Buzzing down the house: An update
Bumble bee (Photo by Amanda Liczner)
This is an update to a post I wrote last year. The data has now been analyzed, and the results are ready for sharing. We commonly hear that bees are in decline and that we need to save them because they are important pollinators of crops and...
Where are they now? Intern Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Ludlow
Sarah Ludlow at Meeting Lake, SK (Photo by NCC)
This blog marks the 10th Intern Alumni Spotlight — a series highlighting some of the individuals who have interned with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in the past. Last month, Brett Norman was featured as the Intern Alumni Spotlight,...
Are you seeing the whole picture? Using elevation data to help conserve biodiversity
Elevation data showing the Beaver Creek River Valley. Historic data (100-metre resolution) vs. newly available LiDAR data (> one-metre resolution). (Image by NCC)
As a land planner, I am always looking for new ways to learn more about the landscapes in which the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) works. Enter LiDAR (or light detection and ranging), a technology that has been around for decades but...
Native grassland is important habitat for grassland birds
Native grassland (Photo by Sarah Ludlow/NCC staff)
Saying that native grassland is important habitat for grassland birds seems quite obvious. And you might think to yourself, “Of course grassland birds like grassland habitat; it’s right in the name!” The important point to note...
Driving Miss Hazel
Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, ON (Photo by NCC)
Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) staff like to say that science drives our conservation work. This is true, but sometimes while following the science, we stumble into something unexpected and truly amazing. Let me explain. Back about 20 years...
Something’s Fishy: Atlantic whitefish
Atlantic whitefish (Photo by Bob Semple)
In the cold waters of Nova Scotia’s Petite Rivière watershed swims a fish so elusive that, without action, it might never be seen again. Size and appearance This silvery-sided species, with its blueish-green back, is commonly...
A place that’s for the birds: Newfoundland and Labrador’s Codroy Valley is a haven for wildlife and a boon for bird lovers
Grand Codroy Estuary, NL at sunset (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
The saying “for the birds” is often used to state that something or somewhere has little worth or none at all. But when Claudelle Devoe says that the Grand Codroy Estuary in friendly Newfoundland and Labrador is for the birds, she...
Restoration is super cool... literally!
Left: An image of a restored field on an NCC property in 2013. Right: A thermal image of the same field taken in 2008. (Images by Google Earth and USGS Landsat 5)
Restoration of woodland begins with site preparation and seeding, but monitoring is needed after that to make sure the restoration stays on track for the next 40 plus years. This blog post explains the application of thermodynamic theory to the...
We can recover Canada’s wildlife: Five examples of species NCC is helping save
Small white lady's-slipper (Photo by Melissa Grantham)
These are tough times for many wildlife species and their habitats. Over three-quarters of Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems (excluding Antarctica) have been directly modified by human activities1 , and most of our shrinking global wilderness...
Kayaking for conservation: A day in the life of a Nova Scotia conservation biologist
Danielle Horne kayaking (Photo by NCC)
Oh, the winter blues. They make you long for summer’s sunny skies, trilling birdsongs and warm breezes. During the winter and early spring — when I'm sitting in my office — I watch a live stream on my computer of birds at a...
