If you wanna be happy, plant trees
Todd Farrell teaches volunteers how to plant trees at Happy Valley Forest, ON (Photo by Mimi Chan)
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time was in fall 2016.” ~ my take on a familiar proverb On this special day, I joined a group of dedicated Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Conservation Volunteers at...
My time with Canada's nature
A leisurely walk with NCC colleagues (Photo by Clement Wong)
Canada is the place where I was born, but I moved to Hong Kong at a young age for the long-term. This summer, I had a valuable chance to come back to my hometown and volunteer with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) to help with stewardship...
What makes burrowing owl volunteers hoot?
Burrowing Owls gaze at volunteers at Burrowing Owl Conservation Society Breeding Facility near Oliver, BC (Photo by Dianne Bersea)
It’s a cold, early March day when my friend and regular Burrowing Owl Conservation Society volunteer, Doreen Olson, asks me, “Why don’t you join me next time I’m feeding the burrowing owls?”The following Tuesday...
Welcome snowbirds!
Palm warbler (Photo by Marshall Faintich)
Hey Canada, hey Virginia…it only seems a short time has passed since I was telling you all that our wintering palm warblers were leaving Florida and heading your way. Thanks to the great conservation efforts taking place to conserve habitat...
Striking Balance: Exploring Canada's biosphere reserves
The crew at Shoderee Ranch at Waterton, with the trusty van. (L-R) - Director of Photography - Ann Tipper, Producer - Yvonne Drebert, Director - Zach Melnick (Photo by Larry Drebert)
Making movies and TV shows is glamorous. Unless of course, you’re making documentary, public television. In that case, you may find yourself driving across the country in a late-model cargo van for weeks, or months at a time; accompanied by...
Garlic: The forbidden fruit? (Part Two)
Garlic (Photo by cyclonebill/Wikimedia Commons)
Part One of this blog was an overview of garlic, and the native variety growing in the Eastern Townships and Outaouais regions in Quebec. In Part Two I present you with a little garlic 101! The minimum threshold for a wild garlic population to...
Thank you Canada...The warblers have returned to Virginia!
Palm warbler (Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar)
We recently learned from our friends in Canada that the palm warblers had concluded a successful summer breeding season and were on their way south; and now, we are pleased to share, “They’re here!” Palm warblers and other...
The perfection of the morning redux: Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area
Morning sun shines on the grassy plains at OMB (Photo by Gail F. Chin)
Getting up at 5 a.m. to catch the morning sun cast blinding rays across the grassy plains at Old Man on His Back (OMB), I stood in the receding darkness in awe of the sublime. There was no silence! The din of insects carried on. An occasional...
A day at Sandy Point with NCC
Volunteers at Sandy Point CV event, St. George's, NL (photo by NCC)
It was a beautiful August morning as we waited excitedly on the wharf at St. George's for the search and rescue Zodiac that would take us across the narrow channel to Sandy Point. Along with Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) staff and other...
Monarch butterfly habitat selection
Monarch butterfly (Photo by A. Dabydeen)
The monarch butterfly is one of the most recognized and loved insects in the world. It is known, in part, for its phenomenal migration from its Canadian breeding grounds to overwintering sites in the mountains of Mexico. Unfortunately, the...
