Conserving Canada's natural capital
Lusicich, Crowsnest Pass, AB (Photo by NCC)
It might be hard to imagine that there's a close connection between my job as an economist at TD and my passion for the great outdoors — camping, hiking and canoeing being among my favourite pursuits. But there is. Over the past two years,...
Why no net loss in biodiversity offsets fails nature and people
Misty Darkwoods forest, BC (Photo by Bruce Kirkby)
There is a new conservation tool making its way through the forests, wetlands and boardrooms of Canada: biodiversity offsets. Biodiversity offsets offer an opportunity to mitigate development impacts to nature that cannot be otherwise avoided....
What's in a salt marsh?
Wilson Lake and Lobster Bay, NS (Photo by Anthony Crawford)
My field work for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) often takes me through a number of different habitats, including salt marshes. Some are big, some are small, most are just right. One of these salt marshes is located in Yarmouth County,...
Something's Fishy: Ghosts of fishes past
A 60-day-old American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) fry (Photo from Wiki Commons)
They’re there, lurking the depths of Canadian lakes and rivers, unseen by humans or other fishes. Ghosts of fishes extirpated or extinct from waters across Canada haunt other species and scientists alike. Their absence leaves an impression...
Mudflats of New Brunswick
Flying over the vast mudflats at Johnson’s Mills, NB (Photo by NCC)
Brown. Flat. Smelly? A mudflat may not seem exciting at first glance. Even to those who grew up around the Bay of Fundy and are familiar with mudflats stretching as far as the eye can see, they may at first appear lifeless. But this couldn’t...
The Beaver Hills Moraine: A distinctive Alberta landscape
Human development on the hummocky moraine. (Photo by Beaver Hills Initiative)
The Beaver Hills Initiative (BHI) is made up of a group of more than 30 volunteer partner organizations, including representatives from all three levels of government, the science and academic community, residents, industry and non-government...
The unloved bog
Grass pink in the bog at Escuminac, NB. (Photo by Claire Elliott)
Bogs are the unloved wetland. People like marshes because they’re full of ducks and frogs, and swamps can be fascinating for those who love alligators and turtles. But bogs are commonly viewed as swallowers of machinery and unwary hikers, or...
Beetles: Nature's mess and soil pollinators
Soldier beetle (Photo © Stephen Luk)
Pollinators are extremely important. Not only are they responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat, but they are vital in creating and maintaining the habitats and ecosystems on which many animals rely for food and...
Moths and butterflies: What we're doing to help these little-known pollinators
Sphinx moth (Photo © Manitoba Museum)
Bees are well known for their ability to pollinate flowers but there are other pollinators out there, including moths and butterflies. Moths pollinate flowers both during the day and at night. This summer, Nature Conservancy (NCC) staff will be...
Return of the raven: What the rewilding of southern Canada teaches us
Common raven (Photo by pcb21, Wikimedia Commons)
Thanks to a bird, I recently needed to change the ring tone on my mobile phone. My ring had long been the classic call of the common raven — a deep gurgling croak that reminded me of being in wilder places. Places such as the northern shores...
