Jason Bantle)
Have you ever had an itch that you just couldn’t scratch? Needed to cool down on a hot summer day in the Prairies? Want a new way to show off to the ladies? If you answered yes to any of these questions, have you tried simply rolling around...
Unlikely animal pairings: Part two
Brown-headed cowbird (Photo by David Dodd CC BY-NC)
This is part two of a two-part series on unlikely animal pairings. Check out part one, the hunting partnership between an American badger and a coyote, here. Another unlikely animal partnership features a bird that is known to take advantage of...
Unlikely animal pairings: Part one
Coyote (Photo by Paul Turbitt)
Have you ever seen the internet stories entitled “unlikely animal friends”? Usually, they are stories about a dog and a cat that sleep together, but sometimes they are about more exotic couplings, like an ostrich and a giraffe, or a...
