News

The Herring Gull is the quintessential “seagull” of northeastern North America. We typically associate this species with the seacoast, but it actually breeds across much of the country, including along the Ottawa River and on large inland lakes across the boreal forest. 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… read more →

 This is a guest post from Stephen Hazell, Director of C onservation & General Counsel       Was the Environmental Review Tribunal’s decision to reject the nine-turbine Ostrander wind development project in eastern Ontario based on the evidence of harm to the threatened Blanding’s turtle reasonable? This is a key issue that the Ontario Court of Appeal addressed in hearings on December 8 and 9 reviewing a Divisional Court decision that overturned the Tribunal’s decision. Nature Canada decided to intervene in this appeal because this project would be located in a key wetland complex along the shores of eastern Lake Ontario that is home to numerous species at risk,… read more →

Our very own Stephen Hazell, MSc LLB., donned his court robes and intervened on behalf of Nature Canada, in support of the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists at a hearing in the highest court in Ontario on December 8. This hearing is the third in a battle between a small group of retired old ladies that are the driving force of the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists, backed by most of the county and Canada’s naturalist community, versus Gilead Corporation, a wind energy developer and the Ontario government’s Ministry of the Environment. The nine turbine project is proposed on Crown land in the centre of the globally significant Prince Edward… read more →

This blog post was written by Pamela Tourigny, who manages terra20’s corporate communications and community outreach. terra20 is Canada’s retail destination for healthier, more sustainable consumer products. She is among Nature Canada’s Women For Nature.  Pamela also blogs about mindful living at www.themindfulmavens.com.  There are few groups of people more conscious of preserving their personal health and the health of our physical environment than outdoor enthusiasts. If you’re seeking holiday gifts that will satisfy both their love of the outdoors and environmental sensitivities, you will find a variety of options at Ottawa retailer terra20; from Canadian-made body and beauty products, to upcycled toys and apparel, to one-of-a-kind reclaimed cutting boards and serving platters.… read more →

In addition to having folk names such as “Devil Diver” and “Water Witch”, the Horned Grebe has the strange habit of snacking on its own feathers. It does this to create a mass in its stomach that’s thought to entangle fish bones as the bird eats, allowing them to stay in the stomach longer to more fully digest. Yum! 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… read more →

The climate is changing, which makes future habitat ranges uncertain. This could be a big problem for many species as they fight to find suitable places to survive. The National Audubon Society recently released The Audubon Birds and Climate Report. This report describes the potential future for the climate range of 588 North American birds. What does this mean for the future of Canadian birds? In this series we will explore how these predictions will impact Canadian birds; from our backyard favourites to little known treasures, and Canadian icons. This week, we will explore a bird with regal symbolism; the swan. Swans are one of the most iconic birds known all around the… read more →

Nature Canada unveiled the grand prize photo and several runner-ups from Nature Canada’s 75th anniversary photo contest at an event at the Canadian Museum of Nature. Nature Canada members and supporters, local school children, and the Museum’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Meg Beckel, were given the opportunity to view the winning photos in an exhibit on the Museum’s ground floor. The event was also an opportunity to screen the stop motion video on species at risk created by Ottawa-area children. To see the stunning photography of the top enteries in the contest, visit the Canadian Museum of Nature or visit our website. The photos, which were voted on by… read more →

Like last week’s species, the Double-crested Cormorant is, among breeding waterbirds, a relative newcomer to the Great Lakes and Upper St. Lawrence River watershed. Large breeding colonies have long existed throughout the Canadian Prairies and across the Maritimes and coastal Quebec, but in recent years, more interior cities like Ottawa and Gatineau have become home to breeding colonies. 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… read more →

Nature Canada is pleased to announce that the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, is the recipient of the 2014 Douglas H. Pimlott Award for her outstanding contributions to Canadian conservation. Her Honour’s eclectic public service career has spanned political jurisdictions and transcends traditional disciplinary lines. Yet one thing has remained constant: many of her efforts have advanced the cause of nature conservation. She has tackled some of today’s toughest issues. As an assistant deputy minister at Environment Canada, she negotiated the Framework Convention on Climate Change and earlier led a public inquiry on federal water policy. As the founding President and CEO of Canada’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization,… read more →

The World Parks Congress took place this past week in Sydney, Australia. This is the world’s largest event that brings focus to parks and protected areas around the globe. So how is Canada’s conservation different from everyone else? It is because Canada is home to a rare treasure, one of the largest still intact regions left – the boreal forest. Here is a short list of the top five reason’s Canada stands out in conservation: 1) One of the World’s Last Great Primary Forest: Canada’s boreal forest has an area of 1.2 billion intact acres, and it contains 25% of the world’s primary forests. There are more that 300 bird… read more →