Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) staff often have fascinating tales about their encounters with wildlilfe and nature. Check out some of their stories about their close encounters of the NCC kind.
Peter and the three bears
Peter Shaughnessy didn't even have time to get fully dressed when three grizzlies started stalking his horse. He did, however, manage to grab his camera.
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Brave Bailey and the grey timber wolves
It was a rare warm and windless day in December when I went for a hike on the Connop Bragg Creek Property with my trusty sidekick Bailey the beagle. Little did we know what adventures the day had in store for us as we headed out onto the property.
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It's a dog's life
I love my days in the field...so many new sights, sounds and smells! I have a curious nose that likes to investigate every pocket gopher hole and all of the freshly made jackrabbit tracks. I have an important job in the field: I’m an NCC field dog!
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Truly the unexpected
Wildlife encounters involving Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in the Saskatchewan Region staff takes many shapes and forms. Here are a few snapshots of recent surprising situations faced by staff in Saskatchewan.
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A summer frolic
For several summers I got accustomed to mucking about in wetlands and mosquito-infested woodlands but more recently, the only fieldwork I found myself doing was assessing the stack of papers on my desk. So when an opportunity to get out to the field comes up I jump at it!
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Who cooks for you? That is the question
In early spring 2011, I set out to NCC's Maurice property on Georgian Bay. I was eager to start the field season. I’d been studying my trees, my flowers, my mammals, my snakes, my frog calls and my bird songs. I was ready to take on anything nature had to show me!
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It's a tadpole! No, it's a turtle! No, it's....?
It was a warm, sunny July day on the northern Bruce Peninsula with a gentle breeze coming off the lake. I had spent the better part of the week searching for massasauga rattlesnakes on NCC properties.
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Picnicking with a bear on the Frontenac Arch
This past July in eastern Ontario was hot and humid. On one particularly sweltering day my field partner, Brenda, and I set off from Ottawa in our little rental car to survey NCC’s Goodfellow property on the Frontenac Arch.
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A slithery surprise!
Mhairi McFarlane and Jill Crosthwaite got quite a surprise this past November, on a property located on Pelee Island. Intent on our work, we were walking with our heads down, taking fieldnotes, GPS waypoints and looking at plants. When suddenly...
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Close encounters of the feathered kind
Birds can be vastly underrated. However, in my experience, it pays to look a little closer. With that in mind, when I started last summer as a Shell Conservation Intern, I vowed to keep my eyes (and ears!) open. Here are a few of the things I observed at some of NCC’s beautiful properties.
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The story of Todd
People often ask me what was my favourite part of my Shell Conservation Internship, and I have a tough time choosing. But the one story that I'll never forget is the story of Todd the porcupine.
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