Making friends with the solitary bees
Blue orchard bee (Photo by Robert Engelhardt)
When you think of bees, your mind probably goes to honey, hives and stingers. But what if I told you that there was a species of bee, native to the Saskatchewan prairies, that didn’t make honey, live in a hive or (usually) sting? Mason bees...
Point counts at Wideview: 10,000 steps by 7 a.m.
Wideview, SK (Photo by NCC)
3 a.m.: Why am I awake this early? The only other creatures awake right now are the birds. Oh, right. The birds are exactly why I’m awake this early. It’s time for point counts at the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s)...
The language we all speak
Me as a child in China (Photo courtesy of Hai Lin Wang)
One of the most common questions people ask me is why I chose to study conservation. For a long time, I couldn’t answer that question. Unlike most of my classmates and fellow interns at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), I did not grow...
60 things – A year to remember
Conservation Volunteers building a bat house (Photo by Lorena Squires)
My name is Dianne Young, and I turned 60 in February. I wanted to do something special to celebrate but couldn’t decide what to do. Hot air balloon ride? I’ve always wanted to do that. Tandem parachute jump? I’ve always wanted to...
Life as an intern with the Nature Conservancy of Canada
Before the summer ended and we went our separate ways, I caught up with my fellow interns to get an idea of what they do when they leave the office. (Photo by NCC)
As the former communications intern for the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Saskatchewan Region, I spent most of my summer at my desk, while our five other interns spent most of their time in the field. Before the summer ended...
A day in the field at the Alfred-Kelly Nature Reserve
Alfred-Kelly Nature Reserve, QC (Photo by NCC)
When I started my communications internship here at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) back in May, I didn’t think I would get the opportunity to visit an NCC property this summer. Luckily, I was wrong. After a bit of planning, I joined...
So, what do you do for a living?
NCC's Cameron Wood hikes with the Google Trekker at Fairy Hill. (Photo by NCC)
It’s often one of the first questions we get asked, or that we ask others, when meeting someone for the first time. I think “What’s your name?” or some form of that might be the only question that is more common. Most of...
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...
The Carden Challenge: A treat for nature lovers
The start of the Carden Challenge (Photo by Cameron Curran Photography)
In the blink of an eye, you could miss one of Ontario’s natural heritage treasures, found along Kawartha Lakes Road 6, called the Carden Alvar. Deep in the heart of the Carden Alvar, a bustle can be heard in late May along the back roads....
Invasive Species Olympics
Phragmites javelin (Photo by NCC)
The Olympic Games: the spectacle of international competition, where every four years, thousands of athletes from over 200 countries compete in the pinnacle of their sport. Inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, first held in Olympia, Greece, in...
