The voice of nature
"Beaver," ink with watercolour wash. (Painting by Leanne Cadden)
Capturing ecosystem health through sound When I was six years old, my family moved to a suburban neighbourhood on Vancouver Island. We came from Ontario, so we were not at all acquainted with the incredibly wild and lush biodiversity of British...
Terminarch: Making music out of birdsong
Sage thrasher (Photo by Dick Cannings)
One of the best things about composing music for the concert hall is that inspiration can come from just about anywhere. My latest work, Terminarch, is a 10-minute piece for a quartet of percussionists based on the birdsong of 12 endangered...
Rooting myself in restoration
All smiles after a full day in the field at the Napanee Plain Alvar Nature Reserve, cutting back sumac and prickly ash to improve the habitat quality for eastern loggerhead shrike. (Photo by Samantha Ceci)
My career in the field of ecosystem restoration has begun to sprout, thanks to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). It all began with an email last year, where I inquired about volunteering for NCC. I was interested in shifting gears in my...
The Friday Five: Conservation and nature stories from around the world that caught our eye this week
White-throated sparrow (Photo by Becky Matsubara, CC-BY)
Each week, countless inspiring and informative stories are published about conservation successes or discoveries in nature and wildlife around the world. Here are some of the conservation and nature stories that caught our attention the week of...
Nature therapy (part one): Nature-based art is about more than just art
Leaf printing. (Photo by Sage Yathon)
In a world full of change and unknowns, we can find ourselves looking for inspiration and positive outlets. There is one thing that is constant and can heal us: nature. Building and maintaining a relationship with nature can have many positive...
Birding for beginners
Child with binoculars (Public Domain)
I wouldn’t consider myself a birder, but I am one of the many people who has been more tuned into the nature around me since the pandemic started. Working from home and sticking to walks around my neighbourhood has made me more aware of my...
