Botanizing by Lake Ontario: An Australian visits the Nature Conservancy of Canada
Left to right: Cheryl Reyes, Jane Gilbert, Amanda Tracey and Kate Cranney at Presqu'ile Provincial Park (Photo by NCC)
We looked suspect at best. Picture this: three cars parked in an isolated part of Presqu’ile Provincial Park. Ten people huddled together against the wind and rain. One woman picking something from the ground, holding it up to the light....
Dr. Crayfish, I presume?
Premek Hamr, PhD (a.k.a. Dr. Crayfish) (Photo courtesy of Premek Hamr, PhD)
At the Nature Conservancy of Canada's annual Ontario Region staff meeting last May, a few of us stepped outside to wander the shoreline of Lake Simcoe and admire the sunset. As we rooted around the rocky beach, I took a few photos of plants and...
The boreal forests of Wilson Island
Wilson Island, ON (Photo by NCC)
It was time to do a deep dive into the boreal forests of Wilson Island, near the north shore of Lake Superior. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) acquired these amazing 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares) in 2008, and it was time to conduct an...
A novice’s guide to a Christmas Bird Count
Bird count volunteers (Photo by NCC)
Scientific study and academia can feel a long way away from the everyday lives of most Canadians, but for anyone with a pair of binoculars and a passion for wildlife, there is an opportunity to join in on the largest and longest running citizen...
Sudbury lakes are becoming less acidic
Common loons moult their feathers, starting at the base of their bills, before autumn migration in September. (Photo by Robert Alvo)
In my July 5, 2018, blog, I summarized my findings of over 25 years of examining the effects of lake acidification on common loon breeding success in the Sudbury region of Ontario. Although Sudbury's lakes have improved after decades of sulphur...
Many strengths, one mindset
The eastern Ontario field crew. From left to right: Amelia Bonenfant, Maggie Stevenson, Alexandra Belanger, Megan Quinn, Gretta Lumsden (Photo by NCC)
When I was hired as a conservation technician for the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Ontario Region, I could barely contain my excitement! Getting hands-on conservation work experience with like-minded individuals had always...
Tiny beauties: Orchids on the Bruce
Broad-lipped twayblade (Photo by NCC)
As a former conservation technician intern at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), I was lucky enough to see and learn a lot about nature and how to conserve it. When I worked for NCC, I had the opportunity to explore many different ecosystems...
Giving gifts in the Napanee Limestone Plain
Friends enjoying some time together while helping open up the landscape (Photo by NCC)
The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Conservation Volunteers program is a well-established and successful program that engages volunteers across the country. Recently, I hosted our first event in the Napanee Plain, and I have to...
Volunteers build resiliency
Volunteers at NCC's River Bends on the Mend CV event. (Photo by Miguel Hortiguela)
Every December 5, on International Volunteer Day, the United Nations recognizes volunteers worldwide for their efforts and celebrates the impact that volunteerism is making toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals — a collection of...
Nature perspectives through art
Megan Quinn, conservation biology coordinator in Ontario (Photo by Charles T. Low Photography)
I am not an artist by any stretch of the imagination. Don't get me wrong; I do like art. I was the high school student who spent her evenings in the art room, trying to build canvases that didn’t fall apart, and twist wires into the shape of...
