Why Canada needs to be a global leader in the protection of fresh water
Black Bay, Lake Superior, ON (Photo by Costal Productions)
It’s a luxury to not think about water. Most Canadians watch it flow from the faucet and go down the drain without considering its source or destination. When we do think about water, it’s only about where the nearest tap is. Many...
Nature Destinations: Alfred-Kelly Nature Reserve
Alfred-Kelly Nature Reserve, QC (Photo by NCC)
The Alfred-Kelly nature reserve is an oasis within an area where residential development is rapidly increasing. The nature reserve is named for an ornithologist who, in 1983, donated his property in Piedmont to Bird Protection Quebec (Protection...
Sky-high conservation and other unique internship experiences this summer
Logan Salm and Breanna Silversides taking a pre-flight selfie (Photo by NCC)
The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) summer internship provides an incredible opportunity to experience and learn hands-on about Saskatchewan’s unique and beautiful landscape. This summer, as a geographical information...
Something's Fishy: A whirlwind of a problem
Whirling disease can cause a severe spinal deformity in infected fish (Photo by Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
As I spend most of my free time outdoors, I’ve been fortunate enough to see many great examples of Canadian nature. I have watched a family of deer feeding by a stream in Alberta, seen tracks of several elusive mammal species, such as...
Understanding how roads affect wildlife in the Chignecto Isthmus
Documenting roadkill helps me investigate the interactions between wildlife and roads in the Chignecto Isthmus (Photo by NCC)
Whenever I talk to people about my summer field work, I am often initially met with expressions of disgust or sadness. The knee-jerk reactions are not surprising. I work very closely with everyone’s least favourite summer road trip sight:...
Emerald city
Hine's emerald dragonfly at Minesing Wetlands, ON (Photo by Chris Evans)
Whether you are hiding from the summer heat in an air-conditioned building or warming up by the fire on a blustery winter evening, you will surely agree that Canada’s climate is quite variable. From hot, dry summers to cold, snowy winters,...
Top 10 invasive species to stop this summer
Man fishing in New Brunswick (Photo by NCC)
Our Canadian summers are short and fleeting. Warm and sunny days are best spent enjoying the outdoors and connecting with nature. While you are out exploring nature’s wonders, you can also help control the spread of invasive...
Where are they now? Intern Alumni Spotlight: Megan Lafferty
Megan Lafferty (Photo by Brian Yungblut)
This blog is the first in a series of stories highlighting some of the individuals who have interned with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). Follow along as I interview NCC’s Conservation Intern alumni from across the country, and...
When shorebirds and super moons collide
Flock in flight at Johnson's Mills, NB (Photo by NCC)
The moon on July 12 was a super moon, a time when the new or full moon is at its closest point in its elliptical orbit to Earth. Super moons appear brighter and larger than regular moons, thus their nickname. This summer, the unusually high tides...
When hope flies home: What the recovery of the peregrine falcon teaches us about endangered species
Peregrine falcon, ON (Photo by Brian Ratcliff)
There was a time when I never thought I’d see a peregrine falcon. I grew up in the 1970s, a time when the peregrine falcon was a poster species for wildlife loss. Hinterland Who’s Who told me it was already gone from eastern Canada,...