First, with an exciting wildlife sighting just outside our main building. On Thursday, a mother bear and her young cub dropped by to say hello. Thankfully, we had wildlife photographer Nick Hawkins on site to capture some excellent photos of the encounter.
We have been hosting Nick Hawkins for just over a week now. Here on assignment for SeaBlue Canada, Nick is shining a light on some of the most important marine areas of Atlantic Canada. SeaBlue is a movement of Canadians holding government accountable for protecting our oceans and fragile sea life that lives here. He has given us the opportunity to see many of the impressive photographs he has taken of the surrounding local wildlife and landscape as he documents the coastal and marine beauty of our region. Getting to see what's above and below the water reminds us of the interconnectivity of it all and that our actions on land can have impacts on the sea.
A successful first Wild Wednesday of the summer was held at the HLC this week, the topic was DIY Forest Terrariums. We took a short walk around the centre and down to the beach, collecting many small plants, fungi, soil and some gravel to create miniature take home ecosystems. Some participants even included small insects, such as ants or snails in their jars. It was a fun learning experience for the children and their parents, big thanks to everyone who came out.
This past week, we also got to be involved with Kejimkujik National Park’s BioBlitz. This is an event held every year across Canadian Nation Parks and is intended to bring people of all ages outside to experience the beautiful wildlife that surrounds us. At Kejimkujik Seaside National Park, we had to chance to participate in the Tidal Pool Tour and Estuary Encounter. With the help of an expert in marine life, we identified some species that get left behind by the receding tides. We also had a second opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the invasive European Green Crab, to learn more about the destructive crab check out last weeks post where we attended the Gone Crabbin’ adventure.
On Tuesday, we attended a meeting hosted by the Friends of Port Mouton Bay for the reveal of the findings in a local research paper which investigated the possible impacts open-pen fish farms have on lobster catch rates. The results came from an 11-year study that brought to light the decline in market lobster catches when fish farms were actively raising fish. The study suggested that odour plumes and fecal waste produced by fish farms contributed to this issue. I currently reside in Ontario, so this was a great moment to learn about a topic that would normally never cross my mind.
Next Tuesday, Jessica will be leading the Never-2-Old Resin Jewellery Art workshop where you can learn to embed and preserve tiny pieces of nature into beautiful necklace pendants. All materials will be provided but feel free to bring anything unique you want to embed into your jewellery. A lunch will also be prepared for all participants. Click here to view registration and scheduling details.
Our second Wild Wednesday, Where the Seas Meet the Trees, will be held at Thomas Raddall Provincial Park. Attendees will learn about coastal forest ecology and much more. Click here for more information. Another great week ahead. Make sure to get in touch and join us for an event!