Himalayan blackberry and English holly and Japanese knotweed…oh my!
East bank of Centre Creek overrun by dense Himalayan blackberry (Photo by Lynn Pinnell)
As part of my bachelor’s degree at the University of British Columbia, I had the honour of doing an independent research project with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). For the project, I mapped all occurrences of invasive species at...
Tap into the power of maple trees
With maple tree tapping (sap extraction) season now underway, it’s the perfect time to talk about maple trees. I have fond childhood memories of maple trees, and I have witnessed the growth of a maple tree in my front yard over the...
Naturalists notice nature - even in winter
For some, it is easy during cold, snowy days (when it’s supposed to be spring!) to curl up with a cozy blanket, a good book, and a hot cup of tea. But where does the wildlife go at this time of year? Sure, some animals migrate to where it is...
Tracking animals by what they leave behind
Fresh coyote scat chock full of deer hair (Photo by Mark Stabb/NCC staff)
Wildlife tracking is one of the many fun nature activities you can take part in. One of my favourite pastimes is pointing out something to a friend or family member that they may have never noticed before, especially something left behind by...
Manitoba's mystery stonefly
An example of a classic spring. Tufa spring, Fort Ellice, MB (Photo by NCC)
Everyone enjoys a good mystery, even entomologists. During my early years of teaching a course in aquatic entomology at the University of Manitoba, the name Capnia manitoba kept appearing in the list of stoneflies in the province. It was a...
Women in conservation: Kendra Pauley
In honour of International Women’s Day (March 8), we’re celebrating six female staff members at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) who are working to create a stronger future for Canada’s landscapes. Growing up in rural...
Plogging: What it is and why you should try it on your next run
Plogging, a combination of jogging and picking up litter, is a trend that is dashing across the world. Originating in Sweden in 2016, it has now made its way to other parts of the world, including Canada. It began as an organized activity to...
Heard it from a Scout: How climate change affects maple syrup production
Climate change is one of the great challenges of this century. From major natural disasters to large-scale shifts in weather, it's easy to forget about the other ways that climate change is affecting our world. One is on our breakfast...
Cruising for birds
If you want to see many species of birds, you will undoubtedly be faced with a choice: visit only one or two sites to maximize the chances of seeing what is present, or visiting many sites to maximize the number of species that don’t require...
Recovering the American chestnut
American chestnut (Photo by Norfolk County)
The Canadian Chestnut Council (CCC) is a volunteer-run scientific and charitable organization. Now in its 29th year, CCC's goal is to save the endangered American chestnut from extinction. The American chestnut was once the dominant hardwood...
