Conservation on a working landscape
The ground nesting, short-eared owl spotted from the cab of Bruce's tractor. Bruce stopped his tractor, found the nest, and saved the eggs because he could identify the bird and knew its ecology. (Photo by Bruce Boldt)
I want to share an interesting conversation I had with my friend Bruce a couple of weeks ago. We had both recently attended a meeting by the South Saskatchewan Water Stewards about environmental farm plans, decommissioning wells and the threat of...
NCC meets the Newfoundland Sportsman Outdoor Expo
NL Outdoor Expo booth (Photo by NCC)
When my coworker Megan and I were setting up our booth a few weekends ago at the Newfoundland Sportsman Outdoor Expo, it didn’t take long to realize that things were about to get "wild." We were surrounded by displays of coyotes, ducks and...
Thinking about World Water Day
Water trough at Waterton Park Front, AB (Photo by NCC)
Working as a Communications Coordinator for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is a great way to learn about science, nature and everything NCC does to conserve land for wildlife and future generations of Canadians. I often focus on land when...
British Columbia’s forest industry today
Orford Bay, BC (Photo courtesy of Interfor)
I grew up hiking and backpacking with my family in British Columbia’s woods. I chose to become a forester because of my inherent desire to take care of the natural environment; I wanted to contribute to the thoughtful management of our...
Get grass off your lawn! Why manicured lawns may not be so natural after all
Mowers release pollutants - just one the negative effects of having a turf grass lawn (Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
It’s summer! Oh, what a beautiful time! Most of us spend many hours during the summer watering our turf grass lawns, pulling weeds out of our turf grass lawns, spraying our turf grass lawns with various growth enhancing chemicals and mowing...
For the love of prairies: celebrating Native Prairie Appreciation Week
Missouri Coteau, Saskatchewan (Photo by Branimir Gjetvaj)
Uncultivated, wild prairie wool has a certain beauty and grace about it, and somehow also a sense of timelessness. Prairie landscapes are dynamic and always changing in subtle ways, yet remain unchanged in many other ways. There is an estimated...
A natural partnership: The Stewardship Credit Program
Sandstone wagontrek (Photo by NCC)
Imagine a world where a rancher has the ability to turn their hard-earned and well-cared for grassland and waterways into cash in their pockets! It’s always been a personal dream of mine to better connect the good work that cattle...
Economy vs. ecology: Where do we find the balance in Canada’s grasslands?
Top Grass Beef Ranch, AB (Photo by Mara Erickson)
Comprising only 14 per cent of Alberta’s land base, the Grassland Natural Region is home to a staggering 75 per cent of the province’s species at risk. From burrowing owls to swift foxes to the western spiderwort, populations of...
