Five of nature's most fascinating families
Pod of orcas (Photo by Robin Agrarwhal CC BY-NC)
If you thought human families were the only relatives with complex relationships, think again. In honour of Family Day, check out some of the animal kingdom’s fascinating families below: Orcas Orcas (also known as killer whales) are...
A trip to dive for
Diving next to the Cozumel sign (Photo by Stephen Mancuso)
Last November, I went to Cozumel, Mexico, on a scuba diving trip. This Caribbean island is a diver’s paradise and is renowned for its crystal clear, aqua-coloured waters, pristine coral reefs and drift diving, a type of scuba diving where...
Wetlands in the Frontenac Arch
A wetland in the Frontenac Arch, ON (Photo by NCC)
Late last autumn, I was travelling with a friend through the Frontenac Arch. For me, this is a daily occurrence, but I sometimes forget that other people don’t see forests, lakes and wetlands on their morning commutes. It’s always a...
Installing a pond leveller for beavers
Wetland at the Kallal property, AB (Photo by NCC)
It was a crisp October morning and a thin layer of ice covered the surface of the wetlands as we drove out to the Kallal property. This site, located 40 minutes east of Edmonton in the Beaver Hills, was purchased by the Nature Conservancy of...
Pikas and their islands in the Rockies
American pika (Photo by Allison Haskell)
What’s your favourite animal? It’s a common question for many of us with a fascination for wildlife and a passion for conserving the natural world around us. When I answer that my favourite species is American pika, some people are...
A cozy nest for a common gartersnake
Common gartersnake (Photo by Hugo Tremblay-CERFO)
You won’t be surprised to hear that my fellow scientists spend a lot of time in the field in the spring and summer (for species inventories, invasive species control, property monitoring, etc.), but when the snow flies and temperatures drop...
A city for nature lovers
Downtown Vancouver (Photo by Adam Hunter/NCC staff)
Last September I travelled to Vancouver, BC. It was my first time on Canada’s West Coast, and I was really impressed. While I enjoyed exploring the city itself, it was the nature activities that really stood out for me. Stanley...
Antlers of the East: Tracking the decline of the Atlantic-Gaspésie caribou (part one)
Woodland caribou at the summit of Mont Jacques-Cartier, tallest among the Chic Choc Mountains of Gaspésie National Park, QC. (Photo by Zack Metcalfe)
It was August 18, 2017, when I gained the summit of Mont Jacques-Cartier, an alpine peak of shattered stone and meagre vegetation some 1,270 metres above Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula. Several stones were organized into mounds, marking the...
A world without wetlands
Brighton Wetland, Eastern Lake Ontario Coast (Photo by David Coulson)
I live next to a swamp. After 20 years of having this swamp as my neighbour, it’s kind of grown on me. I enjoy the spring flush of marsh marigolds, the annual reawakening of spring peepers, and I still smile when I see a colourful wood duck...
Digging deep into Groundhog Day
Groundhog (Photo by Cephas/Wikimedia Commons)
Groundhog Day is a tradition that has always been dear to my heart, probably because it also falls on my birthday. Even though I’m not a groundhog, my family and friends used to tease me by saying that if I didn’t see my shadow on my...
