Close encounters with a pileated woodpecker
Pileated woodpecker female foraging on a dead stand. (Photo by Claire Elliott)
When I’m feeling unmotivated to go for a hike, I usually try to suppress those feelings and go anyway. I never regret the time I spend outdoors, and again that was the case this past weekend. I was sitting restlessly at my desk, which was...
My love-hate relationship with winter
Red barn, blue sky (Photo by Allison Lewis/NCC staff)
Living in a cottage in the woods without all of the amenities of city life makes winter a bit more challenging. Admittedly, I have a love-hate relationship with this very Canadian season. Like when my car slid off the main dirt road and into a...
Our tips for beating the winter blues: Get outside and embrace the weather!
Celine and a friendly chickadee (Photo by Canadian Voyageurs)
This year has been a record-breaker. In many parts of Canada the thermometer plummeted and seemed to just get stuck. The term “frigid” was often used to describe the bitter cold outside. Here in Northern Ontario, where winter always...
On the trail of snowy owls
Snowy owl (Photo by Gregg McLachlan)
When I got an inside tip in late December that numerous migrating snowy owls were being spotted near Long Point, Ontario, I knew I had to grab my DSLR, 600mm lens, fingerless gloves, four layers of clothing, and get down there fast. The Long Point...
Share your love of nature with your love, in nature
A pair of cedar waxwings (Photo by Brendan Toews)
Behold! The year’s (supposedly) most romantic day is coming up! Whether you see it as a cash grab for makers of V-Day buys or a necessary observance, it’s easy to get swept up in the fuss. But of all the roses, chocolates and candle...
Photos enneigées : mes six meilleurs conseils pour de belles images de l’hiver
Lentille de grand calibre (photo de Wikimedia Commons)
Cette photo a été prise le 27 décembre 2013, à Blue Mountain, près d’Halifax, en Nouvelle-Écosse. C’était tard l’après-midi, juste après qu’une petite neige...
Camping in a winter wonderland
Winter is one of the best times to get outside and spend time in the fresh air, immersed in our amazing wilderness. (Photo by Canadian Voyageurs)
We live in Northern Ontario, where winters are long and harsh. Here residents are used to massive snowstorms and deep freezes. Many people spend their winters complaining about the cold and the snow; they coop themselves indoors and suffer cabin...
I built a quinzhee: Winter camping on NCC land
The view from our snow-shelter door, looking out over the Boggy River in the Whitemouth River Watershed Natural Area. (Photo by Carly Dow)
Winter can be a truly magical season if you get out and experience it — the stillness of a forest covered in snow, the thrill of finding and following moose tracks, the boom and groan of ice shifting on a lake. A couple of years ago I had...
A return to the land: What my daughter is learning from a childhood in nature
Grace and Pepper enjoying a fresh snowfall (Photo by Elke Meyfarth/NCC staff)
There’s been a lot of buzz in recent years about the importance of giving children the opportunity to connect with nature. I wholeheartedly agree, and I think we need to remember just how important that connection is for ourselves as well....
My snowy day...And tips for non-intrusive enjoyment of snowy owls
This snowy encounter was a long time coming, and it made my day. (Photo by NCC)
My moment with a snowy owl has been a long time coming. In late 2013 I wrote about my attempts to find one during the Guelph Christmas Bird Count and I spent many wintery days in 2013/2014 driving down country roads peering hopefully into fields...
