Volunteers dig in to help improve riparian habitat
NCC conservation staff and volunteers assess the planting work at Waldron Ranch. (Photo by Kyle Meller)
I was in eighth grade when I first learned about riparian zones and the important role these terrestrial ecosystems play in the conservation of freshwater systems. Little did I know, years later, I would be helping to lead groups of volunteers in...
The farm kid gets a job
Rainbow at Waterton, AB (Photo by Wonnita Andrus/NCC staff)
Bindloss, Alberta is the sort of place where cows outnumber the people 100 to one. You probably haven’t heard of it, won’t find it on most maps and are unlikely to ever need to visit. Its remoteness is…well…remote. So...
My "toad"-ally neat experience in the Crowsnest Pass
Columbia spotted frog at "Calling all Amphibians" CV event, Frayn Property, AB (Photo by NCC)
Did you know there are only 10 amphibian species native to Alberta? I, too, was surprised to learn this. Although I have known basic facts about frogs and toads since I was in elementary school, like how they have a tadpole phase and prefer wet...
Love is in the air
Swift fox (Photo by Clio Smeeton)
Now is the time of year when, as the old song goes, "A young man's fancy lightly turns to love." When it comes to swift foxes, their hearts definitely do. The female swift fox, or vixen, holds court in her den while her suitors, dog foxes, come...
Become an ambassador for nature! Why I volunteer my time for conservation
Mallards (Photo by Denise Harris)
I love to learn new things. It supports my ideal of evolving; of becoming more today than I was yesterday. For example, one day as I sat watching waterfowl, I happened to spy a mallard duck feeding close by. As he dove to feed, all I could see was...
Pronghorns: A sure-footed alarm whistle for Canada's Prairies
Pronghorn antelope, Old Man on His Back (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
Growing up on a ranch in the short-grass prairie region of southern Alberta, I had early exposure to the natural world and some of Canada’s most unique and charismatic wildlife species. From the resilient coyote, to the secretive badger, the...
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...
A summer of unforgettable experiences...And a great time!
Maggie Cascadden (Photo by NCC)
Last May, I moved across the country to start an internship with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). In April, I had graduated with a bachelor of arts and sciences in sustainability, science and society from McGill University. Since I was...
Blazing ahead of climate change: The potential for assisted migration of Alberta’s native plants
The northern blazing star is being used to test assisted migration as a climate change conservation tool. (Photo by ABMI)
It’s the Goldilocks principle. All species, including plants, animals and fungi, are uniquely adapted to a specific combination of climate and environmental conditions that they need to grow, reproduce and thrive; things need to be...
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...
