On a golden October day, my partner and I hiked the trails of Charleston Lake. The trees were ablaze with color, and the air carried that crisp, earthy scent only Fall knows. Every so often, a gentle breeze would rise, sending thousands of leaves drifting through the sky. Twirling and floating, surrendering to gravity in…
I don’t know if you’ve had the opportunity to spend much time in the company of Wild Turkeys—probably not. They’re kookie-looking birds known to be quite clever and cautious. If you live in Canada, chances are you’ve seen them gathered in farmers’ fields, and it’s likely that the amount of time it took you to…
My partner and I have a long-standing agreement that we can only buy each other experiences as gifts for special occasions. It’s an excellent practice because the experiences are always built for two doing something unexpected and delightful. Five years ago, I was inspired to gift him the experience of an air balloon ride for…
The Sacred Monkey Forest in Übud, Bali is a whirlwind of activity. The moment you step inside, you’re enveloped in a world of chattering, screeching and constant motion juxtaposed against lush jungle, trickling fountains and quiet birdsong. But this is far more than just a nature reserve; it is a sacred space with a history…
Summer on the St. Lawrence River is a lesson in beautiful contradictions. You can be basking in glorious sunshine one moment, and then watch the world turn dark and tumultuous the next. The weather, like life, can change in an instant. On this particular Saturday afternoon at our marina in the 1000 Islands, the change…
Sometimes the best lessons come from the slowest teachers. A few years back, during a jungle walk in Jaco, Costa Rica, I had one of those magical wildlife encounters that reminded me why patience is a virtue. It was outrageously hot that morning—close to 40°C. The air was thick with the buzz of cicadas and…
Say hello to Grandma Capilano, a living example of the power of perseverance. She is an ancient Douglas Fir who lives in the old-growth forest between the Capilano (Kia’Palano) River and Trail on the unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. The name Capilano was derived from the Squamish Nation’s Kia’palano, which means…
The first time I saw a hyena in the wild was on my very first safari drive in Kruger National Park, South Africa. We had just driven on from a beautiful herd of elephants when I noticed some movement ahead of us, threading through the scrub. At first, my view was partial. A shape slipping…
On safari in South Africa, I witnessed something delightful. A massive bull elephant walked up to a large mud puddle, lowered himself down, and—much to my surprise—sat right in the middle of it. A few moments later, he eased his enormous body all the way down until he was lying flat on his side. His…
A few years back, my partner and I were hiking the Las Pailas trail in Costa Rica’s Rincón de la Vieja National Park, a place that felt like a journey back in time with a direct line to the planet’s primordial inner workings. The ground beneath us was alive. Around us, mud pots bubbled, steam…