It’s tough out there in the arctic. It’s a real fox-eat-fox world. Literally! Take a virtual trip up to the Yukon’s arctic coast and learn about the complex and, at times, tenuous co-existence of two northern icons: the red and arctic fox.
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.
While the ungulates have already gone through their languages of love the carnivores are just getting started!
It’s a great time to hear the courtship calls from the lynx, arctic fox and red foxes. While the two species of foxes are the same gender (red foxes – males, arctic foxes – females), our lynx group consists of a male and two females and all three lynx will remain in the habitat together this season.
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...
9 minute read - “Winter Is Here” series continues with the elusive enigma – Lynx!I, for one, love winter. What a unique time of year it is to be able to get outside in the short but cherished sunlight hours or total darkness for a hike, ski, or skate, then get inside...
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.
Got a case of the isolation blues? Me too. How about we go outside? One of the great advantages of
living in the Yukon is we have a lot of easily accessible green spaces we can enjoy while safely distancing
ourselves from others. But what’s living in those spaces?
The iNaturalist app is essentially a biodiversity encyclopedia that helps you connect with the species in
your own backyard. With the aid of this app you can go out explore, learn new things, and get a little
fresh air while you’re at it.