NATURAL CONNECTIONSFrom visiting properties to joining volunteer events or becoming a citizen scientist, it’s never been easier to get involved in protecting Canada’s natural spaces and species. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) partners with organizations and communities on projects that offer new ways for people to deepen their appreciation of Canada’s wild places.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2017NCC1

Clockwise from top left: Conservation Volunteers event, Waldron, AB, NCC; Asquith, ASHLEY RANKIN;

Brier Island, NCC; Beach cleanup, PEI, SEAN LANDSMAN; Happy Valley, HSBC BANK CANADA

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In the summer of 2017, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), the country’s leading land conserva-tion organization, launched a new program to actively encourage Canadians to visit nature.

Dubbed Nature Destinations, the program highlights a collection of NCC locations chosen for features such as hiking trails, educational experiences and vistas. Although many NCC projects protected in the course of more than 55 years have been accessible to the public, the launch of Nature Destinations clearly demonstrates the non-profit organization’s commitment to connecting Canadians with our country’s natural areas.

“We believe personal connec-tions with nature are important to help foster an appreciation for

the importance of conservation,” says Erica Thompson, NCC’s senior national director of conservation engagement & development. “Whether it’s through lending a hand at our volunteer events, joining the discussion at one of our speakers’ series, or lacing up your boots to hike our trails, we know that these experiences can inspire Canadians to care for the natural world.”

Volunteer events organized by NCC empower people of all ages to participate in meaningful conserva-tion projects, whether installing boardwalks and pulling out invasive plants, or counting waterfowl and butterflies.

Jake De Leeuw of Edmonton, Alberta, has attended nine events since 2008. “There’s something

special about being a volunteer with NCC,” says Mr. De Leeuw. “My wife and I look forward to each event, knowing it will be a positive experi-ence with great future implications.”

And Canadians don’t even need to venture to a conservation area

to connect with nature. They can be challenged to think about their relationship to nature and the importance of conservation at NCC NatureTalks, a new cross-country speaker series held in urban centres. At each event, cross-disciplinary speakers lead thought-provoking discussions about urgent conser-vation topics. The series puts the natural world centre stage and challenges the audience to think about the many ways nature mat-ters in our lives, including the health benefits derived from time in nature.

“We are learning more all the time about the benefits of connections between healthy people, healthy communities and healthy places,” says Ms Thompson. “Connecting with nature is one way we can collectively work towards build-ing stronger communities, both ecological and human. As a land trust organization, NCC is in an ideal position to inspire Canadians to get outside and contribute to protecting our natural places for our children and grandchildren.”

COMMUNITY CONSERVATIONThere are many ways to get involved in efforts to protect Canada’s wild spaces

A Conservation Volunteer places a pipe cap on top of a fence post

to protect grassland birds. NCC

Crabbes River. NCC

Connecting with nature is one way we

can collectively work towards

building stronger

communities.”

Erica ThompsonSenior national director of

conservation engagement & development at the Nature

Conservancy of Canada

...they were the perfect size to place on top of

the hollow fence posts at Old Man

on His Back.”

Jeff PriceSenior manager of

environment, health and safety- potash at Mosaic

A partnership between one of the world’s largest potash and phosphate producers and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is helping protect grassland birds.

At NCC’s Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area in Saskatchewan, thousands of fence posts are used to enclose an area for grazing cattle and bison. The problem is that the hollow fence posts are open at the top, and young birds often get trapped inside them.

When a Mosaic employee at the Belle Plaine potash facility learned

about the issue from a friend, he came up with a solution that reduces Mosaic’s waste material and keeps birds safe.

“We had pipe caps from our drilling operations that we were dis-carding or recycling,” says Jeff Price, senior manager of environment, health and safety- potash at Mosaic. “Although they are waste material for us, one of our employees dis-covered that they were the perfect size to place on top of the hollow fence posts at Old Man on His Back.”

Since the program first began three years ago, Mosaic has donated

3,000 pipe caps to NCC. “Many Mosaic employees have volunteered at the property through NCC’s Conservation Volunteers program, which we also support,” says Mr. Price, explaining that volunteers remove old fence posts and debris from the site.

It’s a partnership initiative with multiple levels of impact – the pipe cap recycling program helps Mosaic meet its sustainability targets, pro-vides opportunities for employees to assist in ongoing conservation work, and removes a known hazard for fledgling birds.

PARTNERSHIP WITH IMPACTIn Saskatchewan, pipe caps from a drilling operation are finding a new life

NCC is the nation’s leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to protect 2.8 million acres (more than 1.1 million hectares), coast to coast.

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Clockwise from top left: Boughton Island clean-up event, NCC; Zoë Arnold, Kailey Setter, Carissa Wasyliw, Katelyn Ceh, Jaimie Forest, NCC; Conservation Volunteers, Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area, MARK TAYLOR; Millie Kuyer 2017 Imperial Intern, NCC; NCC Interns, NCC

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2017

Canadians of all ages now have the chance to play a leading role in turtle conservation in Quebec.

Launched by the Nature Conser-vancy of Canada (NCC) in the spring

of 2017, the Carapace Project web-site allows citizen scientists to up-load information and photos about the turtles they encounter. They can also record information about where

they found the turtle, whether it was healthy, injured or dead, and whether it may be nesting.

The information is collected by NCC and will be added to the Atlas

of Amphibians and Reptiles of Que-bec. “This information helps us bet-ter understand where turtle species are found, their population size and the areas where turtles may be in

danger, such as along busy roads,” says Caroline Gagne, NCC’s program director for western Quebec.

Ms. Gagne says that turtles are particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation by roads or other human developments. The hard-shelled reptiles move around to search for food or find mates, often crossing roadways to get to other areas. After breeding, female turtles may need to cross back over roads to reach their nesting habitat. It is a perilous journey.

By identifying the places where turtles live or are being killed, NCC and other conservation groups can pinpoint areas that may need to be conserved or spots where small-scale tunnels can be built beneath roads to help turtles cross safely. Web-based tools like the Carapace Project make it easy for people of all ages to contribute to conservation projects, whether in their com-munity or in a conservation area. In 2017, 500 individuals uploaded 630 reports to carapace.ca, recording more than 850 turtles.

“People enjoy learning more about the species they see,” says Ms. Gagne. “Citizen science initia-tives like the Carapace Project are a great way for people to use technol-ogy to make a difference.”

WHY DID THE TURTLE CROSS THE ROAD?Data from the Carapace Project will guide conservation efforts

Turtles are particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation; an NCC-led project in Quebec is collecting citizen-supplied data to identify areas in need of protection. NCC

ZOË ARNOLD, CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS COORDINATOR

“The future of conservation in Canada is strong, but to succeed we need to continue to engage Canadians in our work. I believe

that connecting people to nature and increasing their environmental awareness is essential, and it ex-cites me that I have the opportunity to do this through my work with NCC. My hope is that if I can change the mindset of one person, the positive ripple effects of this will go further than we’ll ever know.”

PASCAL HEBERT, GIS COORDINATOR

“Being an intern with NCC was my first professional experience out of university. It allowed me to discover a new field of expertise: land conservation. As a geographic information specialist, I was well aware that geographical and spatial data were crucial for good land and resource management. But how important this has become in the past few years is incredible! People love maps!”

SARAH LUDLOW, CONSERVATION SCIENCE COORDINATOR, GIS

“I became interested in conserva-tion at a young age, hearing about

endangered species in faraway places; however, I eventually learned that there are endangered species and ecosystems right here at home. My hope is that future generations will be able to experience the inspiration and wonderment that comes from standing on a hill surrounded in all directions by native prairie, growing as it has for the last tens of thousands of years.”

JOSH NOSEWORTHY, DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION SCIENCE

“I really didn’t know much about conservation until I had the op-portunity to work for NCC as an intern. Although I always loved wildlife and the outdoors, the

internship set the stage for a career path that would transition from passion to mission. That summer, I walked through bogs covered with orchids as far as the eye could see, came face to face with a black bear in her coveted berry patch, and enjoyed my bagged lunch

on a remote island beach while searching for endangered piping plovers (successfully!). Through these experiences, I gained a new appreciation for the wildlife in my own backyard, but when I began scratching past the surface of what conservation was really all about, I came to realize that I couldn’t take those places for granted. Ten years later, I’m still scratching down, but with more determination and a greater sense of purpose.”

The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC) conservation intern program (conservationinterns.ca) offers paid internships to young people across Canada, giving them valuable applied skills while contributing to important conservation efforts. Meet five of the many NCC staffers who originally joined the organization for a four-month internship and are now making conservation their career. They are the fresh new faces of conservation in Canada.

JENNA SIU, COORDINATOR, CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, HAPPY VALLEY FOREST

“Working as an intern with NCC allowed me to widen my network, gain on-the-ground conservation work experience and be part of a well-known and respected con-servation organization. I hope that people continue to find respectful ways to connect with our natural places and experience first-hand why they are important to protect. I hope that people continue to support good conservation work as a long-term investment benefiting native biodiversity, natural areas and people.”

MEET THE FUTURE OF CONSERVATION