Summer Maritime Surveys in the Maritimes

QLF’s Maritimes Conservation and Stewardship Program worked at nearly 40 sites during a six-week field season in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia.  This program began in 2017, and it provides vital capacity to partners across the region while training the next generation of scientists and conservationists in essential field skills through immersive, hands-on experiences. Here is a glimpse into this summer’s work.

The Quebec-Labrador Foundation team led by staff member Emily MacDonald and summer interns Emile, Ella, and River worked in close collaboration with local partners on bird species. For species-at-risk monitoring and management, they helped the Island Nature Trust with the annual piping plover (left) census and protection efforts for this endangered species. In addition to nest monitoring, they helped install protective fencing for them and set up “leash libraries” for dog walkers to borrow a leash to help keep pets away from nests. The team also supported bobolink breeding surveys to help monitor and protect this at-risk grassland bird.

Further helping critical habitats, coastal clean-ups and illegal dumpsite removals included clearing 500 pounds of from a single site in Prince Edward Island. At another location, macroinvertebrate surveying at Seymour Woodlands Nature Preserve in New Brunswick assessed stream health: results showed excellent water quality, based on the diversity of over 25 identified macroinvertebrate families. Lastly, trail maintenance at various nature preserves in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick improved accessibility for the public.

We are deeply grateful to our partners at the Nature Trust of New Brunswick, the Island Nature Trust, and the Nova Scotia Nature Trust for hosting our team and for their continued collaboration with QLF year after year. We extend our hearfelt thanks as well to the volunteers and community members who joined us in the field.

This year, the team was honored and excited to work alongside Mi’gmawe’l Tplu’taqnn Inc., the Passamaquoddy Recognition Group Inc., and Coastal Action, on important fieldwork contributing to the priorities of each organization. The meaningful impact of our work is reflected in the wonderful testimonials we’ve received, including from Kerry Lee Morris-Cormier, Director of Lands and Conservation at Mi’gmawe’l Tplu’taqnn Inc., who shared:

“We are very grateful for the help we received from the Quebec-Labrador Foundation. The [teams’s] work was very professional and
valuable. Our organization has limited capacity and resources for monitoring newly acquired conservation lands. The detailed species
list, maps and photos provided by your team has given us much needed baseline information to build on. Wela’lioq/Thank you again
for helping us to help the next seven generations of trees, plants, animals and people.”

This program was made possible with generous support from the Echo Foundation, the R. Howard Webster
Foundation, and the Power Corporation of Canada.