Wetlands are our natural defences and need to be conserved
Upper Ohio, NS (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
During the recent UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, over 190 nations adopted a Global Biodiversity Framework. Part of that agreement is to conserve at least 30 per cent of the world’s lands and waters by 2030. While it is not a...
Conservation heroes in the county: John Lowry
John Lowry and Amanda Tracey at a CV event in Newburgh, Ontario, December 2022 (Photo by Chelsea Marcantonio/NCC staff)
One of my favourite parts of working for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is running events — particularly Conservation Volunteers (CV) events. I love meeting new people, learning their stories and what motivates them to come out. I...
Hop into the new year with these Canadian lagomorphs
Eastern cottontail (Photo by Alain Mochon, CC BY-NC 4.0)
Rabbits are one of the most easily observed species in my suburban neighbourhood. Even during winter here in southern Ontario, you can find hints of their presence. My two young kids gleefully alerted me to a set of eastern cottontail tracks...
Conservation heroes in the county: Richard Bird
Richard with former NCC staff Ali Giroux installing a property sign at an NCC nature reserve in the county (Photo by Amanda Tracey/NCC staff)
You’ll recall from part one of this series that when I started working for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), Prince Edward County (the county) quickly stole my heart. From its rich wetlands to its dry grasslands and migratory birds...
Fighting phragmites on Georgian Bay
NCC staff and volunteers working to control phragmites on Georgian Bay, ON (Photo by Sara Meyer/NCC staff)
When I started with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in the spring of 2022, I had limited knowledge of the invasive species called phragmites (phrag, as many in the conservation circle call it), and also known as common reed, the immense...
The global significance of Indigenous-led conservation
Indigenous-focussed sessions at COP15 (Photo by NCC)
The only way forward to achieve the ambitious conservation goals set globally and supported by Canada is to support Indigenous-led conservation. This sentiment was echoed loudly throughout 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN...
OECMs are one of the keys to saving biodiversity
Wetland (Photo by NCC)
The conservation world is no stranger to acronyms. From global events like the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (or COP15), to how we reference areas where Indigenous-led conservation is at the forefront (Indigenous Protected and...
Reciprocity in our relations
Group of Conservation Volunteers at the Red Deer Fence Pull event (Photo by NCC)
When we think about the relationships we have in our lives, it is easy to think about our family and friends. These are people who we can talk to and who we associate with love and happiness. When you think about the relationships in your life,...
Deep in a thousand-hectare woods: Protecting the magic of Happy Valley Forest
Aerial view of Happy Valley Forest, ON (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
One day it rained red in Happy Valley Forest, and I was there to see it. This was not the red rain of cast-off maple leaves in the fall. This rain painted the tree branches in the spring. And I have witnesses. This is how it went down. It was...
A memorable dance at dawn
Sharp-tailed grouse on The Yarrow (Photo by Brian Keating)
The sharp-tailed grouse dance at The Yarrow is one of many spellbinding natural displays observable at this special place. I’ve been lucky enough to visit The Yarrow, or the Fischer Ranch as it was previously known, more than a dozen times...
