ecology

Nathan Vadeboncoeur shares how Manitoba’s Brokenhead Wetland was saved by a slight language adjustment and a different tack in public relations.

HOME TO EVIL SPIRITS and trolls, to say nothing of mosquitoes, swamps face a public relations problem. Wetlands, on the other hand, are adored for their myriad environmental benefits. But wait. Aren’t they the same thing? They are, in that a swamp is a type of wetland. But as supporters of Southeast Manitoba’s Brokenhead Wetland learned, the lexical difference between swamp and wetland represents a broad cognitive divide. ...

Jessica C.Y. Wong tells us how micro-organisms can assist policy makers in decisions around human health. When you consider the molecular dynamics of nature, small is beautifully strong

Stephen Bocking hearkens back to Aldo Leopold for a new ecological vision. How can we keep all of the parts and why should we? Bocking weaves politics and science together to reveal prospects of a resilient future with ecologically creative designs for parks and neighbourhoods.

FOR A SHORT TWO-WEEK period every spring, before the leaves burst their buds, the warm spring sun penetrates the deepest nooks and crannies in the small cottage where I live. Its rays illuminate the grit and cobwebs that have accumulated over the long, dark winter. Sparkling dust rises toward the sun as if it was a cobra under a flutist’s spell. For this brief interlude in May, anything seems possible. The barren maples, ash and elms that tower above me don’t obscure the sun or block my view.