Shannon Ainslie

“It’s a disgusting job and a lot of it has been about just manning up and getting under there, but we absolutely love it."

“I’ve tried everything. I’ve tried hanging sparkly things in the backyard to scare them away and putting the sprinkler on but it doesn’t matter, they’ll literally come in and eat every seed you put down."

"Who knew finding a bird could be so exciting?”

The first petals are appearing on the famous arrow-leaved balsamroot that turns the hillsides yellow every spring.  

“We’re happy to comply with bylaws but we also think the bylaws need to be updated."

Wetlands are remarkable ecosystems teeming with life.

"We were in a war zone. I was on edge, I’d never had air missile threats, I’d never had to run for shelter.”

Male flickers will spread out their bright tail feathers to show off.

“The park provides a glimpse into the lives of an early settler family that helped shape agriculture in the region."

“We love to share with people and I think we transmit that. It makes us more successful because we enjoy what we’re doing.”

"They were not terribly bothered by me or my dog, they only made soft honking sounds.”

The ferry offers visitors from far and wide and unique and memorable experience.

Each species has distinctly different plumage colours and patterns, and unique vocalizations that make it easier to identify them.

The axolotl has the remarkable ability to regenerate parts of its body including limbs, eyes and vital organs.

“This mushroom has been dead for many months, but it’s still doing its job of spreading spores."

The tomato has worm-like shoots pushing out of its skin.

“Kids come by with pocket change they’ve saved from their allowances to grab the latest issues."

The topic of bad driving never fails to entertain.

The annual count is the only long-term roost monitoring program in the province.

“I’m having so much fun and I say to anyone who has a dream to go for it.”

“Instead of having time to support each other we’ve been facing financial and logistical barriers to make sure he’s treated with dignity.”

The birds are territorial during the breeding season and if encroached upon will hiss, honk and wave their heads back and forth at humans and other birds.

It’s the fifth winter the mannequin, known as Manny, has sat on a chair ice fishing on McQueen Lake.

“When you have a cranky feral cat and you work with him and he turns into a big love bug, there's just nothing better."