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This blog was written by Leah Coppella, who is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario. The Red Fox, also known as Vulpes Vulpes, is a species found around the globe. It’s characteristics allow it to adapt well to human environments and it’s got a reputation for its comical cleverness. Best described as a mix between a coyote and a small dog, it’s known the world over for its sly and sneaky nature. Its sharp and pointed face, and relatively light body, allows for both speed and agility. The fox’s confidence isn’t just folklore, the mammal actually chooses to sleep alone out in the open, keeping itself warm by wrapping it’s long, bushy tail around… read more →
This blog post was written by Andrea Lesperance, a Student-at-Law for Nature Canada. Call for swift action comes as government’s public consultation on neonics ban wraps Nature Canada joined thirteen conservation, environmental health and advocacy groups, along with the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association, to call on the federal government to end the use of neonicotinoid insecticides (neonics) in Canada, without further delay, as Ottawa concluded consultations on the latest neonic risk assessment on Tuesday, November 13. Since 2013, more than 460,000 people in Canada have participated in campaigns to ban neonics, signing petitions and writing letter to the federal government in support of a timely ban. Thank you to all our supporters who contributed by signing our petition! This week, Canada’s… read more →
This blog post was written by Nature Canada guest blogger Sherry Nigro, and is the third in a series of blogs on the effect of nature on mental health. Sherry has taken her upbringing in rural Saskatchewan, together with a career in public health, to the “natural” conclusion that time in nature is good for us, physically, emotionally and socially. Is “fight or flight” a friend or foe? For millennia, the biological ‘fight or flight’ reaction has served to protect members of the animal kingdom from harm. It kicks in when there is potential danger; for example, when a rabbit senses a fox. There is an autonomic cascade of reactions that is activated in the amygdala in the brain. In turn, it signals the… read more →
How do you pull off nature programming in a couple dozen cities on a modest budget? You harness the power of volunteer leaders. NatureKids BC has blazed a trail by flipping the script. Most organizations use volunteers to support staff, but NatureKids BC uses staff to support volunteers. “They are the bread and butter of what we do. They are what make things happen,” says Christina Chowaniec, who works with volunteer leaders at NatureKids BC. The organization runs nature programming for kids and their families via its local clubs, numbering about 25 around BC. Each club is led by a pair of volunteer leaders, usually parents of younger kids. The clubs put on “explorer days” for families where they visit… read more →
This Fall, members of Nature Canada staff traveled to the West Coast of Canada to meet with nature groups based out of British Columbia that were attending BC Nature’s Fall Meet in Kelowna. The intent of this trip was to strengthen the relationships between Nature Canada and the Nature Network partners, and enabled our Nature Network staff to learn more about Kelowna’s natural history and witness the wilderness and wildlife that these groups are working to protect. It is difficult to single out one experience, interaction or moment as the highlight of this trip. There is incredible value to building and strengthening relationships in person that enable Canada to create a network, and join our voices to speak up for… read more →
This blog was written by Alexa Pezoulas who is a practicum student from Carleton University, department of Environmental Studies. The Greater Sage-Grouse is an endangered bird that lives in the Alberta, Saskatchewan regions within Canada, and in the Western states for the United States of America. The bird was once found in the province of British Columbia but has been extirpated for over a century. This bird is brownish-gray, plump, chicken-like, with white patterning. It has a long spiky pointed black-and –white tail and a black belly. The males can weigh about 4.5lbs, and the females about 2.2lbs. Surprisingly, this Grouse is the largest in North America! The Greater Sage-Grouse lives in the prairies, but has been seeing terrible… read more →
This blog was written by Alexa Pezoulas who is a practicum student from Carleton University, department of Environmental Studies. Famously known to be Santa’s flying assistants, the reindeer, also known as caribou, are much closer to home than you think! Interestingly, the term reindeer (used in Eurasia) and caribou are used interchangeably. The Peary Caribou, a subspecies of caribou, and the smallest subspecies, are located in the Canadian Arctic, such as the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. To spot a Peary Caribou, look for a white body, with a slate back, and a grey stripe down the front of the legs. If it is a winter season, the slate back may turn a dingy brown, and some may look entirely white!… read more →
This blog was written by Alexa Pezoulas who is a practicum student from Carleton University, department of Environmental Studies. If you have never seen or heard of the West Virginia White before, you will be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is in the butterfly family! This butterfly is small (only 3-4cm in wingspan) and is white. Its wings are translucent and on the underside they have veins with grey-brown scaling. While a caterpillar, it is yellow-green with a green stripe along each side. It is most commonly found in Quebec, Ontario (although more rarely), New England and Georgia. The habitat of the West Virginia White is in moist, deciduous woodlots. The butterfly requires a supply of toothwort in the forest (a… read more →
This blog was written by Alexa Pezoulas who is a practicum student from Carleton University, department of Environmental Studies. I know you’re thinking that this rat must resemble that of the common rat we find on the street, but no, this rat is not in the family of the common rat. In fact, this rat jumps like a kangaroo! The Ord’s kangaroo rat is a nocturnal rodent, so unless you’re out very late, you’ll never see it! The kangaroo rat has very large hind legs and feet, and is mainly orange-brown with distinctive white markings, including stripes on the tail and its tufted tail accounts for more than half of its total length (260mm). As an adult, the Ord’s kangaroo… read more →
This blog was written by Alexa Pezoulas who is a practicum student from Carleton University, department of Environmental Studies. Who doesn’t love a beautiful dragonfly? The Olive Clubtail is a dragonfly in the clubtail family. The adults grow 50-69mm long, have widespread eyes and have a swollen abdomen (especially in males). Their wings are clear and the thorax (part of the body that bears the wings and the legs) is grey-green with broad, brown shoulder stripes and the black abdomen has a yellow mark. The Olive Clubtail lives in scattered populations throughout North America from British Columbia to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada and California. As larvae, the Olive Clubtail burrow in the bottom of mud-or sand-bottomed rivers or streams. The larvae… read more →
