News & Events
There are many ways to engage with the Kespukwitk/Southwest Nova Scotia Priority Place through events and resources hosted by our partner organizations. Get involved by attending events, volunteering, or becoming a local citizen scientist and reporting a sighting!
If you’re a partner with an exciting news story, a story from the field, or an upcoming event, head over to our Contact Us page and send us a message to get your organization featured on our page!
Nova Scotia Nature Trust protects Species-at-Risk Habitat on New Conservation Lands
The Nova Scotia Nature Trust recently announced its securement of two new properties in the priority area of Kespukwitk /Southwest Nova Scotia. Both properties offer immense conservation value and will now be protected in perpetuity. The first property, Salmon Lake, is comprised of 347-acres and a kilometre of shoreline, across six parcels of land. Although the property has a history
Read moreRead the Coastal Chronicle, April Edition
Click here to sign up for the Coastal Chronicle and get these newsletters sent directly to your inbox! Don’t miss your chance for a shoreline makeover if you live on Sherbrooke Lake, Fox Point Lake, or Lake Torment! You might be eligible for a free shoreline makeover! Do you live on the shorelines of Sherbrooke Lake, Fox Point Lake, or
Read moreRead MTRI’s Winter Newsletter
Many of the wildlife species we study are tucked away for winter but the staff at the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute are staying warm by working hard! It has been a busy and productive fall and winter here at MTRI. We welcomed two new staff, hosted our annual science showcase, monitored Blanding’s turtle hatchlings, scored old forests, and much more!
Read moreKespukwitk Conservation Showcase
The Kespukwitk Conservation Showcase took place on November 9th, 2022, at White Point Beach Resort, with 145 participants joining to celebrate the stewardship work occurring in the Kespukwitk/Southwest Nova Scotia Priority Place, one of eleven designated places across Canada for the conservation of Species at Risk (SAR). The Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute and Environment and Climate Change Canada were pleased
Read moreCheck out MTRI’s latest episode in the Wandering Through Ancient Woods series: New Eyes and a Fresh Perspective
Old growth forests are special ecosystems created when forests reach an old age and develop unique characteristics that younger forests don’t have. Old-growth forests don’t only have old trees, but they tend to have less trees that are more spaced out, lots of standing and fallen dead trees, and they support many unique species of wildlife. These forests are rare
Read moreA Community-based Management Plan to Control Dog Strangling Vine in Kentville
Invasive species are a significant threat to biodiversity in the Kespukwitk/Southwest Nova Scotia priority place. The best method to combat invasive species is early detection and rapid response. The longer an invasive species is established, the more difficult and costly it is to eradicate. Therefore, it is important that once a new invasive species has been observed, quick and effective
Read moreBarrington Beach Ambassador Pilot Project
In summer 2022, Birds Canada initiated a new pilot project in collaboration with the Municipality of the District of Barrington. With many of the beaches in the area being critical habitat for endangered Piping Plover, the Barrington Beach Ambassador project was a step in the right direction towards fostering sustainable beach use and encouraging local beach pride. Two local Beach Ambassadors
Read moreHerp Atlas
The Nova Scotia Reptile and Amphibian (Herp) Atlas is a citizen-science project started in 2021 that tracks distributions and spatial trends of reptiles and amphibians across the province over time. The overarching goal is to increase the collective knowledge base of reptiles and amphibians. Equally important, however, is the engagement of non-scientists of all ages and abilities, in all parts of the province, in nature study and conservation.
Bat Hotline
Have you seen bats in Nova Scotia? Please submit any bat sightings to the Nova Scotia Bat Conservation Site.
In 2012-2013, White-nose syndrome caused by an invasive fungus caused a population decline of 95% in major overwintering spots. In the wake of this unprecedented event, we need to know where bats are around the province.
Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre (AC CDC)
Interested in reporting your sightings of rare or at risk plant or animal species but not sure how? Visit the AC CDC webpage linked below to learn how you can contribute to their database and support conservation science efforts across Atlantic Canada!
Sightings reported in the AC CDC database are used to help plan development, inform Environmental Impact Assessments, and can contribute to the designation of new protected areas. It is as easy as directly reporting your sightings to AC CDC or adding your iNaturalist observations to an AC CDC project.
Healthy Hemlocks Project and Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
The Healthy Hemlock Forests of the Maritimes project is an iNaturalist project, where users can report areas of healthy Eastern Hemlock, as well as areas that have been affected by the invasive pest, Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA).
It is also important to report sightings of HWA to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
Check out the Nova Scotia Hemlock Initiative website for more information on HWA.
Nova Scotia Hemlock Initiative
iNaturalist
One way to participate in conservation efforts in Kespukwitk/Southwest Nova Scotia is to log your sightings with iNaturalist! iNaturalist is a community database, where users can record observations, and share and discuss findings with fellow users. It is a great way to build species identification skills, and a fun and effective way to engage in citizen science.
iNaturalist is a helpful resource for scientists and researchers to collect species and ecosystem data – many projects in the Priority Place rely on iNaturalist records to advance their projects. While not every species has a specific sighting hotline or iNaturalist project currently, we encourage everyone to hop on and log their sightings!
iNaturalist
Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council (NSISC)
Reporting observations of invasive species helps protect biodiversity and species at risk! By reporting invasive species observations, you provide valuable data on invasive species distributions and can help detect when a new invasive species arrives in the province.
If you see an invasive species, please report it to the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council (NSISC). The NSISC is a non-profit environmental organization raising awareness and promoting a coordinated response to the threat of invasive species in Nova Scotia. Invasive species sightings can be reported directly to the NSISC website by using the link below.
You can also report observations on iNaturalist. Observations of invasive species on iNaturalist are automatically added to the Invasive Species in Nova Scotia project