Nature therapy (part three): Sit spots, sound walks and yoga
Connecting with nature, even for five minutes a day, can have tremendous benefits for your health and wellness while helping to reinforce positive new habits. Nature is quiet and resilient and provides an opportunity for us to re-connect with...
A landmark moment for conservation in Canada
I joined the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) more than a decade ago. At the time, I couldn’t imagine how quickly time would pass, the challenges we would undertake and the successes we would celebrate. In my time with NCC, I’ve...
The Green World Hypothesis
Why is the planet filled with the colour green? What if I told you that the answer to this question originates from an experiment conducted using starfish? In 1963, professor Robert Paine stood on the shore of the Makah Bay in Washington state....
So you’ve acquired a property. Now what? (part one)
New things are exciting. In my first few years as the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s coordinator, conservation biology for eastern Ontario, I couldn’t figure out why my favourite property kept changing. At first, it was the Emma Young...
How spending time in nature benefits your baby’s gut health
Being close to nature has motivated my life choices — where I live and how I spend my free time. In these times of COVID-19, where I work is now where I live, and I am lucky to live on a ravine in one of Edmonton’s natural areas, as...
Nature therapy (part two): Expressive art therapy
Rose, Maymont, SK (Photo by Don Dabbs)
In part one of our nature therapy series, we heard from a Regina-based mom and social worker about how nature-based art projects have helped her tap into the creative side of her mind and how the experiences have benefitted her mentally during...
World Conservation Day 2020: What is a conservancy and why does the word matter?
Conservation Volunteers, Crowsnest Pass, Alberta (Photo by NCC)
The word “conservancy” can be a mouthful. Even after 17 years at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), I sometimes feel like I have marbles in my mouth as the word leaves my lips. I say the words “nature” and...
To leash or not to leash — should that even be a question?
From one dog lover to another, there is nothing better than seeing your canine companion happy in nature without the constraints of a leash. Whether it is running freely in an open meadow, jumping over boulders or zig zagging through trees, there...
Exploring the Fraser River Estuary
The Fraser River is one of the most important rivers in Canada. Its waters, running for almost 1,400 kilometres before reaching the Pacific Ocean, are a major salmon waterway that is used by all five species of Pacific salmon and salmonids to...
A peak experience at Buffalo Pound
Many Canadians, I think, perceive Saskatchewan to be one billiard table-flat, never-ending field of wheat. Not so. To prove my point, I recently made a second visit to a property at Buffalo Pound Lake, where the Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC) is...
