Big Backyard BioBlitz: Your cell phone and curiosity can contribute to scientific research
Monarch butterfly (Photo by A. Dabydeen)
Until recently, I thought that "scientific research" was something only done in labs, hospitals and research institutes, by scientists with four different PhDs. Turns out that's not true! When it comes to monitoring biodiversity, community science...
What I’ve learned from noticing nature
Common eastern bumble bee on wild bergamot (Photo by Wendy Ho/NCC staff)
As a busy working parent of two young children, my hours and minutes seem to slip away at every turn of the corner, between parenting duties, work and general adulting. When everyone has turned in for the evening, I grasp at what’s left of...
Sights of the sky: Stargazing and nighttime photography in Saskatchewan
Night sky above Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area, SK (Photo by Alan Dyer)
When the sun sets on our prairie province, the night sky comes alive with some pretty magnificent sights. Despite my extremely limited knowledge of astronomy and stargazing, I often find myself gawking in wonder at evening skies. Luckily for me,...
There’ll never be a dull moment in nature if you do this
Volunteer using a smartphone at a NCC BioBlitz event. Photo by Brent Calver.
Is your outdoor walk getting dull? Or maybe your access to a sizable natural area is limited. Is lack of time a barrier to your ability to connect with nature? For some people with a close connection to nature, it might not take much effort to...
Look for these first signs of spring across Canada
Red-winged blackbird (Photo by Bill Hubick)
With the springing forward of our clocks and the increased daylight, many Canadians are getting antsy for the arrival of spring. What can be more delightful than noticing the little signs that signal the arrival of a new season, such as the...
The Carden Challenge: A treat for nature lovers
The start of the Carden Challenge (Photo by Cameron Curran Photography)
In the blink of an eye, you could miss one of Ontario’s natural heritage treasures, found along Kawartha Lakes Road 6, called the Carden Alvar. Deep in the heart of the Carden Alvar, a bustle can be heard in late May along the back roads....
Driving Miss Hazel
Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, ON (Photo by NCC)
Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) staff like to say that science drives our conservation work. This is true, but sometimes while following the science, we stumble into something unexpected and truly amazing. Let me explain. Back about 20 years...
Heard it from a Scout: The #Trashtag challenge: 5 essential steps for leading a community cleanup
Since 2002, Scouts across Canada have worked with their communities and the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup to remove over 5,300 kilograms of trash from shorelines. (Photo by Scouts Canada)
Community cleanups are one of the latest social media crazes, as the #Trashtag challenge takes the internet by storm. Individuals and communities around the world are banding together to clean up the environments where they reside. As the snow...
Himalayan blackberry and English holly and Japanese knotweed…oh my!
East bank of Centre Creek overrun by dense Himalayan blackberry (Photo by Lynn Pinnell)
As part of my bachelor’s degree at the University of British Columbia, I had the honour of doing an independent research project with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). For the project, I mapped all occurrences of invasive species at...
Bringing communities together: The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup
Hauling foam, a buoy and other marine debris during a 2016 Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Schoeler)
As an avid open water swimmer, I learned to respect our waterways while fighting through the smack and splash of ocean waves during long training swims. I fell in love with our waterways during calm, quiet morning swims out on the lake. And I...
