Leaves like a familiar face
The breathtaking Backus Woods in Ontario. One of the best examples of Carolinian old-growth forest in the country. (Photo by Ann Tipper and Zach Melnick)
When you think of wild spaces filled with tall, deciduous hardwood trees tilting in warm winds, frost-free days late into the fall, an abundance of reptiles and amphibians shifting between swamps and marshes, and words like sassafras, Kentucky...
Seeking nature
Backus Woods (Photo by Neil Osborne)
As a Torontonian, my interactions with nature tend to be few due to living downtown. However, Toronto has a few urban nature parks that are just further away and require some planning to get to. This has led me to travel across the city and region...
A prescription for forest health
Plantation rows in Southern Norfolk Sand Plain, ON (Photo by NCC)
When you think of a healthy, thriving forest, do you think of a straight lines of trees, all the same size, all the same species? Probably not. While tree plantations can be economically important and can provide significant ecological benefits...
A "knot" so regular day in the garden
The back-garden (photo by Luca Brunato)
Back in late spring of 2020, I went back to my hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake to help my father with the garden. This is an annual practice where I come over, and we spend the entire day weeding, pruning, shaping and landscaping our garden areas...
Prairie perceptions: Learning from landowners
Property in southeast Saskatchewan with a conservation easement with NCC (Photo by Jason Bantle)
This summer I was hired as a conservation intern assigned to help Marla, the stewardship coordinator in southeast Saskatchewan. Together, Marla and I travelled to the properties in southeast Saskatchewan that the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC)...
Four months of working for nature: The story of an NCC summer intern
Asquith, SK (Photo by NCC)
My name is Mahla, and the “H” in the middle of my name is pronounced, which is a challenge for most people in Canada, including my Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) colleagues. My colleagues' effort to learn the pronunciation of my...
Trials and tribulations of native plant gardening
Oblique streaktail on my wild nodding onion plant (Photo by Wendy Ho/NCC staff)
A few years ago when my Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) colleague Jaimee was still residing in Alberta, we had a fun email exchange on the topic of native plant gardening. She has since moved to Nova Scotia, where she has a new array of native...
Indoor plants bring me much joy, and they can for you too!
Nila Sivatheesan's home accented by many indoor plants (Photo by Nila Sivatheesan/NCC staff)
Since the beginning of the pandemic, you’ve likely heard about and experienced the numerous physical and mental health benefits of spending time in nature. But not all of us have the luxury of being out in nature as much as we want to. Some...
A bittersweet farewell
Kylie's last time leaving OMB, SK (Photo by NCC)
I started with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in 2014 as an intern for southwest Saskatchewan. Fresh out of college, I had never been to this part of the province, and quickly realized that it indeed is a different world down there. Roads...
Check out these amazing finds from the 2022 Big Backyard BioBlitz
Monarch butterfly on Joe-pyeweed (Photo by NCC)
Over the July 28–August 1 weekend, thousands of volunteers joined the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) annual Big Backyard BioBlitz. Together, we were able to contribute a total of over 50,000 observations of more than...
