15 minute read - This is Part 3 of a 4 part series by guest author and ecologist, Joshua Robertson on how wildlife at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve stays warm (thermoregulates) in the winter. Read Part 1: Staying Warm in the Yukon and Part 2: Winter Heat Losses. Preface...
Some participants of the 2020 Bioblitz got a bit of a scare when they discovered a large insect with what appeared to be a massive stinger. Since Asian giant hornets aka “murder hornets” had recently made headlines with their unwelcome appearance on the west coast of North America, it was reasonable to worry that they may have traveled north to our territory. But we are here to squash that fear! The big scary bug you may be spotting in your backyard is neither murderous nor a hornet. It also doesn’t actually have a stinger! Learn about the harmless wood-loving horntail and how it couldn’t be more different than the dangerous hornet it was mistaken for.
People say there’s more than one way to skin a cat but there’s also more than one way to survey a bear. One of those ways is through their scat! Operation Ursus Research using Scat is doing exactly this and you can be a part of it. Learn how these surveys are conducted, why they’re important, and how you can help improve our knowledge of Yukon bears by collecting their poo.
The aptly named Rusty Blackbird is regular fixture in the boreal forest and can often be spotted in wetlands and hanging out by slow moving streams. Until recently, very little was known about this opportunistic water-loving bird but as we learn more about them, we’ve also learned that their populations are in decline. What’s causing this drop in Rusty Blackbird numbers? We’re not entirely sure. Read on to learn how scientists are using modern
technology and recent discoveries to help unravel this mystery. Written by Pam Sinclair in conjunction with Joelle Ingram
15 minute read -This is Part 2 of a 4 part series by guest author and ecologist, Joshua Robertson on how wildlife at the Yukon Wildlife Presere stays warm (thermoregulates) in the winter. Read Part 1. The article was edited on March 15, 2021 to update heat loss...
10 minute read - This is Part 1 of a 4 part series by guest author and ecologist, Joshua Robertson on how wildlife at the Yukon Wildlife Presere stays warm (thermoregulates) in the winter.In the south of the Yukon, winter has long since settled in. Snow has...
15 minute read and listen - With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we all have love on the brain... at least us humans do. Here at the Preserve the ungulates have already gone through their respective courtship rituals back in the fall. Nonetheless, it seems like a...
Many Yukoners opt to live out of town to take full advantage of the space and solitude the territory has to offer. However, there are some perks to urban living: shorter commutes, general ease of access, and all the bugs you can eat! That last one might only appeal to one of the tiniest urban enthusiast: the endanger little brown bat.
Nights in the Yukon wilderness have a complex wildlife chorus. If you’re fortunate, you can hear the hoot of an owl, the howls of coyotes, the high frequency ultrasonic buzz of bats. Okay, you might not actually hear that last one. This article will show you we can use technology to pick up on bat sounds that our ears can’t catch.