Northern Blue Co

21/04/2026

With how heavy the world is right now… here are some flowers to remind you that hope stirs again with the coming of spring 🌱✨

Love always wins

14/09/2025

Oh look, the moon!

17/05/2025

Oh how do I love spring ... let me count the ways 🌸💮

These are just a handful of the trees that are currently in bloom in our nursery including various crabapples, buckeye and eastern redwoods.

01/09/2024

Come take a walk with me ☀️

30/05/2024

🪶🪶

12/05/2024

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24/01/2024

Week 2 - Spotted Hyena - Crocuta Crocuta

Conservation Status - Near Threatened

Most humans are under the assumption that hyenas are dirty scavengers with a thirst for destruction (think back to the portrayal in the 1994 Lion King). That at least was the assumption I had when I left Canada.
One of my biggest highlights was getting to spend time with this clan and coming to understand how social and intelligent they are - and just how wrong I was.

A group of hyenas is known as a clan, and they are lead by an alpha female.

They are incredible hunters, both intelligent and strategic while taking down their prey. They have longer front legs which helps them keep stamina while hunting.

Since most hyena hunts are successful, and most lion hunts are not - Lions are known to chase hyenas away to steal the food. Hyenas have become good at quickly eating and taking some to go before the lions show up.

Hyena's have an incredible sense of smell which allows them to smell blood over 3 miles away.

They do not dig their own den, but they share dens of other animals - like warthogs - while they are not using it.

If they become too hot during the day and need to cool down, hyenas will dig away the top hot layer of sand to find they cold layer underneath and use that to lay down in.

Looking at a hyena, you can notice that they have both feline and canine features, but they actually don't belong to either - they are in their own family class known as Hyaenidae. This includes all four types of hyenas: Spotted, Stripped, Brown, and Aardwolf.

Last fun fact, is that hyenas have one of the strongest bite forces in the animal kingdom at 1100 PSI. To put this into perspective - a polar bear has one of 1200PSI, while a lion's is 650PSI.

Stay tuned next week when we talk about Zebras.

04/11/2023

This past summer I experienced the trip of a lifetime - Wildlife Photography in Zimbabwe, Africa.

While there I met many incredible people who taught me about different types conservation efforts and why it matters. This experience deeply strengthened and renewed my love for wildlife, and now I want to share with you bits of what I have learned ... Welcome to my Wildlife Series - ft. African Animals

First up - African Lion - Panthera Leo

Lions are the second largest member of the cat family, and their roars can be heard up to five miles away.

A group of lions is known as a pride - and lionesses are the main hunters and leaders of said groups. Lions work together in packs to hunt, and with most hunts being unsuccessful they are known to steal kills from Hyenas and Wild Dogs.

It is estimated by the IUCN that less than 25,000 lions are left in Africa - making them a vulnerable status species.

Lions have lost over 90% of their historic range where they used to roam and thrive. Human-Wildlife conflict is cited as the main issue for the decline in this species. Other reasons for the decline of the population: Poaching - Habitat loss - Disease - Loss of prey

While conservation organizations have been doing a wonderful job in working to create protected areas for the lions - such as Botswana Selinda, and Mozambique's Zambezi Delta - there is still work to be done.

Lions have been revered throughout history as symbols of courage and strength, and they are truly majestic. They are worth saving. Understanding that it is possible for humans to live alongside lions is key to ensuring they survive.

Stay tuned, next week - Hyenas.

15/10/2022

When your Friday doesn’t go as planned, but the local wildlife understand the assignment 🍂

25/09/2022

The mountains are calling

25/09/2022

Just a feel good short story to grace your Sunday 📃🐺💍

What does a wolf, letter and family heirloom have in common? Keep reading to find out