Alberta's ranching evolution (Part One)
Boholomec Ranch, Crowsnest Pass (Photo by NCC)
For me, there is something about the Canadian prairies. It’s not where I originally came from, but when I moved west to Saskatchewan and Alberta from Ontario some 36 years ago, they just took me in, and I knew I could not ever stop living...
Something's Fishy: Picking on pike
Northern pike (Photo by Dirk Godlinski)
There is a special day in every fisherman and -woman’s life where they reel in a fish that gives them a one-way ticket into the big players' club. Freshwater anglers across Canada dream of encountering these beasts, some adult species...
Badlands in Canada
Horseshoe Canyon (Photo by NCC)
As a child, almost all of my family holidays were spent packing up the camper and heading west from Edmonton to go camping in the mountains. As a result, I viewed Alberta predominantly as a province of trees, mountains, lakes and foothills. This...
Conserving Canada's natural capital
Lusicich, Crowsnest Pass, AB (Photo by NCC)
It might be hard to imagine that there's a close connection between my job as an economist at TD and my passion for the great outdoors — camping, hiking and canoeing being among my favourite pursuits. But there is. Over the past two years,...
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...
The Beaver Hills Moraine: A distinctive Alberta landscape
Human development on the hummocky moraine. (Photo by Beaver Hills Initiative)
The Beaver Hills Initiative (BHI) is made up of a group of more than 30 volunteer partner organizations, including representatives from all three levels of government, the science and academic community, residents, industry and non-government...
Bombs away...Seed bombs, that is!
Volunteer throwing seed bombs into experimental test plot at Conservation Volunteers event in Alberta. (Photo by NCC)
Do you have a patch of hard–to-reach garden space? What about an exposed piece of earth that you’d like to restore to native vegetation? Or perhaps you are simply looking for an enjoyable, hands-on activity for you and your family to...
My "toad"-ally neat experience in the Crowsnest Pass
Columbia spotted frog at "Calling all Amphibians" CV event, Frayn Property, AB (Photo by NCC)
Did you know there are only 10 amphibian species native to Alberta? I, too, was surprised to learn this. Although I have known basic facts about frogs and toads since I was in elementary school, like how they have a tadpole phase and prefer wet...
Pronghorns: A sure-footed alarm whistle for Canada's Prairies
Pronghorn antelope, Old Man on His Back (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
Growing up on a ranch in the short-grass prairie region of southern Alberta, I had early exposure to the natural world and some of Canada’s most unique and charismatic wildlife species. From the resilient coyote, to the secretive badger, the...
The swift fox: A conservation success story
Swift fox (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
Although I work as the Nature Conservancy of Canada's (NCC's) conservation coordinator responsible for the area in Alberta where swift foxes now live, I have never seen a wild one myself. These are elusive creatures. I did see several being...
