Lichens: An often overlooked little universe
The colours, forms and textures of the microcosms are fascinating. (Photo by Doug van Hemessen/NCC staff)
I often go out for an “aimless wander,” especially in the woods surrounding my home. Aimless wandering is a way of being mindful through wandering and spaciousness versus concentration and focus. It is as the words themselves:...
Snowy shutterbugs: My top six tips for winter photography
Large-format camera lens (Photo by Wikimedia Commons, Image Gallery of the Agricultural Research Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture))
Blue Mountain outside Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was late afternoon after a fresh snowfall. Like many people, I tend to keep my camera tucked away more often during winter. But the hike to the top of this granite ridge is rewarded with a panoramic...
Gaff Point, Nova Scotia - a feast for the senses
New pathway, Gaff Point, NS (Photo by NCC)
Gaff Point is a lush peninsula dangling into the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Nova Scotia. If you look due south from the bottom tip of the point, and if you could actually see far enough, the land on the horizon would be South America. Gaff...
An exciting Brier Island weekend
Group photo at "Sights and Sounds of Brier Island" event. (Photo by NCC)
Brier Island is one of the farthest reaches of Nova Scotia; two ferry rides away and, like many such islands, ecologically significant and home to a small community sometimes wary of the intentions of outsiders. The Nature Conservancy of Canada...
Photos enneigées : mes six meilleurs conseils pour de belles images de l’hiver
Lentille de grand calibre (photo de Wikimedia Commons)
Cette photo a été prise le 27 décembre 2013, à Blue Mountain, près d’Halifax, en Nouvelle-Écosse. C’était tard l’après-midi, juste après qu’une petite neige...
Why snowshoeing is my favourite winter activity
Snowshoe (Photo by katpatuka, Wikimedia Commons)
It’s the dead of winter and by now many of us are eagerly looking forward to a new spring, when the natural world reawakens. Many of us suffer at this time of year from a deficit of fresh air and natural sunlight, which we usually get...
Connecting with the social landscape: Local knowledge goes a long way in conservation
Danielle Horne (NCC), Jamie Fraser (NCC) and John Caraberis on the brick beach, NS (Photo by NCC)
As professionals involved in the conservation of natural landscapes we need to always remember that the associated “social landscape” is critical to our success. One of the pleasures I’ve enjoyed throughout my career is the...
Spring cleaning: Conservation Volunteers give piping plovers a helping hand in Nova Scotia
Piping plover (Photo by Andrea Drake)
One of the most endangered species in Canada received a helping hand through the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC's) Conservation Volunteers program this past weekend.The piping plover is a shorebird that relies on sand and pebble beaches...
Pushing up green: A photographic study
Large-format camera lens (Photo by Wikimedia Commons, Image Gallery of the Agricultural Research Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture))
Silver maple seedlings emerge from a swamp in Grey County, Ontario. This species is a common component of treed swamps in the deciduous forest of eastern Canada but very rare beyond New Brunswick. Flowers in the spring mature into seeds quickly...
Still waters: A photographic landscape study
Carl Zeiss sonnar lens (Photo by Mohylek, Wikimedia Commons)
Pontederia cordata, commonly known as pickerelweed, is an aquatic plant native to the American continent. It grows in a variety of wetlands, including pond and lake margins across an extremely large range from eastern Canada south to Argentina....
