Studying grassland birds in the Waterton Park Front
Zack Moore travelling to specific locations to count birds in June 2021 in the Waterton Foothills Parkland. (Photo by Zack Moore)
In 2020, I was fortunate to be selected as one of the first students to receive a Weston Family Conservation Science Fellowship through the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). This program provides graduate students with the resources to address...
Conserving hope
Weston Fellows at Long Point, ON (Photo Joel Rodriguez)
“How do you remain hopeful?” I posed this question during the second annual retreat for the Weston Family Conservation Science Fellowship Program in September 2024. The other Fellows and I were sitting around our cabin’s...
The Big Backyard BioBlitz 2024 was a smashing scientific success!
Big Backyard BioBlitz (Photo by Kontakt)
Thank you to the 8,600+ BioBlitzers across Canada who participated in the annual Big Backyard BioBlitz, sharing observations of amazing species from coast to coast to coast. From August 1 to 5, participants shared over 47,000 observations of...
Pollinators and the future of food
Bumblebee, Southern Norfolk Sand Plain, ON (Photo by Mhairi McFarlane/NCC Staff)
Starting my day with a variety of fresh fruits is my version of a fresh cup of coffee. One of my fondest memories is from my time in Vancouver several years ago, visiting a nearby park filled with highbush blueberries. A friend and I would spend...
Experiencing Canada’s prairie grasslands for the first time
Tall grass prairie in Manitoba (Photo by Jessica Sánchez-Jasso)
Colourful, surprising and full of life, grasslands of the Canadian Prairies are one of a kind. My first visit there deepened my passion for biology and reminded me why I fell in love with this field. From my earliest memories, I can recall...
Spotting the spotted wintergreen: Research on rare woodland plants in Ontario
A tagged spotted wintergreen plant (Photo by Amy Wiedenfeld/NCC staff)
As summer approaches, I look forward to getting out into the field. This includes visiting many of the spotted wintergreen populations in Ontario for my PhD research, supported by the Weston Family Conservation Science Fellowship Program. Spotted...
When it comes to wetland restoration and maximizing soil carbon storage, location matters
A day in the field at the Long Point Biosphere Reserve (Photo by Amanda Loder)
As appreciation from the public grows for the ecological and cultural values of wetlands, there is increasing demand to bring back those wetlands that have been converted or altered. Wetlands were once widespread across the temperate region of...
Marshland in the Long Point Region has a long history — and holds a lot of carbon
A day in the field at the Long Point Biosphere Reserve (Photo by Amanda Loder)
There is growing discussion on the role of wetlands as natural climate solutions; meaning how we can conserve and restore these ecosystems to leverage carbon storage and greenhouse gas uptake from the atmosphere. This could ultimately help slow...
A day in the life of a field biologist
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...
A glimpse into the lives of outdoor cats
Ever wonder what your cat is thinking? (Photo by Pixabay)
Have you ever wondered what your cat is doing and where it’s going when it’s outside? For my master’s research at the University of Guelph, I joined a team seeking to answer these questions using custom-built cameras. These...
