• Reflecting on an epic 600-kilometre ski traverse in the Monashee Mountains and charting human and wildlife activity along the way
• The Honourable Lois Mitchell speaks about the importance of education, understanding Canada’s past and her hopes for the future of the RCGS
• What Wildlife Conservation Society Canada scientists discovered after examining a colony of thick-billed murres in Cape Parry, N.W.T.
• An Eagle-Eye Tours birding adventure in Costa Rica 

Reflecting on an epic 600-kilometre ski traverse across the southeastern B.C. range and charting human and wildlife activity along the way

As I gather thoughts to provide a genuine sense of our expedition, useful information or inspiration, I ponder over a way to transform my experience into something valuable. My mind comes to the deeper meaning behind this traverse, one I hadn’t expected when I originally signed on for up to 42 days of backcountry ski touring with Douglas Noblet and Stephen Senecal.

My high school dream was to work onboard a research vessel travelling somewhere far from my home — a real scientific expedition — though I was never clear on how I’d get there. Since then, I’ve become a wildlife biologist, working many remote field seasons and taking steps in the right direction. That dream has now evolved into bringing my professional and recreational expertise to expeditions that combine science, technical mountain skills and nature conservation.

The former Lieutenant Governor of Alberta speaks about the importance of education, understanding Canada’s past and her hopes for the future of the RCGS

The Royal Canadian Geographical Society is pleased to welcome the Honourable Lois Mitchell as its new President. For more than five decades, Mitchell has been making history as an accomplished businesswoman, committed volunteer and dedicated community advocate. Her passion for education and history first led her to a career in physical education before she moved to Calgary with her husband in 1962. Over the years, she has maintained a firm commitment to community service and volunteerism and has served on numerous boards, including the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Special Olympics Foundation and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2012, she was named a member of the Order of Canada, and from 2015 to 2022 she served as the 18th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. During her time in office, Mitchell chose to make history a priority, becoming the founding Patron of the History and Heroes Foundation. 

Often referred to as “penguins of the north”, thick-billed murres are pursuit-diving seabirds that can dive down to up to 200 metres, but unlike penguins, these birds can fly! Although not terribly efficiently because their short wings are adapted for use underwater. Like penguins, however, murres are dealing with a rapidly changing environment thanks to climate change and other anthropogenic stressors. 

How murres respond to these changes and what this tells us about the Arctic environment was not well known, at least when it came to their one small, isolated colony in the western Canadian Arctic. 

Over two seasons of fieldwork, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS) scientists set out to discover more about a unique colony of thick-billed murres located in the Cape Parry Marine Bird Sanctuary, which is part of the Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Marine Protected Area (ANMPA) in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, N.W.T. Never before studied, this colony consists of approximately 800 individuals and is located 1,300 kilometres from the next closest murre colony.

to enjoy a good day’s worth of birding for the level of effort involved. And within this magnificent country, there is nowhere more diverse than the Caribbean slope and lowlands.

From the cloud forests of Tapanti Reserve to the sandy shores of Cahuita, up through the canals of Tortuguero, we take in some of the most exciting birdwatching sites this country has to offer. The trip departs in October. At this time of year, raptor and passerine migration is in full swing and is an underestimated natural phenomenon that can provide hours of entertainment with the restless birds doing all the work! 

Check out these other upcoming trips:

- Quebec Birds & Whales with Canadian Geographic
- Nile Cruise with Joseph Frey
- Newfoundland Circumnavigation with Jenny Wong