I’m keenly interested in environmental issues and the role farmers could play in generating positive change. It drives what I cover as a journalist, what stories I share with friends and family, and what I’ve decided to research in-depth as a Nuffield Scholar.
Tag Archives conservation
The people that shape us
My late grandfather helped me see beyond the human world, and I hope to continue his legacy
Burnout a problem in conservation sector
Like farmers, people in the environmental profession face many uphill battles that can affect their health
Mental health challenges are a regular topic of discussion in the agriculture sector, but farmers are not the only workers with high rates of anxiety, depression and other forms of […] Read more
Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary gets creative with income streams
Finding new ways to support conservation and education
Limited resources are a perennial problem for conservation organizations. At the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary, a non-profit conservation park in Essex County, staff and volunteers are trying to diversify […] Read more
Lakeshore-area farmers receive conservation award
Couple awarded for their efforts to preserve soil and water
Lakeshore-area farm couple Clayton Armstrong and Susan Iatonna are recipients of the latest Essex Region Conservation Authority Conservation Farm Award. Armstrong and Iatonna were lauded for a number of actions […] Read more
National soil award presented to OSCIA’s Andrew Graham
Andrew Graham is this year’s recipient of the L.B. Thomson Award, an award that recognizes the from the significant contributions of individuals and organizations in keeping Canada’s soil healthy. As […] Read more
ALUS gets new provincial funding
Program helps farmers pay for projects that protect species at risk
At the Crump farm near Ilderton, runoff from 400 nearby acres, grazing by too many cattle and an elevation change of 35 feet in a short distance led to a […] Read more
Extension program shuttered amid Conservation Act changes
Essex Region Conservation Authority forced to close Amherstburg demonstration farm
A last hurrah for the Essex Region Conservation Authority’s demonstration farm took place Aug. 1, where visitors could explore the use of cover crops and the intricacies of managing them […] Read more
Quinlan Farms wins Essex conservation award
Award given for investments in soil and water health, production diversity
The Essex Soil and Crop Improvement Association (ESCIA) and Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) recently bestowed the 2022 Conservation Farm of the Year Award to Quinlan Farms, a mixed crop, […] Read more
U.S. aims to double cover crop planting to address climate change
Farmers in 11 states to be eligible for program
Chicago | Reuters — The United States aims to double the country’s cover crop plantings to 30 million acres by 2030 under a new Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation program […] Read more
Can small pasture management changes help grassland birds?
Researchers try several strategies this summer with mixed success
The bobolink and other declining avian grassland species have received assistance from farmers and conservation researchers in Grey County. Through a $62,500 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Bird Ecology […] Read more