Birds of Old Man on His Back
Barn swallow nesting at OMB interpretive centre (Photo by Dr. Steve Zack)
I moved to southwestern Saskatchewan in 1969 when I married a farmer/rancher whose land adjoins the Old Man on His Back Prairie Heritage and Conservation Area (OMB) on the south side. As a newcomer to the prairie, I had lots of fun learning about...
Scientists of the (near) future!
Judging at the Canadian-wide Science Fair (Photo by Laurel Bernard/NCC staff)
I was recently privileged to be a judge at the Canada-Wide Science Fair. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) was considerate enough to sponsor me to attend (i.e. take a day off work) so I could help judge some of the 400 projects presented by...
13 tweetable facts about pollinators
Bee on flower (Photo by NCC)
Nature has always been a fascination of mine, sparking numerous moments of wonders and awe. Like the time when I first learned about how bee orchids are designed to entice certain pollinators leading to pseudocopulation - that blew my mind! As the...
Vote for your favourite animal this World Wildlife Day
World Wildlife Day (Logo by CITES Secretariat)
There's something coming other than bleak winter weather and hordes of snow. On March 3, global citizens are set to celebrate World Wildlife Day. This is an invitation to get involved with the celebration of wildlife, their intrinsic values and...
Family Day Crossword
Play the conservation crossword puzzle!
How would you describe your family in one word? Loyal, tight-knit or perhaps a little eccentric? For us humans, the family unit is often our primary social group, and kinship has been central to societal development. But in the fascinating world...
Makes me wonder: Nature firsts
Students from John Norquay Public School, Nature Days Vancouver (Photo by HSBC Bank Canada)
When it comes to the natural world, there is something remarkable about first times. On the doorstep of discovery is a story taking form, one that eventually settles into memory and becomes part of who we are and how we come to know the places...
In praise of goldenrod (and exposing the real culprit of your hay fever)
Goldenrod (Photo by Liz West, Wikimedia Commons)
I worry a lot about how we don’t understand nature anymore. Now I’m not talking about the value of nature or the importance of conservation. That worries me too, but what I’m talking about is the basic understanding of the plants...
Giving children a good night's sleep
Sleeping Children Around the World Canada (Photo courtesy of SCAW)
For many organizations, and here at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (well, until this year, when we changed our year-end by a month), December marks not only calendar year end but also end of Q2 and I bet you know what that means —...
5 ways to incorporate nature into your hectic schedule (+1 bonus)
Outdoor yoga (Photo by Lululemon Athletica)
Now that summer vacation's over and we're into September, I’m beginning to look ahead to the school year. Classes, textbooks, and homework, oh my! With the dog days of summer flying by quicker than I can comprehend, it won’t be long...
Carden Nature Festival 2014: “Plain” and simply inspiring
Male eastern bluebird ready to enter a near by nesting box to feed its chicks (Photo by 2014 MudInspired.com)
I had the opportunity to attend the 2014 Carden Nature Festival, which fell on the weekend of June 7 and 8, 2014 at the Carden Community Centre on the shores of Lake Dalrymple. Touching a special place in my heart due to its location, this event...
