How animals judge distance
Peregrine falcon is an endangered species that lives year round on Vancouver Island. Waterfowl are a favourite food of this powerful and fast-flying raptor. (Photo by Stuart Clarke)
Animals can jump great distances, dodge predators and catch fast moving prey. How do they do it? They use their binocular vision to judge the distance in a millisecond. The question of how this works came to me from a curious Saskatchewan...
12 tweetable facts about Canadian snakes
Blue racer (Photo by Joe Crowley)
In honour of World Reptile Day, here are some interesting tidbits about Canada's native snake species to share with your friends and followers on Twitter: In Canada, the blue racer snake is found only on Pelee Island. (Tweet this!) When...
Connecting to nature and my ancestry from the stern of a canoe
This story is about my experiences on and personal connections to what is now known as the French River, in Ontario. Long before European settlers came, this area was occupied by Indigenous Peoples. The original caretakers of the land, this is the...
Conservation beyond the cubicle
Despite working for a conservation organization, I spend my workdays in an office, surrounded by cubicle walls, eyes glued to my computer screen and my fingers happily tapping away at my keyboard. So when an opportunity to join one of the Nature...
The foxes of NCC
Red fox (Photo by Alex Badyaev)
Growing up, my favourite book was Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. It was no surprise that the Christmas following the first time I read (and then re-read over and over) the ionic children’s novel, I asked Santa for anything and...
You won’t waste your time reading this garbage!
Shore of the Middle Point Woods property, Pelee Island, Ontario (Photo by Sam Brinker, OMNR)
Working as a conservation technician for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) this summer, I feel lucky to experience the beauty of southwestern Ontario’s Carolinian zone. One of my favourite areas to visit is tranquil Pelee Island, where...
If you conserve it, they will come
A den of swift foxes, a species once extirpated (locally extinct) in Canada, was recently discovered on a Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) conservation site in southeast Alberta. The discovery of this den is proof that the work that...
Where are they now? Conservation Intern alumni spotlight
This blog marks the third Alumni Spotlight — a series highlighting some of the individuals who have interned with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in the past. Last month, we featured Eve Desmarais, and this month we are following up...
Travels with Cary
I really don’t remember many of the specifics from reading John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley. I’m pretty sure Charley was John’s large, curly-haired poodle, which I guess is somewhat similar to my Manitoba counterpart,...
A trip back in time: Exploring the history of Backus Woods
Backus Woods, Ontario (Photo by Mary Gartshore)
A hike into Backus Woods is like taking a step back nearly 200 years in time. Located in southwestern Ontario, this natural wonder is one of the most ecologically diverse areas in Canada. It also contains many cultural remnants. A visit to Backus...
