News

This blog is written by guest blogger Sofia Osborne.  From the old fog alarm building on East Point, Saturna Island, I can see the buoy that marks the border between the United States and Canada. This is Boundary Pass where commercial ships come inbound to Vancouver and leave outbound towards destinations including Seattle, the Panama Canal, and Japan. It’s challenging to capture just how large these ships are. Most Saturna Islanders who live on Cliffside, the road that faces Boundary Pass, like to sit out on their decks and watch the humongous ships move by. Many look the vessels up on AIS tracking to see what they’re carrying and where they’re headed. But those who live on Cliffside are also… read more →

In July, the federal government announced public reviews to consider reforms to four key environmental laws that had been gutted by the former Conservative government in 2012: Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, Fisheries Act, Navigable Waters Protection Act, and National Energy Board Act. Here are some important changes that Nature Canada would like to see in these new laws: Fisheries Act Bring back protection of all fish habitat, not just habitat that supports commercial, recreational or Aboriginal fisheries. Require environmental assessments of proposed development projects that would harm fish habitat before permits to begin construction are issued. Proceeding with construction without a permit would be unlawful. Develop regulations that focus on preventing harm to fish habitat from bigger projects and cumulative… read more →

This blog was written by guest blogger Asma Hassan.  Manawagonish Island is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area or ‘IBA’ located just southeast of New Brunswick. The island has a rich history with regards to the species that inhabit it and the habitat it provides. The Nature Trust of New Brunswick has owned the island since 1992 when the original owners donated the land to the organization. So what is so interesting about the history of Manawagonish Island? It is a significant research site for scientists. Scientists have been tracking seabirds on the island since as far back as 1940. One particular area of their study is the effect of pesticides on the seabird population of the island. The Canadian Wildlife Service, scientists… read more →

This blog is written by guest blogger Brooke Davis. The Goat Creek Trail is a beautiful trail located just outside Canmore, Alberta. It is a mountain bike trail that goes all the way up to Banff! The Trailhead is located in the Ha Ling parking lot, facing North towards Banff. Below is some basic information about the trail and a bit more of a background of what to expect when you travel up to this beautiful area! Trail Basics:  Distance: 19 km (one way) Time: 1 – 3 hours (depending on how far up the trail you travel) Elevation Gain: 176 m Elevation Loss: 435 m Physical Rating: Easy – Moderate Season: June – October This fantastic trail is great for all ages and difficulty levels, and an… read more →

The requests for corporate sponsorships and charitable donations can be never ending, for many businesses. But with an obviously limited budget for charitable spend, corporate donors must be selective about where they allocate the money. We recently sat down with Mike Stoyan, a Partner at Fuller Landau LLP, to learn more about their philanthropic objectives and why they chose to sponsor Nature Canada’s Cats and Birds initiative. Nature Canada (NC): You likely have no shortage of options for corporate sponsorships and donations at Fuller Landau. Why did you choose to get involved with the Cats and Birds campaign through Nature Canada. Mike Stoyan (MS): As a mid-sized accounting, tax and business advisory firm, we receive many requests for corporate sponsorships… read more →

Have you ever had the experience of getting something new and unique, then suddenly a friend gets the same new and not so unique thing just by coincidence? Well, male Orange-crowned Warblers understands your pain! The males of this songbird species can produce many song variations and just when one thinks it has the sweetest tune, one or more of the neighbouring males will learn and mimic the tune while also signing his own. Each week we introduce a new bird from the Ottawa-Gatineau area through our segment on CBC Radio’s In Town and Out. Alex MacDonald, Nature Canada’s Manager of Protected Areas, shares interesting facts about the birds that live in our communities. Be sure to tune-in to “Bird Tweet of the Week”… read more →

This blog was written by Nature Canada member Steve Gahbauer and edited by Sam Nurse. The sun is shining, birds are singing and turtles are on the move – summer is just ending! Summer is when nature is at its best, with a profusion of colours, aromas and sounds that delight the senses, and when we can enjoy the many birds that visit us at this time of the year. Summer is also an especially rich time for ocean life. With the long daylight here in the northern hemisphere, abundance builds from the microscopic level as photosynthesis triggers phytoplankton to bloom, providing food for zooplankton, such as krill. Krill then feed small fish, like herring and sand lance, which in turn… read more →

The Savannah Sparrow is another bird species named for the location of its first discovery and description by western ornithologist. One interesting fact about this bird is that the female Savannah Sparrow is able to scrounge up to 10 times her own weight in food in order to feed herself and her hatchlings! Each week we introduce a new bird from the Ottawa-Gatineau area through our segment on CBC Radio’s In Town and Out. Alex MacDonald, Nature Canada’s Manager of Protected Areas, shares interesting facts about the birds that live in our communities. Be sure to tune-in to “Bird Tweet of the Week” on CBC Radio One 91.5 FM on Saturday mornings from 6am to 9am and listen to past episodes on our website. This… read more →

Some find it strange that a person known for her novels and poetry would take to writing comic books, especially comic books called Angel Catbird. Why is a nice literary old lady like me—an award-winning nice literary old lady—a nice literary old lady who should be resting on her laurels in her rocking chair, being dignified and iconic—why is such a nice old lady messing around with flying cat-owl superheroes and nightclubs for cat people, not to mention giant rat men? Strange. But I myself don’t find it very strange. I was born in 1939, and was thus of a reading age when the war ended and colour comics made a booming comeback. Not only did I read masses of… read more →

Amherst Island is known in the world of birders as the place where owls gather in great numbers and densities most winters. People are thrilled to see owls in the wild and a trip to Amherst Island, located on the extreme east end of Lake Ontario, is as good as it gets. In mid-winter with a bit of luck, one can observe many of Canada’s owl species including Snowy, Short-eared, Long-eared, Saw Whet, Great Gray, Barred and others. The island is sparsely populated with people – the main land use being cattle farming, growing hay and keeping pasture. These habitats in the summer are home to large numbers of Bobolinks and other open-country birds, such as Eastern Meadowlark and Upland… read more →