Author: Alina Fisher
Let it burn?
One of the projected outcomes of climate change is an increased risk of wildfire. So then you’d think it should be important to promote programs that stop forest fires, like the well known Smokey the Bear. Smokey’s key message is “only you can prevent wildfires,” but there are two pieces of irony here; fire suppression... Continue Reading →
Sea sick
After 14 years of living on an island, I finally got to experience how isolating that can be. Not in the sense of being lonely—because I had my friends and colleagues from my lab with me—but in the sense of being stuck in space. Last weekend my lab went over to Galiano Island for a... Continue Reading →
Coyote’s gonna coyote
When you think of a coyote, what do you think of? Coyote from the Bugs Bunny show? This majestic animal out in the wilds? A hurdle to dodge while you’re out on the road? A menace to your safety within your city? The thing is, coyotes are all of these things. At least, they’re perceived... Continue Reading →
Wasp cannon
Have you seen the news that bees were recently added to the list of endangered species? It’s circulating on social media in this terrifying form (oh no think of the honey), and though some bees are indeed in trouble, there are a lot of other pollinators that are in even more danger—from bumblebees to butterflies to wasps.... Continue Reading →
Science nerds and animal tracking
Last week I spent a glorious week in Thunder Bay visiting my friend April. Yes, you read that right, I went to Thunder Bay. Yes, other people go south in the winter, whereas I, weirdo that I am, decided to head into Northern Ontario. Good thing I’m not scared of a little bit of snow... Continue Reading →
Of Mammoths and Men
In lab meeting this week, we somehow got on the topic of how scientists are close to resurrecting the wooly mammoth. Well, at least they’ve successfully inserted mammoth DNA into their closest living relatives, the Asian elephant. Mammoths started walking the Earth around 2.5 million years ago and went extinct ~10,000 years ago in most... Continue Reading →
Camera roll randomness
I have been trying to write a few blog posts all at the same time (I don’t recommend this, it’s super confusing and achieves nothing), while also recently reading two dozen papers (or so) on novel ecosystems, landscape use (i.e. habitat fragmentation), and the effectiveness of conservation… Of course, with software crashing all around me... Continue Reading →
Ugly conservation
You like puppies. You like kittens. You like bunnies. But do you like snakes? Or sharks? Or spiders? Okay, some of you, my biology friends will indeed love snakes, sharks & spiders. I like snakes, I’m fascinated with sharks, but scream and jump away in terror at the sight of a hairy-legged tarantula. So clearly... Continue Reading →
In Search Of… a straight answer
Did you watch the original In Search Of with Leonard Nimoy? As a fan of Star Trek, I just loved that “Spock” was the one hosting the show. The original In Search Of was an interesting show that looked into the unexplained and tried to find answers to these unknowns. Bigfoot, UFO’s, the Loch Ness... Continue Reading →
