The woodpecker bubble
Red-headed woodpecker (Photo by D. Fast)
Protected forests are the kingdom of the cavity-dwellers. This is where woodlands grow to an old-growth state, and where dead, damaged or otherwise wonderfully flawed trees take their rightful place in woodland ecology. As a result, nature...
Return of the raven: What the rewilding of southern Canada teaches us
Common raven (Photo by pcb21, Wikimedia Commons)
Thanks to a bird, I recently needed to change the ring tone on my mobile phone. My ring had long been the classic call of the common raven — a deep gurgling croak that reminded me of being in wilder places. Places such as the northern shores...
Real animals don't wear scarves in winter
Of all the enticingly cute plush toys currently in store displays, the owl is one of my favourites. But the way marketers portray animals with toques and scarves throughout the winter make me cringe…slightly. Perhaps that’s because we...
The swift fox: A conservation success story
Swift fox (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
Although I work as the Nature Conservancy of Canada's (NCC's) conservation coordinator responsible for the area in Alberta where swift foxes now live, I have never seen a wild one myself. These are elusive creatures. I did see several being...
Why bluebirds?
Mountain bluebird (Photo by Allison Haskell)
Why did I decide to write a blog about bluebirds? I am no bird specialist, that’s for sure, but I do think bluebirds are gorgeous. The first time I saw a bluebird was just 10 days after starting my internship with the Nature Conservancy of...
Giving hope to wildlife: How rehabilitation and conservation go hand in hand
Dr. Barry MacEachern (Photo courtesy of Barry MacEachern)
It would seem that wildlife rehabilitation and wildlife conservation go hand in hand. As the main veterinarian for the Hope for Wildlife Rehabilitation Society, I have had a unique chance to see how the two areas intersect. In my mind wildlife...
My Wildlife World Cup matchup: Semi-Finals
Wildlife World Cup semi finals (made by NCC)
After an intense month of voting, the Wildlife World Cup semi-finals will now commence! Thanks to everybody that voted for their favourite reptiles and butterflies. The winners of birds and mammals will compete for a spot in the championship,...
My Wildlife World Cup matchup: Week 2 (+Week 1 results!)
Week 2: bobcat versus Newfoundland marten
It's time to announce the winner of Week 1. It was a close contest, but in the end the burrowing owl emerged the victor by a single vote! Thank you to all who voted for their favourite bird. Check out our updated bracket, below. Vote for...
Finding nature at home
Toronto skyline (Photo by Taxiarchos228, Wikimedia Commons)
Nature and cities can seem like opposing ends of an ecological spectrum. Many see nature in its purist form only in wilderness — where our human influence is minimal, or at least hidden. Cities are the grey places on the map that testify to...
Pines, beetles and bears, oh my! The relationship of bugs, bears and trees in western Canada and the U.S.
Grizzly bear (Photo by Erwin and Peggy Bauer/USFWS)
A Huffington Post article titled “In The American West, A Battle Unfolds Over Bugs, Climate Change And The Fate Of An Iconic Species” recently caught the eye of staff at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). In it, writer Kate...
