Monarch Butterflies are vital players in our ecosystems, serving as umbrella species whose protection benefits a myriad of other creatures in their habitat. Sadly, their population decline has led to their classification as Endangered by the Canadian government in December 2023. Not only are these butterflies important, they are fascinating too! How many insects do you know that can sustain a 4,000 kilometre flight to central Mexico each fall? So how do they do it? This question has puzzled researchers for decades, but a few researchers have found some pretty surprising secrets that these butt ..read more

Can you imagine a world without birds? Birds are so much more than beautiful creatures fluttering in the skies, they are our allies. Birds play a crucial role in maintaining the balance and health of ecosystems. Globally, 50 per cent of bird species are in decline and this alarming statistic has a domino effect on all the good things birds provide. Speaking of good things, what exactly do birds provide other than sweet chirping melodies? Find out just how important birds are below! Pollinator Machines Most people don’t think of birds as pollinators but certain bird species, like hummingbirds ..read more

This opinion piece first appeared in the Hill Times on March 28, 2024 Long before settlers arrived on Atlantic and Pacific shores, Indigenous people stewarded wildlife for diversity and abundance. “Abundance” isn’t recognized as a recovery target under any current legislation; rather, most efforts to protect at-risk species consist of attempts to stop declines and maintain the status quo. In Montreal in 2022, Canada committed to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. The federal government is developing a National Biodiversity Strategy, due later this year, to outline how this commitment can be ..read more

It’s National Wildlife Week, share your wildlife wonders with us and explore the Canadian habitats. National Wildlife Week (April 7 -13, 2024) dates back to 1947 when Canadian Parliament officially proclaimed the week a national week. April 10, 2024 is also the birthday of the late Jack Miner, a Canadian conservationist. He was often referred to as “Wild Goose Jack,” as he was one of the first conservationists to determine the migratory paths of North American birds and is credited with helping save the iconic Canada Goose from the brink of extinction. While we won’t all save an animal from ex ..read more

On March 1, 2024, a group of scientists from the New England Aquarium came across an unusual sighting. During a routine aerial surveillance flight of Massachusetts’ coastal waters they saw a Grey Whale, a population thought to have gone extinct!  Grey Whales are large baleen whales that are easily identified through their unique mottled grey and white skin pattern. Another key feature of their external appearance is that their dorsal fin is reduced to a low hump and followed by distinct ‘knuckles’ or ridges towards the tail fluke. The modern population of Grey Whales are found in the nort ..read more

With spring just around the corner, nature enthusiasts, scientists and curious minds alike gear up for an exhilarating event — the City Nature Challenge 2024. This annual global event — born out of a collaboration between the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences — has now become a beacon of citizen science. The event unites communities around the world in a shared mission: to explore and document the biodiversity in their urban environments. The City Nature Challenge is split into two distinct periods: the Observation Period, between April 26 ..read more

In nature, body size plays an important role in different life stages, such as growth and reproduction and can impact species recovery. A smaller body size compared to the full potential size (called the asymptotic size) can mean that the animal is unhealthy and might be slower to reach sexual maturity, require more time in between births, or even affect the size of their offspring. Animals, especially young ones, allocate energy gained from feeding into their growth. But when they are exposed to stressful environments, such as through changes in their habitat or human activity, growth can be ..read more

This could equally be called “How To Compost When You Can’t”, which is the situation I’m in right now. I’ve been fortunate to have often lived somewhere with a garden. As I’m from British stock, by “garden” I mean what many would call a yard. So I’ve been able to enjoy garden beds, trees and shrubs outside my front and back door, as well as having space for a good old composter or two. Sometimes they were the plastic kind you buy from a store or municipality and sometimes they were simply a pile tucked out back. When I was living in apartments, however, I got into vermicomposting. This handy m ..read more

As spring arrives on the Prairies, many species are either waking up or migrating to their summer homes. Here are three of our favourites — true superstars of long-distance migration. These migrating birds travel an average of 3,000 kilometres from their winter refuge to their Canadian breeding grounds! 1. Long-billed Curlew Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) © Ken Risi | CWF Photo ContestMap: Birds of the world, Long- billed Curlew. Orange is breeding range, blue is wintering range. There are several odd things about the Long-billed Curlew. This large brown member of the sandpiper famil ..read more

5 Tips to Attract Red Squirrels to Your Backyard The American Red Squirrel. If you don’t know it to see it, you’ll absolutely be familiar with its call. This feisty little mammal rules the roost in your backyard, shooing other squirrels and barking at potential predators (ahem, that might be you!). They’re like the Jack Russel Terriers of the squirrel world and if you’d like to see their antics in full swing, there are a few things you’ll need to do! Give Them a Place to Raise Their Young If your backyard has trees, you’re bound to find an American Red Squirrel scampering about at some point ..read more