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 conservation story, or an upcoming event, head over to our Contact Us page and send us a message to get your organization featured on our page!
Reptiles at Risk: The Common Snapping Turtle and Eastern Ribbonsnake
Globally, reptiles are one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates with 77% of Canadian reptile species currently in decline. Five reptile species in Nova Scotia are at risk and face a range of threats, yet they are generally understudied or cryptic, making gathering accurate information difficult. In 2020, Coastal Action began working with at-risk reptiles. The goal, to increase
Read moreBiologically Diverse Habitat Conserved for Long-Term Benefit of at-Risk Species by Nature Conservancy of CanadaÂ
Shelburne, NS (October 25, 2024) – An expanse of old forest, riverfront shoreline and freshwater wetlands has been purchased by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in southwestern Nova Scotia. The new nature reserve is comprised of two properties totalling over 578 hectares of ecologically diverse habitat where a large assortment of at-risk species thrives. Located approximately 20 kilometres north
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 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