Lending a hand at Bunchberry Meadows
Volunteers bagging thistle flower heads (Photo by NCC)
On August 30, 2018, I attended a Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Conservation Volunteers event at NCC’s Bunchberry Meadows property in Alberta. This property was purchased as a joint project with the Edmonton & Area Land Trust, an...
Three creative ways to reach people with conservation content
Conservation Volunteers event at Bunchberry Meadows (Photo by NCC)
Nature conservation could not exist without conservationists. To keep this important work going, it is necessary to get as many people involved as possible. Conservation work can be fun and exciting, but it's also work. So how can we best reach...
Heard it from a Scout: Turning over a new leaf for forest conservation
Where better to start contributing to forest conservation than within the Scouting community, where youth strive to enjoy, explore and protect nature every day? (Photo by Scouts Canada)
What would a tire swing be without a branch to hang from? How about a summer picnic with no shade, or summer adventuring without camping in comforting forests? Scouts and nature lovers alike understand the feeling of calm and sense of home within...
Hibernation with a hiss
A drawing of a snake (Photo by Darwin Online)
Snakes are such misunderstood creatures. Many people fear them, but that might be because they don’t know how awesome snakes are! Snakes are limbless reptiles with scaly skin. They are very diverse, with different sizes, colours and...
Multi-talented organisms: How seaweeds can affect our daily lives
Dr. Sophie Steinhagen collecting seaweeds (Photo courtesy of Dr. Sophie Steinhagen)
Seaweeds, a type of macro-algae (a group that includes benthic [attached to the bottom] marine algae that are typically visible to the naked eye), provide hope for a more sustainable future, through healthier food, renewable energy and fewer...
The best defence is an eco-fence!
Conservation Volunteers, NCC staff and Bruce Peninsula National park staff (Photo by NCC)
Ontario’s Saugeen Bruce Peninsula is well known for its unique biodiversity and natural beauty. As budding naturalists with a particular interest in reptiles and amphibians, my husband and I jumped at the chance to participate in the Nature...
National Appreciation Week for Animal and Rescue Shelters
Me volunteering at the Funds for Animals Wildlife Center in Ramona, California. (Photo by the Humane Society of the United States)
As an animal lover, my social media feed tends to be filled with animal-related posts. It consists of heartwarming stories, such as animal rescues, adoption stories, species reintroductions, etc. If you also have a soft spot for animals,...
A bird (book) in the hand: Birds of Nunavut and UBC Press’s legacy of ornithological publishing
Left to right: Alexa Love (catalogues and advertising manager and cover designer for Birds of Nunavut), Melissa Pitts (director) and Holly Keller (assistant director, production and editorial services)
In my early days working at University of British Columbia (UBC) Press, I was tasked with maintaining the shelves used to house old and new UBC Press books. As I was shelving books one afternoon, I noticed large volumes of books, seemingly out of...
How plastic waste threatens marine organisms
Plastic waste is often seen washed up on shorelines (Photo by Kevin Krejc/Wikimedia Commons)
Ocean plastic pollution has grabbed worldwide attention in quite a short period of time. This is because the impact of plastic waste on marine plants and animals is tremendous. Plastic garbage patches the size of small countries floating on the...
The blitz of the burdock brigade
Conservation Volunteers with bags of invasive common burdock. (Photo by NCC)
Thanks to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), I can now cross off my bucket list my long-nurtured desire to hack away at invasive burdock plants with a machete. In truth, I’d never entertained the idea before signing up as a Conservation...
