Tales of recovery: Greater short-horned lizard
Greater short-horned lizard. (Photo by Leta Pezderic/NCC staff)
I’ve been lucky to have seen many reptiles that are at risk in Canada. I started my ecological career at Point Pelee National Park counting Blanding’s turtles and map turtles. I’ve seen queen snakes poke their heads through the...
Mhairi’s bird of the day: Lesser scaup
Lesser scaup (Photo by Christian Artuso, CC BY-NC-ND-4.0)
Spotted on March 24, 2020 Lesser scaup Aythya affinis Aythya: from aithuia in ancient Greek, meaning “seabird” Affinis: “related to” in Latin Some birds are easy to identify at a glance, and some are fairly easy with a...
Tales of recovery: Pronghorn
Pronghorn antelope, Old Man on His Back (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
Ask a Canadian to name the fastest land animal in the world. Even if they have never watched a nature documentary, they probably know it’s the cheetah. But most Canadians don’t know the planet’s second fastest animal, even though...
Reconnecting the wild: Ensuring safe passage through animal road crossings
Deer crossing road (Photo by Steven Coffey on Unsplash)
From Victoria to St. John’s, the Trans-Canada Highway stretches across 8,030 kilometres of landscape in Canada. While it covers a lot of ground, it also fractures many habitats that are home to a variety of animals. Deer, moose, bears and...
10 awesome nature documentaries to help pass the time
Grey wolf (Photo by Gary Kramer, courtesy of USFWS)
As we self-isolate, social distance and find new ways to connect with friends and family, now has never been a better time to learn more about nature. While Blue Planet and Planet Earth are obvious go-tos, we’re sharing some other awesome...
Tricks in disguise: Fools and facts in nature
Self-portrait of a Celebes crested macaque female (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)
A friendly exchange of practical jokes and hoaxes often poses no harm, especially on such a day as April Fools’ Day. But there are some real tricksters in nature that will fool even the most attentive eyes and ears. On April Fools’...
Look for these first signs of spring across Canada
Red-winged blackbird (Photo by Bill Hubick)
With the springing forward of our clocks and the increased daylight, many Canadians are getting antsy for the arrival of spring. What can be more delightful than noticing the little signs that signal the arrival of a new season, such as the...
50 bird species and the sounds that they make
Tufted titmouse (Photo by Jocelyn Anderson, Wikimedia Commons)
While many of the birds included are not native to Canada (but may be present as farm animals, pets or invasive species), it is still enriching to listen to birds from around the globe. Some examples of native Canadian birds on the infographic are...
Don’t forget to brake for snakes
The western rattlesnake. (Photo by Stephanie Winton)
The Okanagan Valley, a hot spot for many at-risk species, is located in the south-central Southern Interior region of British Columbia. It is home to 185 wineries, many golf courses and fruit orchards, and an incredibly diverse landscape that...
Meet your butterfly neighbours
Great spangled fritillary butterfly (Photo by Monica Seidel)
Did you know that there are over 300 butterfly species in Canada, with 150 in Ontario alone? While most people are familiar with the iconic monarch and swallowtail butterflies, there are many other species fluttering around that would love to meet...
