Lichen: 10 reasons to make it your new favourite hobby for 2016
Troy McMullin, lichenologist from the University of Guelph, takes a lichen sample from a rock. (Photo by NCC)
As we enter into the crisp, blank canvas of a new year, many of us have laid out plans and promises to become fitter, smarter, nicer, happier, richer versions of ourselves. Some plans for self-improvement may include trying a new activity like...
A new hope for nature: Was 2015 a turning point for conservation?
Bayers Island in Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
No one was expecting 2015 to be a special year for nature conservation. As we started the year, it seemed Canadians were mostly focused on the economy, security and health care. Yet when we reflect on the year that was, it’s clear the...
It’s nice to be on a little island: Reflections from the NCC 2015 Sandy Point cleanup
The shores of Sandy Point. (Photo by Kim Olson)
It’s nice to be on a little island. That was one sentiment shared by a Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Conservation Volunteer at the annual Sandy Point cleanup; one that seemed to be shared by the dozen volunteers who joined that day. We...
Labrador tea, growing wild in the Big Land
Not much colour in the Labrador tea, but amazing flavour. (Photo by Paul Smith/ Special to The Telegram)
I returned yesterday from Labrador, the Big Land, so vast and magnificent, with waterways that may never have floated a trout fly. There are not many places like Labrador left on our planet. We need to stay on our toes to protect it, us folks who...
What's to like about lichen?
Reindeer lichen (Photo by Mac Pitcher)
The clean air, cool foggy climate and contiguous old-growth forests of the Island of Newfoundland are an ideal formula for some very rare lichens. These species include boreal felt lichen, vole ears lichen and blue felt lichen. These lichens rely...
Butterfly metamorphosis
Mating monarch butterflies, Butterfly Garden at Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) Tampa, Florida (Photo by Joyce Graham Fogwill)
A few summers ago I watched and photographed the metamorphosis of a butterfly (we weren't sure if the species is a green comma or question mark) at Cape Broyle, Newfoundland. During my visit, I became friends with my seven-year-old neighbour, M.,...
NCC meets the Newfoundland Sportsman Outdoor Expo
NL Outdoor Expo booth (Photo by NCC)
When my coworker Megan and I were setting up our booth a few weekends ago at the Newfoundland Sportsman Outdoor Expo, it didn’t take long to realize that things were about to get "wild." We were surrounded by displays of coyotes, ducks and...
Close ties to history at Crabbes River
The Last Spike (Photo by Library and Archives Canada, Wikimedia Commons)
When compared to the railcars that move across Canada daily, the Newfoundland Railway had a brief history, operating for just over 100 years. Moving freight and passengers across a largely unpopulated land, the railway linked remote Newfoundland...
Yes, B’y! Adventures in the Grassy Place.
Mountaintop lake, Grassy Place, NL (Photo by NCC)
As conservation planner for the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC's) Nova Scotia and Newfoundland programs, I am fortunate to have visited some truly astonishing places in the Atlantic Region. The latest mission was to reach a 3,880-acre...
Camping and birdwatching in Labrador
Battle Harbour, Labrador (Photo by Diane Griffin)
Rosemary Curley and I went to Labrador as her celebratory retirement trip this summer as she had just finished her last day as a biologist with the PEI Forests, Fish and Wildlife Division. We planned to camp, hike, birdwatch, fish, collect...
