The Friday Five: Conservation and nature stories from around the world that caught our eye this week
Common lionfish (Photo by Michael Gäbler, Wikimedia Commons)
Each week, countless inspiring and informative stories are published about conservation successes or discoveries in nature and wildlife around the world. Here are some of the conservation and nature stories that caught our attention the week of...
Smile for the camera
Deer caught on trail cam (Photo by NCC)
We use a lot of intricate technology at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). When I’m out surveying an ecosystem in eastern Ontario, radio waves are bouncing between satellites in the sky and a receiver in my phone, to precisely locate...
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 the head and abdomen), in line with the base of its wings. It also most often has a...
Tales of recovery: Eastern bluebird
Eastern bluebird (Photo by Cameron Curran/NCC staff)
There is perhaps no other bird that has endeared itself into our popular culture as the bluebird. It’s the helpful feathered friend in Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Bluebird is in the lyrics of over 500 songs, performed by...
Tales of recovery: Pronghorn
Pronghorn antelope, Old Man on His Back (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
Ask a Canadian to name the fastest land animal in the world. Even if they have never watched a nature documentary, they probably know it’s the cheetah. But most Canadians don’t know the planet’s second fastest animal, even though...
Tales of recovery: Small white lady's-slipper
Two small white lady’s-slippers, a threatened species with deceptive flowers (Photo by Steven Anderson/NCC staff)
There is no abrupt line marking the edge of Canada’s prairie region. No sign on the highway saying “thanks for visiting.” In western Canada, grasslands gently rise and merge into the forested foothills of the Rocky Mountains....
International Beaver Day
Beaver (Photo by Jason Bantle)
Emily Little is leaving Saskatchewan. In fact, by the time you read this, she will have left already. As part of the tidying up at work that happens when someone winds down their stay and moves on, Emily and I talked about things that should be...
Tricks in disguise: Fools and facts in nature
Self-portrait of a Celebes crested macaque female (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)
A friendly exchange of practical jokes and hoaxes often poses no harm, especially on such a day as April Fools’ Day. But there are some real tricksters in nature that will fool even the most attentive eyes and ears. On April Fools’...
Look for these first signs of spring across Canada
Red-winged blackbird (Photo by Bill Hubick)
With the springing forward of our clocks and the increased daylight, many Canadians are getting antsy for the arrival of spring. What can be more delightful than noticing the little signs that signal the arrival of a new season, such as the...
50 bird species and the sounds that they make
Tufted titmouse (Photo by Jocelyn Anderson, Wikimedia Commons)
While many of the birds included are not native to Canada (but may be present as farm animals, pets or invasive species), it is still enriching to listen to birds from around the globe. Some examples of native Canadian birds on the infographic are...
