You think your relatives are wild? Take a look at nature’s own families
Red colobus monkeys in Jozani forest. Endemic to Zanzibar (Photo by Olivier Lejade, Wikimedia Commons)
With Family Day on the doorstep, what better way to share facts about animals with interesting social structures than with your own tribe? Monkeys have strong family dynamics. Like humans, they spend their lives in large communities or social...
Something’s Fishy: Catching up on 57 years of conservation
Dr. J. Bruce Falls, Richard Pough, Aird Lewis and Dave Fowle, first exploratory meeting for the Nature Conservancy of Canada, 1961
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) got its start in the early 1960s with four naturalists who were inspired to protect the natural world around them. Based in Ontario, this plucky band of naturalists launched a program to take direct, private...
Get to know one of Canada’s rarest snakes
Desert nightsnake (Photo by W. Mason CC BY-NC)
Working at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has taught me many things, including the fact that many people are infatuated with snakes. Whether people are afraid of them, invested in protecting their habitats or enjoy learning about what...
Traditional Ecological Knowledge leads to better conservation
Gámdas Tlagée (Photo by Haida Laas-Graham Richard)
Incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) when developing land and water conservation strategies is critical to help counteract climate change in Canada. Collaboration between western-based scientists and Indigenous TEK keepers is not...
Something’s Fishy: Back to school
Black crappie (Photo by Eric Engbretson, USFWS)
September is a time for new beginnings. For many across Canada, a new school year has begun. Some may have just started post-secondary school, thousands of kilometres from their parents, while others might be attending school for the very first...
Get your shinrin-yoku on this fall
Bunchberry Meadows Conservation Area, AB (Photo by Kyle Marquardt)
The first time I heard about shinrin-yoku, I was stuck in westbound traffic along Highway 401. The radio was tuned to CBC, where the content discussed on the morning show usually offers a reprieve from whatever lies ahead on the commuter-packed...
Something’s Fishy: Dace of shade
Redside dace (Photo by K. Schmidt)
Fine, I’ll say it: as a redhead, I have an affinity for red-coloured species. It’s an unspoken alliance we gingers have — walking, swimming or climbing through a world where we might stand out from the crowd based on our...
10 ways to enjoy the great outdoors this summer
Nodwell, AB (Photo by R. Berdan)
Summer is the perfect time to get out and explore all that nature has to offer. Whether it's a hike on a sunny day or curling up with a book or documentary about nature when the rain rolls in, immerse yourself in nature no matter the weather or...
The land is our identity
Treaty 4 territory, Qu'Appelle Valley, SK (Photo by Dane Roy)
Indigenous Peoples have lived on, cared for and maintained relations with the land we now call Canada for thousands of years. Their relationship with the land isn’t just one of sustenance and livelihood; it also encompasses a deep sense of...
Where land meets sky
Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area, SK (Photo by Mark Taylor)
The sky was clear over the vast, windy prairie. In the distance, plains bison could be seen grazing on the native grass that covers the entirety of the Old Man on His Back (OMB) Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area, located in southern...
