Appreciating insects this World Animal Month
Eastern black carpenter ant (Photo by Wally Simpson, CC BY-NC 4.0)
October is World Animal Month, a time for us to reflect on the important roles that animals play in our lives. Animals are an integral part of human existence, and this month gives us a chance to appreciate their presence and create solutions for...
Check out these amazing finds from the 2022 Big Backyard BioBlitz
Monarch butterfly on Joe-pyeweed (Photo by NCC)
Over the July 28–August 1 weekend, thousands of volunteers joined the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) annual Big Backyard BioBlitz. Together, we were able to contribute a total of over 50,000 observations of more than...
A day in the life of a field biologist
Field technician Breanne Kenner with a successful catch! (Photo by NCC)
There are numerous findings in the world of science, and conservation biology specifically, that would not be possible without field work. As part of my conservation internship with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), I have been given the...
Meeting my first monarch butterfly up close
Monarch butterfly feeding on common milkweed flowers (Photo by Wendy Ho/NCC staff)
A gentle breeze blew on a mid-summer evening, the sky still lit from the setting sun. I set up my step stool along the edge of my driveway for some light weeding among my collection of plants in the front yard. It’s a chore that I...
Moths: Amazing, beautiful, important and in need of study
Wood nymph moth (Photo by NCC)
Moths are amazing creatures that are only beginning to receive attention from naturalists. Many people have difficulties determining the difference between moths and butterflies. They can be similar looking, as they both have scales that cover...
The buzz about bumble bees
Western bumble bee (Photo by sydcannings, CC BY-NC 4.0)
The western bumble bee is a medium-sized (measuring one to two centimetres in length) bumble bee, with a band of yellow hair across its thorax (the area between its head and abdomen), in line with the base of its wings. It also most often has a...
My native species bring all the pollinators to the yard
Northern crescent butterfly on swamp milkweed flowers (Photo by Jaimee Morozoff/NCC staff)
Now that spring has finally made its way across Canada (in some places it was slower in arriving than others), gardening season is in full swing! With all of the choices present at our local nurseries and big box stores, it is easy to get carried...
What happens to invasive species in the winter?
Second-year garlic mustard plant (Photo courtesy Invasive Species Centre)
With the change in seasons, invasive species may become out of sight and out of mind. But they always seem to come back every year. So where do they go in winter? Researchers are working to answer this question by investigating how invasive...
Super cool species to know this Halloween
Vampire finch (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)
The leaves have changed, the air has cooled and the pumpkins have been carved. You know what that means — it’s Halloween! This spooky custom has always been my favourite. Growing up, I always took the opportunity to dress up as the...
The ants that herd aphids
Oleander aphids (Photo by cory_silas_sheffield, CC BY-NC 4.0)
On July 21, 2021, I was carrying out annual conservation monitoring at the Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area (OMB), when I came across an unusual sight: much of the silver sagebrush that covers the property was covered...
