Look about your home. What are you going to give up so Canada meets its greenhouse gas commitments? If you are like me, you didn’t think much about the 11-day talkathon in Kyoto, Japan. I knew there was a controversy. Eminent scientists said global warming will melt the polar ice […]
Other Contributors
In Northern Ontario, we have a number of native owls. These range in size from the Great Horned Owl, with a wingspan of five feet, to the robin-sized Saw-whet Owl. Here are two which are medium-sized, actually about the size of a crow. But they are different in appearance, habits, […]
In a previous article, I spoke about two of our most common bats. One of the others which is quite common and is much like the first two is Keen’s Bat. All three of these (Little Brown, Big Brown and Keen’s) have quite a bit in common. One thing is […]
Have you grown plants from slips, used “eyes” to grow potatoes, or cuttings to plant trees? If so, you were cloning. Cloning is making a copy of an original. Genetic engineering is different. It’s transferring genes to make a new original. Here’s why both are important to you and me. […]
Ruth Ann was just a tiny girl at the time and I was about 10 years older. But I’ll never forget what fun it was when all the relatives came to visit! This time Aunt Naomi had baked one of her wonderful cream pies. It was enough to make your […]
In Northwestern Ontario, there are six species of bats. By far, the most common one is the Little Brown Bat, which is found in almost all of Canada below the tree line. The average length of this little animal is about 3.5 inches. As its names tells you, it is […]
“I read books by many different spiritual teachers, philosophers and professionals in all fields so that I’m constantly growing. Every day is a new opportunity to learn more.” That was the quote on my calendar one day last week. Interestingly, it happened to be the same day when I learned […]
The osprey is one of our largest hawk-type birds, which is sometimes called the Fish Eagle. And you have to admit that, with a six-foot wing span, this is quite a substantial bird. It lives on fish and it is very well adapted for its role in life. Those huge […]
In spite of major drought and forest fire danger, far fewer and less extensive fires have occurred than any previous time with similar conditions so far this fire season. Why? Major technology changes. It’s easier to recognize them in a historical context. At one time, fire watch was held by […]
It’s hard to imagine what a big outing shopping was a half-century ago. Driving to Watertown. Twenty miles north on Route 12. What fun we had in the back seat of the car! And it was even more fun to walk up and down the square. Looking in the shop […]
For most average fishermen in Ontario, “the” fish to catch is the walleye, which is common over the eastern half of North America to the Mississippi valley, Saskatchewan, and the Mackenzie River. The walleye is called by many names (whiteeye, pikeperch, glasseye, and the most common wrong name–pickerel). Pickerel means […]
Cliff McIntosh
Nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Here’s an example. Doesn’t it make sense to tend and nurture the commercial forest like a farmer’s fields? Conventional wisdom says of course! But there is a major controversy among professional foresters. Some say to get a greater yield/hectare, the commercial forest […]
