Top 10 invasive species to stop this summer
Man fishing in New Brunswick (Photo by NCC)
Our Canadian summers are short and fleeting. Warm and sunny days are best spent enjoying the outdoors and connecting with nature. While you are out exploring nature’s wonders, you can also help control the spread of invasive...
Emblems of Canada: bird edition
Blue jay (Photo by Gregg Williams)
Right at our doorstep is one of the most fascinating and watched creatures in Canada: our flying feathered friends. There is nothing that says, or better yet, sings nature than the sound of birds. While many birds call Canada home year-round, our...
Sharks? In Canada?
Great white shark (Photo by Terry Goss/Wikimedia Commons)
Do you really know what’s swimming in Canada’s oceans? When most people think of sharks, they usually associate them with tropical environments. However, you may be surprised to learn that Canada’s oceans have a great diversity...
If you build it, they will come: Black bear dens on Vancouver Island
An example of the purpose-built den pods (Photo courtesy of Helen Davis)
For 26 years, I have been captivated by black bears and where they spend their winters. It all started with my masters of science research project in the Nimpkish Valley on Vancouver Island. I’ve been to lots and lots of dens ― usually in...
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...
Heard it from a Scout: Wonderful wetlands
Forested wetlands in summer (Photo by Mary Gartshore)
Wetlands are a pivotal part of Canada’s environment. They play a vital role in maintaining the natural balance of ecosystems. Wetlands are areas of land that become submerged or saturated with water either year-round or throughout part of...
Conserving Canada's grasslands
Pronghorn antelope, Old Man on His Back (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
There are many reasons why grasslands are endangered in Canada and around the world. Globally, grasslands are faced with continuing habitat loss, fragmentation and desertification. These impact both biodiversity and people who rely on healthy...
An emblem worthy of a mother’s love
Pink lady's-slipper, ON (Photo by NCC)
Every Mother’s Day, I buy my mom her favourite chocolates and a bouquet of fresh flowers. This may seem like an easy-out gift for this day, but I’ve yet to come across a mother who doesn’t love flowers. Mine loves yellow...
The Swishwash Island bioblitz
L-R: Shannon, Robin and Dave (Photo courtesy of BCIT students)
We are three students in our final year of the fish, wildlife and recreation program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. We were excited to choose Swishwash Island for our final research project because it gave us the opportunity to...
Himalayan blackberry and English holly and Japanese knotweed…oh my!
East bank of Centre Creek overrun by dense Himalayan blackberry (Photo by Lynn Pinnell)
As part of my bachelor’s degree at the University of British Columbia, I had the honour of doing an independent research project with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). For the project, I mapped all occurrences of invasive species at...
