234 posts
10 Reasons Why We Want Pollinator Meadow Habitat Along Roadsides
Why create meadow habitat along roadsides? What’s the point? Aren’t roadsides dirty, noisy and full of chemicals? Isn’t this poor habitat for pollinators? We can all attest to the value…
Friend or Foe? Caterpillars
Spot the good caterpillars from the bad We tend to give a lot of focus to butterflies and moths once they’ve become these beautiful-winged creatures. But what about when they…
Bird Watching – A Healthy, Happy Hobby
Imagine a bounty of meadows and marshes, winding rivers and rushing streams, lush forests and hilly fields, right in your own backyard. Driving slowly or walking along winding country roads,…
Counting Crows…
And gannets and swallows and sparrows and… A new study suggests there are 50 billion birds on the wing in the world. Some are plentiful, other species have dwindled to…
Be Like Lichen
What if we could learn a lesson or two in survival from one of the Earth’s weirdest organisms? Lichen in our cities present a powerful metaphor for our biologically troubled…
The Secret Life of Bats: Attics, Evictions and Alternative Roosts
It’s hard being a bat these days. Bats have had a bad reputation for centuries due to unfounded fears, most recently getting bad press with the global pandemic. Also, in…
Avian Acrobats
The barn swallow is one of the world’s most common and widespread species, inhabiting every part of the globe except Antarctica. In Canada, it graces every province and territory, arriving…
Are Bats Starting to Fight White-nose Syndrome?
Good News for the Little Brown Bat White-nose Syndrome (WNS) first appeared in North America in 2006. This fungus was accidentally brought to North America by people who were exploring…
Native Trees and Shrubs with Autumn Colour
Fall is a lovely time to enjoy another stage of our plants – their changing leaf colours. We’re all familiar with the famous Canadian maples and their reds, oranges and…
Molting 101
When do birds lose their feathers and why? Yikes! Are some of the birds at your feeder looking a little rough around the edges? Don’t worry. They’re not ill (although…
