Team work really does make the dream work: A toast to my co-workers
Six staffers and volunteers, 200 shrubs, five hours. Team work really does make the dream work. (Photo by NCC)
I’ve always said that I have the best co-workers, and this fall, they proved my point again. As an engagement manager with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), I feel like I’m always asking for help at volunteer and engagement...
This holiday, take time to enjoy the winter wonderland
Winter hiking on the Niagara Escarpment (photo by Al Thompson)
With winter storms battering the country from coast to coast and the mercury dropping, it's easy to want to huddle inside by the fireplace. But most of us find that we're happier when we get outside. For my husband and me, some of our happiest...
Hide and seek in the city: Exploring Toronto's plants...with my phone
Using a smartphone to identify nature (Photo by Pixabay)
Having been on the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) editorial team for a few years, I’ve read countless stories from field staff and guest bloggers of various expertise. My job has nurtured my curiosity for animals and made...
In nature, the ordinary can be awe-inspiring
NCC's Danielle Horne with dogwood (NCC photo)
My friends are good natured about going hiking with me. Those who aren’t naturalists know that it can often be slow. I find that there are so many interesting species out there, and sometimes the most beautiful sights can be found in the...
First snow at Gillies Grove
Newly planted eastern white pine (Photo by NCC)
There is something magical about the first snowfall of the year. As the coordinator of conservation biology for eastern Ontario with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), I’m lucky that I get to experience all of our beautiful properties...
Hugging trees
Anwar Knight and I hugging a black oak tree in High Park. (Photo courtesy of Anwar Knight)
I’m walking along a well-beaten dirt path in a favourite forest. The brilliant early fall sunshine streams through the leaves, which are gradually dimming from their vibrant summer green to hues of yellow, gold and the first tinges of red. A...
Opportunities that shaped my view on conservation and the environment
Wetland assessment in Riding Mountain (Photo by NCC)
In June 2018, shortly after graduation from the University of Winnipeg, I began my first internship with the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Manitoba Region as a stewardship intern. The next year, I was fortunate enough to come...
Heard it from a Scout: Safe food practices in nature
You're venturing into animal territory when camping. (Photo by Scouts Canada)
We can probably all agree that spending time outdoors is one of life’s simplest pleasures. A blanket of stars tucks you in at night, a chorus of bird calls welcomes you to the morning and the natural wonders keep you exploring all day. Not...
The magic of nature
Denise Harris with her granddaughter (Photo by NCC)
When I first started going to my neighbourhood park, I often saw disturbing human behaviour; some from children as young as three. In the "School of Life," where my field-testing on educating others about our waterfowl neighbours initially failed,...
I like to be outnumbered
Maia Herriot in the field (Photo by NCC)
In my last week at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) as the communications intern for the Saskatchewan Region, I found myself standing on a hill, in the rain, on one of our Qu’Appelle Valley properties. I was looking through my...
