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Lichen: 10 reasons to make it your new favourite hobby for 2016

Troy McMullin, lichenologist from the University of Guelph, takes a lichen sample from a rock. (Photo by NCC)

Troy McMullin, lichenologist from the University of Guelph, takes a lichen sample from a rock. (Photo by NCC)

As we enter into the crisp, blank canvas of a new year, many of us have laid out plans and promises to become fitter, smarter, nicer, happier, richer versions of ourselves. Some plans for self-improvement may include trying a new activity like...

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Something's Fishy: The good, the bad and the goby

Round goby (Photo by Peter van der Sluijs/Wikimedia Commons)

Round goby (Photo by Peter van der Sluijs/Wikimedia Commons)

Think of the meanest, toughest fish in a Canadian river. The one other species actively avoid, swimming faster as it approaches. Is it the longnose gar, with its mouth full of sharp teeth? Or the largemouth bass, a species which devours its prey...

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Wetlands update from the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve

First light on the Garry oaks. (Photo by Ren Ferguson)

First light on the Garry oaks. (Photo by Ren Ferguson)

The morning was a beauty, with mist rising from Quamichan Lake illuminated in the rich sunrise. I was in for a treat. As I walked through the fields past huge Garry oak trees, I saw a fine black-tailed deer buck with shiny antlers and muscles...

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Something's Fishy: The old fish and the lake

Juvenile bowfin from Ontario waters (Photo by Raechel Bonomo/NCC Staff)

Juvenile bowfin from Ontario waters (Photo by Raechel Bonomo/NCC Staff)

What if I told you there are living fossils swimming in our waters right now? A few fish species that inhabit Canadian lakes and rivers have such ancient lineages, they are considered prehistoric. Some of these species swam alongside the...

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What's in a salt marsh?

Wilson Lake and Lobster Bay, NS (Photo by Anthony Crawford)

Wilson Lake and Lobster Bay, NS (Photo by Anthony Crawford)

My field work for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) often takes me through a number of different habitats, including salt marshes. Some are big, some are small, most are just right. One of these salt marshes is located in Yarmouth County,...

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Lending nature a hand

Northern leopard frog (Photo by NCC)

Northern leopard frog (Photo by NCC)

If you are a nature lover like myself, you may be interested in participating in one of the many yearly activities organized by the Quebec branch of the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). The activities are open to all — you do not need a...

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How to set a river free

Just add water. Newly opened natural bypass channel! (Photo by NCC)

Just add water. Newly opened natural bypass channel! (Photo by NCC)

Perseverance is stubbornness with a purpose. It’s what river lovers need to remove a dam, and set a river free. Luckily for a beautiful trout stream that feeds into the Noisy River near Creemore, Ontario, the Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC)...

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Clarenceville Bog BioBlitz

Clarenceville bog BioBlitz (Photo by NCC)

Clarenceville bog BioBlitz (Photo by NCC)

When people asked what I was doing over the weekend, and I replied “Going to a bog,” the reactions ranged from puzzled faces to outright laughter. In the acoustic sense, the word “bog” isn’t particularly charming. And...

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The unloved bog

Grass pink in the bog at Escuminac, NB. (Photo by Claire Elliott)

Grass pink in the bog at Escuminac, NB. (Photo by Claire Elliott)

Bogs are the unloved wetland. People like marshes because they’re full of ducks and frogs, and swamps can be fascinating for those who love alligators and turtles. But bogs are commonly viewed as swallowers of machinery and unwary hikers, or...

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Why we celebrate World Wetlands Day on February 2nd

Sandy Island coastal wetland, Ontario (Photo by NCC)

Sandy Island coastal wetland, Ontario (Photo by NCC)

Wetlands have their own day, and rightly so. They are an immense asset for our well-being and safety. Not to mention, they make a great home for all the creatures: plants, animals, amphibians, fish, birds and yes, insects, that live there. In...

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