After 20 years of serving as NSEN's Senior Policy Advisor, Sheila Cole is stepping down from her role. Over the years, Sheila has filled numerous positions from advising Executive Directors of NSEN, stepping in as interim Chair of the Board, and advising the current Chair and Board members on how the Network functions, its history, and its relationship with NSECC and past Ministers of Environment.
We are so grateful for all the time, energy, and expertise that she poured into the organization, and we wish her all the best! Thank you Sheila!!
Check out the recording from this week's webinar with ACAP Cape Breton about their new iNaturalist project "Frog Friends of Unama'ki"!
Learn why frogs make great citizen science creatures, what kinds of information they tell us about the habitats around us, and why they are inviting people around Unama'ki to join them in submitting their frog observations.
Learn more about one of ACAP's restoration projects and why they're hoping that through restoring wetlands, they will support climate adaptation and flood mitigation for humans, as well as create healthier habitat for other creatures.
New opportunities available on the Volunteer Hub! We launched theNSEN Volunteer Hubin 2021. Our goal is to see this new tool become a powerful one-stop-shop that benefits environmental initiatives in every corner of the province. Your participation can help make that happen!
All NSEN member organizations can post their volunteer positions on the Volunteer Hub, where our network of volunteers can view and apply for opportunities that fit their interests.
The Canadian Environmental Network is electing Caucus Steering Committee Members for the Biodiversity Caucus and is seeking representation in all provinces and territories.
To become the vibrant and engaged caucus to be able to meet the goal we need to recruit RCEN members in good standing to participate on the steering committee. A central effort will be to develop and steer the work of the caucus as we engage and take action with the federal government and others, to update the current Canadian Biodiversity Strategy, based on the outcomes of the GBF.
Hike Nova Scotia invites groups across NS to partner with it on delivering fall guided walks from September to November 2022. Hike NS will help promote events and provide a how-to guide and trail prizes to giveaway. If your municipality, First Nation or organization can organize a walk (or already plan to host one), please register your event by August 12 for events between September 16 and November 20.
Hike NS and Nature NS are happy to announce the launch of the new Biodiversity Challenge Badge as part of Hike NS’s Hiker Challenge. Earn it by completing at least 10 hikes over the course of a year and, for each one, upload 10 or more observations via the iNaturalist app. Each season there is a prize draw for gift cards generously provided by The Trail Shop.
Owls Head, once considered for controversial golf course, designated as provincial park
Owls Head, a pristine piece of land along the Eastern Shore, was announced as Nova Scotia's newest provincial park Tuesday, more than three years after a decision to remove it from a list of Crown properties awaiting legal protection touched off protests and a Supreme Court challenge.
Goldboro gold mine proposal submitted to province for environmental approval
A newly renamed company pitching a freshly revamped proposal for an open-pit gold mine on the Eastern Shore has submitted its environmental assessment of the project to the province.
Signal Gold, previously known as Anaconda Mining, wants to develop a mine in Goldboro, N.S., about 250 kilometres east of Halifax.
Hundreds of birds dead or dying of avian flu land on Cape Breton shores
Ocean-going birds infected with avian influenza are washing up dead on Nova Scotia shores and provincial officials are worried the highly contagious disease will now spread among local bird populations.
Thousands of northern gannets from a colony in the Magdalen Islands have died of the flu over the last couple of weeks and Quebec's Wildlife Ministry says hundreds of them are confirmed cases of H5N1 — known as avian flu.
Giant whale sculpture on the move for shoreline cleanups
Something peculiar may be seen this summer on Atlantic Canadian highways and coastlines: a giant, 20-foot-long statue of a North Atlantic right whale.
Project SculptShore is a fillable piece of art — a replica of the actual calf of Snow Cone, a right whale that got entangled in fishing rope last year — that will visit shoreline cleanups across the east coast to be filled with garbage and ocean debris.
Flood of concern: Proposed area for Cape Breton housing development problematic
Wayne McKay was "quite concerned" when he heard the news about the new provincial housing plan last week.
The Land for Housing initiative announced on May 31 aims to open up provincially owned land for sale to developers — private or community. Developments that include a number of affordable housing units are eligible to have some capital costs offset, according to information on the Nova Scotia government website.
Last Hope camp wraps up time at Beals Brook after province scales back planned cut
On Tuesday, a group of citizens who set up camp off a remote dirt road near Highway 10 in Annapolis County back in December declared partial victory, believing enough of the area was now under provincial protection. The group, which had spent 202 days at the site, enduring the elements, including blizzards and knee-deep snow, was working to prevent a small wooded area at Beals Brook from being cut.
We’ve lined up several guided hikes at Sandy Lake Regional Park in June and July. These are perfect for getting to know the special features of the park, and for learning about how the park is threatened by development.
The hikes are led by trained hike leader Karen McKendry, and will feature both little nature facts and big environmental issues. It is sure to be fun and interesting!
This summer, Kortney Dunsby and Karen McKendry of EAC will be hosting the "Hike the Greenbelt of Halifax" guided hike series. There are three scheduled hikes:
Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes on Sunday, June 19 from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Sandy Lake Regional Park on Saturday, July 16 from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm; and
Purcells Cove Backlands on Sunday, July 24 from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm
The hikes will be taken as an opportunity to showcase these beautiful areas, explain their importance to the Halifax greenbelt, describe how this could be implemented, and the ongoing threats.
Take walking group leader training online July 12 (registration deadline July 11). NS Walks, a program of Hike NS, supported by the Province of Nova Scotia, the New Horizons Seniors Program and the Clean Foundation.
Nova Scotia is committed to protecting 20% of public lands by 2030, but misinformation and a lack of a selection process puts regional and national protected area goals at risk of not being achieved.
Read Nature NS' Protected Areas summary from the 2021 State of Nature Report then tell your MLA you support the 20% by 2030 goal.
Every Wednesday we share a Nova Scotia Nature Photo on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Have you taken photos of beautiful places around the province? Share them with us for a chance to be featured on our page!
This photo was captured by Melanie Higgins in New Harris Forks, Nova Scotia.
Other Information
Please join us in celebrating the publication of the “Play, Learn, and Teach Outdoors - Network (PLaTO-Net): terminology, taxonomy, and ontology” paper in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity!
The aim of this PLaTO-Net project was to achieve global consensus on play, learning, and teaching (PLaTO) terms and concepts and develop an inclusive model encompassing outdoor play, learning, and teaching to facilitate future research in the field. Following 4 research phases, spanning 4 years, involving over 50 global participants, the final project presents the definitions and taxonomy of 31 PLATO terms along with the PLaTO-Net ontology model. You can view the final definitions, taxonomy, and ontology model on the PLaTO-Net webpage.
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