Making friends with the solitary bees
Blue orchard bee (Photo by Robert Engelhardt)
When you think of bees, your mind probably goes to honey, hives and stingers. But what if I told you that there was a species of bee, native to the Saskatchewan prairies, that didn’t make honey, live in a hive or (usually) sting? Mason bees...
Monarch migration
Monarch (Photo by NCC)
Fall is fast approaching. As the days grow shorter and temperatures drop, it’s time for monarchs to migrate south for the winter. These iconic bright-orange butterflies will soon be replaced by pumpkins and turning leaves. Monarchs spend...
Wildlife crossings: Opening the way for the good of wildlife
Wildlife crossings make roads safer. (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)
Whether in the form of bridges or tunnels, wildlife crossings make roads safer by protecting humans and animals from collisions while helping maintain the connectivity of natural environments. “Things are not always what they seem: the deer...
Point counts at Wideview: 10,000 steps by 7 a.m.
Wideview, SK (Photo by NCC)
3 a.m.: Why am I awake this early? The only other creatures awake right now are the birds. Oh, right. The birds are exactly why I’m awake this early. It’s time for point counts at the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s)...
Grandfather nature
My grandfather and I on a sailboat at the 2013 Hunter Family Reunion at Inver Huron Beach, ON (Photo courtesy of Adam Hunter/NCC staff)
I partly owe my love of nature to my grandfather. He likely developed his own fascination with nature from growing up on a farm in the historic Meadowvale Village in Mississauga, Ontario. When I was three years old, my grandfather moved into a...
60 things – A year to remember
Conservation Volunteers building a bat house (Photo by Lorena Squires)
My name is Dianne Young, and I turned 60 in February. I wanted to do something special to celebrate but couldn’t decide what to do. Hot air balloon ride? I’ve always wanted to do that. Tandem parachute jump? I’ve always wanted to...
Something’s Fishy: Dace of shade
Redside dace (Photo by K. Schmidt)
Fine, I’ll say it: as a redhead, I have an affinity for red-coloured species. It’s an unspoken alliance we gingers have — walking, swimming or climbing through a world where we might stand out from the crowd based on our...
The shorebirds’ favourite rest stop
Piping plover (Photo by Sean Landsman)
Over the last 20 years, several conservation organizations, including the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), have supported the operation of the Chaplin Nature Centre, located just outside of the town of Chaplin in southern...
The Carden Challenge: A treat for nature lovers
The start of the Carden Challenge (Photo by Cameron Curran Photography)
In the blink of an eye, you could miss one of Ontario’s natural heritage treasures, found along Kawartha Lakes Road 6, called the Carden Alvar. Deep in the heart of the Carden Alvar, a bustle can be heard in late May along the back roads....
Backpack Essentials: Beat the bite
Backpack Essentials (Image by NCC)
Summer is my favourite season. It’s the best time of year to be outside enjoying the sunshine. For mosquitoes, it is also a good time for them to feed on unsuspecting humans. In Canada, these blood-sucking creatures rarely carry deadly...
