Mary-Jo Michell reflects on her time meeting with federal leaders through the First Nations Women Transforming Conservation Fellowship 🙌
Her story highlights the power of Indigenous women’s leadership, mentorship & creating space for the next generation in conservation → f.mtr.cool/wxytcusnro
Northern gannet crossing sunset skies at Cape St. Mary’s KBA (NL), a fritillary resting on smooth fleabane in the Waterton KBA (AB), and the Aurora Borealis glowing near Wapusk National Park (MB) ✨ 2/2
Across coasts, prairies & northern skies, this round of #2025KBAPhotoContest Honourable Mentions captures moments shaped by movement and light 💚
A newborn grey seal pup on Sable Island KBA (NS), a grizzly in the Chilko River (BC), dunlins foraging along the shoreline at Iona Island Park (BC) 1/2
379 KBAs were published nationwide by the end of 2025 - guiding conservation, land-use planning, and policy across 162,000+ km² 🌿
The 2025 Annual Report shares 23 examples of KBA data in action 🦋 Read more ↓ https://f.mtr.cool/ohlqmmodaj
A proposed road & port in Nunavut is being promoted for its economic potential. But in sensitive northern ecosystems, infrastructure decisions require rigorous scrutiny & assessment of ecological & climate risks ↓
Highlighting these species on World Wildlife Day reminds us that conserving plants is also about conserving relationships, knowledge, and the connections between people and place #worldwildlifeday (4/4)
MAPs are crucial for pollinators, local livelihoods, and ecosystem health. Potawatomi botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer describes goldenrod and aster as a “reciprocal pair,” that attract more pollinators together than alone. (3/4)
Many asters and goldenrods are recognized as Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs). A number of Key Biodiversity Areas in Canada are key sites for several of the rarer and more threatened of these species. (2/4)
Did you know the theme for World Wildlife Day 2026 is all about plants? 🌱 (1/4)
This week’s #2025KBAPhotoContest Honourable Mentions 💚
A male orca spyhopping in Burrard Inlet (BC); black-tailed prairie dogs and plains bison in Grasslands National Park (SK); a lady’s slipper orchid on Haida Gwaii (BC); and Lake Opinicon in the Frontenac Forests KBA (ON).
Today, we celebrate Monte Hummel as he retires after 18 years on the WCS Canada Board. A steadfast advocate for our science-first mission, Monte’s 56-year conservation career leaves a lasting legacy.
Thank you, Monte, for your extraordinary impact!
Read his full story:
The cameras will now collect year-round data to support wildlife management and conservation research in the region.
Follow for more stories from the field 🤎 3/3
#Fieldwork #Dayinthelife #ConservationScience #Yukon #Moose
From helicopters to heavy backpacks, teams navigated challenging terrain to install and fine-tune each camera 2/3
This past summer, WCS Canada staff partnered with Selkirk First Nation to deploy wildlife cameras in central Yukon to study how human activity shapes moose habitat use 🫎1/3
8 days. 200kms. 11 Indigenous Youth reclaiming the ancestral waterways of the Moose Cree Homelands.
Visit the WCS Canada YouTube channel to join our paddlers on their epic journey 🛶
https://f.mtr.cool/pjqgwgepkp
A big week for our First Nations Women Transforming Conservation Fellows!
Mary-Jo Michell & Taylor Galvin joined WCS Canada & the Indigenous Leadership Initiative to experience the heart of Canadian politics.
Hear from the Fellows about their time in Ottawa, what it meant, and what they learned ⬇️
Visit us on LinkedIn to read more!
https://f.mtr.cool/nhnsnuscwu
Why do we listen for whales in the Canadian Arctic? Go behind the scenes with post-doc Alex Hare to find out! #WorldWhaleDay
Our Arctic team are tracking these movements and key habitats to help protect the places these pairs depend on. Because love means showing up and protecting what matters most 💚
📸 Steve Insley
But changing sea ice and increasing ship traffic are adding new pressures along their migration routes and moulting areas - times when murres are especially vulnerable.
This Valentine’s Day, we’re spotlighting one of Canada’s most devoted couples: Thick-billed Murres.
These seabirds return to the same partner year after year, nesting together on narrow Arctic cliffs and raising their chick in extreme conditions.
Following International Day of Women & Girls in Science, these images from the #2025KBAPhotoContest celebrate women documenting biodiversity & conservation, from beard lichen & a tricoloured bumble bee in Alberta, to a great blue heron on Ontario’s Grand River & intertidal surveys at Stanley Park💚
A spotlight on women around the world working to advance conservation through Key Biodiversity Areas, featuring our Director of Conservation Strategy, Ciara Raudsepp-Hearne 🙌
In the field, the lab, or the office, women in science are leading the way on conservation solutions to create a better world for people and wildlife. Today, we celebrate their impact 💪 #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience
More stories from the field coming soon in our #DayInTheLife series 🤎
#Peatlands #Wetlands #ClimateChange #Yukon #Fieldwork #WorldWetlandsDay
Using gas chambers & analyzers, they’re tracking how peatlands store & release carbon, helping us better understand how these ecosystems support climate stability & resilience.
With World Wetlands Day just behind us, this is a reminder of how vital peatlands are & why protecting them matters 🌿
Did you know that soil “breathes”?
This winter, our Northern Boreal Mountain (NBM) team headed into a peatland in central Yukon to measure how much carbon dioxide and methane are released from the soil, even in the coldest months ❄️🧵
2/2 An American white pelican in southern Alberta, and an aerial view of Long Lake in the Frontenac Forests KBA 🌿
Stay tuned for more Honourable Mentions 💚
1/2 This week’s Honourable Mentions from the #2025KBAPhotoContest ✨
Moments of nature across Canada: a female red crossbill on a winter road in Algonquin Provincial Park KBA, a bonnet mushroom near K'ómoks KBA in BC & a plains bison moving through mist in Elk Island National Park KBA 🦬
📢 Upcoming webinar!
Join Watersheds Canada on Feb 12 for a Freshwater Stewardship Community webinar with WCS Canada’s Peter Soroye, on how KBAs are identified and can support conservation work.
🗓️ Feb 12 at 2 pm ET / 11 am PT
🔗 Register here → https://f.mtr.cool/fnracksfxr
