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Mhairi's bird of the day: Song sparrow
Song sparrow (Photo by Stuart Clarke)
Spotted on March 20, 2020 Song sparrow Melospiza melodia Melo: “song,” in ancient Greek Melodia: “tune,” “voice” For the last 10 years, I have been recording my bird observations on my daily bike commute...
Mhairi’s bird of the day: Brown-headed cowbird
Brown-headed cowbird (Photo by Stephen Davis)
Spotted on March 19, 2020 Brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater molos: “struggle or “battle” in ancient Greek throsko: “to sire” or “to impregnate” in ancient Greek ater: “dull black” in...
Tales of recovery: Trumpeter swan
Trumpeter swan family (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
Their call is unforgettable. When you hear it for the first time, “trumpeter” makes perfect sense. Even when silent, a trumpeter swan remains impressive. With a wingspan that can stretch to three metres, this white swan is the largest...
Reconnecting the wild: Ensuring safe passage through animal road crossings
Deer crossing road (Photo by Steven Coffey on Unsplash)
From Victoria to St. John’s, the Trans-Canada Highway stretches across 8,030 kilometres of landscape in Canada. While it covers a lot of ground, it also fractures many habitats that are home to a variety of animals. Deer, moose, bears and...
Working in a winter wonderland
Kaitlin and I having a purple tongue contest with wild grapes (Photo by NCC).
When I first started at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), I remember talking to my supervisor about how much field work I would be doing, and being told that I would probably be in the office most of the time during the colder months because...
Learning from Indigenous leadership in Haida Gwaii (part two)
The K'uuna Llnagaay (Skedans) village site and monumental poles, a Haida Heritage Site I visited with Haida Style Expeditions. (Photo by Janel Saydam)
Having studied environment and sustainability at the University of British Columbia for my undergrad, there are many things I learned that have made me lose hope in the future of the planet and the humans that rely on its integrity. One of my...