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Blog written by professional writing interns Blair Scott and Amanda Simard. How much do we really know about the Easter Bunny? Is it a bunny at all? Meet the Arctic Hare! You will find this hardy, little creature frolicking in the snow and bouncing about the tundra. One glance at this adorable, white ball of fur may well leave you wondering: Is the Easter bunny actually an Arctic Hare? In Canada, the Arctic Hare (Lepus arcticus) is found in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. During the winter, these hares are white. Come spring, their fur changes to a blue-gray or brownish colour, though hares found in the northernmost part of the range do stay… read more →
December’s calendar photo features the spectacular icy landscape of Baffin Island in the territory of Nunavut. Often referred to as “Auyuittug” in Inuktitut, meaning “the land that never melts”, this massive frosty island is located in the Arctic Archipelago. It is the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest in the world. It is surrounded by sea ice and is home to snowy mountain ranges, colossal glaciers, frosty fjords, and a vast tundra. Despite its freezing temperatures, Baffin Island is home to a wide range of wildlife both territorial and marine. Here are just a few. Narwhals and Belugas While there are many animals that live on Baffin Island year-round, Baffin Bay (located between Greenland and Baffin Island) is… read more →
This blog is written by guest blogger, Ellen Jakubowski. This remote 52,000-square kilometre sanctuary, rich in natural and cultural history, remains a relatively undisturbed wilderness. Archaeological artifacts reveal its tundra and river valley were inhabited by Archaic humans as early as 6000 BC and later by Inuit and Dene peoples. The area was designated as a game sanctuary in 1927 in order to conserve its population of muskoxen. This protection has allowed the hairy ungulates and many other species to thrive in the area ever since. The Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary’s landscape is unique in terms of what it offers wildlife. While its tundra, featuring heath, low shrubs and over 120 species of lichen, is typical to the Low Arctic ecoregion, it… read more →
Responding to pressure from environmental groups around the world, Greenland has finally released Cairn Energy’s oil spill response plans for public review. Last month, Nature Canada joined 53 other international organizations – including Greenpeace, the David Suzuki Foundation, and Council of Canadians – in sending a letter to Greenland’s Prime Minister, Kuupik Kleist, expressing serious concern over the lack of transparency regarding Cairn’s operations in this unique and fragile region. Bizarrely, the Greenland government argued it had been necessary to keep Cairn’s contingency plans confidential until now because of the “unlawful actions aimed at the safety measures at oil exploration”. Greenpeace has launched a number of protests at Arctic drilling operations over the past year. Cairn’s drilling operations — which so far haven’t yielded commercial… read more →
We were all transfixed by the environmental destruction of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill last year. Yet, however bad the spill in the Gulf of Mexico was, almost everyone agrees a major spill in the Arctic sea would be worse. How much worse? Last November a report commissioned by the Pew Environment Group examined that question, and concluded a cleanup could take years – if it’s even possible at all. Efforts would be hampered by wintertime temperatures that can drop below minus 50 degrees Celsius, fierce Arctic storms, endless darkness and fog that shrouds the region for more than half the days of the year. Yes, drilling in the Arctic is reckless, and dangerous – and something big… read more →
Source: Parks Canada On Monday, the Ministers of Environment, Health, Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Natural Resources announced a potential boundary for the long-awaited Lancaster Sound National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) in Nunavut. We are looking forward to engaging in the consultation process to ensure that the final boundaries safeguard this area’s rich biodiversity, and Important Bird Areas (IBA). In the past we blogged about the Government of Canada’s decision to go ahead with seismic testing in Lancaster Sound (a process known as the Mineral Energy and Resources Assessment (MERA) in which non-renewable resources are identified), despite strong opposition from High Arctic communities, Oceans North Canada, the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, and more than 11,000 Canadians. However, a few weeks… read more →
Yesterday, a Nunavut court granted an injunction to block the seismic testing that was to be carried out in Lancaster Sound – a proposed National Marine Conservation Area – this summer under the joint German-Canadian Eastern Canadian Arctic Seismic Experiment. However, the block is temporary given that the Federal Government may appeal the block or undertake a second round of consultations with the Inuit communities in the region. The decision was reached because of the potential impacts on wildlife and local communities. Justice Sue Cooper, the judge behind the ruling, wrote “If the testing proceeds as planned and marine mammals are impacted as Inuit say they will be, the harm to Inuit in the affected communities will be significant and… read more →
Despite strong opposition from High Arctic communities, Oceans North Canada, the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, Parks Canada and more than 11,000 Canadians, the Harper Government has decided to proceed with the seismic testing in Lancaster Sound – a proposed National Marine Conservation Area – this summer. The seismic ship is on its way NOW! This is very disappointing news for a number of reasons: 1) Plans to establish this NMCA have been ongoing for 30 years; 2) These surveys provide information on oil & gas deposits which will eventually entice industry to gear up for exploration and production in the Arctic. A spill similar to that in the Gulf of Mexico would have devastating consequences on the region’s fragile ecosystems and… read more →
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} On December 18, 2009 the Geological Survey of Canada submitted a proposal to the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) for their “Eastern Canadian Arctic Seismic Experiment (ECASE)”; a joint Canadian-German (the Alfred Wegener Institute for polar and marine research is the German partner) project that is aimed at collecting data regarding the evolution of the sedimentary basins in this region and tectonic plate motion between Canada and Greenland. The experiment is set to take place in Jones Sound, Baffin Island and Lancaster Sound – a proposed National Marine Conservation Area. On May… read more →
Happy Earth Day everyone! While I was at the Canadian Museum of Nature this morning, spending time with the middle school students for the launch of Robert Bateman national writing and art contest, I received the scoop on a bit of really cool news that I had to keep to myself for a few hours — but now that the news is official (and widely reported)… A new fossil animal has been discovered in Canada’s Arctic, and it may be a missing link in the evolution of seals. Puijila darwini was a carnivorous mammal that lived 24 to 20 million years ago. This primitive animal, related to the group that includes modern seals, sea lions and the walrus, is entirely… read more →