In for the kill: Witnessing a top predator in action
Red-tailed hawk (Photo by Bill Hubick)
I remember the first time I saw a predator in action, face-to-face, like it was yesterday. I was 10 years old and had just finished a scrumptious meal at a restaurant in Mississauga, Ontario, with my parents. As my dad was driving out of the...
Celebrating Canadian species: Bald eagle
Bald eagle (Photo by Keith Mombour)
It wasn’t the first time I’d seen a bald eagle. It wasn’t even the first time I’d seen a bald eagle that winter, but it was by far the most emotional. I had recently relocated from Montreal to Victoria, and the constant...
If you wanna be happy, plant trees
Todd Farrell teaches volunteers how to plant trees at Happy Valley Forest, ON (Photo by Mimi Chan)
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time was in fall 2016.” ~ my take on a familiar proverb On this special day, I joined a group of dedicated Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Conservation Volunteers at...
My time with Canada's nature
A leisurely walk with NCC colleagues (Photo by Clement Wong)
Canada is the place where I was born, but I moved to Hong Kong at a young age for the long-term. This summer, I had a valuable chance to come back to my hometown and volunteer with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) to help with stewardship...
Like a moth to a flame
Moth surveying equipment and it looks like it’s working! (Photo by NCC)
Finding a summer job can be stressful for college and university students. Luckily, I got the amazing opportunity to work with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) this summer as a conservation technician. So amazing, actually, that I...
The trash heap doesn't live at Kerr anymore
Group photo at Kerr property (Photo by NCC)
One of the most rewarding parts of working as a conservation technician with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the opportunity to explore NCC’s beautiful and ecologically diverse properties. The Kerr Property in the Frontenac Arch...
Striking Balance: Exploring Canada's biosphere reserves
The crew at Shoderee Ranch at Waterton, with the trusty van. (L-R) - Director of Photography - Ann Tipper, Producer - Yvonne Drebert, Director - Zach Melnick (Photo by Larry Drebert)
Making movies and TV shows is glamorous. Unless of course, you’re making documentary, public television. In that case, you may find yourself driving across the country in a late-model cargo van for weeks, or months at a time; accompanied by...
A UNESCO site in the heart of southwestern Ontario
Backus Woods, Ontario (Photo by NCC)
Backus Woods added to the core of the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve In the heart of the Southern Norfolk Sand Plain Natural Area in southwestern Ontario is a spectacular ancient Carolinian forest: Backus Woods, secured by the Nature...
From prairie to forest: My journey to a new natural area
Tall grass prairie (Photo by Jenna Siu/NCC)
I spent many of my formative years as a field biologist in the Carolinian region of Ontario, which includes Norfolk and the surrounding counties. The fragmented landscape is largely agricultural with bits of restored tallgrass prairie and...
Life in freshwater country: How helping water helps Canada (Part Two)
Bow Lake, AB (Photo by Sarah Boon)
In Part One of this blog I presented an overview of Canada's freshwater resources and the need to protect them for people and nature. Here I will further explain how today’s problems need new solutions. Over the last year the Nature...
