Giving back to the next generation
Monarch (Photo by Steven Russell Smith)
I have a lot to thank the monarch butterfly for. Well, not just the monarch butterfly; I should give my Grade 6 teacher some credit too. My teacher helped our class raise and release monarch butterflies as part of a school project. Raising a...
Conservation needs a common language to describe Canada’s ecosystems
Tatlayoko Ranch, British Columbia, (Photo by Bernadette Mertens)
“The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name.” ~ Ancient Chinese proverb For organisms, we use the concept of a “species” to assign proper names. Having standard names for species is critical in both...
NCC staff’s small acts of conservation
Wild bergamot being visited by a bee fly (Photo by Diana Bizecki Robson)
When it comes to nature conservation, a little can go a long way. Small-scale conservation efforts can have a huge impact and help ensure that we and future generations can enjoy our precious natural spaces. This spring, the Nature Conservancy of...
Bunchberry Meadows: The sweet city escape
Bunchberry Meadows entrance (Photo by NCC)
In May, I moved from my hometown of Ottawa, Ontario, to Edmonton, Alberta, to start my new summer job with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). With no friends or family there and little to no knowledge of the area, it was the beginning of my...
Regeneration ablaze on the Rice Lake Plains
A black oak engulfed in smoke from the prescribed burn at Hazel Bird Nature Reserve. Black oaks are tolerant of low-intensity fires, allowing them to thrive in tall grass prairie ecosystems. (Photo by NCC)
“Why is that on fire?” ― a burning question I have received from many curious folks on my Instagram account after posting videos of a prescribed burn that took place at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Hazel Bird Nature Reserve...
Call of the Wetland
Volunteers search the wetland shoreline for amphibians. (Photo by Melanie Rathburn)
Have you ever heard frogs or toads calling in an urban environment? Or spotted a secretive salamander as it makes it way to an urban pond? If you live in Calgary, the Miistakis Institute is interested in your observations! With Miistakis’...
Conservation as a pathway to sustainability
Wolf Lake (Photo by John Anonby)
Few of us need to be convinced that there is an important connection between a healthy natural environment and improved human health. But what is perhaps less obvious is nature’s connection with other pressing societal issues. This is...
One million steps: A hike to honour the legacy of conservation (Part two)
Snow-covered trail sign at Hockley Valley, ON (Photo by Dan Kraus/NCC staff)
Hiking north, we crossed the height of land that defines the watershed between Lake Ontario and Lake Huron. This landscape includes Hockley Valley and Mono Cliffs, provincial parks I had only rarely visited in the past. Over a century ago, much of...
One million steps: A hike to honour the legacy of conservation (Part one)
Rockway Conservation Area, a conservation area that NCC helped the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority protect in the 1970s. (Photo by Chris Knaggs)
I’ve been working at my dream job at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) for 15 years. In addition to the deep satisfaction of lasting conservation impacts, NCC is also a great place to work. One of the opportunities NCC provides is that...
Forest landmarks: A guide down memory lane
Backus Woods, Ontario (Photo by NCC)
There's something very personal about landmarks. The features in a forest that you learn to navigate by ― turn left at this weird looking branch, go just past that spot where you saw a barred owl last year ― might not jump out to you. Memories of...
