Tigers are one of the world’s most secretive and wide-ranging species. This makes counting their numbers in the wild a notoriously challenging task, but one we must undertake to better understand where tigers are, what habitats need protection, and whether are conservation efforts are working. Thanks to rapidly developing technology, it’s becoming easier to do. Read on to find out about five of the most common ways researchers count tigers in the wild. Footprint surveys A tiger footprint © WWF-Nepal One of the oldest methods of counting tigers, footprint surveys require skilled trackers who c ..read more

Gardening is a wonderful way to make the most of spring and summer’s warm and sunny months, with more than 60 per cent of Canadian households growing some kind of herbs, vegetables, fruit or flowers for personal use. If fruit and veggies are your thing, you may see wildlife as a hindrance rather than a help — after all, no one likes it when raccoons make off with their raspberries or a squirrel takes one bite out of every single pepper — but, there’s one category of wildlife that you need for a good harvest: pollinators. Over 75 per cent of the world’s flowering plants need pollinators to re ..read more

When Arctic sea ice breaks up in spring, whales that winter in more southern areas — such as humpbacks, minkes and fins — migrate north to spend their summers there. Only three whale species call the Arctic home year-round: belugas, narwhal and bowheads. Group of Narwhals swimming at the surface near Baffin Island, Nunavut © Pascal Kobeh / naturepl.com / WWF These whales have evolved to take advantage of sea ice and thrive in the Arctic’s frigid waters. But warming temperatures over the past decades have led to rapid sea ice declines and longer periods of open water in summer across much of t ..read more

While the threats facing nature across Canada are very real, so is the fact that we can all make a difference — at home and online, through art and events, with our actions, voices and donations. Here are six fun and easy ways you can do some good for the planet this summer. 1. Raise your voice for quiet oceans Underwater noise pollution is harming southern resident killer whales, humpbacks, narwhal and other marine life. Help turn down the volume by calling on Canada to release its years-overdue Ocean Noise Strategy and start protecting orcas and others now! 2. Visit WWF’s immersive e ..read more

The Mary River iron mine is the biggest industrial development project and largest private-sector employer in Nunavut. Located in the northern interior of Baffin Island, and owned by Baffinland, it contributes nearly a quarter of the Arctic territory’s GDP. Since extraction began in 2015, the iron mine has sparked similarly outsized controversy due to its harmful impacts on the environment and wildlife — and its latest plans may affect the whales and other marine mammals of Steensby Inlet. Baffinland ore carriers in Eclipse Sound © Erin Keenan / WWF-Canada In 2022, aligning itself with scienc ..read more

Here today, gone tomorrow: the growing season in Nunavut is but a fleeting 50 to 60-day window. Add conditions that can be cold, dry or windy even during that stretch and you can see how the largest territory in Canada poses unique challenges for its native plants. © WWF-Canada Nunavut’s five terrestrial ecozones extend from the mountains and glaciers of the Arctic Cordillera and plains and plateaus of the Northern Arctic to the Taiga Shield’s open forests, lakes and wetlands. Across these environments are more than 1,000 species of plants. Many have short life cycles to make the most of the ..read more

“Either the threats are imminent or not. Either the threats concern the survival or recovery of the species, or they do not,” Justice Yvan Roy wrote in his ruling against the federal government for its delay in protecting the Endangered northern spotted owl. “I find it difficult to fathom how a period of more than eight months could be reasonable once the opinion has been formed.” © Hollingsworth, John and Karen / US Fish and Wildlife Service Since the government knew back in February that these were imminent threats concerning species survival, they were legally obligated to issue an emergen ..read more

By Kailee Scott and Sam Davin, Marine Conservation and Shipping On July 1st, the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) ban on the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil (HFO) in the Arctic finally comes into force. Sort of. While we welcome this ban as a crucial step in protecting marine biodiversity, it is unfortunately weakened by exemption and waiver clauses that could allow three-quarters of ships to continue using HFO in the Arctic until 2029. © Erin KeenanWhy we need an Arctic HFO ban Popular for being readily available and cheap, HFO is the world’s most polluting marine fuel. It’s th ..read more

Ever been awakened by loud construction? Or been unable to concentrate because your neighbour won’t turn down their audio system? Believe it or not, it could be worse: if you were under water, sound travels nearly five times faster than in air, covering vast distances with little loss of intensity. For marine soundscapes, this means that noise radiating from human activities reverberates through the water column with astonishing clarity and severity. The continuous rumble of a distant ship’s engine or the rotation of propellers can travel several kilometres, essentially competing with the nat ..read more

By Kristen Powell and Sam Davin, Marine Conservation and Shipping Chances are that many things in your home crossed an ocean to get there — the laptop you use for work or school, your clothes, your desk or couch, maybe even some of the food you ate today arrived via shipping container.  Marine shipping is the backbone of the global economy, with more than 80 per cent of the volume of internationally traded goods carried by sea. Despite this, most Canadians have little to no direct interaction with ships.   But for coastal communities and marine wildlife, especially whales, ships pre ..read more