A day in the field with Brian Keating is always an adventure!
Staff hike at Bunchberry Meadows, AB (Photo by NCC)
It was the kind of morning that was just mild enough for a brisk winter walk. Around 15 staff of the Nature Conservancy of Canada's (NCC’s) Alberta Region had bundled up to get a glimpse of Bunchberry Meadows, the next big potential NCC...
Running for nature: How marathon training and conservation are very much alike
Running shoes (Photo by Jean-Yves Couput, Wikimedia Commons)
I used to smoke two packs of cigarettes a day. Then, at the age of 22, I was given an ultimatum involving kissing. At that point in my life it was the right motivation — more compelling than any arguments about heart health or cancer risk. I...
#YYC Earth Day cleanup: What we found may surprise you
Earth rise (Photo by NASA, Wikimedia Commons)
In some ways, every day is Earth Day when you work at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) — our very mandate means that we are constantly thinking, planning for and even working in some of the planet's most beautiful landscapes. So...
A summer for nature
Denise Harris, Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary, AB (Photo by NCC)
So why did I take the summer off to volunteer for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC)? Well, let’s see. Several years ago, at the first NCC event I ever participated in, I was greeted with an undulating purple sea of four-foot-tall...
Conservation and conversation: Connecting communities in unexpected ways
Kim Pearson presentation (Photo by NCC)
The Pincher Creek and District Municipal Library was abuzz on March 18, 2014 when Kimberly Pearson, program manager for the Waterton Park Front (WPF) project, took her place at the podium. A crowd of 18 locals sat shoulder to shoulder, flipping...
The beaver: Nature's engineer..and archaeologist?
Beaver (Photo by Makedocreative/Wikimedia Commons)
The beaver has the distinguished reputation of being “nature’s engineer.” These furry, web-footed builders are skilled at taking raw materials and converting them into complex lodges and dams. Playing the role of woodcutter,...
A natural partnership: The Stewardship Credit Program
Sandstone wagontrek (Photo by NCC)
Imagine a world where a rancher has the ability to turn their hard-earned and well-cared for grassland and waterways into cash in their pockets! It’s always been a personal dream of mine to better connect the good work that cattle...
Economy vs. ecology: Where do we find the balance in Canada’s grasslands?
Top Grass Beef Ranch, AB (Photo by Mara Erickson)
Comprising only 14 per cent of Alberta’s land base, the Grassland Natural Region is home to a staggering 75 per cent of the province’s species at risk. From burrowing owls to swift foxes to the western spiderwort, populations of...
Ermine
Weasel (Photo by Wikimedia Commons, U.S. National Parks Service)
It was a winter afternoon, warmed by the brightness of the sun, as I sauntered along the park’s walking trail. The air was crisp, refreshing and invigorating. I felt relaxed and my spirits were buoyed by the peace and tranquility of the...
Did someone say "bird-off"? How I became an accidental birder
American goldfinch (Photo by Bill Hubick)
A few weeks ago, Kristyn challenged me to a bird-off to count the species in my new Calgary backyard this winter. Unfortunately, my count pales in comparison to hers — clocking in at a mere three species so far this year. But I do have a...
