John Edmonstone was a taxidermist and freed-slave who taught and enabled famed naturalist Charles Darwin. Edmonstone lived a fascinating life, long before meeting Darwin, and contributed to our understanding of the natural world, but it’s also a reminder of the impacts of nineteenth century colonialism and the historical erasure of people of colour. Here’s what’s…
The Backyard Friends is an ongoing YouTube and blog series about animal pals that you might find in your backyard. No matter where we are, we are a part of the nature, not apart from it. Printable Colouring Sheet! To download: Right click on the image. Click “Save image as…” and save in the desired…
Exploring Iceland | History, Nature & Magic! Exploring Iceland is a video project showcasing some of Iceland’s famous and noteworthy sights, delving into history, folklore, science, witchcraft, and more! Learn about more than a thousand years of human history on this remote North Atlantic island, as well as the unique natural history of the land…
General Overview Ptarmigans are a genus of birds related to grouse, chickens, turkeys and pheasants (10). There are three species of ptarmigan, each with several subspecies: the willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus), the rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) and the white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura). The scientific name Lagopus comes from Greek and means rabbit footed (5). This…
Happy Bat Month! This Bat Month the focus has been on a common North American species, and personal favourite, the little brown bat (Scientific name: Myotis lucifugus). This is the black and white version of an upcoming YouTube thumbnail, and I thought some people might enjoy having a version they can print off and colour….
Here are seven facts about the North Atlantic Right Whale! Its scientific name is Eubalaena glacialis, which means “True Whale of the ice.” E. glacialis typically weighs between 55 thousand to 95 thousand kilograms (or about 120 thousand to 210 thousand pounds), and can measure up to 17 meters or 55 feet in length. E….
March 22 is World Water Day, and one of the best things we can do for the planet, one another, and future generations is to reduce our water consumption. In the spirit of world water day, I’m going to share what I do to reduce my water consumption and pollution. Laundry One of the easiest…
The United Nations outlined their twelfth Sustainable Development Goal as “responsible consumption and production,” a lofty goal to achieve by 2030. To achieve this goal, the participation of all stakeholders — from farmers to retailers, to consumers — is required. In my last post: The Cost of Being Fashionable, I talk about the many ethical…
Clothes found at the average mall are trendy and cheap, but at what cost? Although we may think we are saving by buying inexpensive clothing, the price of making inexpensive clothing is high. Production The problem starts at production. Cotton is water and pesticide intensive: excessive water use can put drought prone regions at greater…
Dr. Debbie Luk has been working in optometry for a decade and has won awards for her advocacy work in the field, but she says that vision is still mostly misunderstood by the public she serves. According to the American Optometric Association, vision therapy uses exercises and activities prescribed by a doctor to develop, rehabilitate,…