While we often talk about getting our boots muddy, sometimes fieldwork involves no mud at all #Countdownto2026 In 2025, our Arctic field team flew over 4000km conducting aerial surveys that allow us to monitor populations of key species in the Canadian Arctic ✈️

1/2 The fantastic Biodiversity Bike Ride wrapped up in 2025 🚲 Kevin travelled to 100+ Key Biodiversity Areas, cycling the equivalent of the Trans Canada Highway – twice! Check out our interview with Kevin on his return from his adventure, including a story map showing the sites he visited.

#ICYMI: This year, we published a National Peatland Policy Strategy, including tailored implementation plans for all 13 provinces & territories #countdownto2026 Reflecting expertise of 100+ peatland knowledge-holders, the strategy calls on all governments to protect & steward Canada’s peatlands.

New research co-led by WCS Canada shows that Cape Parry’s isolated thick-billed murre colony is increasingly exposed as climate change opens Arctic waters longer each year & ship traffic expands into molting & feeding areas ↓

Arctic development is accelerating, but Canada hasn’t acted on its draft Ocean Noise Strategy yet. Rising ship traffic threatens quiet Arctic seas, affecting ecosystems & nearby communities. More ↓ calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/silence-on-ocean-noise-while-arctic-development-races-ahead

Getting the next generation engaged with conservation is huge part of our mission at WCS Canada 🎒 This year our teams in the Arctic and Ontario visited schools in Inuvik, Ulukhaktok, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Moosonee, and Moose Factory to talk about our conservation work #countdownto2026

This year, together with the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, we launched the First Nations Women Transforming Conservation Fellowship #countdownto2026 Our fellows have already made a profound impact, from getting out in the field with research teams, to heading to New York for Climate Week.

In 2025, 185 new sites became Key Biodiversity Areas 🙌 #countdownto2026 These incredible sites from all across the country contribute to the persistence of biodiversity nationally and globally. Explore KBAs at https://f.mtr.cool/ldylysaaol

Canada Jays are known as resident birds, but Former Weston Fellow Alex Sutton’s tracking work showed some dispersing kilometres into new territories - reshaping what we know about the species 🪽 https://f.mtr.cool/mhvkjigyvd

For the first time 2026, scientists in Alberta are testing a probiotic treatment developed from beneficial bacteria found on healthy western bats. This project brings together science, stewardship & community to give bats a fighting chance #countdownro2026 @albertabats.bsky.social

Canada’s Major Projects Office aims to speed development. The issue is weak planning. Early planning, baseline data, Indigenous knowledge & a mitigation hierarchy reduce risk—shortcuts don’t ↓

Knowledge has the most power when it moves - across communities, decision-makers, and practice. Like pollinators, knowledge mobilization helps ideas grow into action 🧵(1/7)

In 2026, the Ontario Mineral Tracker published 251 notices alerting people to local mineral exploration in Ontario.  The tracker aims to make it easier for people to know about mineral exploration that is happening in their area, and to make it easier to speak up if mining activity is not wanted.

From morning lift-off to low-tide calm: four moments in nature from BC to NL - an American Wigeon in Steveston, Amanita muscaria in Pacific Rim, the cliffs of Burnt Cape, and a quiet Parksville sunrise. A small glimpse of Canada’s coast-to-coast beauty 🦋 #2025KBAPhotoContest #HonourableMentions

Our Western Arctic team counted over 1700 ringed seals in the field this year. Knowing what seals eat helps us to understand how they adapt to climate change, how healthy they are, and what species are present in their environment 🦭  #countdownto2026

What could development look like if peatlands were treated as essential infrastructure? Our National Peatland Strategy focuses on: ➡️ Better policy & regional planning ➡️ Indigenous-led stewardship ➡️ Funding research & community capacity

We're counting down to 2026 with some success stories from this year, kicking off with peatlands! Collecting peat samples is tough work – this year our field team collected 27 from across Ontario & the Yukon! These samples help us examine carbon & mercury accumulation & storage in peatlands.

🎧 “Don’t get too bogged down in the negative stories. There’s always hope in conservation, and even small wins can snowball in unexpected ways.” Former Weston Fellow Alex Sutton on why small actions matter 🦋 https://f.mtr.cool/bpcpuayjgj

Canada’s northern mountains are biodiversity powerhouses - home to endemic plants, rich valley-bottom habitats, and key migratory corridors. But these ecosystems are rapidly changing as the climate warms 🏔️ #InternationalMountainDay

Honourable Mentions continue with a cabbage white butterfly in Ojibway Prairie, grey seal nurseries on Sable Island, Elder Bill Jones speaking on old-growth forests & fungi thriving in ancient layers 🍄 Four very different scenes, all showing the deep connections between species, people, and place 🤎

Calls to “cut red tape” are framed as the key to growth. But as Justina Ray & Trevor Swerdfager outline in this op-ed, real barriers aren’t safeguards but lack of integrated planning. More ↓

It’s #WorldSoilDay - take a trip through Canada’s northern peatlands with our upgraded story map 🌎 Learn why they matter for climate + biodiversity & how the National Peatland Strategy can help protect these critical ecosystems → https://f.mtr.cool/mpcvidxryr

DYK: Canada 🇨🇦 is home to 25% (!!) of the world's peatlands. These are climate-critical ecosystems because of how much carbon they store. Check out the new National Peatland Strategy released today from @wcscanada.org. ⬇️

Canada is home to ~25% of the world’s peatlands, containing around 150 billion tonnes of carbon. But they’re under threat. Today, WCS Canada launched a proposed National Peatland Strategy, built with 100+ experts 🌎

Ahead of #WildlifeConservationDay, we’re shining a light on the species that ground our work: bats, boreal birds, caribou, freshwater fish, wolverines & Arctic marine mammals 🦭 We work with Indigenous partners, communities & other experts to build a clearer picture of what species need to thrive 🧵

New research co-authored by WCS Canada in Marine Ecology Progress Series warns that increased shipping through the Arctic - driven by longer ice-free seasons - could have serious consequences for one of the world’s most isolated seabird colonies 🧪 (1/4)

Former Weston Fellow Ben O’Reilly reflects on the real value of wetland regulations, and why removing them has downstream consequences for communities. 🔗 Full story: f.mtr.cool/mjesgqutnb

Justina Ray: The high cost of turning a blind eye to species at risk @nationalobserver.com When we dismantle systems that protect species, we mistake inaction for effectiveness, and later find an expensive mess endangering ecosystems & ourselves. 📸 inaturalist/decomposuer

🎧 “Don't have any expectation that it's gonna be linear… take advantage of opportunities as they come up.” Former Weston Fellow Ben O’Reilly shares advice for early-career carving their path in conservation 🌿🧵 🔗 Full story: https://f.mtr.cool/cddptrbyre

Indigenous Peoples are central to some of the world’s most effective climate solutions, as highlighted in a recent global study 🧵

This #GISDay, check out our 2025 KBA Photo Contest Winners Map 🗺️✨ Explore the winning images and the Key Biodiversity Areas where they were taken 🌿 https://f.mtr.cool/mmkvhuibsv

"Ontario is about to make 106 species disappear - not from nature, but from responsibility." By removing species from the official list under its new Species Conservation Act, Ontario is withdrawing recognition of their imperiled status, writes Justina Ray www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/18/o...

As ice-free seasons in the Arctic get longer, driven in large part by climate change, ship traffic and ocean noise grow along with it. That noise is changing life for species like beluga whales that rely on sound to hunt, navigate, and communicate 🌊🧵

With leaders meeting in Brazil for COP30, the changing face of wildfire must be on the agenda🔥(1/7)

Today is National Philanthropy Day! We're celebrating our supporters who inspire us every day to tackle ambitious conservation goals.  Thank you for being wildlife champions, helping safeguard Canada’s natural wonders. Together, we can keep Canada’s wild heart beating strong 💚 📸 Patricia Fortin

The celebration continues! 🦋 This week’s Honourable Mentions from the #2025KBAPhotoContest features another set of striking images that capture unique moments in nature 🌱 🔗 Explore the full list here: https://f.mtr.cool/pcuuxymuid

With COP30 kicking off today in Brazil, we're shining a spotlight on some of Canada's most climate-critical ecosystems - peatlands! As global leaders meet to tackle the climate crisis, Canada’s vast peatlands deserve a place at the top of the agenda 🌎 (1/5)

The 2025 KBA Photo Contest Honourable Mentions are here 🌿 More stunning photos showcasing Canada’s most important places for nature. Explore the full list → https://f.mtr.cool/qlokqnidkn

Applications for our Weston Family Boreal Research Fellowship are now open!  Why apply? ✅ Funding to support your research ✅ Mentorship & networking with conservation experts ✅ The opportunity to drive impact in boreal conservation.  Apply:  https://f.mtr.cool/nyeajbdyga

If you’re in Vancouver, don’t miss this 🌿 On Nov 20, WCS Canada’s Justina Ray joins UBC for a talk on reframing biodiversity - from “what we can spare” to “what nature needs” in planning, policy & climate action ↓

The beauty of Canada’s Key Biodiversity Areas shines through again 🌿 These third-place winners from the 2025 KBA Photo Contest showcase the landscapes, wildlife, and people that make Canada’s biodiversity so extraordinary 🧵

Congratulations to the second-place winners of the 2025 KBA Canada Photo Contest 🥈 From coast to coast to coast, photographers across Canada shared their love of nature through the 2025 KBA Canada Photo Contest 🌊🧵

📸 The 2025 KBA Canada Photo Contest winners are here! With 400+ entries from every province and territory, this year’s photos showcase the beauty and biodiversity of Canada’s Key Biodiversity Areas 🦋

This Halloween, the real scare isn’t bats - it’s losing them 🦇 Millions have died from white-nose syndrome, but a probiotic cocktail tested by WCS Canada’s Cori Lausen offers new hope for protection. More: https://f.mtr.cool/nhxfbjicub

After hundreds of incredible submissions, the judges have spoken✨ Find out soon who captured the winning shots in the 2025 KBA Photo Contest 🏆🤎 #KeyBiodiversityAreas #KBAs #2025KBAPhotoContest

Our health depends on the planet’s health 🌎 @wcs.org Chris Walzer & Neil Vora call for treating biodiversity loss & climate change as one global health emergency, protecting nature is a public health imperative.

The threats facing bats are evolving faster than bats can keep up 🦇 (1/4) #BatMonth #BatConservation @albertabats.bsky.social

As the Yukon election nears, parties pledge climate action but differ on approach. WCS Canada’s Christopher Addison says the next government must prioritize land-use planning to guide development & protect wetlands 🌿

What can an 8-year-old teach us about bats? That they’re fascinating creatures and essential for healthy ecosystems🦇 Meet Talia, a fourth-grader who donated her birthday money to protect bats (Artwork by AE Bowers’ Grade 4 class, Airdrie AB)

Community science and outreach are vital aspects of our work to help bats. Through events, discussions with landowners, guidebooks, and local monitoring, we’re empowering Albertans to support bat-friendly practices and take part in protecting western bats 🦇🧵 @albertabats.bsky.social