The big picture
A fallen tree can be home to mushrooms (Photo by NCC)
I have learned so much more about natural ecosystems during my recent participation in the Canadian Conservation Corps (CCC) program. Natural ecosystems are created by an intricate relationship between the land, the plants, the animals and all the...
What does a conservation biologist do in the “other season?”
Is this what you think of when you hear conservation biology? ( Photo by Mike Dembeck)
There is a seasonal nuance to being a conservation biologist. If you look at my job description optimistically, my job involves afternoons looking for spring ephemeral flowers, summers canoeing on lakes and early autumn mornings catching the last...
Internships to remember
Picture of me as an intern in Alberta, rolling barbed wire at a Conservation Volunteers event (Photo by NCC)
I’ve always had a passion for nature. It was this passion that ultimately led me to pursue a degree in environmental studies, which I recently obtained from Wilfrid Laurier University. During my studies, it wasn’t always clear to me...
Thank you, Ontario volunteers
Plugs for the Prairies CV event at Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, 2019 (Photo by Chelsea Marcantonio)
Volunteers are an integral part of the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) work. Whether it be in the field or in the office, our volunteers are always eager to lend a helping hand. Although the pandemic has temporarily put the...
The wonder of winter wetlands
Brighton Wetland from a nearby field in early fall. Note that the cattails in the distance are already turning brown and falling down. (Photo by NCC)
Two summers ago I spent a lot of time trekking through beautiful wetlands, both while working at NCC and for leisure. I loved every moment of my time there, whether I was wading out into knee-deep water to hand pull invasive European frog-bit,...
A field season in the Rice Lake Plains that was far from plain
Rice Lake Plains, ON (Photo by NCC)
This past field season spent as a conservation technician with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) was one to remember. As a soon-to-be graduate of the master's of environmental science program at the University of Toronto, specializing in...
Protected doesn’t always mean perfect
Volunteer cutting the giant knotweed using a hedge trimmer (Photo by NCC)
Imagine frolicking along on a Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) property, hoping to stumble upon some neat findings, like rare herptiles and unique plants. But then you look up and scan the landscape to see what may be your worst nightmare: a...
Stopping habitat loss is the key to saving Canada’s endangered species
Evening grosbeak (Photo by Anna Tchoulik)
Canada has been losing and saving species for a long time. Since European settlement, over 100 species have been lost here. These include plants and animals that are extinct and extirpated and species that are considered historic (no one has seen...
Lake Erie: Recovery, or requiem?
Aerial view of Point Pelee, ON (Photo by Gerry Kaiser)
Someone recently asked me how I would invest a million dollars to help conserve Lake Erie. My first thoughts were that I would use that money to protect wetlands and other habitats on the coast, or maybe to help farmers create wider buffer strips...
Twelve spooky facts about Canadian bats
Townsend's big-eared bat (Photo by Brock Fenton)
There are 18 known bat species in Canada. Although they are subjected to a spooky stigma around Halloween, they’re nothing to be afraid of. Here are 12 things you didn’t know about these not-so-scary mammals: 1. The snooze...
