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A McKenzie Towne Almanac
Inverness Pond, McKenzie Towne (Christine Beevis Trickett/NCC staff)
The slowing down over the past 10–11 months with the COVID-19 pandemic and its related restrictions has meant more time to be in one place and appreciate the nature around me. While where I live —McKenzie Towne, in southern Calgary, is...
How tracking animals leaves a different imprint on winter
Tracks of a coyote walking - note the straight track pattern. (Photo by NCC)
It isn’t a secret that most city dwellers have complicated relationships with winter (myself included). When the weather takes a turn for the worse, it seems to have a domino effect on urban centres, increasing traffic and slowing everything...
Nature therapy (part five): Motivated by Nature
Winter smile (Photo by Amanda Cashin Photography)
It’s no secret that this year has been, and still is, challenging. During the winter, it is important to think about what we can do to help combat the winter blues. Whether we are working from home and indoors more, and/or suffer from...
What is a legacy?
Threshing machine, a modern version of one that was used on the family farm back in the day (Photo by Ben Franske)
It wasn’t until I became a grandparent that I started pondering the question, “What is my legacy?” Separating the wheat from the chaff took a great deal of time and thought. It was while reviewing my past experiences that led me...
What does a conservation biologist do in the “other season?”
Is this what you think of when you hear conservation biology? ( Photo by Mike Dembeck)
There is a seasonal nuance to being a conservation biologist. If you look at my job description optimistically, my job involves afternoons looking for spring ephemeral flowers, summers canoeing on lakes and early autumn mornings catching the last...
How collaboration kept an invasive beetle at bay
Asian longhorned beetle with wing exposed under elytron (wing casing) (Photo by Pudding4brains, Wikimedia Commons)
What is black with white spots and shiny all over? It’s the invasive Asian longhorned beetle (ALB)! This beetle is well known for its striking appearance, piercing eyes and antennae that extend beyond the rear of its body. It has no natural...
