Something's Fishy: The legendary lamprey
The Lamprey, 2. The Pride, 1866 (Illustration by Robert Hamilton)
Anyone who knows me could tell you I’m really into folklore. Fairy tales, spooky stories and legendary accounts of people, places and mystical things have intrigued me for as long as I can remember. I'm also really into fish. So if there is...
The legend of the blue pike: An endangered species tale
Blue pike (Photo by New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation)
Species have come and gone for millennia, but the stories of those species that met their demise due to human activity have an especially strong emotional impact in the field of wildlife conservation. Such is the case concerning the legendary blue...
Stories from stewards of the land: The Cuzen property (Part Two)
Closeup photograph of the pinnae of a sterile frond of the cinnamon fern (Photo by Derek Ramsey, Wikimedia Commons)
In Part One I described how I got intertwined with the Nature Conservancy of Canada's (NCC's) work and my experience at the Cuzen property (the sole property within the Galbraith stewardship project at present). A special part of the Cuzen...
Stories from stewards of the land: The Cuzen property (Part One)
Periwinkle (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)
I have had many positive interactions with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) over the years. It is surely one of my favourite nature groups to volunteer with. You see, I have no formal educational background in botany or environmental studies...
Through the lens I see a beautiful Earth
Large-format camera lens (Photo by Wikimedia Commons, Image Gallery of the Agricultural Research Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture))
An avid photographer may do just about anything to get the perfect shot: whether contorting their body (to shoot in a novel perspective), hiding for hours on end to catch a glimpse of a rarity, or, in the same light, trekking through all types of...
Take a walk on the wild side with NCC
Western screech owl (Photo by Josh Shaw)
The field observations made by scientists at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) are key to telling the stories of conservation. On an average day field staff may encounter an array of wildlife species. Their ordinary field day can yield...
Stumbling upon the unexpected
Perfectly camouflaged eggs of our mystery species (Photo by NCC)
There’s almost a rule among biologists: when you’re out looking for one species, you will have a difficult time finding it. But you’ll often see some other amazing species incidentally! This past summer, fellow Nature...
Why did the turtle cross the road?
Minesing Wetlands (Photo by Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority)
I didn’t expect one of the neatest experiences of my summer to happen while surveying the Minesing Wetlands for road mortality last June. In fact, I’d spent the day preparing myself mentally to have to make difficult observations of...
Invasive species and the steward's role
Phragmites (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)
More and more land is being conserved these days by various conservation groups. This is a good thing, but coming with that is a responsibility to protect and manage that land. Unless there are local offices, the most efficient way to carry out...
Something's Fishy: All about that bass
Largemouth bass (Photo by Trisha M. Shears)
When I think of Canada's rich history, I like to look back at all of the knick-knacks in my grandparent's house. Their old two-story home in Oshawa, Ontario served as my own personal museum. Old books, leather crafts from my grandfather’s...
