On discovering Ontario’s tallest tree
Standing with Ontario's tallest pine (Photo by NCC)
Nature does not thank us for protecting nature reserves. But left to its own devices, it does offer up hidden rewards and ecological gifts for us to discover. We just found one of these natural gems in a Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC)...
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...
Moths and butterflies: What we're doing to help these little-known pollinators
Sphinx moth (Photo © Manitoba Museum)
Bees are well known for their ability to pollinate flowers but there are other pollinators out there, including moths and butterflies. Moths pollinate flowers both during the day and at night. This summer, Nature Conservancy (NCC) staff will be...
Why I volunteer with the Nature Conservancy of Canada
Ellen and Heidi explore a crevice in the alvar landscape (Photo courtesy of Ellen Weatherbee)
The combination of being a botanist and owning land on Cockburn Island has been a natural fit for doing work with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). I have concentrated on doing what I do best — surveying the plants and their...
Reflections on James L. Baillie
James Baillie (Photo courtesy of Bird Studies Canada)
Whenever I see reference to Bird Studies Canada’s James L. Baillie Memorial Fund for Bird Research and Preservation, I think about my friendship with Jim Baillie and feel privileged to have known him for so many years. I wanted to share my...
Le petit polatouche : mon animal canadien favori
Southern flying squirrel (Photo by Judy Frederick)
Le petit polatouche est un mammifère nocturne, vivant au Québec et en Ontario, principalement autour des grands lacs. Petit rongeur semblable à l’écureuil, il est très à l’aise dans les arbres...
An inordinate fondness for weasels
Fisher, Clear Creek, Riding Mountain Aspen Parkland Natural Area, Manitoba (Photo by NCC)
I suppose I’ve always been a cheerleader for the underdog so it’s only logical that I am a fan of the Fisher (Mustela pennanti). Weighing between seven and 13 pounds, fishers are the second-largest of North American weasels. Like their...
A call to nature conservation
Cold Creek Stewardship receiving a cheque for improvements to the CA building at Benjamin Moore Award presentation. (Photo by Bill Wilson)
I have been involved in nature conservation since 1964 — as a student, as a professional and as a volunteer. During ny 25 years with the Ontario Civil Service, it became evident to me that we all need to lend a hand in protecting and...
Return of the raven: What the rewilding of southern Canada teaches us
Common raven (Photo by pcb21, Wikimedia Commons)
Thanks to a bird, I recently needed to change the ring tone on my mobile phone. My ring had long been the classic call of the common raven — a deep gurgling croak that reminded me of being in wilder places. Places such as the northern shores...
