by Geoffrey Carpentier The idea of animals being spies in our midst is not a new phenomenon. Historically, we used animals for varying purposes, mostly functional, such as beasts of burden, but over time we realized they could be used for other purposes. For example, during WWII, carrier pigeons were used to deliver messages to and from the front lines, to help the Allies. During the Cold War, the CIA developed small cameras which were strapped to homing pigeons. As the birds

By Jonathan van Bilsen History has a habit of hiding in plain sight. It is often the smallest, most unremarkable details that are overlooked, set aside, or forgotten entirely. And yet, when chance brings those fragments back together, they can form a story far larger than any one moment. This was one of those occasions. I arrived in Canada with my family on August 14th, many years ago, unaware at the time that the journey itself would later take on a deeper meaning. We flew f

by Geoffrey Carpentier I must admit, sometimes I just wonder why things are as they are. Case in point, it’s winter and cold outside. But as I stand near the window, with the sun beaming in, I feel warm, yet when I touch the window, it’s still cold. How can that be? Even though the air may be frigid outside, somehow the sun is clearly heating the window, and its heat is being transferred through the glass to make me warm and cozy. I thought I might explore this and find out w

by Geoffrey Carpentier Animal mimicry, an important adaptation which many animals employ, to lure prey or survive predators, is an adaptation where one species resembles another organism to gain a survival advantage. Mimicry can manifest itself in many ways, through physical or behavioural means. It can be Batesian - a distasteful or dangerous model is mimicked by a harmless one, to fool predators. For example, a Viceroy Butterfly may mimic a Monarch (which is distasteful) an

by Jonathan van Bilsen Christmas always carried its own collection of memories, but there was one which never faded. It went back more than fifty years, to when I was in my early twenties, and somehow found myself hosting a local television talent show, in Peel Region. Our very first taping took place during the first week of Christmas, which already felt like a risky choice. The show was called Cowboy Pete’s Talent Time, and there I was in a television studio, dressed head t

by Geoffrey Carpentier Throughout history, people offered the unsuspecting public snake oil – a cure-all for everything from childbirth to hemorrhoids to cancer. These elixirs contained no snake byproducts and certainly no snake oil - whatever that is? The concept arose in the 18th and 19th centuries, when travelling salesmen mixed up ‘secret’ blends of unspecified products and claimed they were proven to cure myriad ailments. Hogwash! Many stories persist about traditional m

by Geoffrey Carpentier In the last few columns, we explored the lives of some of the amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals and how they catch and consume their prey. So now let’s focus on some smaller critters and see what techniques they utilize to capture and subdue prey. In higher animals, mandibles refer to both the upper and lower jaw, but in insects, these structures refer to the lower part of the mouth only. Mandibles in insects are pairs of hardened structures that

by Jonathan van Bilsen I never planned to spend a night in jail, but then again, few seventeen-year-olds do. Most people never see the inside of a cell, unless it is on television, and that is probably a good thing. It is certainly not the Marriott. Still, I can honestly say, I have done time in ‘the Big House’. It all started with a heartbreak. My first, in fact. She was the prettiest girl in my class, and for two glorious weeks, I thought we were destined for greatness. The

by Geoffrey Carpentier Let’s move on to an easy one, mammals. Wait, not so easy, as some mammals are herbivores, others carnivores, and still others are omnivores! All animals have a mouth which opens wide and has teeth, right? Nope, baleen whales and some other marine mammals do not have teeth but rather have baleen plates. These act like a huge comb which filters food out of a column of water, trapping the prey behind the jaws, so it can be swallowed whole, while water is d

by Geoffrey Carpentier Last time, I explored the reptiles and amphibians, to determine how they use their jaws and teeth (or non-teeth) to capture or harvest food. Today, we’ll look more closely at birds and how they use their beaks to hunt and eat. All birds have beaks – this is indisputable, but the size, structure, shape and use of them varies considerably between groups of birds. Beaks come in many forms: hooked or curved, cone-shaped, needle-like, spatulate and even cros

by Jonathan van Bilsen The very first time I went to Beijing was in the late eighties. The tallest building was no more than three stories high, and individuals were not allowed to own cars. It was a city of unadvertised adventure, and I fell right into the middle of it. It was my last day in the capital city, en route to Singapore. I had contacted the airport to confirm my flight, only to be told it was overbooked and I would not be able to leave on schedule. I have never be

by Geoffrey Carpentier In the last column, we explored the lives of some amphibians and discovered they use a variety of techniques to...

by Geoffrey Carpentier The observant, amongst you, will notice, as I continue the discussion of animals’ mouths and jaws, I cleverly...

By Jonathan van Bilsen Those of us fortunate enough to remember the sixties (or at least part of them), have two remarkable events logged...

by Geoffrey Carpentier People sometimes ask me how I decide what topics to write about, when I tackle my column. The simple answer is, my...

by Geoffrey Carpentier From time to time I stumble onto an opportunity which is so incredible, I want to share it with others. Usually...

by Jonathan van Bilsen I had only been to Whistler once before, many years earlier, so when my friend Jim suggested we head into the...

by Geoffrey Carpentier Ah, late summer is upon us, and the first late summer blooms are brightening our roadsides and wild places. Rising...

by Geoffrey Carpentier There has been much said of bears this year, for they have been making themselves obvious in and around North...

by Geoffrey Carpentier Summer is upon us, and the news is abuzz with broad and confusing statements about our weather and our climate....