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How a fragmented forest helps a flying fish

Redside dace (Photo by K. Schmidt)

Redside dace (Photo by K. Schmidt)

The tall trees in the MacMillan Nature Reserve stand like an island of green within the urban matrix of Vaughan, Ontario. Sprawling and sparkling new subdivisions splash up against three sides of this natural area; a five-lane roadway borders the...

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Something's Fishy: Shock me like an American eel

American eel (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

American eel (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

The electrofishing boat gently rocked against the current of the water below. It was a scorching summer day in late August on a tributary in Lake Ontario, and no amount of SPF could have saved my freckled shoulders from the sun’s...

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Cracker Jack and caribou: Are we failing Canada’s species at risk?

Black-footed ferret (Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Mountain Prairie)

Black-footed ferret (Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Mountain Prairie)

I lost my Cracker Jack wildlife cards sometime in the 1980s, but the images printed on the cards are still vivid in my mind. The small cards came wrapped in clear plastic and featured a holographic image of a wildlife species in danger. I can...

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Something's Fishy: An impending invader

Northern snakehead (Photo by National Aquarium, Washington, DC)

Northern snakehead (Photo by National Aquarium, Washington, DC)

I have an inherent fear of the dark. I’m not ashamed to admit that, without the company of my snoring pug, Molly, taking up half of my bed, I need to sleep with the light on. It’s not so much the darkness that scares me; it’s the...

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Ten of nature's strangest mating strategies

Angler fish (Photo by David Shale)

Angler fish (Photo by David Shale)

During my final year of university, I took a course called Evolution and Reproduction, which explored various animal mating strategies. It was one of my most fascinating classes; the material was mind blowing, the professor was a hoot and the...

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Something's Fishy: Somewhere over the rainbow

The Rainbow Fish (Illustration by Marcus Pfister)

The Rainbow Fish (Illustration by Marcus Pfister)

It’s no surprise that my favourite childhood book to cuddle up with my mom to read before bed was The Rainbow Fish, by Swiss author and illustrator Marcus Pfister. After my mom tucked me in, I would close my eyes and dream of swimming...

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Something's Fishy: A feast for fish

Illustration by Frits Ahledfedt

Illustration by Frits Ahledfedt

My favourite holiday memory is learning to make mashed potatoes in my grandma’s kitchen, her hand gently clasping mine as I firmly squished down into a large yellow bowl using an old wooden-handled masher. I recall the way she recited the...

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Something's Fishy: Colder waters

Bull Trout in Cultus Creek, Darkwoods, British Columbia (Photo by Bruce Kirkby)

Bull Trout in Cultus Creek, Darkwoods, British Columbia (Photo by Bruce Kirkby)

Snow and colder temperatures are synonymous when it comes to talking about Canada. Whether they’re a fan of the fluffy white stuff or they’d rather snuggle up with a hot cup of cocoa, Canadians across the Great White North have adapted...

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An ode to whale (Part One)

Sperm whales (Illustration by Elena O'Neill)

Sperm whales (Illustration by Elena O'Neill)

royalty’s fish / radiating into the night / to fathoms and float / (Inspired by Moby Dick) Facts: I’ve been reading Herman Melville’s Moby Dick during my lunches. Needless to say, this book is markedly different from my...

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Something's Fishy: The freshwater slasher

Westslope cutthroat trout (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)

Westslope cutthroat trout (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)

When you think about Halloween, spooky species such as spiders with venomous fangs and blood-sucking bats usually come to mind. Of course, Hollywood is often to blame for these misrepresentations of species, with accounts of bats turning into...

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