A pilgrimage to the great Thessalon pine
White Pine (Photo by Bernt Solymar)
When a giant tree falls in the forest, does it make a giant sound? One thing is for sure, when the Giant White Pine of Thessalon collapsed in 1997, it must have scared the heck out of local wildlife. And it would have been really shocking to any...
The Toronto Carrying Place and the Happy Valley Forest
Four Oaks Corner, Happy Valley Forest, ON (Photo by Dr. Henry Barnett)
In my late thirties one day in the halls of the Toronto General Hospital, I was sought out and challenged by the great neurosurgeon Harry Botterell to accept the fact that if I was to be so dedicated and single-minded about neurology and busy in a...
Le jour où je me suis mis à enlacer des arbres
MAXIMISER L’INTERACTION ENTRE L’HUMAIN ET LA NATURE EN ENLAÇANT UN ARBRE (PHOTO DE DAN KRAUS/CNC)
Je dois dire pour commencer que je suis un scientifique; je ne suis pas un hippie. Je ne fais pas brûler d’encens, n’utilise pas des pierres ou de cristaux pour la guérison et je ne porte pas de patchwork. Je conduis une...
I hugged a tree, and I liked it
Maximizing the human/tree interface by tree hugging (Photo by Dan Kraus/NCC staff)
I need to start out by saying that I'm a scientist. I'm not a hippie. I don't burn incense, own healing crystals or wear tie-dye. I drive a car, eat meat and enjoy reading things like updates to the income tax act. And, I'll openly admit I...
A tale of two hawks
Red-tailed hawk (Photo by Bill Hubick)
Each spring the hills of the Happy Valley Forest become the stage for a spectacular aerial ballet. They have a short run over the woods, but if you are lucky you may see the swooping, diving courtship display of red-shouldered hawks. If you miss...
Conversations in the forest: The roots of nature's equanimity
Misty Darkwoods forest, BC (Photo by Bruce Kirkby)
"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see. If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and...
British Columbia’s forest industry today
Orford Bay, BC (Photo courtesy of Interfor)
I grew up hiking and backpacking with my family in British Columbia’s woods. I chose to become a forester because of my inherent desire to take care of the natural environment; I wanted to contribute to the thoughtful management of our...
The woodpecker bubble
Red-headed woodpecker (Photo by D. Fast)
Protected forests are the kingdom of the cavity-dwellers. This is where woodlands grow to an old-growth state, and where dead, damaged or otherwise wonderfully flawed trees take their rightful place in woodland ecology. As a result, nature...
The elephant in the woods
Backus Woods, Ontario (Photo by NCC)
Settled Southern Ontario still has magical places where you can experience the grandeur of wild nature. Backus Woods, just north of Lake Erie’s Long Point, is such a place. This is where forest cycles play out largely as nature intended....
Historical ecology: Probing the mysteries of ancient landscapes
A sunny Garry oak savannah (Photo by Jenny McCune)
A challenge for humans in our attempts to manage ecosystems is that we’re often dealing with beings much longer lived than ourselves. For example, a Douglas-fir tree can live to be 800 years old or more. A century is a long time for a human,...
