Restoring Waterways at Black Bay
Black Bay, Lake Superior, ON (Photo by Costal Productions)
Growing up in Ontario, I have seen many diverse natural areas, but the North Shore of Lake Superior boasts the most beautiful landscapes and habitats I have ever experienced. And I am grateful to have helped protect and rehabilitate some of these...
Scaling-up restoration
Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, ON (Photo Chelsea Marcantonio/NCC Staff)
“We can do something big here.” That was my thought in spring 2011 when I looked across the rolling, sandy hills of what would become the Hazel Bird Nature Reserve in Ontario. At that time, I had been with the Nature Conservancy of...
Experiencing Canada’s prairie grasslands for the first time
Tall grass prairie in Manitoba (Photo by Jessica Sánchez-Jasso)
Colourful, surprising and full of life, grasslands of the Canadian Prairies are one of a kind. My first visit there deepened my passion for biology and reminded me why I fell in love with this field. From my earliest memories, I can recall...
Twelve Mile Creek: Niagara’s last remaining cold-water habitat
View of lower pond and adjacent embankment crest at Lathrop Nature Preserve, ON (Photo by Noel Boucher/ NCC)
In the urban landscape of Niagara, Ontario, lies a hidden gem: Twelve Mile Creek. This stream holds significant importance as the last remaining cold-water habitat in the region, serving as a critical lifeline for native species, including brook...
A blazing start: Restoring habitat with a prescribed burn
Prescribed burn at Upper Big Creek Block of Norfolk County, ON (Photo by NCC)
How is burning a form of restoration and how does it work? Prescribed burns can be used for many different purposes: they can remove invasive species in an ecosystem, remove undergrowth on the forest floor, create new habitat for wildlife, provide...
From dead trees to a living creek
Volunteers and staff on the wing deflector. (Photo by Andrea Moreau/NCC staff)
In the Minesing Wetlands, an internationally significant wetland just west of Barrie, dead coniferous trees are bringing new life to Willow Creek. This July, I got to see it for myself when I tagged along to a Conservation Volunteers event. Prior...
When it comes to wetland restoration and maximizing soil carbon storage, location matters
A day in the field at the Long Point Biosphere Reserve (Photo by Amanda Loder)
As appreciation from the public grows for the ecological and cultural values of wetlands, there is increasing demand to bring back those wetlands that have been converted or altered. Wetlands were once widespread across the temperate region of...
A prescription for forest health
Plantation rows in Southern Norfolk Sand Plain, ON (Photo by NCC)
When you think of a healthy, thriving forest, do you think of a straight lines of trees, all the same size, all the same species? Probably not. While tree plantations can be economically important and can provide significant ecological benefits...
A successful day of tree planting at Meeting Lake 03
Volunteers getting a tutorial prior to tree planting (Photo by NCC)
For the sixth straight year, the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Meeting Lake 03 Conservation Volunteers tree planting event brought staff and volunteers together to support forest conservation in Saskatchewan. This is my second...
Putting down roots: How NCC is contributing to 2 Billion Trees
Tree planting at Meeting Lake 03 (Photo by NCC)
When I feel the need to escape into nature, I often travel to my father’s cottage in Sauble Beach, Ontario. Located across the street from the beach, the cottage has stood in place for nearly 100 years. I thoroughly enjoy the cool breezes...
