Lending nature a hand
Northern leopard frog (Photo by NCC)
If you are a nature lover like myself, you may be interested in participating in one of the many yearly activities organized by the Quebec branch of the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). The activities are open to all — you do not need a...
How to set a river free
Just add water. Newly opened natural bypass channel! (Photo by NCC)
Perseverance is stubbornness with a purpose. It’s what river lovers need to remove a dam, and set a river free. Luckily for a beautiful trout stream that feeds into the Noisy River near Creemore, Ontario, the Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC)...
Fence fighting at Fairy Hill
Fairy Hill, an NCC property in Saskatchewan. (Photo by Gail F. Chin)
I have been photographing in this area called Fairy Hill, which is a Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) property, for more than five years. Fairy Hill is 36 kilometres north of Regina on Highway 6. It is one of the most beautiful places in...
The Carden Alvar dragonfly count: An unforgettable learning experience
Volunteers searching for dragonflies at Carden Alvar, ON (Photo by Leanne Gauthier-Helmer)
There truly is an art to learning. I discovered this two years ago when, at the age of 35, I went back to college as a full-time student. I also learned that we all learn differently. I have watched, mystified, my husband and son both take...
Clarenceville Bog BioBlitz
Clarenceville bog BioBlitz (Photo by NCC)
When people asked what I was doing over the weekend, and I replied “Going to a bog,” the reactions ranged from puzzled faces to outright laughter. In the acoustic sense, the word “bog” isn’t particularly charming. And...
An exciting Brier Island weekend
Group photo at "Sights and Sounds of Brier Island" event. (Photo by NCC)
Brier Island is one of the farthest reaches of Nova Scotia; two ferry rides away and, like many such islands, ecologically significant and home to a small community sometimes wary of the intentions of outsiders. The Nature Conservancy of Canada...
Lincoln Wetlands trailblazing
Lincoln Wetlands brush and trailhead. (Photo by NCC)
I have dedicated the entirety of my adult life to conservation and environmental education. Much of my focus was abroad, but upon returning home to Canada it only made sense to become involved here as well. We live in a country of such vast...
Bending Willow Creek: Meandering through Minesing
Volunteers at NCC's River Bends on the Mend CV event. (Photo by Miguel Hortiguela)
It was the summer of 1982 and I'd just finished my first of three years in the Fish and Wildlife Technology program at Sir Sandford Fleming College (since re-branded as Fleming College) in Lindsay, Ontario. I'd been offered a summer job with the...
Jasmine's day at the Carden Alvar Butterfly Count
Jasmine at the Carden Alvar Butterfly Count. (Photo by Mary Kennard)
My name is Jasmine and this summer I went to the Carden Alvar Annual Butterfly Count in Kirkfield, Ontario. I counted butterflies with my mom and Aunty Mary. I caught an eastern comma butterfly in my net. I caught three butterflies, my mom and...
Trail making at Fairy Hill
Volunteers carry sign posts to designated spot at Fairy Hill property for interpretive sign installation. (Photo by NCC)
I now have another reason to appreciate time spent hiking a trail after helping out at a Conservation Volunteers event at Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Fairy Hill property this summer. I should clarify that NCC manages three...
