Uncategorized

June 14 2021

Congratulations to Monika Neufeld on receiving the University Medal from Dalhousie

K’JIPUKTUK/HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS-NS) is pleased to congratulate Monika Neufeld on receiving the University Medal in Marine Biology from Dalhousie University at the spring convocation.

Monika graduated from Dalhousie University last week with a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Marine Biology. The University Medal is awarded to the student with the highest academic standing in the department, which is a significant achievement reflective of the hard work and dedication Monika has displayed throughout her studies at Dalhousie.

In May, Monika was hired by CPAWS-NS as a Marine Conservation Assistant. She will be working on several marine protected area campaigns and supporting the overall conservation work of the organization.

“Monika is a rising star,” says Chris Miller, Executive Director for CPAWS-NS. “As a science-based conservation organization, we work to attract upcoming talent in the field of conservation biology. Monika is a fantastic addition to our team and we look forward to working with her as she expands her talents and skillsets with conservation advocacy.”

“We’re very grateful to have Monika working with us this summer on marine conservation campaigns,” says Reanne Harvey, Conservation Campaigner with CPAWS NS. “She is a pleasure to work with and this award is very well deserved”.

Check out Monika’s blog post here.

https://cpawsns.org/diving-into-conservation/

June 8 2021

A year in marine conservation

Caitlin Grady Blog, Blog2, Uncategorized

It’s been a year now since I joined the CPAWS Nova Scotia team, and I wanted to share with you some of the marine conservation highlights from my time here. I’ve been lucky to have some amazing experiences this past year, including working alongside community activists and exploring the Eastern Shore Islands by kayak. I’ve also witnessed remarkable progress on marine conservation in Canada. At a national level, we saw some important marine commitments:

In July 2020, the federal government announced that Canada joined the Global Ocean Alliance to advocate for a global target of 30% marine conservation by 2030, building on the previous target of 25% by 2025. This commitment was very much necessary – research has shown that we need to protect at least 30% of our ocean in order to reverse biodiversity loss and restore ocean health and abundance by 2050.
At the end of last year, Canada pledged to sustainably manage 100% of its oceans by 2050, alongside 13 other countries on the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy. The panel recognizes ocean protection as a cornerstone in creating a sustainable blue economy, through reversing biodiversity loss and restoring ocean health.
The new Federal budget included $976.8 million for ocean conservation to create new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and reach Canada’s target of 25% marine protection by 2025.

Coral in the Fundian Channel – Browns Bank AOI. Photo: Anna Metaxas

It’s encouraging to see the federal government, alongside other global leaders, recognize the importance of marine conservation and commit to taking action. Now we must encourage them to follow through on these commitments. As Canada develops its own Blue Economy Strategy, CPAWS is pushing to prioritize ocean protection. It’s not too late to send a letter to the federal government and tell them why prioritizing ocean protection in the Blue Economy Strategy is important to you.

Given the recent announcements, I’m excited to see real progress in marine protection over the coming years, as we move towards the 25% by 2025 target. In Nova Scotia, that should include the designation of the Fundian Channel – Browns Bank Area of Interest (AOI), as an Oceans Act MPA. This is a significant area full of cold-water corals and habitat for species-at-risk.

Looking to the rest of 2021 and beyond, here at CPAWS-NS we will continue to ensure that the government follows through with its commitments for ocean conservation, and advocate for the protection of ecologically important marine areas like the Fundian Channel – Brown’s Bank.

The ocean is under a lot of pressure, so it is important that we keep fighting to protect it and the marine life it supports.

Happy World Ocean Day!

Reanne

May 26 2021

My conservation journey (so far!)

Caitlin Grady Blog, Blog2, Uncategorized

Hello! I am Unity. I am excited to join the CPAWS-NS team this summer as a Conservation Assistant. I am a fourth-year Biology and Neuroscience student at Dalhousie University and have a passion for protecting the environment and connecting communities to nature.

I was born and raised in Buduburam Refugee Camp in Accra, Ghana. My parents moved to Ghana in 1990 due to the civil war in their home country of Liberia. Growing up in the refugee camp, I often fell ill with malaria. My grandmother would go into the bright green wilderness, pick some plants that she would bring back to the house, boil them, and give me the water to drink. Shortly afterwards, I would begin to feel better. This was how I started to develop an interest in the environment. My family was very connected with nature. We grew a lot of the food we ate and tried to produce almost no food waste. I learned from a young age to appreciate nature because it provided the food, water, shelter, and medicine we needed to survive and thrive.

All my life, I’ve known I wanted to make a difference in this world and combine my love of nature with my desire to help people. I had the opportunity to work with the Society for Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) and help local communities strengthen their relationship with the forest. I helped SCNL conduct site visits to collect data and assist in the communication with landowners, the government, and the local community. I remember my excitement and nervousness the first time I led a group of local youths and elders through the wilderness to show them the areas we should protect. We planted some trees and did a BioBlitz with the kids on the mountain to celebrate biodiversity studies. It was such a fulfilling experience to see the group understand the importance of protecting the environment and the benefits of conservation for their livelihoods. I felt like I made a difference and became more committed to working with communities to protect nature.

That’s why I’m very excited to spend the next 8 weeks with CPAWS-NS. Nova Scotia is very rich and diverse in terms of its land, sea, people, history, geology, geography, animals, wild plants, and ecology. Protecting these features is important for generations now and tomorrow and I’m looking forward to being a part of this work.

Stay tuned for more updates on my internship!

Unity

May 26 2021

Diving into conservation!

Caitlin Grady Blog, Blog2, Uncategorized

As one of the newest members of CPAWS-NS, I wanted to share with you one of my favourite parts about studying and working in marine conservation – diving! Over the past four years, I have been very fortunate to explore underwater sites in Nova Scotia, Mexico, and Bermuda, as both a scientific and a recreational diver, and I have seen firsthand how the diving community can play an important role in protecting our oceans. So, as we gear up for the summer, let’s talk about how recreational divers can help conservation and research efforts through marine citizen science.

What is marine citizen science?

Marine citizen science is the participation of volunteers in any kind of marine data collection, survey, and/or monitoring that will contribute information to a scientific project or database. Volunteers are members of the public that may or may not be scientists themselves. Specific training or expertise is usually not required, and resources will be available to help guide you.

Why is it important?

There are millions of recreational divers all over the world that are in the water all year round, spending hundreds of hours monitoring local sites. They are a wealth of knowledge about common species, sightings of rare or introduced species, and trends from year-to-year. Although some divers may not have extensive scientific training, that doesn’t mean that the data they collect isn’t useful. Citizen science programs have already contributed vital data to many studies, including projects that monitor Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

As members of the community, recreational divers not only contribute valuable information to ongoing projects, but also spread awareness and inspire more engagement with local conservation initiatives.

How can it benefit you?

As divers, we are already excited and curious about what lives under the surface. As a citizen scientist, you will be more likely to find and notice new things underwater as you learn more about different marine ecosystems and what species can be found there. This will make your diving experience much more fun and rewarding!

Check out these Marine Citizen Science Programs in Nova Scotia:

Monika conducting a REEF Volunteer Fish Survey at the Steak Reef dive site in Bermuda. Photo credit: Alec Leitman

REEF’s (Reef Environment Education Foundation) Volunteer Fish Survey Project
- https://www.reef.org/programs/volunteer-fish-survey-project
- https://www.reef.org/reefs-invertebrate-and-algae-monitoring-program
Dive Against Debris
- https://www.projectaware.org/diveagainstdebris
Ocean Networks Canada
- https://www.oceannetworks.ca/learning/get-involved/citizen-science
DFO – Reporting shark sightings
- https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/sharks/info/sightings-eng.html
iNaturalist
- https://inaturalist.ca/

Whether you are diving this summer, or roaming the beaches and trails, I hope you will join me in learning about and taking part in citizen science or other conservation programs in your area. I am thrilled to be on the conservation team this summer working on our marine campaigns!

-Monika

April 22 2021

61 new protected areas for Nova Scotia

Caitlin Grady News, Uncategorized

Charlies Lake, Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area

K’JIPUKTUK/HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS-NS) welcomes today’s announcement by the Nova Scotia government that it will establish 61 new protected areas in the province.

“This is the largest number of new protected areas that has been announced since 2015,” says Chris Miller, Executive Director of CPAWS-NS. “It significantly closes the gap on the total number of sites remaining from the Nova Scotia Our Parks and Protected Areas Plan that are still awaiting legal protection.”

Prior to today’s announcement, there were approximately 175 promised sites from that plan still in need of official designation.

Included in today’s announcement is a much-needed expansion to the Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area. The Nova Scotia government will expand the protected area boundary for this near-urban wilderness park in Halifax to include additional public lands in the Charlies Lake and Kearney Lake area.

“I’m particularly excited about the expansion to Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area,” says Miller. “This announcement means that a proper access point can now be established, which will allow for key improvements to the wilderness hiking trail system in this park.”

The full list of new protected areas includes 6 wilderness areas, 6 nature reserves, and 49 provincial parks. Some of these new sites are expansions to existing parks and protected areas.

In addition to the 61 new protected areas announced today, 12 additional sites have recently completed public consultation and will soon be designated by the Nova Scotia government as well. This includes Sackville River Wilderness Area.

“The planet is facing the dual crises of a climate emergency and the collapse of biodiversity,” says Miller. “We must be ambitious in our environmental actions as we are very quickly running out of time.”

Premier Iain Rankin has committed to fully implementing the Nova Scotia Our Parks and Protected Areas Plan. Today’s announcement of 61 new protected areas is the first step in completing this task.

“With the 61 new protected areas, this closes the gap by about a third, which is great news,” says Miller. “We look forward to the next batch of protected areas being announced soon, so that all of the promised protected areas can be officially established by the end of this year.”

CPAWS-NS is a grassroots, science-based, non-government organization that works to protect public lands in Nova Scotia.

-30-

High resolution photographs available.

Contact:

Chris Miller, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – Nova Scotia Chapter

cmiller@cpaws.org

April 8 2021

Lessons from Sackville River Wilderness Area

Caitlin Grady Blog, Blog2, Uncategorized

My first ever campaign with CPAWS Nova Scotia was advocating for the protection of Sackville River Wilderness Area (SRWA). This soon-to-be-protected wilderness park has been my classroom in Upper Sackville for the past year and a half as I learn the basics of conservation.

I have always had a love for nature. I grew up in Chelsea, QC, with the Gatineau Park as my backyard. Much of my childhood was spent in the park biking or hiking on the trails, camping by a lake, or cross-country skiing to a cabin. When I left for university, it was an easy choice to study Sustainability & Biology and deepen my understanding of the value of nature.

After my degree, I was eager to apply my knowledge and help protect natural places like the ones I had explored growing up. SRWA has been a crash course in the practical skills it takes to actually create a park. While there are no traditional lectures or tests, the forests, waterways, and nearby community have taught me important lessons that I can bring forward in my conservation work. Here are a few of my main takeaways:

Local knowledge is key

One of the best parts of the SRWA campaign has been fieldwork. I spent many days with the CPAWS-NS team assessing ecological features in the wilderness area and every trip expanded my knowledge of the significance of this site. I gradually began to see the hollowed tree in the park as a home for an owl, and the rocks that form pools in the stream as a quiet place for fish to rest and spawn. SRWA is where I learned to fly a drone and first experienced the thrill of rising above the treetops to capture a bird’s-eye view of the park. Not only have I developed a deeper appreciation for Nova Scotia’s unique wilderness during fieldwork in SRWA, but I have learned the importance of becoming familiar with the lands and waters I’m trying to protect. This local knowledge strengthens conservation campaigns and helps achieve positive outcomes for nature.

Parks are for people too

Working on SRWA has shown me that conservation is not only about protecting ecosystems, it’s also about listening to local concerns and ensuring that local communities have access to nature. I was lucky enough to collaborate with the Sackville Rivers Association (SRA) throughout this campaign. SRA is a charity run by inspiring volunteers, like President Walter Regan, who dedicate their time to protecting the Sackville River watershed. I learned a lot from SRA about the history of the Sackville River, and the significance of this new park for the watershed. Through their network, I met many other members of the Greater Sackville community and witnessed the strong support for improved nature access and recreation. Community support is vital for the success of any park, and the people of Greater Sackville are ready to celebrate the protection of theirs.

Map of proposed boundary additions at SRWA

Boundaries can change

Over the past year and a half, the CPAWS-NS team has extensively explored SRWA and surrounding public lands through our fieldwork. What seemed strange to me was that many ecosystems we surveyed were split by the proposed park boundary. We found waterways, wetlands, and forests that were only half included within the wilderness park despite being 100% on public lands. This means that the part of the ecosystem within the park boundary will receive legal protection, while the part outside the boundary remains at risk of being clearcut or developed. That doesn’t make any sense. Nature did not create these hard boundaries, people did. The current boundary of SRWA should be expanded to include adjacent public lands and ensure that whole ecosystems can be protected, not just parts of them.

Take action

Please help us protect SRWA! There is currently a public consultation underway until April 13th. This is the last opportunity to show your support for SRWA and tell the Nova Scotia government you want to see the park boundary made bigger. CPAWS-NS has set up an action page to help with letter submissions, you can visit it at: https://action.cpaws.org/page/78954/action/1.

SRWA has been the perfect place for my introduction to conservation campaigning. I learned so much from trekking through the wilderness and connecting with SRA and the Greater Sackville community. I can’t wait to see this wilderness park finally protected, and take the lessons I have learned in SRWA on to future campaigns to protect more of Nova Scotia’s natural areas.

February 11 2021

La SNAP Nouvelle-Écosse salue la création de nouvelles aires protégées dans la province

Caitlin Grady News, Uncategorized

Le 2 février 2021 (K’JIPUKTUK/HALIFAX) – La SNAP Nouvelle-Écosse se réjouit de l’annonce faite aujourd’hui par le gouvernement néo-écossais concernant la création de 20 nouvelles aires protégées dans la province, dont 8 réserves intégrales, 7 réserves naturelles et 5 parcs provinciaux.

« Ces sites sont très intéressants pour la conservation », estime Chris Miller, directeur général de la SNAP Nouvelle-Écosse. « Ils englobent de vastes forêts intactes, des zones côtières, des zones naturelles périurbaines, des milieux humides et des cours d’eau importants, ainsi que des habitats d’espèces en péril. »

L’annonce d’aujourd’hui prévoit notamment la création d’un nouveau parc sauvage dans la région de Sackville, qui protégera près de 700 hectares de zones importantes pour la communauté et pour la protection de la rivière Sackville.

« Nous sommes très heureux de voir la région de Sackville River – Lewis Lake incluse dans cette annonce », commente Caitlin Grady, responsable de la campagne de conservation pour la SNAP-NS. « Cette zone de nature sauvage à proximité de la ville abrite d’importants écosystèmes de forêts et de zones humides, en plus de représenter de manière unique le paysage des drumlins de Sackville. »

Cela fait de nombreuses années que la SNAP-NS collabore étroitement avec la Sackville Rivers Association à la protection de la région Sackville River – Lewis Lake. Cette région était déjà inscrite depuis 2013 dans le plan sur les parcs et les aires protèges de la Nouvelle-Écosse (Our Parks and Protected Areas: A Plan for Nova Scotia), mais la décision d’aujourd’hui indique qu’elle sera protégée très prochainement, après une période de consultation publique qui commencera dans peu de temps.

« La communauté d’Upper Sackville aime venir dans ce lieu pour y profiter de la nature », ajoute Caitlin Grady. « L’annonce d’aujourd’hui signifie que les gens pourront continuer à se promener, faire du vélo, pêcher, skier, chasser, nager et pagayer à Sackville River – Lewis Lake, comme ils le font depuis des années. »

La désignation de réserve intégrale interdira les activités à l’échelle industrielle, comme les coupes à blanc et l’exploitation à ciel ouvert, qui ne concordent pas avec les modes d’utilisation actuels de cet endroit très spécial. Le nouveau parc sauvage d’Upper Sackville constitue un maillon important de la ceinture verte de Halifax et contribue à établir une connectivité écologique avec le bassin hydrographique de Pockwock, situé à proximité.

Les 7 réserves naturelles figurant dans l’annonce d’aujourd’hui sont maintenant officiellement désignées. Les 8 réserves naturelles et les 5 parcs provinciaux doivent faire l’objet de consultations publiques supplémentaires, qui commencent plus tard dans la semaine.

La SNAP-NS veille à la mise en œuvre complète du plan sur les parcs et les aires protégées de la Nouvelle-Écosse. Une fois que les nouvelles aires protégées annoncées aujourd’hui seront établies, il restera environ 150 sites prévus qui attendent toujours la protection juridique du gouvernement de la province.

« Il est important que la Nouvelle-Écosse fournisse sa part d’efforts dans la lutte contre l’urgence climatique et la crise de la biodiversité. Nous vivons des moments critiques. Il faut en faire plus, et plus vite. »

Le gouvernement fédéral s’est fixé comme objectif de protéger 25 % du Canada d’ici 2025 et 30 % d’ici 2030. La Nouvelle-Écosse est à la traîne avec seulement 13 % de son territoire protégé.

February 2 2021

CPAWS Nova Scotia welcomes new protected areas in Nova Scotia

Caitlin Grady News, Uncategorized

“These are excellent sites for conservation,” says Chris Miller, Executive Director for CPAWS Nova Scotia. “They include large intact forests, coastal sites, near-urban wilderness, important wetlands and waterways, and species-at-risk habitat.”

Included in today’s announcement is a new wilderness park for the Sackville area that protects nearly 700 hectares of land that are important for community use and for protecting the Sackville River.

“We are very glad to see Sackville River – Lewis Lake Wilderness Area included in this announcement,” says Caitlin Grady, Conservation Campaigner for CPAWS-NS. “This near-urban wilderness area contains important forest and wetland ecosystems and provides unique landscape representation of the Sackville Drumlins.”

CPAWS-NS has worked closely with the Sackville Rivers Association on the protection of Sackville River – Lewis Lake over many years. While Sackville River – Lewis Lake was listed in the Nova Scotia Our Parks and Protected Areas Plan since 2013, today’s decision means that these lands will be protected very soon, following a public consultation period that will begin shortly.

“This is a popular spot for the community of Upper Sackville to come out and enjoy nature,” says Caitlin Grady. “Today’s announcement means that people can continue to walk, bike, fish, ski, hunt, swim and paddle in Sackville River – Lewis Lake as they have done for years.”

The wilderness area designation will prohibit industrial scale activities, such as clearcutting and open-pit mining, which are not compatible with how people are currently using this very special place. The new wilderness park for Upper Sackville is an important component of the Halifax Greenbelt and helps establish ecosystem connectivity with the nearby Pockwock Watershed.

The 7 nature reserves included in the announcement today are now officially designated. The 8 wilderness areas and 5 provincial parks must undergo one extra round of public consultation. That consultation begins later this week.

CPAWS-NS is working toward the full implementation of the Nova Scotia Our Parks and Protected Areas Plan. Once the new protected areas from today’s announcement are finalized, there will still be approximately 150 promised sites that are still awaiting legal protection by the Nova Scotia government.

“There is still a lot more work to do”, says Miller. “It’s important that Nova Scotia does its part to address the climate emergency and the biodiversity crisis. These are urgent times. They require more action and sooner.”

The federal government has set a protected area target of 25% of Canada by 2025, and 30% by 2030. Nova Scotia is slipping behind with only 13% protection.