Heard it from a Scout: Five summer camping safety tips
Scouts with their camping gear (Photo by Scouts Canada)
Summer is officially underway, and with it comes prime camping season. Scouting is all about connecting with nature and experiencing the exhilaration and challenge of outdoor adventures, such as hiking, rock climbing, paddle sports and, of course,...
From office to woods: NCC’s 2018 National office field trip
NCC National and Ontario staff at annual field trip, Backus Woods, ON (Photo by NCC)
On May 25, many Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) National office staff visited our Backus Woods property in Norfolk County, Ontario, for our annual staff field trip. I’ve been working for NCC for almost two years and this was my second...
NCC staff’s small acts of conservation
Wild bergamot being visited by a bee fly (Photo by Diana Bizecki Robson)
When it comes to nature conservation, a little can go a long way. Small-scale conservation efforts can have a huge impact and help ensure that we and future generations can enjoy our precious natural spaces. This spring, the Nature Conservancy of...
A thank you to a “fun” dad
My dad and me when I was 14 (Photo courtesy of Logan Salm/NCC intern)
There is something romantic about the solitude of nature. The sense of seclusion and the interconnectedness with the world around you is indescribable. I enjoy the proverbial “call of the wild” to be alone in nature as much as anyone,...
Nature-inspired gifts for Father's Day
Father and child by the lake (Photo by Laubenstein Karen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Wikimedia Commons)
Father’s Day is just around the corner. If you're still on the hunt for something special to show your appreciation, why not give these nature-inspired gifts some thought? 1. For the gardener Help your dad introduce some plants with...
Bunchberry Meadows: The sweet city escape
Bunchberry Meadows entrance (Photo by NCC)
In May, I moved from my hometown of Ottawa, Ontario, to Edmonton, Alberta, to start my new summer job with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). With no friends or family there and little to no knowledge of the area, it was the beginning of my...
One million steps: A hike to honour the legacy of conservation (Part two)
Snow-covered trail sign at Hockley Valley, ON (Photo by Dan Kraus/NCC staff)
Hiking north, we crossed the height of land that defines the watershed between Lake Ontario and Lake Huron. This landscape includes Hockley Valley and Mono Cliffs, provincial parks I had only rarely visited in the past. Over a century ago, much of...
One million steps: A hike to honour the legacy of conservation (Part one)
Rockway Conservation Area, a conservation area that NCC helped the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority protect in the 1970s. (Photo by Chris Knaggs)
I’ve been working at my dream job at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) for 15 years. In addition to the deep satisfaction of lasting conservation impacts, NCC is also a great place to work. One of the opportunities NCC provides is that...
Why I spent Mother’s Day 200 miles away from my daughter
Kayla Burak with her daughter (Photo courtesy of Kayla Burak)
It was Mother’s Day weekend and I was hundreds of kilometres from my daughter, my back was sore, my hands hurt, but I was happy. I spent the day helping a group of Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) staff and Conservation Volunteers plant...
Forest landmarks: A guide down memory lane
Backus Woods, Ontario (Photo by NCC)
There's something very personal about landmarks. The features in a forest that you learn to navigate by ― turn left at this weird looking branch, go just past that spot where you saw a barred owl last year ― might not jump out to you. Memories of...
