Bringing bison back to the landscape
Bison at Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area (Photo by Jason Bantle)
When thinking about the Prairies, images of the iconic plains bison often comes to mind. These massive animals, also called buffalo, influence grassland ecosystems by a magnitude proportional to their size. Bison grazing patterns shape the...
The dos and don’ts of birdwatching
Northern cardinal (Photo by NCC)
The creation of my high school’s birdwatching club sparked a passion in me that has lasted years following graduation. The excitement of seeing a new species for the first time was contagious and something I continue to seek, to this day. I...
CARE: What does impact look like?
Hikers at Freshwater Bay, NL (Photo by Dennis Minty)
We know there has never been a more important time for nature, nor a greater need for the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) mission. The twin global crises of dramatic biodiversity loss and climate change will mark the decade...
10 facts about fresh water in Canada
Vidal Bay, Manitoulin Island, ON (Photo by Striking Balance)
Fresh water may seem like a ubiquitous substance to some of us, especially if we live near an abundance of it in the form of lakes, rivers and streams. When I take a stroll to my neighbourhood greenspace that has a small tributary running through...
NCC reports back from the first day of the Convention on Biological Diversity summit
Dawn Carr with blooming forsythia in Geneva, Switzerland (Photo by NCC)
After a long and restless flight from Montreal, I arrived in Geneva, Switzerland, late Sunday morning in advance of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) summit prior to COP15. With luggage in hand and my brain and body full of excitement,...
Celebrating women in conservation
Catherine Grenier, president and CEO of NCC (Photo by Geneviève Lesieur)
As I reflect on what International Women’s Day (March 8) means to me this year, I think about my own daily interactions and where my influence can make a positive impact in accelerating equality for all. I’ve been fortunate to have...
De-stressing with plants
McHugh Lake Loop, MB (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)
During the pandemic, many people experienced increased stress levels due to illness, work difficulties and isolation. But many of us have discovered that there is solace in the natural world. In 1984, biologist E.O. Wilson noted that...
World Wildlife Day: Restoration to support species at risk recovery
Bobolink, Prairie Smoke Nature Reserve, Carden Alvar, ON (Photo by NCC)
I’m a casual birder. I like to take my binoculars with me when I’m out in nature, but I’m not usually one to go out chasing after rare birds. Still, there is one species that I can’t believe I haven’t seen before:...
Tracing the roots of invasive species
A murmuration of starlings (Photo by John Holmes, Wikimedia Commons)
In the media world of conservation, there seems to be no shortage of news on invasive species — plants, animals and organisms that were introduced (accidentally or deliberately) to an area outside of their native range and where their...
What happens to invasive species in the winter?
Second-year garlic mustard plant (Photo courtesy Invasive Species Centre)
With the change in seasons, invasive species may become out of sight and out of mind. But they always seem to come back every year. So where do they go in winter? Researchers are working to answer this question by investigating how invasive...
