This Groundhog Day, it's all relatives
Groundhog (Photo by Cephas/Wikimedia Commons)
Tomorrow marks Groundhog Day, a North American tradition dating back to 1888. The groundhog, also called the woodchuck, is the largest member of the squirrel family and one of four marmot species that live in Canada. Rather than just focusing on...
How species survive winter: Hibernation
A big brown bat "hanging out." Often when found outside, big brown bats sit in this position on the side of a building, tree or (ideally not) on the ground. (Photo by Sarah Ludlow/NCC)
Previously, I discussed how small songbirds, and black-capped chickadees in particular, survive winter on the Canadian Prairies. Now I will discuss another strategy that animals use to survive the long, cold winter months: hibernation. Hibernation...
How birds survive the winter
Black-capped chickadee in winter (Photo by NCC)
Winter on the Prairies is long and cold, often lasting from November until March, and with temperatures falling to -20 C or -30 C, it’s a wonder that anything can survive here at all. However, a walk around any residential neighbourhood or...
Re-wilding myself
Conservation Volunteers planting trees at at the Meeting Lake 03 property, SK (Photo by NCC)
Field work, one of the highlights for many Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) staff, was a little harder to come by this year because of COVID-19, but thanks to hard work by engagement staff and with all the safety protocols in place, we were able...
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...
My Pike Lake Bioblitz
Caterpillar (Photo by Shirley Humphries)
A Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC) email popped up: "Big Backyard BioBlitz,” September 24 to 30, 2020! That sounded both appealing and doable without the risk of COVID-19 exposure. I would go to Pike Lake Provincial Park, where there are a...
Emblems of Canada: tree edition
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...
Nature therapy (part two): Expressive art therapy
Rose, Maymont, SK (Photo by Don Dabbs)
In part one of our nature therapy series, we heard from a Regina-based mom and social worker about how nature-based art projects have helped her tap into the creative side of her mind and how the experiences have benefitted her mentally during...
A peak experience at Buffalo Pound
Buffalo Pound Lake, SK (Photo by Bill Armstrong)
Many Canadians, I think, perceive Saskatchewan to be one billiard table-flat, never-ending field of wheat. Not so. To prove my point, I recently made a second visit to a property at Buffalo Pound Lake, where the Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC) is...
A breezy hike at Buffalo Pound
Buffalo Pound property, SK (Photo by Bill Armstrong)
What a delight it was to watch a wary coyote cross the trail in front of me, sizing me up before continuing on its way into a nearby coulee. This encounter may not seem like much, but after three months of staying at home to help stop the spread...
