Emblems of Canada: tree edition
![Red maple (Photo by Jean Isaacs)](https://www.natureconservancy.ca/assets/images/species/plant/Red_Maple_Jean_Isaacs.jpg)
Red maple (Photo by Jean Isaacs)
Trees have played a significant cultural role in the lives of many Canadians; they are engrained in our national identity. Take the Canadian flag, for instance. It features a single, prominent red maple leaf in the centre, which speaks to the...
Tackling invasive European common reed
![Me on a six-foot ladder amidst European common reed, to illustrate its height and density. (Photo by Courtney Robichaud)](https://www.natureconservancy.ca/assets/images/blog/Rooney_Robichaud_Ladder-profile.jpg)
Me on a six-foot ladder amidst European common reed, to illustrate its height and density. (Photo by Courtney Robichaud)
The highs and lows of monitoring the large-scale suppression of Phragmites australis spp. australis My field crew and I are covered in scratches. I’m a PhD student studying the recovery of native vegetation after invasive species control,...
Grandparents in the natural world
![Old-growth forest (Photo by NCC)](https://www.natureconservancy.ca/assets/images/blog/old-growth-forest-photo-by-ncc-thumb.jpg)
Old-growth forest (Photo by NCC)
I often find similarity in the structure of human society and in nature's ecosystems. Reflecting on how our community is comprised of people from all walks and stages of life, I can’t help but think the same about forests. As Grandparents...
So you’ve acquired a property. Now what? (part two)
![Invasive dog-strangling vine (Photo by NCC)](https://www.natureconservancy.ca/assets/images/blog/invasive-dsv-ncc-thumb.jpg)
Invasive dog-strangling vine (Photo by NCC)
In my previous blog, I defined the term baseline inventory, described the behind-the-scenes planning stages, and laid out how we classify vegetation communities on the ground. Read on to find out what other important data we collect in the field,...
Monarch migration reflections
![One of the millions of monarchs I saw in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán, Mexico (Photo by Alberto Becerra)](https://www.natureconservancy.ca/assets/images/blog/IMG_6900-monarch-thumb.jpg)
One of the millions of monarchs I saw in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán, Mexico (Photo by Alberto Becerra)
I am an immigrant to this country, as are most people across this diverse continent with such a complex history. In fact, all who are not indigenous to this land are immigrants. When I was just a toddler, my family and I immigrated to Canada from...
Terminarch: Making music out of birdsong
![Sage thrasher (Photo by Dick Cannings)](https://www.natureconservancy.ca/assets/images/species/bird/Sage-Thrasher-Dick-Cannings-thumb.jpg)
Sage thrasher (Photo by Dick Cannings)
One of the best things about composing music for the concert hall is that inspiration can come from just about anywhere. My latest work, Terminarch, is a 10-minute piece for a quartet of percussionists based on the birdsong of 12 endangered...
Rooting myself in restoration
![All smiles after a full day in the field at the Napanee Plain Alvar Nature Reserve, cutting back sumac and prickly ash to improve the habitat quality for eastern loggerhead shrike. (Photo by Samantha Ceci)](https://www.natureconservancy.ca/assets/images/blog/sc-1-thumb.jpg)
All smiles after a full day in the field at the Napanee Plain Alvar Nature Reserve, cutting back sumac and prickly ash to improve the habitat quality for eastern loggerhead shrike. (Photo by Samantha Ceci)
My career in the field of ecosystem restoration has begun to sprout, thanks to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). It all began with an email last year, where I inquired about volunteering for NCC. I was interested in shifting gears in my...
Grasslands: Climate change’s unsuspecting heroes
![Napanee Plain Alvar Nature Reserve, ON (Photo by Vincent Luk & Evermaven)](https://www.natureconservancy.ca/assets/images/blog/Napanee-Plain-Alvar-Nature-Reserve_Vincent-Luk-Evermaven-thumb.jpg)
Napanee Plain Alvar Nature Reserve, ON (Photo by Vincent Luk & Evermaven)
Carbon is the backbone of life on Earth. It makes up everything we do, everything we eat, and it even makes us up. Carbon is stored in different reservoirs, which broadly include land, water and the atmosphere. Carbon cycles from one reservoir to...
Where the river stops: Why habitat connectivity is critical for healthy fish populations across Canada
![Spawning Chinook salmon (Photo by Fish On in the Yukon)](https://www.natureconservancy.ca/assets/images/species/aquatic/chinook-salmon-fish-on-in-the-yukon-thumb.jpg)
Spawning Chinook salmon (Photo by Fish On in the Yukon)
Before you read any further, stop and think about a fish migrating up a river. Chances are that fish is a salmon and that river is in BC. There’s good reason that salmon in BC have come to symbolize fish migration. The return of millions of...
Restore it and they will come
![Henslow's sparrow (Photo by Adam Timpf)](https://www.natureconservancy.ca/assets/images/blog/HESP_1_Y-Adam-Timpf-thumb.jpg)
Henslow's sparrow (Photo by Adam Timpf)
One spring day last year, I was doing what I always do: walking the family dog and noting on my ebird app what birds were around. This daily ritual exercises the dog and allows me to collect data on what birds and wildlife are inhabiting our farm...