You've really got to love nuthatches. Next to the Black-capped Chickadee they're probably the most common small native songbird that Albertans are likely to see in parks and backyard feeders, but nuthatches are still enjoyable to watch and worth getting to know better. There are two species in Alberta that we'll touch on, as well...

Continue reading

Alberta, more than any other part of Canada, is renowned for its dinosaur fossil record. In fact, it's one of the top places in the world to find dinosaur bones, a fact that too often escapes many citizens of the province who take it for granted.When it comes to the science of vertebrate palaeontology in...

Continue reading

Despite my diversity of interests, I have to admit to having a lifelong vertebrate bias. I've always been much more drawn to things like birds, mammals, reptiles, and their fossil kin than the all the creepy-crawlies buzzing and crawling around. In university I did take an invertebrate zoology course, but I took many more on...

Continue reading

Have you ever stopped to think about how many ducks are out there in the Alberta wilderness? For a northern, landlocked region, we aren't short on ducks or duck species. While many folks might first think of plain white farm ducks when considering these web-footed birds, our wild ducks come in a great variety of...

Continue reading

There’s nothing like the thrill of seeing a wild animal in the Alberta wilderness. From spunky little chickadees to the mighty grizzly bear, our native species are all worthy of attention. It’s a natural human instinct to preserve the image of wildlife through artwork. Ancient paintings of Ice Age beasts on cave walls are proof...

Continue reading

As a long-time Edmontonian, I figured it would only be right to start this off by talking about the things for a naturalist to see in Alberta's capital city. Edmonton is surrounded by a variety of enticing places for nature lovers willing to take a drive out of town, but many folks might not know...

Continue reading