Stories from stewards of the land: The Cuzen property (Part One)
Periwinkle (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)
I have had many positive interactions with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) over the years. It is surely one of my favourite nature groups to volunteer with. You see, I have no formal educational background in botany or environmental studies...
Invasive species and the steward's role
Phragmites (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)
More and more land is being conserved these days by various conservation groups. This is a good thing, but coming with that is a responsibility to protect and manage that land. Unless there are local offices, the most efficient way to carry out...
A new hope for nature: Was 2015 a turning point for conservation?
Bayers Island in Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
No one was expecting 2015 to be a special year for nature conservation. As we started the year, it seemed Canadians were mostly focused on the economy, security and health care. Yet when we reflect on the year that was, it’s clear the...
Something's Fishy: The good, the bad and the goby
Round goby (Photo by Peter van der Sluijs/Wikimedia Commons)
Think of the meanest, toughest fish in a Canadian river. The one other species actively avoid, swimming faster as it approaches. Is it the longnose gar, with its mouth full of sharp teeth? Or the largemouth bass, a species which devours its prey...
Deck the halls...With invasive species?
Conservation Volunteers at the Deck the Halls event, 2015 (Photo by Nick Tardiff)
As typical Canadian Decembers go, this wasn’t one of them. The landscape at the Nature Conservancy of Canada's Rice Lake Plains property was shrouded in fog, without a snowflake in sight. The volunteers’ task for the day was to remove...
That friggin' phrag
Shoot of alien species of phragmites poking through (Photo by Bill Moses)
Are you aware of the phragmites problem? We all know that at one time our native species thrived in a balanced ecosystem that is now being compromised by the rapid spread of some non-native plants. Phragmites australis (also known as common reed)...
Something's Fishy: Ghosts of fishes past
A 60-day-old American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) fry (Photo from Wiki Commons)
They’re there, lurking the depths of Canadian lakes and rivers, unseen by humans or other fishes. Ghosts of fishes extirpated or extinct from waters across Canada haunt other species and scientists alike. Their absence leaves an impression...
Invasive species are a lot like...breakfast!
Maggie Cascadden demonstrates how BaDandelion muffins are made (Photo by NCC)
Weeds: every lawn, garden and even sidewalk seems to have them. They are pesky and stubborn, and have been known to cause severe frustration. A weed is classified as invasive when it travels 100 metres within 50 years, which is really fast...
Can battling invasive species be a mistake? (Part One)
Himalayan balsam (Photo by Keith Williamson)
As a conservation organization, the Nature Conservancy of Canada spends a considerable amount of time and resources controlling invasive species. In some ways, this seems contradictory. Why would an organization tasked with conserving the natural...
Can battling invasive species be a mistake? (Part Two)
Emerald ash borer adult (Photo by by U.S. Department of Agriculture)
In Part One, I discussed the prevalence of invasive species in contemporary ecosystems and questioned whether we should even spend time and resources battling them. I also discussed the "Tens Rule" in invasion biology, which suggests that only a...