Conservation notes from another northern nation
Sparsely vegetated volcanic landscape east of Lake Myvatn, North Iceland, with geothermal steam in background (Photo by Paula Noel/NCC staff)
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel in Iceland this fall, a country that, despite its relatively mild climate, is situated further north than Iqaluit! Thanks to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream current, Iceland temperatures...
My nature love story (Reflections on the eve of COP15)
Megan at Global Youth Biodiversity Network’s Youth Summit (Photo by NCC)
As delegates from around the world gather for the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, also known as COP15, there’s a lot happening in Montreal. I’m fortunate to be attending COP15...
Reciprocity in our relations
Group of Conservation Volunteers at the Red Deer Fence Pull event (Photo by NCC)
When we think about the relationships we have in our lives, it is easy to think about our family and friends. These are people who we can talk to and who we associate with love and happiness. When you think about the relationships in your life,...
It takes an aspen to make a forest
Aspen Parkland in the fall, Saskatchewan (Photo by Don and Karol Dabbs)
They say it takes a village to raise a child, but what if the child and the village were one in the same? This hypothetical “village” makes its home in forests as the most widespread tree in North America. And while on the surface it...
Inspiring youth at COP15
Kenauk, Quebec @Kenauk Nature
The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP15 for short, is a two-week summit from December 7 to 19, 2022. Taking place in Montreal, delegations from governments, companies and...
Deep in a thousand-hectare woods: Protecting the magic of Happy Valley Forest
Aerial view of Happy Valley Forest, ON (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
One day it rained red in Happy Valley Forest, and I was there to see it. This was not the red rain of cast-off maple leaves in the fall. This rain painted the tree branches in the spring. And I have witnesses. This is how it went down. It was...
Being happy volunteering in Happy Valley Forest
Squeaky clean signboard at Happy Valley Forest (Photo by Yoke Wong)
In April 2019, my Tiles and Trails hiking group leader, Daisy, asked if any members would be interested in doing trail maintenance at a nearby nature reserve. I had done trail cleanups in the past, so trail maintenance was a natural fit. Plus, it...
A memorable dance at dawn
Sharp-tailed grouse on The Yarrow (Photo by Brian Keating)
The sharp-tailed grouse dance at The Yarrow is one of many spellbinding natural displays observable at this special place. I’ve been lucky enough to visit The Yarrow, or the Fischer Ranch as it was previously known, more than a dozen times...
The Yarrow
Spread Eagle Mountain from The Yarrow (Photo by NCC)
As the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s natural area manager for the Waterton region in Alberta, I need to sometimes simply pinch myself and look around at the spellbinding landscapes that I work on. I started this role in May 2022. But I...
Wildlife encounters in rural Saskatchewan
My co-worker and I comparing our feet to prints left by a bear in rural BC.(Photo by Matthew Braun/NCC staff)
Wildlife encounters during my rural Saskatchewan childhood were rare, and you’d have to include cats and dogs and the numerous coyotes surrounding our farm to really pump my numbers up. And while coyotes arguing with dogs during the quiet...
