01-August-2008
The kids threw me a going away party today seeing as I leave tomorrow. After getting back from the pool I was told to wait outside the arena and guarded by a group of 7 year olds. I was then ushered in to a room full of smiling kids and a giant cake for us all to enjoy. It’s been a real pleasure experiencing this camp alongside these kids. We also saw a Whistler (ground hog) today during an afternoon break on the playground. It gave us counselors quite a scare with 20 younger kids chasing after this smaller creature. They ended up chasing it into the arena and we had to make the kids back away so that it would be comfortable coming back out.

We took all the kids on a hike yesterday up the hillside overlooking the Blanc Sablon ferry dock and all had lunch as the ferry came in. To my wonderful surprise almost all the kids took a keen interest in the endangered flowers that lived up on top of the cliffs. They all stopped to read the signs and ran up to me, excitedly blabbering about the new interesting fact or tid bit of information that they had just discovered. I have really enjoyed my time working with everyone and everyone has been so kind to me. I think I am going to miss it a lot here, but that just means I’ll have to come back some other time.

25-July-2008
I have so far spent two weeks here in Blanc Sablon and I love it all so much. A week ago I returned with the QLF camp from Greenly Island after spending an over night with the kids there. Once a year, through special permission from the Canadian Wildlife Service, QLF is allowed to take a group of local children to the island to learn about seabirds and conservation. It was a remarkable experience being able to interact and engage kids. At Greenly we were able to not just experience the black flies but also the massive puffin population that was forever entertaining. It is wonderful to see such a unique species thrive in a habitat almost untouched by human hands. Their tunnels lined the coast side, curving in and out of the rocks that we were walking over. We were actually lucky enough to see a baby razorbill huddled in its own little cavern, as well as a baby gull sheltering itself behind some bushes from the wind. As we approached the gulls let out their warning call to all of the surrounding creatures, forcing the puffins and razorbills to instinctively take flight away from their nests leaving their babies and eggs behind. This, I think is one of the main reasons that Greenly Island should be restricted from human access. In the cold and fog if too many tourists or observers are constantly bothering this puffin colony, any egg left too long will die and any baby will grow to cold and hungry to have a fighting chance when its mother finally returns. Occasional trips seem to be reasonable because an hour or less off their eggs does not seem like it would hurt any baby puffins, but with a constant stream of tourists and human interactions with the nests seems like to long a time for a puffin to be off its nests and still expect the same amount of survival rate for baby puffins.

At the kids camp I have been working with the three other counselors, Crystal another QLF intern and Carla and Jenny. We have been opening up our mornings by talking with the kids about something to do with marine life or the ocean. The other day we were able to take the kids down for a long walk on the beach where the kids were able to look at the birds that we had been discussing at the camp as well as the sea life they could find in the smaller tide pools. The kids also stumbled upon a seal flipper, which was a very exciting discovery with the bone and skin still intact. I enjoyed working with the kids so much and they all seem genuinely excited about the activities that we have been planning for them. We are attempting to organize a sleep over as well as a trip to Red Bay, which should be an exciting adventure.

Jake's Bio
My name is Jake McIntosh and I am from Beverly MA, 20 miles north of Boston. I am venturing into my senior year at Manchester Essex Regional High School and I play soccer year round and spend a lot of time debating for my school. Here in Blanc Sablon I am working with the kids at the Coasters Science Camp.

14-August-2008
The weekend of August 1st to 4th, Sophia took Nancy and I to the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland to talk to fishermen for the Marine Species at Risk Observer Program. We started as soon as we landed in Newfoundland, and were able to recruit about 4 or 5 fishermen to be volunteer observers for us on the first day alone!  The whole weekend, we got about 16 fishermen to be new observers, which we were really happy about. It was really interesting to hear the stories the fishermen had for us. Sometimes, the stories even seemed to link; two fishermen in two different communities may talk about the same beluga, or the same sea turtle. Its amazing what some of the fishermen have seen, they have had so many interesting experiences with marine life. We also gave one to the lighthouse inn on Quirpon Island, to the Norseman Restaurant in L’anse-aux-Meadows, and to a B&B in Cape Onion where tourists will be able to fill out what they see.

Going to the Northern Peninsula was not completely work-filled. We also went whale watching in St. Anthony, where we saw many humpback whales, and quite a few jumpers. The whales did so many neat displays for us. We saw them flippering, lob-tailing, and diving. After that, we visited the L’anse-aux-Meadows archaeological site. It was quite interesting to see the reconstructions of Norse buildings, the original remains, and to have actors showing the way of life back then.

Last week, we had quite a few visits. Tom Horn, who I drove up to Sept-Iles with, was first to visit. Nancy and I challenged him to a couple games of cribbage, and won…sorry Tom.  It was a lot of fun! The next day, we got to meet Mr. Bryan. He had a lot of stories to tell us about past QLF experiences, flying, and some history of the Lower North Shore. They were really nice to hear.

This week was L’anse-au-Clair Come Home Year 2008. I went to one night of the celebrations. They had music, skits, door prizes, and the crowning of a King and Queen. Some of the skits were flippin’ hilarious! I had a great time! So thank you Mary for bringing me J

Friday night, Sophia and I went down to the Nordik to conduct tourist surveys. I haven’t spoken French since I left Montreal, but most of the passengers coming off of the ferry were French. At first I was a little nervous, since I needed to translate English to French on the spot. I think I did pretty well though, and all the passengers were very patient with me if I was having a hard time, they were super nice. In the end I got 4 or 5 tourist surveys done.

This past weekend, the Green Team did a display at the Bakeapple Festival in Forteau, so Sophia, Nancy and I went to check that out. We were impressed with the job they did! Their table looked great. 

While this week has been a lot of work, especially focussed on finishing the seabirds and whales website, Monday was a different story. Garland Nadeau, in St. Paul’s River was kind enough to take, Sophia, Nancy and I out that day. First, he showed us how to jig for cod (we caught 3…well, not me personally). While we were out on the water, he followed jumpers for us. It was amazing; there were at least 20 of them, and a bunch of them were swimming under our boat and jumping alongside us. Garland also drove the boat up as near he could to a pod of about 5 or 6 whales (we’re pretty sure they were fin whales). After that, he took us to Eskimo Island to pick bakeapples, and showed us how to make jam. It was a fantastic day, so thank you Garland!

I only have another week and bit here in Blanc-Sablon, but when I do leave, I know I’ll be taking away with me some of the best experiences of my life.    

1-August-2008
I can’t believe how fast time flies. I’ve already been in Blanc-Sablon for close to two and a half weeks! On my first Monday here, Nancy and I introduced ourselves the Down to Earth radio show on CFBS. It was very fun, and I felt really good being able to share some of my Table Bay experiences with the listeners. Not only do I think that they enjoyed it, but it also brought back some amazing memories for me. As soon as we receive our hydrophone, and two webcams for Perroquets Island, the website www.seabirdsandwhales.com will be put up on the Internet; it is not yet up and running. Although there are a lot of pages to it, I really like writing and editing, so I’m having fun with it. I also feel like I’m learning a lot just from reading the text while I’m going through it. I’m almost done now! I’ve managed to put all the traffic logs for the Straight of Belle Isle into electronic format so we’ll be able to analyze them more easily when the time comes.

Last weekend, we got to go to Newfoundland on a non-work-related trip. We went all the way to Corner Brook. We saw Dark Knight (the new Batman movie), which me and Jake were really excited about!! It was amazing! We went shopping, got some Tim Hortons, I went to Jungle Jims for the first time ever, and well, we saw the gorgeous landscapes of Gros Morne National Park. It was breathtaking. We stopped in a lot of little towns both on the way there and on the way back, and we made a stop at the Arches, which were wonderful. We had a great time!

This week my parents came into town. They had started in St-John’s and drove up the west coast of Newfoundland. Blanc-Sablon was one of their last stops. I showed them around town a little bit, took them to Brador Falls, Pointe-Amour lighthouse, and Red Bay. I hadn’t seen them since I left Montreal back about 7 weeks ago, so I was really happy to see them. On their last night here, we went to the Northern Light Inn for supper, and who walked in but my cousin, who was in town for the week with Air Labrador. So, I call it pretty cool that I had 3 family members in Blanc-Sablon at one time, none of whom live very close by. I’m looking forward to what my next few weeks will bring me here on the Lower North Shore!

24-July-2008: Blanc-Sablon
Hi everyone! My name is Tara Despault, I'm 20 years old and I'm from Montreal, Quebec. This fall, I will be starting my second year of Environmental Sciences at Concordia University. For the past few weeks, I have been working as an intern with Ducks Unlimited on their Common Eider Research Initiative project in Table Bay, Labrador. I am now in Blanc-Sablon for QLF's Marine Species at Risk project.

Working in Table Bay provided me with so many amazing experiences. Being part of the Ducks Unlimited project meant being part of the capturing and banding of over 1200 eider ducklings, and hundreds of hens as well. On one of our last days in the field, we went to Quaker Hat Island where fox had been predators for many years. Because of that, eiders had not nested there for almost a decade. Last year, the Ducks Unlimited crew found only two nests on the island, while this year, Nancy (my fellow intern) and I, were lucky enough t be part of the finding of almost 50 nests and the banding of the first ducklings there in 10 years. I felt very privileged to be there at that moment of hope for the eider population. That was definitely one of the most memorable experiences for me.

Being from Montreal, there are also many foods I had never tried that are common to Newfoundland, Labrador and Quebec's Lower North Shore. I can now say I've tried everything from fish 'n' brews to salt beef dinner, from bakeapples to jam-jams, and from wild mussels to char. I went fishing for my first time, and was even taken out on a seal hunt. We caught a seal, and I was able to try that for my first time as well (I thought it was delicious!). What's more, our crew members, locals from Cartwright, took us within meters of icebergs and bergy bits. We scooped out bergy bits to bring home to the cabin with us to use as ice, drinking water and, well, to make ice cream with!

I'm very excited to be in Blanc-Sablon now. The day after Nancy and I arrived here, the QLF crew took our day-camp kids out to Greenly Island. We had such a blast, and I think the kids really enjoyed themselves too, even though we scared them really bad. After a "haunted whistle-house", ghost stories around the campfire, and knocking on the underside of the boys' back stairway, Sophia and I ran in screaming to the boys cabin because "a man we didn't know had crept up on us while we were brushing our teeth outside". We had fake tears going and the works, and we hurried them all upstairs. Sure enough, Nancy was at the back door, making scary noises and then made her way inside and up the stairs. When she burst into the room, all the counselors in the room burst out laughing (although, I'm pretty sure we scared Chris and Jake pretty badly also...even if they won't admit it ;)

 

11-Aug-2008
During our last week of camp our final field trip included a helicopter ride. A few kids at a time got to get a birds eye view of Chevery and the falls. Although the counselors were unable to go because there was only so many trips made, the kids really enjoyed themselves. We gave them some cameras to take pictures and we received some beautiful overhead shots of Chevery. It was a great way to end off a great summer at camp. We also had the closing ceremonies and that was a great success as well. We showed various things that the kids made throughout the camp and we had a PowerPoint display of everything they done throughout camp. Overall I think that this years summer camp was a great success and I really enjoyed myself. After doing this job now I know I am on the right career path to be a teacher. The best part of this job would have to be working with the kids and I’m not going to forget the summer I spent in Chevery. Thanks for a great time and a great summer.  

04-Aug-2008
On Thursday July 31st we (the Chevery Kids camp) took our much anticipated trip to St. Mary’s Island. Public access is restricted to St. Mary’s however, QLF has a long standing relationship with the Canadian Wildlife Service which allows us to bring local children to the island once a year to see the amazing seabird populations and to learn about their conservation. It is about an hour boat ride from Chevery and it is the largest bird sanctuary on the Lower North Shore.

It may have been a bit of a wavy ride but we all made it in fine. At first glimpse of the island you could see the thousands of birds that were flying all around it. Two game wardens (Mathieu Monger and Wilson Evans) accompanied us on our field trip and gave us a tour of the island. We first had a look at the lighthouse and the small houses on the island that were once used by lighthouse keepers, researchers and game wardens . We then hiked to a bird watching area established by QLF where we saw hundreds of puffins and razorbills. We also were lucky enough to see a baby razorbill up close which was only a few days away from being on its own. We then hiked to the other side of the island where we saw other birds such as murres. It was definitely an exciting day and the kids had a great time.

Only one more field trip left before the camp ends - its definitely going to be hard to beat the trip to this beautiful island.

29-July-2008
Week 4 (July 21st - 25th) at the camp was an interesting week as it coincided with CoastFest in Chevery. The camp theme for the week centered on culture and heritage of the coast. One activity that stands out in my mind was a bridge building activity that the campers took part in. The meaning behind the building of this bridge was that it was suppose to represent a bridge between the cultures, communities and people along the coast. It was a great symbolic message for the kids and it fit in with what CoastFest is all about. The project involved building a bridge that was made out of completely natural and recycled materials. The activity was thought up by the Chevery committee specifically for the kids camp during CoastFest. With the exception of a few nails, the bridge was completely made out of drift wood we found on the beach in Chevery. The kids really enjoyed building the bridge and they presented it at the closing ceremony of the Chevery CoastFest week as well. Other activities we did this week include sculptures, paintings, and even a resettlement play based on the history of how Chevery came to be. The kids made props out of cardboard boxes and acted out the play in front of a crowd. The play presented how some of the first houses were brought over to Chevery. They were floated over on the water with boats and barrels while a tractor named Oliver pulled them ashore. So overall it was a great week for culture and heritage in Chevery.

 

07-Aug-2008
It has been a pretty eventful week, not even sure where to start! Sophia, Tara and I spent August 1st to the 4th on the Northern Peninsula trying to get volunteer fisherman for our observer program. It was quite successful! We recruited 16 volunteers, and obtained a lot of valuable information for the study. It was a great experience speaking with everyone about the program and getting the word spread. It wasn't all work though, we got to go on an amazing boat tour where we saw humpback whales, who put on a great show which included lobtailing, flippering and many other behaviours. We also got to see dolphins, a bald eagle, as well as one of the largest sea caves in Atlantic Canada! We also went to Lance aux Meadows and spent the beautiful, sunny day taking a nice, leisurely tour around the site.

This week, here a the QLF office, we were graced with the presence of Bob Bryan (QLF founder) and Tom Horn (VP). It was very nice to meet them, quite an honour actually, and we certainly had lots to chat about. I just want to say thank-you to them both for taking the time to come meet us! We definitely enjoyed your company!

Yesterday, we got to go on a very exciting adventure with Garland Nadeau of St. Paul’s River. He took Sophia, Tara and I out on the boat for a very fun-filled day. We started the day off with some good 'ol cod jigging, first time for all of us, and managed to pull up three nice sized cod fish, which we happily enjoyed last night for supper. While out on the boat we saw so many dolphins! They were jumping right out of the water, doing back flips, the whole works! We also saw some whales, which I thought were fins, but it was hard to tell from the distance that we were. Then, he took us to Eskimo Island where we spent the afternoon picking bakeapples. We got quite a few, and went back to Garlands where he showed us how to make jam. Yuuum!!!! Got lots planned for this week, so check back later!

30-Jul-2008
Here in Blanc Sablon now, it has been non stop since I arrived on the 16th. So I arrived just in time to make the trip to Greenly Island with the environmental kids camp. It was amazing that I could take all that I learned about seabirds in Table Bay and pass it along to the kids and other interns. As the Puffins, Murres and Razorbills flushed from their nests and flew overhead, their faces lit right up! I think they really enjoyed it, and so did I. The following Monday I did my very first radio show on CFBS (hope you were all tuned in) and spoke mostly of my experiences in Table Bay. It was such a neat way to introduce myself to the community.

So, for the last week, Tara and I have been working really hard on getting www.seabirdsandwhales.com up and running (hopefully by the first week in August). It's looking really good so far and there's a lot of really great information on the site. If you all tuned in to the radio show yesterday, the 28th, you would have heard all about it. We're putting two web cams on Perroquet Island, and you'll be able to go on the site and watch the bird colonies live (super cool!!!!!). There's also a hydrophone (underwater microphone) being placed nearby so everyone can listen to the whales and underwater acoustics in the area (also super cool!!!!).


I've also been working on the observer program, calling all of our wonderful volunteers and encouraging them to send in all of the logbooks and pictures that they've been working so hard on. Don't worry folks, I haven't been working too hard, we got to go on a lovely road trip this weekend to Newfoundland to check out Rocky Harbour, the Arches, Gros Morne, Corner Brook and many other beautiful sights along the Viking Trail. So check back next week to read about all of the hard work I've got planned for this week! And don't forget to tune into Down to Earth, Mondays 10-11 EST for our environmentally friendly, always entertaining radio show!

17-Jul-2008: Table Bay, Labrador
Hello Everyone! My name is Nancy Jones and I will be working as a Marine Species at Risk Intern this summer with QLF. I am currently living in St. John's, Newfoundland and am a second year Marine Environmetal Technology student at the Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland. I am 22 years old and enjoy all activities that involve nature including hiking, swimming, camping and berry picking.

I just got back from Table Bay, Labrador where I spent two weeks participating in a Common Eider Research Initiative. The goal of the five year study is to gather enough information about Eider nesting and migration activities in order to develop a population model so that the population can be managed more effectively. We accomplish this by capturing and banding eider adults and ducklings and with the help of hunter recoveries and recaptures we can learn more about migration routes. We also collect nesting information to determine successful hatches, the effects of predation as well as how the nest shelters placed on the islands increase nesting success.

One day that stands out in particualr was the second day I was on site. We captured and banded 377 ducklings, which was a record for the five year study I might add! It was so much fun crawling around in the tuckamore looking for them and they are so gosh darn cute I had to snuggle each and every one of them before I put them back!

Today we visited the Gannet Islands Ecological Reserve 40 km southeast of Cartwright Labrador. It is the largest Razorbill colony in North America with over 10,000 breeding pairs. It is also the third largest puffin colony with over 36,000 breeding pairs and hosts thousands of other seabirds. We were there to collect puffin eggs for the CWS so that they could do a toxicological examination on them. Tara (the other QLF intern) and I collected 7 of the 15 eggs (intern power!!!). The Ducks Unlimited crew were great! I had so much fun and learned a lot about waterfowl ecology and seabird identification.

I am very much looking forward to working with the staff and volunteers of QLF and getting to know people in the communities of the Lower North Shore. QLF has an outstanding reputation for supporting the rural communities and on the Lower North Shore and implementing a wide range of environmental programs, and I feel truly honored to be a part of it! See you all soon!

 

13-Aug-2008: Kilojoue 2008 Deschambault-Grondines
Kids, kids, kids. I’m working in Deschambault-Grondines, a small community located on the Quebec north shore between Montréal and Québec City. My job is basically to develop, create and animate activities for children in a day camp. Kilojoue is a program initiated by Alcoa in which all activities are related to the environment. Forty children from 5 to 12 years old are participating.

This summer, we have created a garden with the children and are taking care of it. (We don’t have to water it much…it rains almost every day!) The garden is the heart of our program. We’re also doing compost and vermi-compost. They love the worms, even if it scares them to see so many wormies! So far, it’s a lot of fun and I can really see how the kids are happy to be helping the planet.

31-July-2008
I'm trying to gather information that could be useful to QLF and the community as they begin looking into the possibility of developing Greenly Island for tourism. This issue is more charged than I initially realized. Recently, I read through a tourism plan for the Lower North Shore that was published in 2002. It really helped me understand the area better, and I only wish I had read it before I stepped off the Nordik.

 

Last week, we also had time for quite a bit of fun. Jake and I had the privilege of accompanying a local fisherman, Riley, as he went crabbing. It was a spectacular day to be on the water, but unfortunately we didn't see a single whale. On the weekend, Mary was kind enough to drive Nancy, Tara, Jake and I to Newfoundland. I'm really glad I got to see Gros Morne National Park. I also saw my first moose, and more trees than I've seen altogether in the past two months.

 

I can't believe I only have a week left here. There is plenty I will miss.

21-July-2008
My first few weeks on the Lower North Shore were filled with CoastFest activities, which were a great introduction to the community and the local cuisine (fish, fish, mussels, mooseburgers, and sometimes hotdogs). And on July 5th (yes, the 5th), we celebrated Canada Day. I had a modified version of the chorus of "God Bless the USA" stuck in my head all day ("I'm proud to be [a Canadian].... cause there ain't no doubt I love this land..."). I've all but begun filling out immigration forms.

The last time I sat down to write this blog entry, my most exciting experience was going sailing with Trish's husband, Rudolph. Admittedly, that was pretty neat. It was my first time sailing, and definitely my first time feeling the water droplets from the blow of a humpback whale. But if I really had to rank my time here, working with the kids this past week just might top the list.

Last week was QLF Marine Species at Risk camp. We had 12 kids ranging in age from almost 6 to 12 years old. We spent the first three days learning about the area, the species that live here, and the issues that plague them. We talked about pollution and conservation, and then we made relevant crafts to reinforce the ideas. We went on hikes, met with people from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and played marine-related games. And at the end of the week, we went to Greenly Island. Any mention of a trip to Greenly Island must include the fact that it is a bird sanctuary and no one is allowed within 0.5km when there are birds on the island. For the past several years, QLF has gotten a permit to take the kids from camp there for one night. It was one very long night (especially for poor Chris and Jake, who had to deal with the results of a few too many ghost stories), but it was so rewarding to see how the kids were interacting with and taking ownership of the environment.

Rebecca’s Bio
I'm from Baton Rouge, LA and just finished my second year at Princeton, where I am majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology.

 

29-July-2008: Harrington Harbour
HELLO EVERYONE!  So I have less than 3 weeks left here in Harrington Harbour and it’s gonna be really hard to leave.  I’ve met so many incredibly nice and generous people and the kids are fantastic :-D  Here’s what I’ve been up to lately though:

Last weekend I was feeling adventurous and independent so I got up early Saturday morning and packed some camping gear and started to hike.  For those of you who don’t know, Harrington is an island (roughly 6 miles long and 4 miles across) and has a very rocky and rugged coastline.  So I hiked along the coastline for nearly two hours until I came across this little secluded cove/beach at the bottom of a rock cliff and decided that I would set up camp.  It was an ABSOLUTELY gorgeous day--- It was sunny with just a light breeze and the only noise I could hear was the faint humming of insects.  Upon arrival I set up my tent and gathered some drift wood to make a fire later on.  Then I took full advantage of the complete isolation and good weather and explored around for a few hours and found some AMAZING shells and a few inukshuks.  Later on that night I was very proud of myself as I started a fire by myself!!!  Hahahahah, so after some hotdogs and smores I was chased into my tent by some blood thirsty mosquitoes.  The next day I got up and made some breakfast and could faintly see some fog in the distance, but knew that I would have to make a quick escape if I wanted to find my way back before it moved in.  Luckily, by the time the fog rolled in I was back in a familiar area, which was good considering I could only see around ten feet in front of me :-S 

This past week I was VERY busy not only with work but also planning and organizing the very first theme day at the pool. The previous week I decided that I was going to plan a theme day where kids would come dressed up to the pool depending on the theme and those who came dressed up would have a chance to win prizes!!! I had spent the week cutting and painting decorations for the pool and although it was EXHAUSTING work, theme day was a HUGE success.  The theme was Hawaiian, and all but two kids came dressed up and they all seemed to really like the decorations and parents even came up and took pictures and were videotaping some of the festivities!!!  I took some pretty cute pictures and will have to put some up when I get back since loading pictures on dial-up is NOT fun!  This weeks theme is “Hockey Teams”, so hopefully everyone will participate again :-D

This week I’ll be very busy again planning another theme day and also Coast Fest is going on here right now, so even more festivities to partake in!  Hope everyone else is doing fine :-D  I’ll be in touch!

16-July-2008: Harrington Harbour
HELLO! My name is Rachael Anningson and I’m currently in Harrington Harbour, QC where I have the pleasure of teaching swimming lessons and lifeguarding. I’m originally from Prince Edward Island, Canada and attend Memorial University in St. John’s NF where I study biology and biochemistry.

When I accepted this job I hoped this summer was going to be a HUGE adventure, and so far I’ve not been disappointed!  Just recently I realized that I’ve been here over three weeks now; I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun!  Luckily, every day I have the privilege of working with the kids of Harrington and without fail each day they make me laugh or smile at something different.  Most recently a little boy commented that my face is the same colour as the lobster he had for dinner (my face is very badly sun burnt!).  The kids are very enthusiastic and are always eager to learn and improve their swimming skills, which is especially great considering their proximity to the water.   

I’ve managed to teach the kids a lot about swimming and water safety over the past couple of weeks, but without knowing they have also taught me about various things including fishing and wildlife.  I was absolutely ECSTATIC this past weekend when I was out camping and saw the Northern Lights for my first time EVER!!!!!--- They were absolutely stunning!  I’ve also had the opportunity to go to nearby bird islands and beaches with locals and am HOPING to have the chance to actually go out fishing soon! Also, I’ve had the chance to eat the most amazingly FRESH seafood of my life!  Everything from salmon, cod, scallops, snow crab to the biggest tiger shrimp I’ve ever seen :-D

Needless to say I’m having the time of my LIFE!  This coming weekend I’m hoping to have the time to actually go exploring around the island.  I’ll be sure to report back :-D  Hope all the other QLF interns are enjoying themselves as much as I am!

 

30-Jul-2008
Hi, I am David Fequet and I am 19 years old. I am from St. Paul's River and I am working at the Kids Science Camp this summer for QLF. Last week since the weather was so nice we took the kids out swimming. The kids loved it as did the other counselors. We are trying to get the kids outdoors as much as possible since this summer the weather has been less than impressive, especially with all the flies.

The kids enjoyed creating a cloud in a bottle and watching how water can erode away sand. Each week there are new faces and new smiles coming to the camp.

22-Aug-2008:
Well all in all I have to say the summer camp this year was a major hit. Each child had their own personality and I was glad I got to know each and everyone of them. I had so much fun. Not only was I able to teach the kids about something I care strongly about, but I was able to learn things as well. We spend hours outside in my beautiful town of La Tabatiere. This part I enjoyed especially. If i had the chance to do this again I would do it in a heart beat. I had a great summer. I hope everyone else that worked as a camp counsellor had just as much fun as I did. All I have to say is I hope that this summer camp will continue on in the summers to come. Thanks!

31-July-2008:
Last Thursday (July 24th, 2008) the Tabatiere Kids Camp went to Point Aux Neige. It is a park and known whale watching hot spot. We had so much fun while we were up there. We saw many different types of birds and the kids identified them with their bird charts. There are also many blackberries up there so the kids worked together and picked some of the berries. In addition, the children got in teams and made Inuksuks. While waiting for dinner to be fixed (hot dog dinner with some good old tang to drink) we played a few games.

Once dinner was over we cleaned up after ourselves and headed for the rocky beach. The children were great beachcombers. They found all sorts of interesting things from a shoe to coral. All the kids were amazed with how soft the rocks were as well. We explained to them that it was because of the shore washing in and out (erosion), as well as causes rocks to hit one another and to become smooth.

The weather that day was beautiful. The sun was shining and there was just enough wind to keep the flies away. When the field trip was over and done all the children said that they really enjoyed their time. One thing that many of the kids said was that they now really see the effects of Global Warming because each child had 50 SPF sunscreen on and most of them were still sunburned at the end of the say (including myself and Mia!) All in all it was I think everyone had a really fun day, despite their sunburns.

9-July-2008:
Hi I'm Danielle Robertson. I am from La Tabatiere. I go to Cegep de Sept-Iles. I will be in my second year studying in the Social Sciences program in the English sector. After college I plan to go to university to become an elementary teacher. This summer I am working as lead camp counsellor for the Kids Summer Camp 2008 with QLF. I think that this job will help prepare me for my future career. Until next time.

12-July-2008:
The camp is going great. All the kids seem to really enjoy the theme of the camp. We are going to be taking them on a field trip to Point Aux Neige. It's a place where you can go whale watching and is also a park. We are going to go on Monday. We have different activities for the kids. One thing is a bird bingo. If they see a bird that is on the sheet they check it off like you would in bingo. If anyone gets a straight line then they will get a prize. I'm really excited for it.

22-Aug-2008
My last week of summer camp went great. We took the children down to "Red Bay" to the Whale Musem and they loved it! They had a jaw bone of a whale down at the musem and it's the same length as a boat. That is one of the things that really caught the childrens interest. I am really happy that we got bring the children to the museum because not only did they get to learn more about the whales in our region, but they also got to see alot of interest things that comes from whales that they wouldn't have been able to see anywhere else.

We also got the children to put on a play on the very last night of camp. It was called "Who Stole the Pearl." It was a “who-done-it: type play where the kids acted as all different things from sea and they were trying to figure out who stole the pearl. They did a great job!! As a treat, for the parents and children, we prepared finger foods. It was very sad when they all said good-bye. One little girl was crying, because she said that she was never going to see me again. It was so heartbreaking it made me even wanna cry. I really enjoyed working at the kid summer camp.

31-July-2008
This week at camp we took the children to the "Milk Vech" Trail where the rare flowers are, to show them the different kinds of flowers thats out there,that don't grow anywhere else besides on "Milk Vech" trail and a place in newfoundland. The olders were more interested in reading the signs along the way to the end of the trail to learn about the different types of flowers, that’s on the the "milk vech" trail.

We ate our lunch on the hill and watch the ferry dock.They were noticing different things about the land like how it had deep holes in the ground. They also enjoyed looking at the fossils that were on the "milk vech" trail.

26-July-2008:
The Camp is going great. Since we have been getting such nice weather here in Blanc Sablon, we have been taking the children to do more outdoor activities. For example. we brought the youth down to the beach to do some bird watching and to learn about the different types of birds that live on the ocean. After our bird lesson, we all walked along the shore together where the children were picking up things that really interested them such as feathers, seashells and rocks. One child found a piece of a hatched egg shell on the seashore. Friday, the 25th of July, we took the children to the Brador/Perrroquet Island lookout from 11am to 2 pm for a picnic lunch. The children were amazed with all of the Puffins that they saw in the water, and how many Puffins were on Perroquet Island.

12-July-2008:
Hi My name is Crystal Buckle, I am from Lourdes De Blanc Sablon and I go Heritage College in Gatineau, I am a third year student Studying Early Childhood Care and Educator. This summer I am the Lead Camp Counseller at the Science Camp, In Lourdes De Blanc Sablon.

Friday July 11th we dissected a fish with the children they really enjoyed learning the parts of the fish, and seeing what's actually inside of them. They wanted us to cut every little thing out so that they could see what it look like, and where it was located in the fishe's body.

 

29-Jun-2008: Dog Island!
Last weekend many QLF interns and staff members spent the night on a small island 30 minutes (by boat) from Old Fort, QC named Dog Island. We were hosted by Dwight Billodeau a friend of QLF and lifetime native of Old Fort, where he and his many siblings would live during the winter. During the summer months they would migrate to small houses built on the island. Many people did this not only to enjoy the beautiful scenery, but also to escape the dreaded black flies. As Dwight explained to us by the campfire, the island is rich in history, with houses over a century old, with some inhabited by ghosts and spirits. The island is also home to numerous shipwrecks; dating back to when the French came to Quebec, which surround Dog Island. Dwight also believes treasure to be buried there, too.

We played many games that turned out to be a lot of fun.  Bat and ball was similar to whiffle-ball but consisted of two bases and a wooden stick for a bat. We also played a version of roofball with two teams on either side of a house. Many wipeouts ensued, as the soft tundra gave way underneath our feet. We then hiked the hills and the views were breathtaking. None of the houses on the island have electricity, so we used oil lamps and slept under the warmth of a wood-burning stove. We bundled up and roasted marshmallows by the campfire. Frances had the idea to warm rocks in the fire to be used on our legs and backs for warmth.  Not long after, everyone on the island for the night had a soothing, heated rock, relieving the tension and stress of the past week. A few games of “chubby bunny” were played, with Spencer coming out victorious.

We got up early the next morning to a beautiful day and explored the caves and rocky hills of the surrounding islands. Dwight pointed out a faded painting/carving of a large, two sail sailboat believed to be a French boat that sank right off of Dog Island. Some of the shipwreck is still visible at low tide, or when the water is clear enough. We headed back to Old Fort around noon the next day to help with CoastFest events at the Whiteley Museum, with our bodies rested, and our minds still in the early 20th century.

Kendrick's Bio
Hi, my name is Kendrick Wilson and I am from Bedford, NY. I currently attend Middlebury College in Vermont and enjoy several outdoor activities, especially fly fishing. I chose to intern with QLF and the Marine Species at Risk program because I love marine animals and am interested in conservation. In Blanc Sablon, I am enjoying the experience of a completely different culture and way of life.

29-July-2008: To read more of Chris' experience go to http://sfs-quebec.blogspot.com/

6-July-2008: Southern Labrador, meeting our observers
Today is the last full day on our trip through southern Labrador. We met with fishermen, our Marine Species at Risk observers, along the way. There are about 100 observers throughout Quebec's Lower North Shore, southern Labrador, and western Newfoundland. All of the communities we visited seemed to welcome us. The goal of this trip was to catch up with our current observers, but as it was as important to meet new fishermen and explain our program to them. Pinset's Arm, a fishing community of 63 residents, was overjoyed to see new faces.  It is located almost an hour off the main road, so anything new is a real excitement. We introduced ourselves and the program and several fishermen had valuable information. Someone we met fishes 180 miles off the coast of Greenland for 30-40 days at a time catches endangered Greenland sharks almost every day. Any information on sharks of the Lower North Shore/southern Labrador is valuable to QLF because not much is known about the marine life in this region.

I tried bakeapple, a local berry grown only in this region, for the first time during this trip. An observer and friend of QLF, Daryl Burdett had me, Kendrick, Trish, and Sophia over his house in Cartwright. His wife made us bakeapple cheesecake. Amazing! We even obtained killer (orca) whale video and pictures taken last year from him. This is significant because many scientists do not acknowledge that orcas live off the Lower North Shore/Labrador coast. Our observers' video/photograph documentation will prove that orcas and other species live here

This upcoming week I will be working on the Blanc Sablon radio show and advertising for the QLF camp with Rebecca, a QLF intern who lives in the residence with me. We will introduce ourselves and offer environmental/community news and a music segment.

Chris' Bio
My name is Chris O'Book from North Andover, MA.  I am going into my senior year at Brooks School, also in North Andover and participate on the cross country and crew teams.  I am working with Trish Nash in Blanc Sablon, Quebec on the Marine Species at Risk Program until July 22.

9-July-2008:
After spending July 4th with my family in Maine, I drove up though New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland to my final destination of Blanc-Sablon, Quebec, on the Lower North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It was a 10 hour trip from Castine, ME to North Sydney, NS, where I got on an overnight ferry and struggled through an uncomfortable four hour sleep on a reclining chair. I arrived in Port-aux-Basques, NL at 5:30 in the morning, and after a large coffee and a toasted sesame seed bagel from Tim Hortons, I started my final push up to St. Barbe where I had to catch a ferry at 2:30. It was advertised to be a 7 and a half hour drive, so I thought I didn't have time to go site seeing in Newfoundland, and reluctantly cruised by the beautiful Gros Morne National Park.

When I arrived in St. Barbe, the lady at the desk gave me a green card signaling I was on the waiting list for the ferry, and guaranteed that I would get on it. At around 2:00, she told me to go wait in line at the docks and be ready to board the boat. After waiting 20 minutes, a man came around collecting receipts, and sent me back to the office after realizing I didn't have one. The lady at the desk told me she had just let the last passenger on and could do nothing for me, and that I would have to wait until the morning ferry the next day. Needless to say, I was frustrated but nonetheless exhausted, so I cut my losses and got a motel room and went to sleep. I arrived in Blanc-Sablon the next morning and have been shuttling volunteers andinterns from St. Pauls River and Blanc-Sablon ever since.

On Wednesday morning, Beth Alling, Larry Morris, and Candace Cochrane arrived off of the ferry and came to the QLF intern house. The regional meeting took place from 5 to 9pm, and was catered by a local woman who prepared delicious traditional foods for us. Dinner was followed by presentations from interns, volunteers, and others associated with QLF to inform everyone of their projects, which was fantastic to see. The meeting was a great success, and I feel that everyone left knowing they were a part of something greater, and also with a full stomach. I plan to leave on Monday morning, and hopefully arrive back in Ipswich on Wednesday, if everything goes according to plan.

 

10-July-2008:
Hi my name is Spencer Wiesner. I am 17 years old and going to be a senior at the Harvey School in Katonah New York. I have lived in New York all of my life and coming to the Lower North Shore has been an exhilarating experience. I worked in St. Paul's River as a counselor for the Science Camp program that the Quebec Labrador Foundation has helped run and organize over the many years. While working in the camp we did environmental education activities such as survival techniques in the woods and making caves out of paper maché. In my life outside working at the camp I helped in the surrounding towns preparing for Coast Fest. I also dressed up as Mr. Whiteley, the inventer of the Cod Trap and acted in a play. I heard about QLF through my father, Jonathan Wiesner, who was stationed in Mutton Bay as a camp counselor. His stories of the coast sparked my interest and knew I would love to do it. This trip has been a life changing experience for me and I have been privileged to be a part of it.