Stories from stewards of the land: The Cuzen property (Part One)
Periwinkle (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)
I have had many positive interactions with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) over the years. It is surely one of my favourite nature groups to volunteer with. You see, I have no formal educational background in botany or environmental studies...
8 for 8: Celebrating International Women's Day at NCC
Prairie rose (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
To celebrate International Women's Day on March 8, 2016, I asked biologist Marie-Michèle Rousseau-Clair to answer eight questions about her work at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), along with what led her to her current role as...
Invasive species and the steward's role
Phragmites (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)
More and more land is being conserved these days by various conservation groups. This is a good thing, but coming with that is a responsibility to protect and manage that land. Unless there are local offices, the most efficient way to carry out...
Birdie num nums
Black-capped chickadee (Photo by Paul Turbitt)
You're not going to believe me. I'm going to tell a story with a crazy little hook and you're going to tell me I'm making it up (even after I show you the photos) or making a big deal out of nothing. But it is a big deal, so here goes. A couple...
Nice habitats, but not for humans
A brightly-coloured mushroom in an alder thicket in the Chignecto Isthmus, NB (Photo by Joanna Hudgins)
As a Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) intern, I spent many days this past summer strolling along beaches that rival the Caribbean for their beauty. Not all days could be like that, of course, so some days I hiked (or rather, scrambled) through...
The Traills at Rice Lake
A view of the former home of Canadian author Catharine Parr Traill taken on Friday, September 19, 2014 on Smith Rd. in Lakefield. (Photo by Clifford Skarstedt/Peterborough Examiner/QMI Agency)
Ontarians usually associate Catharine Parr Traill with her book, The Backwoods of Canada. Those backwoods were located near Lakefield where she and her husband Thomas first pioneered on land just to the south of what is now Lakefield College...
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign!
Group photo at Fishing Lake, ON (Photo by Nick Tardif)
It was the Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign Conservation Volunteers event at The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Fishing Lake property in the Frontenac Arch Natural Area. We were there, on time, and rearing to go. There were six...
The Hunger Games' new Tributes (of nature)
Grizzly bear (Painting by David Arrigo) represents one of the several Canadian animals you can sponsor this holiday season.
Welcome to the Nature Conservancy of Canada's (NCC’s) Hunger Games! This year there are six tributes battling it out for Canada’s pledges. In honour of the underground District, here are 13 tweetable facts about NCC’s annual...
It’s nice to be on a little island: Reflections from the NCC 2015 Sandy Point cleanup
The shores of Sandy Point. (Photo by Kim Olson)
It’s nice to be on a little island. That was one sentiment shared by a Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Conservation Volunteer at the annual Sandy Point cleanup; one that seemed to be shared by the dozen volunteers who joined that day. We...
Riverbank rescue!
Riverbank Rescue CV event in Crowsnest Pass, AB (Photo by Angela Luck)
The Crowsnest Pass holds a special place in my heart. Whether I’m overnight backpacking with my children to enjoy the serenity of Window Mountain Lake, bird watching in the Alison Creek area, peacefully kayaking around Crowsnest Lake or fly...