Parasitism: The dark side of symbiosis
Sand steenbras infected with tongue-eating louse (Photo by Marco Vinci/Wikimedia Commons)
In nature, when two individuals of different species often live in close association with each other, this leads to a phenomenon called symbiosis. There are three types of symbiosis: Mutualism is a win-win situation for both organisms because...
Sinkholes, cliffs and ravines – oh my!
Amy exploring a section of karst forest in Cape Breton, NS (Photo by NCC)
As a conservation intern for the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Atlantic Region this summer, I’ve battled mosquitoes and deer flies, bushwhacked through rose bushes and hawthorns, almost lost a rubber boot in an open bog...
Places worth protecting: The Canadian Rockies
A pair of mountain goats (Photo by Nigel Finney)
Spectacular scenery, beautiful rivers and lakes, and abundant wildlife. As I look out my office window, in the small town of Invermere, BC, I’m struck by the sheer beauty of the landscape where I live and work. As director of conservation...
20,000 days of nature conservation
At the end of this summer, on August 30, 2017, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) will mark exactly 20,000 days of conservation. This milestone provides an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the work done by NCC and our partners each day,...
Bee our guest: How to build a bee hotel
A bee pollinating a plant from the mint family (Photo by NCC)
Are you looking for an excuse to get crafty this spring? Are you hoping to build a positive relationship with bees? You’re in luck! Our native bees are non-swarming and non-agressive. They're in need of homes and could benefit from a bit of...
Dinosaurs to the rescue! How paleontology can inform us about the necessity of conservation
A large hadrosaur femur (duckbilled dinosaur thighbone) discovered near a NCC property in Alberta. (Photo by François Therrien)
Dinosaurs are more than just scary monsters featured in Hollywood blockbuster movies; they’re the poster children for the science of paleontology, and one of the best subjects to educate the general public about natural history. Dinosaurs...
Going head to head with the prairie rose
Prairie rose (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
I cannot kill this dang plant growing in my garden! Emotionally I can’t kill it, because it means something to me, and literally, because I accidentally tried and it didn’t die. This hardy little number is the prairie rose, and...
Species at risk need our help
Harbour seal (Photo by Ryan Murphy)
As an animal lover, I pride myself on my knowledge of all creatures furry, feathery and scaly. But when the federal government announced that it was adding nine more animals for protection under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), I was surprised to...
Something's Fishy: Life in the slow lane
Western silvery minnow (Photo by Karen Scott, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada)
In my day-to-day life working in Canada’s largest city, I often find myself rushing from one thing to the next. People are always advising me to stop to smell the roses. I don’t like the smell of roses, so this unwavering, kind-hearted...
Nature's never boring: Paddling the Rat River
Lisa paddling along the Rat River (Photo by NCC)
Growing up, my interest in the outdoors stemmed from camping trips with my family and backroad Sunday drives, led by my dad, in hopes of finding a secluded fishing hole. Today, I’ve made a little home along the Rat River, a small tributary...
