The McIntyre Ranch — Preserving native grassland and wildlife habitat
McIntyre Ranch, AB (Photo by Leta Pezderic/NCC staff)
There have been many special occasions in the 129-year history of McIntyre Ranch, but, surely, conserving it forever must be one of the most momentous ones. In 1894, William McIntyre began his legacy to conserve grassland in a sustainable manner,...
Surviving the storm: What happens after the trees come down?
Downed trees in Gillies Grove after the freezing rain thunderstorm in spring 2023 (Photo by NCC)
Whenever we experience a big storm in eastern Ontario, my thoughts turn to the Gillies Grove Nature Reserve. Home to some of the last remaining old-growth forest in eastern Ontario, this Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) project is considered...
Healthy forests are gifts that keep on giving
A forested path (Photo by Mariam Qureshi)
Have you ever been in the forest and felt a sense of peace? If so, then you know the importance of the forest to human health. But the forest is more than just a place to get away from it all; it is a vital ecosystem. A healthy forest provides...
Wetlands are our natural defences and need to be conserved
Upper Ohio, NS (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
During the recent UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, over 190 nations adopted a Global Biodiversity Framework. Part of that agreement is to conserve at least 30 per cent of the world’s lands and waters by 2030. While it is not a...
Deep in a thousand-hectare woods: Protecting the magic of Happy Valley Forest
One day it rained red in Happy Valley Forest, and I was there to see it. This was not the red rain of cast-off maple leaves in the fall. This rain painted the tree branches in the spring. And I have witnesses. This is how it went down. It was...
Intertidal life
An intertidal zone on Clayoquot Island (Photo by NCC)
Water flows through the fabric of West Coast culture. For those of us steeped in the maritime life, resisting the pull of the ocean is as futile as trying to still the tides. In my twenties, I experimented with living away from coastal British...
CARE: What does impact look like?
Hikers at Freshwater Bay, NL (Photo by Dennis Minty)
We know there has never been a more important time for nature, nor a greater need for the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) mission. The twin global crises of dramatic biodiversity loss and climate change will mark the decade...
10 facts about fresh water in Canada
Vidal Bay, Manitoulin Island, ON (Photo by Striking Balance)
Fresh water may seem like a ubiquitous substance to some of us, especially if we live near an abundance of it in the form of lakes, rivers and streams. When I take a stroll to my neighbourhood greenspace that has a small tributary running through...
Appreciating hibernation
Richardson's ground squirrel (Photo by Charles Thomas Hash, Jr. CC-BY-NC)
January 21 marks Squirrel Appreciation Day, an occasion meant to recognize squirrels’ importance in nature. It also happens to be the middle of winter, a time when many animals, including some squirrel species, are hibernating. To me, one of...
Diving into winter hibernation
Northern map turtle (Photo by D. Gordon and E. Robertson)
It’s official: winter has made its way across Canada, and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Humans layer up to brave the cold, and migratory birds make their way to warmer climates, but turtles have their own way of toughing out the...
