NCC Magazine, Spring 2022

SPRING 2022 

Nature 

rising 

TKTKTKTKTKTKT 

USING FIRE TO HEAL THE LAND 

natureconservancy.ca 

WINTER 2021 1

Hastings Wildlife Junction, ON 

SPRING 2022 

CONTENTS 

Nature Conservancy of Canada 

4 Native plants for 

your garden 

Gardening with easy-to-grow plants. 

6 Pearson Township Wetland 

A wondrous wetland on Lake Superior’s 

North Shore. 

7 Bat signal 

How to help Canada’s declining 

bat populations. 

7 A natural fit 

Cataloguing the diversity of those 

who explore nature. 

8 Prescription to burn 

The paradox of fire. 

12 Bald eagle 

A showstopper of a bird. 

14 Wave of change 

Dax Dasilva is inspiring others to make 

a difference for nature. 

16 Project updates 

Plains bison re-established; grassland 

stewardship; Hastings Wildlife Junction. 

18 Hidden in plain sight 

The magical, endangered world of lichen. 

Digital extras 

Check out our online magazine page with 

additional content to supplement this issue, 

at nccmagazine.ca. 

Nature Conservancy of Canada 

245 Eglinton Ave. East, Suite 410 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4P 3J1 

magazine@natureconservancy.ca | Phone: 416.932.3202 | Toll-free: 877.231.3552 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the country’s unifying force for nature. We seek solutions to the 

twin crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale, permanent land conservation. 

NCC is a registered charity. With nature, we build a thriving world. 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada Magazine is distributed to donors and supporters of NCC. 

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natureconservancy.ca

Nature champions 

Featured 

Contributors 

TKTKTKTKTKTKT 

TOP TO BOTTOM: PHOTO COURTESY OF DAWN CARR. CHEYENNE RAE; LUCY LU. 

Kootenay River Ranch 

Conservation Area, BC 

If there is one thing I’ve noticed since joining the Nature 

Conservancy of Canada (NCC) family in 2021, it’s the 

unwavering determination demonstrated by colleagues, 

partners and supporters to be champions for nature. I have 

found respite among caring, talented and passionate people who 

are working every day to make a tangible difference and positive 

contribution — locally, nationally and globally. I have also come 

to learn that NCC’s determination for nature’s sake is grounded 

in a deeply held belief that conservation action is a remedy to 

our world’s most pressing challenges. Conserving nature for the 

greater good is good medicine for all. 

As we collectively face the twin crises of biodiversity loss 

and climate change, there is growing recognition that Canadians 

need to share responsibility not only for conserving, but for 

caring for our natural areas for the long term. 

Last June, on World Environment Day, the United Nations 

kicked off the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030). 

The goal of this global movement is to “prevent, halt and reverse 

the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every 

ocean.” It could not have come at a more critical time, as humans 

have modified 77 per cent of terrestrial land (excluding 

Antarctica) and 87 per cent of oceans, globally. In this issue, 

you’ll read about the dramatic impact that fire can have in managing 

and restoring natural areas. 

As Canada embraces its global commitment to conserve 

nature by protecting 30 per cent of its lands and waters by 2030, 

NCC is in position to accelerate conservation. It’s so great to be 

part of a team who values and delivers conservation action for 

communities, with far-reaching benefits. 

Yours in nature, 

Dawn Carr 

Dawn Carr 

Director, strategic conservation, NCC 

Susan Peters is a 

Winnipeg-based writer 

and editor. She wrote 

“Prescription to burn,” 

page 8, and her articles 

have appeared in 

Canadian Geographic, 

Report on Business and 

The Walrus. 

Lucy Lu is a freelance 

photographer whose 

work explores cultural 

identity, personal 

histories, and collective 

myths and memories. 

She photographed 

Micheline Khan for 

“A natural fit,” page 7. 


SPRING 2022 3

COAST TO 

COAST 

Native plants 

for your 

garden 

Beautify your garden and help local biodiversity with easyto-grow 

native plants suggested by our regional experts 

From coast to coast, frosty, hard ground is giving way to the green-up 

unfurling across the country. What better way to welcome the change of 

seasons than by preparing your planting space so you can look forward to 

a thriving garden? Whether you’re starting from scratch or expanding your 

gardening efforts, adding easy-to-grow native plants not only beautifies your 

yard or balcony, it also benefits your local ecosystem. Gardening is also a great 

opportunity to breathe in fresh air, move your body, focus on the physical 

environment and even see some wildlife. 

Before you plant, ask your local native plant nursery or regional native plant 

society for guidance on whether your plant choices are truly local to you. 

CHRISTOPHER PRICE / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO. 

4 SPRING 2022 natureconservancy.ca

IRINA NAOUMOVA / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; ISTOCK; WIRESTOCK, INC. / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; CHRISTOPHER PRICE / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; AGEFOTOSTOCK / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; DON JOHNSTON_PL / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO. 

Berryproducing 

plants 

Winter currant 

BC 

Winter currant is a deciduous 

shrub that does best in moist, 

well-drained soil. Native to BC’s 

south coast, this plant thrives in 

a sunny spot, but does tolerate 

some shade. Its drooping clusters 

of pink flowers attract butterflies, 

hummingbirds, songbirds and 

bees. The plant produces edible 

blue-black berries that are great 

for jams, syrups and pies. 

Canadian buffaloberry 

AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, NT, 

NU, ON, QC, SK, YT 

Canadian buffaloberry is a native 

deciduous shrub found throughout 

North America, including 

the boreal forest, aspen parkland 

foothills and grassland regions. 

This hardy, medium-sized shrub 

(1–3 metres tall) will tolerate 

poor soil conditions. It produces 

attractive, edible — though 

bitter — red fruit, which is also 

a food source for small mammals 

and birds. 

Ground 

cover 

Canada anemone 


NU, ON, PE, QC, SK 

Canada anemone is a 

low-maintenance perennial forb 

that produces cup-shaped white 

flowers. It grows in cool and 

humid woodlands and cool moist 

prairies, but can tolerate a variety 

of other types of soils. It makes 

a nice ground cover on its own or 

among milkweeds and between 

shrubs, but can spread in gardens 

and create full ground cover. 

Canada anemone attracts bees 

and other pollinators, as well as 

predatory wasps, which control 

common insect pests. 

Ostrich fern 


ON, PE, QC, SK, YT 

Ostrich fern does best in moist, 

relatively rich sites, full sun or full 

shade, but may spread aggressively. 

This plant will grow under the 

dense, maple-heavy canopies 

of urban backyards or in rain 

gardens. It can be planted as 

borders by streams or ponds. 

Young fronds can be harvested 

and eaten, if cooked properly, 

before they unfurl; the taste is 

comparable to asparagus. 

Beautiful 

blooms 

Great blanket-flower 

AB, BC, MB, SK 

In the mixed grassland region, 

great blanket-flower is a 

herbaceous perennial that 

tolerates well-drained, nutrient-poor 

soil. It blooms all 

summer, with flowers that 

last a long time. It is easy to find 

the native variety (as seeds and 

plants) in local nurseries. Both 

bees and butterflies (and other 

pollinators) use this plant. The 

entire plant is covered in fuzzy 

hairs, which can be an irritant 

for some people. 

White turtlehead 

MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, QC 

White turtlehead is found in wet 

locations in the wild, but adapts 

well to average garden soils if 

kept watered. The species grows 

in partial sun, and moist to wet 

gardens, and blooms from late 

summer to fall. Plants divide and 

transplant readily, and once 

established are virtually troublefree. 

They are a good late-season 

nectar source for pollinators and 

the primary host plant for 

Baltimore checkerspot butterfly. 

Shrubs 

Choke cherry 


ON, PE, QC, SK 

Choke cherry is a shrub that 

can grow up to six metres tall. 

It produces clusters of red 

cherries that are very sour but 

edible. Choke cherry does best 

in rich, well-drained soil and can 

grow under light shade to full 

sun. The fruits are a preferred 

food source for a variety of birds, 

including pileated woodpecker, 

eastern bluebird and cedar 

waxwing. Mammals, such as red 

fox, skunk and chipmunk, may 

also browse the twigs and buds 

for food. This plant is resistant 

to salt and can be planted along 

shorelines or roadsides. 

Oblong-leaf 

serviceberry 

NB, NS, PE, QC 

Oblong-leaf serviceberry, 

also known as chuckleberry, 

is a deciduous shrub with 

edible dark-purple berries. It’s 

an excellent early flower for 

pollinators. Many bird species 

feed on its berries, as they are an 

important food source before 

migration. This shrub grows well 

in a variety of conditions and is 

resistant to air pollution. 

BEST TIME TO GET PLANTS IN THE GROUND 

A general rule of thumb is to wait until after the last frost to plant native flowers and grasses. In some parts of 

the country, this can be as early as April, while in other areas it may be late May. If you’re starting from seed, 

some native species require a cold–moist stratification (when seeds go through a period of cold temperatures) 

to break the seed’s dormancy. You can mimic these conditions at home using moist, sterile substrate (such as 

perlite) in a sealed bag in the refrigerator (ideally a few weeks before the last frost). 



BOOTS ON 

THE TRAIL 

NCC 

Nature Reserve 

P 

★ 

Pearson Township Wetland 

Conservation Reserve 

Hwy 597 

 

N 

★ 

★ 





Chestnut-sided warbler 

★ 

Roundleaf sundew 

Starflower 

North American river otter 

 

N 

Beaver 

Pearson Township 

Wetland 

A wondrous wetland on Lake Superior’s North Shore 

The Pearson Township Wetland, located within 

the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Lake 

Superior Coast Natural Area in Neebing, Ontario, 

measures 739 hectares. Much of it is protected as 

a conservation area, including 130 hectares by NCC. 

Volunteers contributed over 150 hours to clear 

the trails and install signage. The six-kilometre 

Pearson Township Wetland Nature Trail is located 

on Crown land, and overlooks NCC’s Pearson 

Township Wetland Nature Reserve. 

Located in the headwaters of the Pine River, this 

large wetland provides critical habitat for a variety 

of wildlife, such as American river otter and beaver. 

Back in the mid-1990s, Gary Davies, now retired 

from his position as NCC’s program director for 

northwestern Ontario, dreamed of creating a trail 

that overlooked the Provincially Significant Wetland. 

The goal was to create an enjoyable and educational 

experience for visitors. 

Thanks to the generous contributions of volunteers 

and donors, Davies’ vision became a reality. 

The trail climbs from the parking area to a loop 

atop the mesa, with stunning views overlooking 

the wetland. The trail is steep in sections, ranging 

in difficulty from moderate to difficult. 

STAY SAFE 

Please stay safe and respect local health directives 

when visiting NCC properties.1 

LEARN MORE 

natureconservancy.ca/pearsonwetland 

LEGEND 

-- Trail 

★ Lookout 

P Parking 

SPECIES TO SPOT 

• American redstart 

• black bear 

• chestnut-sided 

warbler 

• fisher 

• ghost pipe 

• magnolia warbler 

• moose 

• North American 

river otter 

MAP: JACQUES PERRAULT. PHOTOS: ROBERT MCCAW. 


ACTIVITY 

CORNER 

BACKPACK 

ESSENTIALS 

Be batty 

Shine the bat signal and do 

your part to help Canada’s 

declining bat populations 

PHOTO: LUCY LU. ILLUSTRATION: BELLE WUTHRICH. 

Bats may be commonly associated with a certain 

superhero, but these often-misunderstood 

mammals are facing many threats, including 

habitat loss and a fast-spreading fungal disease 

called white-nose syndrome. 

Here are a few things you can do to help bats 

(find out more at natureconservancy.ca/bats): 

1. Build and install a bat box near your 

home, with just a few tools and some easy-tosource 

materials. 

2. Become a bat watcher by converting your 

smartphone into a bat detector. 

3. If you have to remove bats from your 

house, use humane practices and/or keep 

them from re-entering your home. 

4. Find out more about the bat species in your 

neighbourhood, and your share your story on 

social media with the hashtag #MySmallAct. 

NCC is protecting habitat for bats across Canada. 

We are also monitoring bat populations on our 

properties, and working with the Toronto Zoo 

on their Native Bat Conservation Program. 

Find out more about these small acts and 

how you can help bats in your neighbourhood 

at natureconservancy.ca/bats. 

A natural fit 

Ecologist Micheline Khan catalogues the sights of nature 

and the diversity of those who explore it 

Ihave always been fascinated by nature. I would venture into the woods near my 

childhood home, teeming with life, reeds tall and stately and standing guard 

over marshy ponds, salamanders creeping under dark, dank rocks as songbirds 

soared and dipped with an exhilarating freedom. It was natural that I would become 

an ecologist, that I would make a space for myself where there were few 

others who looked like me. I remember the first time I did field work in Algonquin 

Park, I all but forced two graduate researchers to let me volunteer with them. The 

curious, sometimes derisive stares when we went into town did nothing to dampen 

my resolve. I didn’t quite fit the mold, to some. The researchers, however, recognized 

a kindred spirit and welcomed me into their homes. As we ventured out into 

the forests and onto the lakes with our canoes, I began to appreciate and be in awe 

of how tremendously vast these spaces were. 

My goal then and there was to make nature more accessible to underserved 

communities so that they know they deserve access to these spaces too. There is 

beauty here, undiscovered, underappreciated, in hard-to-find nooks and crannies. 

So, my backpack carries an old Fujifilm camera my dad gifted me; what I need to 

capture and convey not only the sights of nature but the diverse people who work 

in and explore it. I catalogue us so that younger generations will know they 

belong here too.1 



Prescription 

burn 

to 

The paradox of fire: How something so 

destructive can benefit the landscape 

BY Susan Peters 

TKTKTKTKTKTKT 

CHELSEA MARCANTONIO/NCC STAFF. 


Fire has been used to manage the 

landscape for thousands of years. 

Standing over the flames with 

shovels and backpack sprayers of water, 

ready to stamp out stray embers, the burn 

crew watches the fire they’ve set. “Especially 

when it’s a boring burn, it’s fun,” says Julie 

Sveinson Pelc, the incident commander in charge of the 

fire. “Boring means we’re standing and looking at fire. It 

means things are going exactly as they should,” she explains 

as, during a COVID-19 surge in the height of winter, 

she shows photos of a planned burn that happened last 

September at the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve in southeastern 

Manitoba, where the scent of burning grasses can 

resemble essential oils. 

Although North America has a recent history of fire 

suppression, fire was used to manage landscapes for thousands 

of years prior to European settlement. For several 

decades, Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) staff have 

been bringing back fire in an intentional way to manage 

the organization’s conservation lands, from BC to Saskatchewan 

and Manitoba, and even the grasslands of Ontario. 

Particularly in prairie regions, the plants and animals 

we have today — and the ones we want for tomorrow, too 

— evolved to thrive in an ecosystem that experienced 

regular disturbances, such as grazing, burning, flooding 

and drought. 

With 20 years of burn experience, Pelc, who manages 

NCC’s stewardship program in Manitoba, can debate the 

merits of a light, surface burn versus a high-intensity fire: 

“It can boil the trees: you can see the fluids bubbling.” 

The fire was intended to contribute to the ongoing restoration 

of a 20-hectare area of grassland that is prime habitat 

for endangered monarch butterflies. It removed willows 

and other woody shrubs that were growing in the 

grasses and that would turn the wide, open land into a 

woods of aspen and bur oak, if left unchecked. Fires burn 

dry grasses and leaves, returning those nutrients to the 

soil and leaving the earth open for rain to sink in. Burning 

the area that had previously been seeded will grow more 

of the plants that feed monarch butterfly caterpillars 

and adults. 



Clockwise from left: Julie Sveinson Pelc communicating 

prescribed fire activity with the crew at the Tall Grass Prairie 

Preserve; fire crew members overseeing burn; Rice Lake Plains. 

These fires are set with a “prescription” to 

burn, meaning professionally managed, intentionally 

set fires that burn in a pre-determined 

area, under strictly controlled circumstances 

for the sole purpose of restoring natural habitat 

(a different kind of burn happens in agriculture 

when farmers burn crop stubble after 

harvest). Planning for prescribed burns involves 

consulting a decision-making tool 

called the Multiple Species at Risk Recovery, 

Management and Research (Multi-SAR) plan 

to determine the best time of year to burn to 

support a species, such as endangered prairie 

white-fringed orchids or Poweshiek skipperling 

butterflies. It means assessing the dryness 

on the ground, relative humidity, wind 

and temperature, getting burn permits from 

the municipality or province, and doing outreach 

to fire departments and neighbours who 

might have concerns that an out-of-control 

fire could destroy their homes or ranches. 

When NCC undertakes prescribed burns, 

they’re usually done to decrease dry plant 

litter build-up and prevent woody tree species 

from overtaking a prairie or grassy area, 

as at the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve, although 

there are also plans to use fire to clear the 

understory in open forests like those at the 

Darkwoods Conservation Area in BC. Across 

North America, controlled burns are managed 

by federal and provincial parks services, 

Indigenous communities and municipalities, 

sometimes to prevent out-of-control forest 

fires. “When fuel loads build up, the fires can 

be hotter, cover bigger areas — it can be 

devastating. Some groups burn to avoid the 

risk of catastrophic fire, to make sure humans 

aren’t at risk,” says Sam Knight, NCC’s Weston 

Family Science Program manager, and 

also a conservation biologist who manages the 

organization’s national conservation research 

program. “A lot of ecosystems are adapted to 

fire and need disturbances, like grazing and 

fire, to be maintained.” 

Under control 

The September burn in Manitoba saw the 

crew of 10 workers on a mowed fire guard of 

grass in a large square lay a trail of water 

along the fire lines. They then used specialized 

drip torches to light the burn line, creating 

a triple line of defense against a fire escaping 

their control. “People like to brag about 

how straight their burn lines are,” Pelc shrugs, 

but she’s proud of how the crew of new and 

experienced NCC staff in personal protective 

equipment, such as leather boots and gloves, 

fire suits, masks and safety glasses, moves in 

slow and unhurried cooperation to complete 

the backing burn line against the wind, before 

the head fire is lit with the wind to dramatically 

sweep across the centre of the section. 

A lifelong Manitoban, Pelc’s first fire happened 

at the preserve when she was a master’s student 

in botany who volunteered to look out 

for embers that crossed the fire guard. She 

now burns there professionally and at two 

NCC properties in Manitoba within the mixedgrass 

prairie: Yellow Quill and Fort Ellice. 

Farther east, prescribed burns have been 

happening for the past decade near Peterborough, 

Ontario, at the Rice Lake Plains Natural 

Area. The tall grass prairie and black oak 

savannah in the area are managed in partnership 

with other conservation organizations, 

TOP TO BOTTOM: NCC; CHELSEA MARCANTONIO/NCC STAFF; CHELSEA MARCANTONIO/NCC STAFF. 


LEFT TO RIGHT: NCC; CHELSEA MARCANTONIO/NCC STAFF. 

including Alderville First Nation. The Alderville 

black oak savannah is “true remnant 

prairie,” according to Val Deziel, coordinator 

of conservation biology in Ontario for NCC. 

“In the last 10 years, we’ve focused our efforts 

in the area on not only conservation, but 

the restoration of land,” says Deziel, whose 

work includes supervising fires run by a private 

contractor. Thinning trees with a chainsaw, 

along with prescribed burns, helps to 

keep grasslands open. “Woodpeckers love the 

burns — if there’s a tree that’s half dying and 

full of insects, like an old pine, the birds will 

fly in and get fat on the insects after the fire 

finishes off the tree,” says Deziel. She grew 

up in the area and can tell you how, before 

colonization, people conducted burns to grow 

medicinal plants along with lush, green grass 

to attract grazing animals for hunters. As we 

enter the second year of the UN Decade on 

Restoration (2021–2030), fire is a dramatic 

example of how we can play a role in managing 

and healing nature for the long term. 

Another place where controlled burns 

are occurring on NCC lands is in BC. At the 

Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve on Vancouver 

Island, prescribed burns in these Garry oak 

meadows not only lower the risk of wildfires, 

but also control invasive plants and promote 

the growth of fire-adapted native species. 

The timing of when fires should be prescribed 

remains an important decision for NCC in BC, 

where dry summers increase the risk of extreme 

wildfires. Burns take place in autumn 

when wildfire risk is low. When burns do take 

place at the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve, 

they are often low-intensity fires, which don’t 

burn very hot. “Five minutes after the fire 

passes, the ground is cool enough to touch,” 

says Ginny Hudson, manager of conservation 

planning and stewardship for NCC in BC. 

These types of meadows have been traditionally 

managed with fire by Indigenous people 

for thousands of years. One purpose for the 

burns here is to promote the growth of cultural 

food plants like camas, which have sweet 

tasting roots that can be baked or dried. 

NCC’s goal is to work more closely with local 

Indigenous people on burns, as happens at 

Rice Lake Plains in Ontario. 

Medicine for the land 

Around the world and within North America, 

fires are part of how many Indigenous 

Peoples manage the landscape. Amy Cardinal 

Christianson is a fire social scientist with Canadian 

Forest Service, a co-host of the podcast 

Good Fire and a Métis woman. She has also 

authored Blazing the Trail: Celebrating Indigenous 

Fire Stewardship. “When settlers 

came to Canada, they brought a European 

idea of forest management. The idea was to 

protect timber. They saw fire as a risk to forests.” 

Christianson distinguishes between 

cultural burns — low-intensity, slow burns 

on a small piece of land for cultural reasons, 

which she calls ”medicine for the land” — and 

prescribed burns, which she describes as 

usually hot, high-intensity burns that cover 

large areas to reduce fuel or to clear land for 

ecological reasons. Christianson says barriers, 

such as the training and certification required, 

don’t recognize Indigenous ways of knowing. 

She would like to see more Indigenous people 

involved and more local autonomy in burning 

decisions. “Over the next 10 years, hopefully 

the communities and wildfire management 

agencies can work together,” she adds. 

Meanwhile, at the September burn at the 

Tall Grass Prairie Preserve, the result could 

be seen the next day. Pelc describes islands 

of intact grass left behind in a black ocean of 

soot, where the patches of native grasses will 

regrow from their roots, newly reinvigorated. 

“As the leader, I find a burn somewhat intense, 

but I find it rewarding after it’s finished,” says 

Pelc. The local fire chief stopped by and 

checked out the new two-way radios that the 

burn crew had purchased on his recommendation, 

while neighbours slowed down to 

wave as they drove past. In 2021, Pelc led the 

crew on eight prescribed fires that covered 

167 hectares, the most in the last 10 years 

that NCC has burned in Manitoba. Pelc is already 

planning for spring: after the fire crew 

renew their training, as soon as the snow 

melts, it’s dry enough and the wind is low, 

Fort Ellice is due for a good burn.1 

As we enter the second year of the 

UN Decade on Restoration (2021–2030), 

fire is a dramatic example of how 

we can play a role in managing and 

healing nature for the long term 



SPECIES 

PROFILE 

Bald eagle 

With a wingspan of more than two metres, this regal bird is a showstopper 

JUNIORS BILDARCHIV GMBH / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO. 

12 SPRING 2022 


APPEARANCE 

This bird is far from bald; it derives its name 

from the word “piebald,” meaning “patches of two 

different colours,” in reference to the eagle’s white head 

and tail, and dark brown body. 

Spanning more than two metres, a bald eagle’s wings 

are made for soaring. This species can measure about 

76 centimetres in height and weigh three to seven kilograms. 

Female bald eagles are typically larger than males. 

Bald eagles feast on the Squamish River 

Plumage on male and female bald eagles is identical. 

Adults have a dark brown body with white feathers 

on their head and tail. Their beaks are yellow, as are their 

legs. Juvenile bald eagles have mostly dark heads and 

tails, and are often mistaken for turkey vultures or 

golden eagles. It takes four to five years for 

them to reach adult colouration. 

RANGE 

Bald eagles are distributed from 

coast to coast, ranging from Canada’s 

boreal forest to northern Mexico, a range of 

approximately 2.5 million square kilometres. 

Much of Canada’s bald eagle population lives in 

coastal British Columbia, with inland populations 

found in boreal forests across the country, as well as 

populations in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. 

Bald eagles rely on forested areas close to lakes, 

rivers, marshes and coastal habitats. In 

winter, bald eagles can be found in 

parts of southern Canada. 

What NCC is doing 

to protect habitat for 

this species 

Since the 1990s, NCC has been at 

the forefront of efforts to protect 

core habitat for the largest recorded 

concentration of wintering bald 

eagles in North America. In the small 

community of Brackendale, BC, just 

north of Vancouver, bald eagles congregate 

by the thousands from November 

to March to feast on the abundant 

salmon spawning in the Squamish and 

Cheakamus rivers. In partnership with 

the Cheakamus Centre, an outdoor 

environmental education centre, NCC 

placed a conservation agreement on 

the centre’s 170-hectare property along 

the Cheakamus River, ensuring protection 

of its old-growth forest and salmon-rich 

riverfront in perpetuity. 

NCC also participated in a campaign 

to educate the public about how 

to respectfully view the eagles of 

Brackendale, which included the 

construction of a viewing shelter and 

interpretive signs. The Eagle Count is 

a popular event, dating back to at least 

1986, when the community gathers in 

January to watch the birds.1 

THREATS 

PHOTO: GUNTER MARX / WI / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO. ILLUSTRATIONS: CORY PROULX. 

Bald eagles are currently not listed as 

an at-risk species and have healthy 

populations throughout most of their range, 

but this was not always the case. Historically, 

the species declined as a result of habitat loss and 

unintentional DDT poisoning. Public education, 

habitat conservation and regulations have helped 

bald eagle populations recover. Today, researchers, 

conservation groups and community 

science programs continue to monitor 

these impressive birds. 

HELP OUT 

Help protect habitat 

for species at risk at 

giftsofnature.ca. 

HABITAT 

Bald eagles breed in forested 

areas near large bodies of water, such 

as ocean coasts and lakeshores. They 

prefer tall, mature trees for perching; 

this provides them with a wide view of 

their surroundings. 

In winter, bald eagles can be found 

in areas with open water for fishing, 

as fish constitute the majority of 

their diet. 



FORCE FOR 

NATURE 

Wave 

of change 

Dax Dasilva, founder of e-commerce platform Lightspeed, 

is inspiring others to make a difference for nature 

GUILLAUME SIMONEAU. 



Five minutes from Dax Dasilva’s office in Quebec 

flows a natural treasure that nurtures life as big as 

humpbacks and as small as tiny krill. It’s also a major 

throughway for wildlife and humans that, perhaps, not enough 

people have appreciation for: the St. Lawrence River. 

“Nature is a big part of my life. It always reminds me of how precious 

and vulnerable it is to humanity’s never-ending expansion,” says Dax 

Dasilva, founder of e-commerce platform Lightspeed and the non-profit 

environmental alliance Age of Union. He attributes his deep connection 

to nature to his upbringing on the West Coast, where he had access to 

beautiful landscapes. But no matter where he has travelled and settled, 

hiking and adventuring have always been a part of his lifestyle. 

“Given my early exposure to nature, I felt that when I had the resources 

and platform, I would be doing as much as I could to further 

conservation,” says Dasilva. “I think people look to tech leaders and 

how they approach challenges like humanity’s impact on the future. 

For me, there’s no more important way [to be a leader] than by protecting 

our planet and its species.” 

This vision for safeguarding nature motivated Dasilva to form Age 

of Union, a non-profit alliance that supports those working to protect 

our planet’s threatened species and ecosystems. He is now on a path 

to support tangible conservation projects in his province and around 

the world through contributions from like-minded business leaders 

and conservation organizations. 

If we see positive examples that we can 

relate to, where we’re moving the needle, 

we will feel the goal is within reach. We 

can make impacts every day. 

SUPPORTING CONSERVATION ALONG THE 

ST. LAWRENCE RIVER 

The St. Lawrence River is one of the world’s largest freshwater reserves. 

It flows into the St. Lawrence Estuary where fresh water and salt water 

meet, eventually emptying into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which opens 

to the Atlantic Ocean. Its entire length (1,197 kilometres) teems with 

life that remains productive all year long. Dasilva saw this majestic river 

up close during site visits with the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s 

(NCC’s) Joël Bonin, associate regional vice president in Quebec. 

“Just an hour away from Montreal, you have the floodplains of 

the St. Lawrence, which look like the Florida Everglades. When we 

documented all the wildlife close to where [people] live, it is incredibly 

humbling. Seeing this first-hand motivates you to do everything you 

can to safeguard life here,” explains Dasilva. 

As Bonin and Dasilva threaded a boat through the small channels 

of the St. Lawrence River delta on a recent visit, they observed the 

interconnected life along its shorelines, islands and wetlands. Fish 

here rely on river bottoms for spawning. These areas can be at risk 

from deforested floodplains, whose exposed soil can get dragged into 

the freshwater ecosystem during natural cycles of flooding. The health 

of the wetlands along the river is also vital to maintaining nature’s 

filtration system, sustaining both humans and wildlife. 

Protecting these waters and lands requires 

a collective effort, or union, as Dasilva 

calls it. This is where Age of Union can 

contribute to NCC’s work in protecting these 

habitats, by supporting restoration activities, 

cleaning shorelines, reforesting flood plains 

and more. 

With support from the alliance, NCC has 

helped protect more than 205 hectares, restored 

over 15 hectares, completed planting 

over 1,700 plants and helped recover 32 species 

at risk. This included restoration work 

on the sandbars of Barachois-de-Malbaie, 

where vegetation was planted to reduce natural 

erosion and restore degraded areas. 

Phragmites control is also well underway at 

Île aux Grues, approximately 80 kilometres 

from Quebec City, with a plan to halt this 

invasive reed’s spread on the island. 

The alliance’s funding also contributed 

to the protection of over 200 hectares at 

the western end of the Montreal Green Belt, 

with 1.6 kilometres of shoreline on Rivierè 

du Nord: habitat for at-risk northern map 

turtles (one of 17 at-risk species protected 

through this new acquisition). 

“It’s time to shift from going about your 

day-to-day life on autopilot to a mindset 

that centres around sharing the planet. We 

have to think about ourselves as guardians 

instead of consumers,” reflects Dasilva. 

When asked about his thoughts on inspiring 

others, Dasilva says: “Doom and gloom is not 

going to motivate people. If we see positive 

examples that we can relate to, where we’re 

moving the needle, we will feel the goal is 

within reach. We can make impacts every 

day. Everyone has a unique ability to do 

something positive for nature — we can 

be changemakers.” 

This power of union — with people, and 

with nature — is what will motivate positive 

change in an age of climate emergency. Business 

leaders like Dasilva are hoping that by 

showcasing action-oriented causes and their 

impacts, sharing people’s stories and leveraging 

partnerships, more changemakers will 

start their own small actions for nature. 

“I’m hoping others will find projects 

they feel close to and follow our example,” 

Dasilva says confidently.1 



PROJECT 

UPDATES 

1 

Plains bison herd successfully 

re-established to The Key First Nation 

SASKATCHEWAN 

1 

2 

THANK YOU! 

Your support has made these 

projects possible. Learn more at 

natureconservancy.ca/where-we-work. 

3 

Mashkode-bizhiki/plains bison are an iconic symbol of the 

grasslands. Indigenous people in North America subsisted 

on bison for thousands of years, but European colonization 

swiftly drove the bison populations to near extinction through 

unsustainable hunting pressure. 

Recently, a total of 20 plains bison from Grasslands National Park 

and 20 from Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation 

Area (OMB) in Saskatchewan were successfully translocated to The 

Key First Nation’s (TKFN’s) lands in Treaty 4. With this transfer of 

bison, TKFN, Parks Canada and NCC are working in collaboration toward 

the survival and well-being of these iconic and majestic animals. 

The return of mashkode-bizhiki to TKFN advances Indigenous-led 

conservation in this area, including managing the herd through Indigenous 

ecological knowledge, creating and strengthening relationships between 

Nations and stakeholders, and sustaining cultural and socio-economic 

opportunities for Indigenous community members. 

Chris Gareau, councillor with TKFN and a member of the NCC 

Indigenous Advisory Group in Saskatchewan, noted: “The return of 

Bison to TKFN has fostered unity within the community and, most 

importantly, an atmosphere for healing, [with] the unlimited benefits 

shared by all. Our ancestors relied heavily on Bison for their survival 

and well-being, utilizing every part of the Bison for food, clothing, 

shelters, tools, implements and in a variety of ceremonies.” 

Restoring threatened species to Indigenous Nations is an important 

step on the pathway toward Reconciliation. This February, the Honourable 

Steven Guilbeault, minister of environment and climate change 

and minister responsible for Parks Canada, and Jennifer McKillop, Saskatchewan 

regional vice-president for NCC, were present at a celebration 

of the translocation of the 40 plains bison to establish a new herd 

with TKFN. 

MARK TAYLOR; INSET: PARKS CANADA. 

The recovery of mashkode-bizhiki/plains bison to Indigenous Nations 

is an important step on the pathway toward Reconciliation. 



Marsh Ranch, Alberta 

Wild + Pine staff 

tree planting on 

prepped site. 

2 

Grassland stewardship keeping the prairie healthy 

THE PRAIRIES 

Partner Spotlight 

L TO R: CARYS RICHARDS/NCC; NCC; MAIDA TANWEER. 

A new collaboration, the largest ever in support of grassland stewardship in Canada’s Prairie provinces, aims 

to care for unique and threatened grassland ecosystems in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Home to 

rare and endangered plant and animal species, grasslands sequester carbon, filter water and stabilize soil. 

Over the next few years, NCC, in cooperation with four land trusts in Canada's prairies, will administer 

the Stewardship Investment Program, part of the Weston Family Prairie Grasslands Initiative. 

The program, launched in June 2021, will impact the plant and wildlife biodiversity of up to 1.4 million 

hectares of grasslands, through the delivery of up to 800 individual grants. Livestock producers with 

conservation agreements with NCC, community pastures, and individuals renting lands from NCC and 

other land trusts can apply for funding to implement a range of projects that support the conservation 

of biodiversity on rangelands, from installing wildlife-friendly fencing to installing solar powered remote 

watering systems. 

Empowering ranchers — the primary owners and managers of the remaining grasslands — with stewardship 

tools, incentives, education and support will encourage the adoption of management practices 

that support biodiversity. Improving the use and productivity of grasslands will ensure that all its inhabitants 

are sustained, and can reduce the risk of further grassland loss. 

3 

Final push to protect once-in-a-lifetime 

landscape 

SOUTHERN ONTARIO 

NCC is working on a major conservation project to help protect 

and care for 8,000 hectares near Bancroft, Ontario. 

Hastings Wildlife Junction provides some of the best 

remaining habitat for many species at risk and wide-ranging 

mammals, including elk, birds and turtles. Located within 

the Lake Ontario watershed and headwaters for the Bay of 

Quinte, the project is particularly critical for maintaining the 

water quality for local aquatic life and communities on the 

coast of Lake Ontario. Vast amounts of carbon are stored in 

its forests and wetlands. 

NCC is the only organization of its kind working in Canada 

to deliver this scale of conservation impact, with a proven 

track record of connecting, conserving and caring for vast 

natural areas. 

To date, 5,000 hectares of the Hastings Wildlife Junction 

have been protected, but there is more to be done. NCC’s goal 

is to conserve 8,000 hectares of intact forest and wetlands here. 

Join us in this historic effort by making a one-time gift or multiyear 

pledge to ensure the future of Hastings Wildlife Junction. 

Learn more at natureconservancy.ca/hastings. 

Hastings Wildlife Junction 

Wild + Pine Sustainability has 

been working in ecosystem 

restoration across Canada 

for more than a decade. 

Using eco-technology to grow 

seedlings in their custom 

greenhouse, they are able to 

mimic the light and conditions 

found in the ecosystems where 

the seedlings will eventually 

be planted. 

In 2020, Wild + Pine 

approached the Nature 

Conservancy of Canada (NCC) 

and offered to design and 

implement a crowd-funded 

project. This project allowed 

Canadian businesses that 

balance purpose and profit by 

considering the impact of their 

work to fund the reforestation 

and restoration of 25 hectares 

of former agricultural land on 

an NCC property in Central 

Alberta. In 2021, Wild + Pine 

prepped the site and planted 

52,000 seedlings of trembling 

aspen, balsam poplar, paper 

birch, white spruce and larch, 

along with complementary 

shrub species. Another 5,000 

seedlings will be planted in 

2022, and NCC volunteers will 

help weed the newly planted 

site to give the seedlings room 

to thrive. 

Every tree planted creates even 

more habitat for native species 

in Alberta. As a partner, Wild + 

Pine is helping accelerate the 

pace of conservation. 


CLOSE 

ENCOUNTERS 

Hidden in plain sight 

By Doug van Hemessen, Nova Scotia stewardship manager, NCC 

Ioften go out for an “aimless wander,” especially 

in the woods surrounding my home. 

It is an opportunity for me to leave my 

preoccupied mind and open my awareness 

to the surrounding environment. Seeing, listening, 

smelling, touching...even tasting, if 

something edible is on hand. No destination, 

no plan, no formal hike. 

It is with such a mindset that I discover 

details; the small, the overlooked. I’m thrilled 

by the tiny pockets of the “universe” that 

I find. Often this means lichens and mosses; 

things you need to stop and really look at to 

appreciate. Intricacies appear. It takes time 

to observe. To really look, to really see. 

Lichens are all around but often unnoticed. 

They can be found worldwide, from ocean 

coasts to mountain peaks, from the Arctic 

to Antarctica. 

They grow on almost any surface, in many 

diverse (and sometimes weird) forms. Rocks, 

soil and other plants are all homes for lichens. 

In areas freshly denuded of vegetation, lichens 

are typically the first organisms to gain a 

foothold. They are the foundation of more 

complex ecosystems. 

Lichens’ abilities to withstand extremes 

of temperature and drought also amaze me. 

However, many are sensitive to air pollutants. 

Their absence can be an indication of 

poor air quality. 

Depending on where you are, lichens 

may be both discrete and obvious. Some 

are showy, others require a magnifying 

glass or loupe to reveal an amazing world 

of details. 

A favourite of mine is called old man’s 

beard. Its shaggy, stringy strands remind 

me of pale greenish-grey tinsel on a Christmas 

tree. 

Sadly, despite their ubiquitous and 

generally hardy nature, some lichens are 

designated as species at risk. For example, 

boreal felt lichen and vole ears lichen are 

endangered. Their decline is linked in part 

to prevailing winds that bring pollution from 

central Canada and the eastern U.S., which 

falls in Nova Scotia, my home province, as 

acid rain. Pollution isn’t the only threat; they 

are also threatened by land use changes and 

climate change. 

Time spent in nature is time well spent. 

Get yourself out there. Pause. 

Close your eyes. Listen. Smell. 

Feel. Breathe. Let go of the thinking that 

preoccupies you. Open your eyes. Can you 

find a lichen?1 

TERRY ALLEN / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO. 


LET YOUR 

PASSION 

DEFINE 

YOUR 

LEGACY 

Your passion for Canada’s natural spaces defines your life; now it can define 

your legacy. With a gift in your Will to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, 

no matter the size, you can help protect our most vulnerable habitats and the 

wildlife that live there. For today, for tomorrow and for generations to come. 

Order your free Legacy Information Booklet today. 

Call Marcella at 1-877-231-3552 x 2276 or visit DefineYourLegacy.ca

YOUR 

IMPACT 

Chignecto Isthmus 

Moose Sex project 

gets a boost 

The conservation of a large parcel 

of forest, wetland and coastline, 

totalling close to 400 hectares on 

the Chignecto Isthmus, was made 

possible thanks to a generous gift 

of land, and support from the 

Natural Heritage Conservation 

Program. Dubbed the Moose Sex 

Corridor, the isthmus allows 

endangered moose in Nova Scotia 

to connect with moose in New 

Brunswick. To date, you have helped 

protect 1,949 hectares on both sides 

of the isthmus. 

Five generations 

Five generations of the Pisony family have homesteaded what is now an 

879-hectare property in the Castle-Crowsnest Watershed Natural Area of Alberta. 

This working ranch boasts forests, grasslands and vital wetlands — one of the 

rarest habitats in Alberta. With support from the Natural Heritage Conservation 

Program and working with NCC, the family placed a conservation agreement on 

a portion of the land, ensuring the future of the area’s wildlife and the quality of 

the waters that flow into Oldman River. 

Thank you for all you do for nature in Canada! 

JULY 28–AUGUST 1, 2022 

This upcoming August 

long weekend, grab your 

camera and spend some 

time outdoors observing 

nature around you. 

Together, we’ll document 

and grow the inventory 

of species across the 

country, so that science 

and conservation planners 

can use the data for 

future protection and 

conservation. Registration 

opens in June; keep an 

eye out for your invitation 

or subscribe for emails if 

you haven’t already. 

natureconservancy.ca/ 

signmeup 

TOP TO BOTTOM: MIKE DEMBECK; BRENT CALVER.

NCC Magazine, Spring 2022

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