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You never know what you'll find in your own backyard

Acorn weevil (Photo by Jenn Forman Orth)

Acorn weevil (Photo by Jenn Forman Orth)

It was late in the afternoon last summer when I decided to relax by reading a book in my backyard gazebo in Winnipeg. As I looked up from my book, I saw a tiny insect, backlit by the sun, fly for a few metres across the yard and then vanish from...

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Buzzword biodiversity

L to R: Terry Galloway and Bob Wrigley (Photo by Larry de March)

L to R: Terry Galloway and Bob Wrigley (Photo by Larry de March)

Biodiversity is a relatively new word in the conservation arena. Broadly defined, the term refers to the number of species in, or biological richness of, an area. In spite of biological inventories and diverse studies carried out over centuries...

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The science behind conservation: Behind the scenes with the Manitoba Region’s Scientific Advisory Network

Giant hyssop, tall grass prairie, Manitoba (Photo by NCC)

Giant hyssop, tall grass prairie, Manitoba (Photo by NCC)

Over a decade ago, a colleague contacted me to see if I would be interested in serving on a new science committee of the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Manitoba Region. As an ecologist working in the province for many years, I...

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