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Being happy volunteering in Happy Valley Forest

Squeaky clean signboard at Happy Valley Forest (Photo by Yoke Wong)

Squeaky clean signboard at Happy Valley Forest (Photo by Yoke Wong)

In April 2019, my Tiles and Trails hiking group leader, Daisy, asked if any members would be interested in doing trail maintenance at a nearby nature reserve. I had done trail cleanups in the past, so trail maintenance was a natural fit. Plus, it...

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Leaves like a familiar face

The breathtaking Backus Woods in Ontario. One of the best examples of Carolinian old-growth forest in the country. (Photo by Ann Tipper and Zach Melnick)

The breathtaking Backus Woods in Ontario. One of the best examples of Carolinian old-growth forest in the country. (Photo by Ann Tipper and Zach Melnick)

When you think of wild spaces filled with tall, deciduous hardwood trees tilting in warm winds, frost-free days late into the fall, an abundance of reptiles and amphibians shifting between swamps and marshes, and words like sassafras, Kentucky...

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Seeking nature

Backus Woods (Photo by Neil Osborne)

Backus Woods (Photo by Neil Osborne)

As a Torontonian, my interactions with nature tend to be few due to living downtown. However, Toronto has a few urban nature parks that are just further away and require some planning to get to. This has led me to travel across the city and region...

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A prescription for forest health

Plantation rows in Southern Norfolk Sand Plain, ON (Photo by NCC)

Plantation rows in Southern Norfolk Sand Plain, ON (Photo by NCC)

When you think of a healthy, thriving forest, do you think of a straight lines of trees, all the same size, all the same species? Probably not. While tree plantations can be economically important and can provide significant ecological benefits...

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A successful day of tree planting at Meeting Lake 03

Volunteers getting a tutorial prior to tree planting (Photo by NCC)

Volunteers getting a tutorial prior to tree planting (Photo by NCC)

For the sixth straight year, the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Meeting Lake 03 Conservation Volunteers tree planting event brought staff and volunteers together to support forest conservation in Saskatchewan. This is my second...

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One tree at a time: Canada’s forests

Tamarack forest (Photo by NCC)

Tamarack forest (Photo by NCC)

What one habitat type runs through every province and territory, surrounds communities where most Canadians live and covers about 40 per cent of the country? If you guessed forests, you'd be right! We’re lucky to live in a country dominated...

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Putting down roots: How NCC is contributing to 2 Billion Trees

Tree planting at Meeting Lake 03 (Photo by NCC)

Tree planting at Meeting Lake 03 (Photo by NCC)

When I feel the need to escape into nature, I often travel to my father’s cottage in Sauble Beach, Ontario. Located across the street from the beach, the cottage has stood in place for nearly 100 years. I thoroughly enjoy the cool breezes...

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Big, bold and boreal: Once complete, this will be Canada’s largest private conservation project

Boreal Wildlands, ON (Photo by NCC)

Boreal Wildlands, ON (Photo by NCC)

Spring is unfurling across the country, and those who know me know I love my birds. Birdwatching is great in any season, but I start to get a specific set of goosebumps when I hear the first sounds of migratory birds returning from the south in...

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Take them to feel the forest: Winter sensory activities for kids

Snowshoeing in Parc de la Gatineau, QC (Photo by DJ)

Snowshoeing in Parc de la Gatineau, QC (Photo by DJ)

I‘ve walked in the woods all my life, but it wasn't until I took young children with me that I noticed how fascinated they were with the variety of textures found in their surroundings. Kids can spend hours feeling, building, touching and...

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The greatest tool in tackling climate change needs our help: nature

Green Mountains, Sutton, Quebec (by Mark Tomalty)

Green Mountains, Sutton, Quebec (by Mark Tomalty)

As we mark National Forest Week, (September 19–25), let’s consider what our forests provide. The short answer is: much more than we realize. The roots of trees, from BC’s hulking cedars to PEI’s flaking black birches, reach...

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