Restore it and they will come
Henslow's sparrow (Photo by Adam Timpf)
One spring day last year, I was doing what I always do: walking the family dog and noting on my ebird app what birds were around. This daily ritual exercises the dog and allows me to collect data on what birds and wildlife are inhabiting our farm...
World Wildlife Day: The impossible eagle
Bald eagle (Photo by Keith Mombour)
I have many memories of wildlife firsts. There’s a vivid memory of seeing my first white-tailed deer peering through the woods as I peered back through the school bus window. And I can still see the eyes of my first up-close encounter with a...
Perfectly perfect perfection...not!
Seeding the field in one of the few not so “slurpy” spots. (Photo by NCC)
Imagine the perfect day in the field. A day where the sky is clear and blue. The sun is warm, but not too warm. A cool breeze wisps across your face, leaving you feeling refreshed and comfortable. The birds are singing, and the butterflies are...
Team work really does make the dream work: A toast to my co-workers
Six staffers and volunteers, 200 shrubs, five hours. Team work really does make the dream work. (Photo by NCC)
I’ve always said that I have the best co-workers, and this fall, they proved my point again. As an engagement manager with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), I feel like I’m always asking for help at volunteer and engagement...
Celebrating wetland conservation: NAWCA turns 30
Picturesque Cherry Meadows, BC (Photo by Carol Latter)
This month, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) turns 30. Passed on December 13, 1989, NAWCA is one of the most successful pieces of conservation legislation in U.S. history. Under the Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service...
Celebrating our Conservation Volunteers
Volunteer with tray of seedlings at Goulding West property, Ontario (Photo by Neil Ever Osborne)
Every December 5, on International Volunteer Day, the United Nations recognizes volunteers worldwide for their efforts and celebrates the impact they are making toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals —17 global goals set by the...
Conservation on a budget
Lake Erie Farms (Photo by NCC)
This spring, conservation staff from the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) contributed to a study that looked at the most cost-efficient ways to monitor restoration success in Ontario. So what, you may ask? Let me back up a bit and provide some...
A glimpse of the past: Using historic maps to guide land management
Historic land survey outlining the store house and fort site at NCC’s Fort Ellice property in MB (Photo by Manitoba Archives 2019)
The Prairie provinces, like much of agricultural Canada, look vastly different than they did before European settlement. During the development of Western Canada, forests were cleared, wetlands drained and grasslands plowed in an effort to settle...
Reforestation breathes fresh air into efforts against climate change
Forests are a vital part of our fight against climate change. (Photo by NCC)
When you think of Saskatchewan, your first thoughts probably go to flat cropland, rolling grasslands, sunsets and open horizons — and not forests. In reality, our prairie province is actually more than 50 per cent forested. In fact, boreal...
Meadows for Monarchs
Meadows for Monarchs event participants (Photo by NCC)
If you thought you saw more monarchs flitting about last summer and fall, you were right. Monarch Watch reported that 2018 was a good year for the iconic orange and black butterfly, thanks to a combination of aggressive conservation efforts in...
