The Land remembers: Beading as reflection
Buffalo Place (Beadwork by Raechel Wastesicoot/NCC staff)
My identity, culture, the Kanyen'kéha language, our traditions and stories are all based on the Land and how Mother Earth has and continues to support us. When I partake in any aspect of my culture, and specifically in my beadwork, I think...
The global significance of Indigenous-led conservation
Indigenous-focussed sessions at COP15 (Photo by NCC)
The only way forward to achieve the ambitious conservation goals set globally and supported by Canada is to support Indigenous-led conservation. This sentiment was echoed loudly throughout 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN...
OECMs are one of the keys to saving biodiversity
Wetland (Photo by NCC)
The conservation world is no stranger to acronyms. From global events like the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (or COP15), to how we reference areas where Indigenous-led conservation is at the forefront (Indigenous Protected and...
Recognition and Reconciliation: The pathway forward is Indigenous-led conservation
Sunset at Hay Bay, Ontario (Photo by Ethan Meleg)
Friday, September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day is intended to provide an opportunity for people to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools. This day has also been observed as Orange Shirt Day since...
A Canadian river story
La Chasse-galerie, 1906, by Henri Julien (Photo by Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec)
Our rivers carry many responsibilities. For years, they have been pathways for communication, making connections and sharing traditions.Like any great journey, these rivers have stories. From coast to coast, myths and legends have been passed down...
One tree at a time: Canada’s forests
Tamarack forest (Photo by NCC)
What one habitat type runs through every province and territory, surrounds communities where most Canadians live and covers about 40 per cent of the country? If you guessed forests, you'd be right! We’re lucky to live in a country dominated...
Diving into winter hibernation
Northern map turtle (Photo by D. Gordon and E. Robertson)
It’s official: winter has made its way across Canada, and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Humans layer up to brave the cold, and migratory birds make their way to warmer climates, but turtles have their own way of toughing out the...
Leave those leaves on the ground
Tuliptree leaf in fall (Photo by Bernt Solymar)
As a child, I heard somewhere that if you catch a leaf as it falls from a tree, it’s good luck. So, naturally, I spent most autumns staring up at the huge trees in the conservation area behind my house, waiting patiently for a leaf to dance...
My fuzzy muse
Virgin tiger moth (Photo by Nolie Schneider – CC 4.0 via iNaturalist)
I used to think moths were ugly. Compared to their colourful, beloved cousins — butterflies — moths are hardly ever prized to win the blue ribbon at the beauty pageant. Often monotone, muted and furry — the latter of which makes...
Turtles: Canada's culture in a shell
Blanding's turtle, Frontenac Arch Natural Area, Ontario (Photo by Ryan M. Bolton)
It was a gloomy day in southern Ontario. Although the canoe I paddled in was quiet, the landscape — filled with croaks and chirping — was anything but. Three metres away, a small creature emerged from the glass-like water to stretch...
