Fall is a busy season for the red squirrel. Because it’s active all year round, it stores food in preparation for winter. Let’s take this opportunity to observe its comings…

“I am a red oak (Quercus rubra), the most common oak in Eastern Canada. My species is fairly abundant in southern Québec but nonetheless, I consider myself quite exceptional. For…

The striped skunk is rightly associated with the nauseating smell it releases. Its scientific name, Mephitis mephitis, derives from a classical Latin word meaning “rotten unpleasant odour”. Taking advantage of…

The intriguing praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) charms us with its triangular head, its staring eyes and in particular, its long, thorny front legs folded back upon themselves like a boxer…

Summer’s arrival coincides with the emergence of mosquitoes. These biting insects annoy outdoors enthusiasts, forest workers, and animals both domestic and wild, and sometimes transmit dreadful diseases. However, should we…

Beneath its cuddly exterior, the domestic cat is a formidable predator. Ten thousand years of domestication have not changed its hunting capabilities, and its impact on populations of birds and…

In 1995, at the Jakarta conference, the countries that were signatory to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity chose Montreal to be the headquarters for the secretariat of this…

In North America there are three species of weasel: the long-tailed weasel, the ermine, and the least weasel. In spite of their similar appearance and way of life, they can…

The survival of the North American hare is closely linked to the presence of snow, as are its other common names: varying hare and snowshoe hare. The pelt of this…

By Jeff Swysten Hiking’s simple rule is this: leave only footprints. I like to add: try to avoid that, too. Often I see people avoiding a puddle, thereby widening the…