Adventures along the Humber River
The Humber River at sunset (Photo by Adam Hunter/NCC staff)
Whenever I stay with my dad and step-mom in Toronto during the spring and summer, I often cycle and walk on the Humber River Recreational Trail near their house. As its name implies, the path goes along the Humber River, a Canadian Heritage River....
Getting rid of the garlic
Invasive garlic mustard can take over forests, harming native understory species (Photo by NCC)
Garlic mustard might sound tasty, and it is, but it’s also an alien invader that the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is battling on Pelee Island in southwestern Ontario. Pelee Island is home to the elusive gray fox. NCC is working here...
Exploring Elora
Elora Quarry (Photo by Adam Hunter/NCC staff)
Earlier this summer, my friends and I took a day trip to Elora, Ontario, to visit the Elora Quarry and Elora Gorge conservation areas. Elora is a small town near Guelph, about a 90-minute drive west of Toronto. The drive there was very scenic,...
Tails from the Field: Mapping the way to conservation
Using a GPS to find sign coordinates at Fishing Lake, ON (Photo by Nick Tardif)
If you've ever been frustrated when your car’s GPS directed you the wrong way, you know the plight of the conservation biologist. Staff at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) rely heavily on GPS systems, maps and co-ordinates. And we're...
Emerald city
Hine's emerald dragonfly at Minesing Wetlands, ON (Photo by Chris Evans)
Whether you are hiding from the summer heat in an air-conditioned building or warming up by the fire on a blustery winter evening, you will surely agree that Canada’s climate is quite variable. From hot, dry summers to cold, snowy winters,...
From hot and buggy, to warm and fuzzy: Inspiration abounds at Conservation Volunteers events
Volunteers at the annual dog-strangling vine seedpod collection event (Photo by NCC)
In my five years working at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), I’ve led countless Conservation Volunteers (CV) events. Working together, volunteers and I have pulled invasive species, planted trees, stabilized riverbanks and counted...
Other duties, as assigned: The real scoop on being a conservation biology coordinator
Megan Quinn working in the forest (Photo by NCC)
I finally did it! Back in 2016, on the last day of my conservation technician internship with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), I promised myself I would do everything possible to return to the organization, and here I am. I am the new...
Discovering the small but mighty butterflies of Carden
White admiral, Carden Alvar, ON (Photo by NCC)
Volunteering has always played a big role in my life. I’ve participated in my fair share of volunteering for the environment, from tree planting to garbage cleanups. But the butterfly count I attended in late July, an annual Conservation...
Taking time for turtles
Blanding's turtle (Photo by Megan Quinn/NCC staff)
If you’ve been lucky enough to visit the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) beautiful eastern Ontario properties, you’ll know that they’re mostly made up of two things: large stretches of forest and seemingly...
Top 10 invasive species to stop this summer
Man fishing in New Brunswick (Photo by NCC)
Our Canadian summers are short and fleeting. Warm and sunny days are best spent enjoying the outdoors and connecting with nature. While you are out exploring nature’s wonders, you can also help control the spread of invasive...