Regeneration ablaze on the Rice Lake Plains
A black oak engulfed in smoke from the prescribed burn at Hazel Bird Nature Reserve. Black oaks are tolerant of low-intensity fires, allowing them to thrive in tall grass prairie ecosystems. (Photo by NCC)
“Why is that on fire?” ― a burning question I have received from many curious folks on my Instagram account after posting videos of a prescribed burn that took place at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Hazel Bird Nature Reserve...
Major League Birding
Cooper's hawk (Photo by Bill Hubick)
To say I am not a professional birder is probably an understatement. If the Saskatchewan conservation staff at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) are in the big leagues of birding, I am just lucky to be watching on the couch. In the MLB (no,...
Coming home to NCC
Teamwork makes the dream work (Photo by NCC)
I don’t claim to be an expert on every inch of Ontario's Frontenac Arch. One summer as a conservation technician with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is nowhere near enough time to explore everything, but in 2016, the wetlands, rock...
Kick-start your conservation career by interning
NCC conservation intern monitoring plant communities (Photo by NCC)
If you’re close to graduating from a post-secondary institution, you may have already started to think about applying for jobs related to your field of study. While school is an excellent place to expand your general knowledge, not all...
The call of the Carden
Team Pedalling for Nature includes Cameron Curran, Aiesha Aggarwal, Dorthea Hangaard and Susan Blayney. (Photo by NCC)
Just imagine an opportunity to embark on an expedition that immerses you in the depths of wilderness, where you get to learn, explore and engage with nature alongside like-minded people — a whirlwind "safari," if you will. For 24 hours,...
A summer for the (at-risk) birds
Canada warbler (Photo by Gerald Deboer)
I groggily open my eyes, and by the faint moonlight filtering in through my tent, I find my phone to check the time: 4:29 a.m. — one minute before my alarm is set to go off. I turn it off before the artificial sound interrupts the chorus...
Chasing butterflies on the Rice Lake Plains
Catching butterflies on the Rice Lake Plains, ON (Photo by NCC)
A hike through the tall grass prairie and black oak savannah habitats of the Rice Lake Plains in Ontario may lead to discovering a vibrant, quiet and critical player in grassland conservation: butterflies! The surprisingly adrenaline-filled...
Sinkholes, cliffs and ravines – oh my!
Amy exploring a section of karst forest in Cape Breton, NS (Photo by NCC)
As a conservation intern for the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Atlantic Region this summer, I’ve battled mosquitoes and deer flies, bushwhacked through rose bushes and hawthorns, almost lost a rubber boot in an open bog...
An ode to nature-loving grandparents
Playing cards with grandma by the campfire. (Photo courtesy Falkenburger family)
Dirty hands, scraped knees, messy hair, dressing up in old dresses, daily snacks, park visits, tree climbing and endless hugs. Looking back at my childhood, this is often what my days at my grandparents’ house in Toronto looked like. I was...
The hills are alive at Sage and Sparrow
Sage and Sparrow Conservation Area (Photo by NCC)
If working as an intern at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) for the past summer has taught me anything, it’s that British Columbia encompasses lands far more varied and ecosystems more complex than I had ever imagined. Though...