Habitat mosaic: Finding Toronto’s wild side
Prairie rose (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
“The spring has sprung, the grass is rizz. I wonder where them birdies is?” ~ Winnie the Pooh Of course spring is just around the bend (officially one day away, if you’re counting) and with it, the city’s fauna will...
The majestic leatherback sea turtle
Propelling through the water on a relentless journey (Photo by Canadian Sea Turtle Network)
When most of us think of turtles, we think of the little painted turtles that can be seen bathing in the sun’s rays on a summer afternoon on the edge of a pond or lake. Many may not be aware that here in Nova Scotia we have a frequent...
The swift fox: A conservation success story
Swift fox (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
Although I work as the Nature Conservancy of Canada's (NCC's) conservation coordinator responsible for the area in Alberta where swift foxes now live, I have never seen a wild one myself. These are elusive creatures. I did see several being...
Principles for ensuring healthy and productive freshwater ecosystems that support sustainable fisheries
Smallmouth bass (Photo by USFWS, Eric Engbritson)
As a postdoctoral fellow at Carleton University, I led the development of a review paper by a group of leading Canadian freshwater researchers. Our aim was to provide a summary of the best available science on freshwater ecosystems to guide...
Year of the Horse: The wild horses of Sable Island
Sable Island horses (Photo by Bill Freedman)
According to the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, the year of the horse begins on January 31. In related mythology, this fine animal is viewed as being bright, capable, energetic, intelligent, and warm-hearted, which are attributes that...
Of bugs and slugs: Pint-sized citizen scientist discovers a strange blue slug, far from home
Blue-grey taildropper (Photo courtesy of Habitat Acquisition Trust)
My seven-year-old son Malcolm was excited about going on the Slug & Snail Walk at Chase Woods. He loves hiking, and I hadn’t the heart to tell him that there likely wouldn’t be a lot of actual hiking on this field trip. Slugs and...
