If you conserve it, they will come
Swift fox in southern Alberta (Photo by NCC)
A den of swift foxes, a species once extirpated (locally extinct) in Canada, was recently discovered on a Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) conservation site in southeast Alberta. The discovery of this den is proof that the work that...
Get to know 10 of Canada’s most significant (and big!) natural areas
(Photo by iStock)
Large, intact natural areas are home to Canada’s most valuable ecosystems. These spaces are key to our quality of life. Canada’s forests, grasslands, wetlands and coastal areas absorb carbon dioxide, provide buffers for flooding,...
What the heck is a neotenic salamander?
Lemon-yellow prehistoric-looking creature that I later found out to be a western tiger salamander (Photo by Sherry Nigro)
My dad told me about it during a phone call. A neighbour had discovered some weird, not-seen-here-before creatures in his dugout. Bright yellow ones, dark ones, some with frills around their necks like miniature dinosaurs; these creatures were...
Obituary for a curlew
An Eskimo curlew taxidermy is likely the only way to see this species in the flesh nowadays. (Photo taken at the Royal Ontario Museum by Dan Kraus/NCC staff)
It’s probably unusual to think about writing an obituary for a bird. But the story of the Eskimo curlew recently led me to do just that: Eskimo curlew (Numenius borealis), after a long battle with market hunting and habitat loss, passed...
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,...
10 facts about Saskatchewan's species
Wideview, SK (Photo by Bill Armstong)
Located right in the middle of Canada, Saskatchewan is full of amazing species and ecosystems. To celebrate the prairie province, here are 10 amazing facts about species that you can find in Saskatchewan. 1. Prairie aerial acrobatics Songbirds...
Taking time for turtles
Blanding's turtle (Photo by Megan Quinn/NCC staff)
If you’ve been lucky enough to visit the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) beautiful eastern Ontario properties, you’ll know that they’re mostly made up of two things: large stretches of forest and seemingly...
Sharks? In Canada?
Great white shark (Photo by Terry Goss/Wikimedia Commons)
Do you really know what’s swimming in Canada’s oceans? When most people think of sharks, they usually associate them with tropical environments. However, you may be surprised to learn that Canada’s oceans have a great diversity...
The great Canadian lizard hunt
Eastern short-horned lizard (Photo by Leta Pezderic/NCC staff)
One of the privileges that come with working for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the opportunity to explore some of our country’s most endangered ecosystems and — if you’re lucky enough — encounter some of the...
So you think you can...mate? Bird edition (Part two)
Greater sage-grouse (Photo by Gordon Sherman © Audubon Canyon Ranch)
The plight of many grassland species, and species at risk in general, has been treated in depth or at least mentioned often over the past few years, including in Land Lines (e.g. “Why Canada’s prairies are the world’s most...
