Ten tips for finding a job in conservation
Volunteer measures tree root collar diameter with calliper. (Photo by NCC)
There’s a lot I love about my job at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). Working on endangered species, landscape planning and protecting some of Canada’s most important habitats is not a bad way to spend the day. I also like...
Christmas trees make a great cup of tea
White spruce with cones (Photo by Manitoba Museum)
Every day, the Google search engine is inundated with searches for the next superfood, health trend or nutritional qualities of certain foods. Sadly, very few people know that you can make a beverage high in vitamin C from...Christmas...
Heard it from a Scout: Sumac is nature's tasty candy
Staghorn sumac (Photo by Kaelem Moniz)
In my first year of Scouts, I went on a hike with my troop and discovered a strange-looking plant. One of the senior Scouts told everyone that it was called staghorn sumac and that it was like “nature’s sour candy.” I tried it...
The wonderful world of sparrows
House sparrow (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)
When asked to picture a sparrow, I think a lot of us, especially city dwellers, think of the common house sparrow. Though ubiquitous across southern Canada, this little sparrow is not actually native to North America. This introduced species hails...
How we can save our songbirds
Cerulean warbler (Photo by Bill Hubick)
By now, I'm hoping that many of you have heard about declining songbird populations and the numerous threats that these birds face, which are, typically, physical threats to their survival. However, I’d like to discuss a different type of...
Beech bark disease in Canada
Roots of an old American beech tree at Clear Creek Forest (Photo by NCC)
While hiking through some of Ontario’s forests, you may notice that the beech trees look infected by something. During my undergraduate studies in biology at Western University (formerly known as the University of Western Ontario), I learned...
Need to ID a plant in Nova Scotia? There's an app for that!
Bunchberry (Photo by NCC staff)
Those red teaberries look so yummy, but can I eat them? What can I collect to make tea? What goes well in a salad? These questions and more may be answered for you in a recently released app created by developer Gordon Isnor and me, curator of...
How to camp with a baby/toddler (relatively) stress-free?
Camping with young ones doesn't have to be stressful (Photo by Quincin Chan/NCC)
Camping is many Canadian's favourite pastime in the summer. What's better than falling asleep under the Milky Way and waking up to the sound of chirping birds and the wind in swaying trees? Once there’s a baby in the picture, however, the...
Book review: The Vascular Plants of Bruce Peninsula, by Joe Johnson
The Vascular Plants of Bruce Peninsula (Photo by Bill Moses)
The Vascular Plants of the Bruce Peninsula, by Joe Johnson, is a landmark book in the history of botany on the Bruce Peninsula — a place described as being Ontario’s most well-known botanical destination. The first person to attempt...
Memorizing bird songs made easy with mnemonics
Yellow warbler (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)
I recall when I first heard a yellow warbler’s song; it was music against the backdrop of residential traffic in my suburban neighbourhood. At the time I had no clue where the bird was and I had no idea what bird was making this sound. I...
