Sable Island (French: île de Sable) is a small island situated 300 km southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and about 175 km southeast of the closest point of mainland Nova Scotia in the Atlantic Ocean. Notable for the Sable Island horse, the island is protected and managed by Parks Canada, which must first grant permission…
Caribou are large members of the deer family, who live in herds across the tundra in the north. Subarctic First Nations depended on the caribou for food, clothing, tools and much more. Few animals can survive harsh tundra conditions. Caribou feed on grasses in the summer. In the winter they dig through the snow to…
Next to the polar bear, the grizzly bear is known as the 2nd largest land carnivore in North America. These large bears not only eat meat, but also grass, nuts, seeds and berries so they are actually omnivores. Did you know that the Grizzly Bear is not true a hibernator? In the winter its body temperature…
Seven species of Pacific Salmon occur in B.C.: Sockeye, Chinook, Coho, Pink, Chum, Steeelhead Trout, and Cuthroat Trout. The smallest, Pink salmon, are the most abundant. The biggest, Chinook salmon, are the least abundant. Salmon are famous for their ability to return to the freshwater place of birth to spawn, including fighting their way up…
The Canada Lynx, or Canadian Lynx ranges across Canada, into Alaska, and dips down to Colorado in the Rocky Mountains. It is medium sized, similar to the bobcat, with it’s front legs shorter than it’s hind legs, giving it a sloping appearance. The lynx can be distinguished from the bobcat by the black tip on…
Puffins are one of our favourites – a most amazing seabird. The Atlantic Puffin, known in Canada as Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial bird, is the smallest of the four species of puffins? Their parrot-like beak changes colour in the year, from dull grey in winter to bright stunning orange in spring. They range in the…
These extremely rare whales spend the summer in Canadian waters. Once much more common, there are only about 500 of them left on Earth.
The beaver, pictured on Canada’s first postage stamp, is an iconic Canadian symbol. Beavers have a historical place in the settling of Canada. Beavers make dams to create their own pond. Their lodges are made of a pile of sticks and mud with an underwater door for safety. Their paddle-shaped tail acts like a rudder…
Looking at animal tracks gives children a chance to observe, question, and think critically about what they see. Tracks present a mystery which piques curiosity and begs an answer. Looking for animal tracks is a great opportunity to turn off the devices and enjoy the outdoors while combining science and geography with investigation and inquiry….
The North American Lobster may be an item on a fancy menu, it is, first and foremost, an important wildlife species to our Atlantic coast’s ecology. Dive in, and discover this fascinating animal! In the mid-1880s – only ten years after the lobster boom began – overfishing drove the stocks to dangerously low levels. The…
