An emblem worthy of a mother’s love
Pink lady's-slipper, ON (Photo by NCC)
Every Mother’s Day, I buy my mom her favourite chocolates and a bouquet of fresh flowers. This may seem like an easy-out gift for this day, but I’ve yet to come across a mother who doesn’t love flowers. Mine loves yellow...
It's complicated, honey
Sweat bee on Flax (Photo by Marika Olynyk/NCC staff)
Spring draws nigh: the season of the birds and the bees. Birdsong is a welcome gift, but where would we be without bees? Their obsessive quest for pollen and nectar keeps much of Alberta’s native flora alive. There would be fewer willows,...
Connecting protected spaces in Alberta's newest biosphere
NCC conservation property in Beaver Hills (Photo by Brent Calver)
When you live in a major urban centre, it’s easy to feel isolated from nature. But we are fortunate in Edmonton; we have an incredible wealth of natural areas just outside our door. Just east of the city lies Beaver Hills, a natural...
All about wetlands
Forested wetlands in summer (Photo by Mary Gartshore)
Wetlands help purify fresh water for billions of global citizens. Like giant sponges, they absorb and replenish water, holding water during floods and providing water to rivers and streams during drought. Wetlands also provide vital nesting,...
A significant investment in conservation
Abram-Village, Prince Edward Island (Photo by NCC)
Canada is a land teeming with biodiversity, from coast to coast to coast. With 10 per cent of the world’s forests, 20 per cent of its fresh water and 24 per cent of its wetlands, Canadians have countless reasons to celebrate the land we call...
Beak to beak: The importance of Bird and Biodiversity Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries
Semipalmated plover, Johnson's Mills, NB (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
Protecting land is critical to the survival of Canada’s natural world. With approximately 80,000 known plant and animal species, many of which are in decline, it is no wonder that the protection of wildlife habitat has never been more...
A walk with Robert Frost: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
The woods by my parents' house (Photo by Kailey Setter/NCC staff)
While science and logic have the ability to influence our thoughts, poetry has a marvellous ability to move our hearts and capture our imagination. Robert Frost has long been my favourite poet. Not just because his poems are relatively short and...
Lights, camera, nature: An ode to Canadian landscapes in film
Nodwell, AB (Photo by R. Berdan)
One of my favourite things about living in Canada is getting to experience different seasons. However, my personal favourite season may not be on everyone else's list…Oscars season! As an avid film junkie, one of the most exciting times of...
Your winter getaway is a lot closer than you may think
Ancient cottonwoods (Photo by Steve Ogle)
Who says you can only enjoy nature when the snow has melted? There’s nothing like breathing in the crisp, fresh air on a winter nature hike as you take in the sights and sounds of wildlife around you while braving the cold. I love hearing...
Heard it from a Scout: Lessons learned while tree planting in Fort McMurray
St. Albert and Fort McMurray Scouts planting a symbolic tree (Photo by Shayne Kawalilak)
In early 2017, my mom presented an idea to our St. Albert, Alberta, Scout troop — an idea that I didn’t realize would result in our small group doing something really big. My mom is a leader with Scouts Canada and she planted a seed...
