Tune in to VOCM Mornings on Tuesday, October 20th to hear Nature NL director Beverly McClenaghan talk about our Birdwatching Backpack program in partnership with the Newfoundland & Labrador Public Libraries. You can also learn more about this exciting program here!
We're in the full swing of fall bird migration here in Newfoundland! While World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated in May each year, you can learn more about bird migration and Newfoundland and Labrador’s migratory bird species now by listening to this Migratory Bird Day interview with Nature NL board member, Beverly McClenaghan, on VOCM’s The Outdoor Hour. Find the episode from May 10th to learn more about the fantastic migratory birds of our province!
Gros Morne Mountain looms large with its vast, steep, rocky slopes and expose summit. The top of the mountain feels far away as you start walking on the trail, winding through coniferous forest. The shady trail slowly climbs as you pass rivers and fallen logs . The trees open up to reveal the top of Gros Morne. It’s much closer than when you started and it looks beautiful in the morning light. But the mountaintop is still a ways above you and this is where the trail starts to get more difficult. With the forest behind you, you follow the trail up a rocky, gully. It’s very steep and full of loose rocks. You climb carefully and take breaks under the shade of some small shrubs. As you rest, you look back at the view behind you, full of mountains, oceans bays and the bright orange rock of the Tablelands…
On September 15th, 2020, Nature NL and the Newfoundland & Labrador Public Libraries will be on the St. John's Morning Show to discuss our new Birdwatching Backpacks program. Tune in at 7:20 am to learn more about what these backpacks are and why you should borrow one from your local library!
This article in the Telegram highlights our new Birdwatching Backpacks program in partnership with the Newfoundland & Labrador Public Libraries. We are excited to be making birdwatching easier for everyone to try by offering backpack kits available to borrow at the library branches in the St. John's area. The kits, including both kids backpacks and adult backpacks, are packed with all the essentials to try birdwatching for the first time. Read the full article online here.
Don’t fancy a huge hike? No problem! Help us document our neighborhood paths with a community BioBlitz! From September 14-21 Nature NL will be partnering with Exploring By The Seat Of Your Pants in a week long #BackyardBio challenge! #BackyardBio is a “bio-blitz”: a fun event that challenges us to identify as many species as possible in a specific area. And as the “backyard” implies, you can do it close to home, either in your literal backyard, or on a trail right near you! What better way to get out there and explore the trails in your own backyard than to incorporate a fun activity that brings everyone together? BioBlitz?? Awesome! How can I participate? Participating is easy! All you have to do is snap some pictures of the critters you find along your travels and identify them using your local knowledge or an identification app like iNaturalist (app download…
The fall is an exciting time for birdwatching. The birds have started migrating south and thousands of birds will pass through the province over the coming weeks on their way to their winter homes. If you have ever wondered about birdwatching or wanted to get a closer look at those critters flying around above our heads, now is an excellent time to try birdwatching! And Nature NL is all ready to help get you started. We are excited to be launching the Birdwatching Backpack program in partnership with the Newfoundland & Labrador Public Library. Backpacks filled with everything you need to try birdwatching are now available for patrons to borrow from the public library in the St. John’s area. The backpacks have all the essentials to get someone started in birdwatching including binoculars, instructions, tips for beginners, and local birdwatching hotspots. Children’s birdwatching backpacks are packed with extra activities, bird-themed…
You work your way up a beaten path laden with blueberry bushes and lichen. Your breathing mirrors the ebb and flow of the distant ocean as you faintly hear the tide collide with the coastline. Moss covers the ground in a blanket as you walk through a section of tall birch and spruce. The shadowy canopy breaks to illuminate a rocky outcrop where the ocean extends beyond the horizon and the salty sea air welcomes you home. This is Armchair Hiking. With over 330 documented trails here in Newfoundland and Labrador, there is a pretty good chance you are close to at least one (AllTrails.com, 2020). However, this doesn't always mean that you're comfortable on them. This September we are celebrating our trails and encouraging intersectional environmentalism by sharing our trail experiences through blog posts, pictures and videos! Nature NL believes that enjoying nature should be an accessible activity for…
At our August talk we went on a tour of some successful local protected areas to highlight some of big benefits they can bring to the surrounding areas. We toured the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve and Gros Morne National Park where we learned what defines success and what makes these unique areas successful in their own ways. Why do we need protected areas? To reiterate, protected areas are more than protecting nature. There is a common misconception that protected areas do this by banning all human activities and interactions within the area. This is not true. It is about keeping land public forever and preventing large industry threats like forestry and mining from buying the land that could prevent some activities that we all enjoy doing within the areas. They can also help create more provincial parks for people to enjoy in all sorts of capacities. Read more about the…
By Lancy Cheng and Megan Boucher The post Attu East: what makes us unique in the ABA? has been shared by naturalist Lancy Cheng who leads events with Nature NL including our Gull workshop and our Bird Learning Nights. Or you may have seen him when birding around town, especially at Quidi Vidi Lake where he would be identifying gulls during all seasons, especially winter! This was done in collaboration with Megan Boucher prior to her relocation to New Brunswick but will not be the last shared project. We hope you will enjoy this interesting post about the unique ABA area. First of all, please accept our sincere apology. This article is heavily digitized, so is birding. ABA, short for American Birding Association, is the rule maker for birding in North America, whose boxing ring includes the United States, Canada, St. Pierre et Miquelon, the recently added Hawaii, plus some…
