True North: A look at the NCC Magazine Winter 2017 issue
NCC Magazine Winter 2017
The winter 2017 edition of the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Magazine — the cover adorned with a mother polar bear rambling toward the camera, with two cubs trailing behind — arrived in my mailbox on one of the most frigid days of the year.
The lead story, appropriately enough, is about NCC’s participation in a project to digitally map Canada’s north. NCC is working with other conservation organizations, universities and local and indigenous governments to produce a series of interactive, online nature atlases of Canada’s north. The purpose of the project is to provide the best information for future land-use planning. As the article points out, this is a shift from NCC’s usual focus on securing land for conservation purposes. The goal is to have at least nine nature atlases covering Canada’s vast northern landscape by 2021.
Other articles continue the wintry theme: how four species adapt to Canada’s deep freeze, and a survival expert’s tips on what to wear and take with you on your winter outdoor adventure.
The issue also contains advice on how to hike Chase Woods, an NCC old-growth forest property in British Columbia's Cowichan Valley, a conversation on the interconnections of art and nature with Teva Harrison, NCC’s former director of marketing, and the experience of two natural area assistants in southern Saskatchewan who, while assessing an NCC property, make a hasty retreat from a badger that emphatically reminded them who was there first. There is also an article about another anti-social critter — the wolverine — with a stunning up-close photo of this rarely seen animal.
Finally, the back cover has short profiles of three NCC donors who share their love of nature, and why they believe it is important to protect and preserve Canada’s remaining wild places.
The Magazine is distributed to NCC donors and supporters. Since you may be wondering, it is produced using a variety of environmentally friendly technologies and processes. It’s an informative read, and about as guilt-free as it gets.
About the Author
Bill Armstrong is a freelance writer and amateur photographer living in Regina.
