Nature NL recently hosted a panel discussion about the new Protected Areas Plan for the Island of Newfoundland. The consultations on this plan are open now, so it's a great time to learn more about these proposed areas. The consultations are a way for WERAC and our provincial government to hear everyone's opinions, and listen, and then refine the plan. The plan will be changed as needed as we go ahead, and each proposed protected area will go through local consultations as well. You can read more about the stories to date on this plan as well. Here we will take a look at some of the reasons that we at Nature NL support protected areas. This post covers the same ideas as in the introduction at our Protected Areas Panel, with some changes to the phrasing for clarity. Why do we even need protected areas? A lot of the…

The ability to safely enjoy nature is a privilege and not everyone has the means or opportunity to actively participate in conservation and environmentalism. Those of us who are fortunate enough to engage in these activities need to remember that they are not equally available to everyone. All aspects of a person’s identity, such as class, race, gender, sexuality, age and body type, can impact a person’s access to and sense of welcome in natural spaces. Each of these aspects also influences how, when and where a person may be adversely affected by environmental issues. Worldwide, air and water quality, the preservation of wild spaces and wildlife conservation challenges are often linked to socioeconomic status and power structures built by modern and historical oppression. We cannot find solutions to these conservation and environmental challenges without also finding solutions to associated social injustices. This is why environmentalism must be intersectional. Leah…

 Nature NL wants to see the special lands of the Island of Newfoundland conserved, so that we can enjoy them forever. A planned system of reserves, protected by legislation is the best way to ensure natural habitats, systems, and resources are maintained for future generations. The new Protected Areas Plan for the Island of Newfoundland is a chance to implement a strategy for designating protected areas, and use land use planning to conserve places that are important to us. We understand that this plan is not perfect, and there are many valid concerns. These concerns can be shared during the public consultation process, and they will be used to help refine the plan and make it better. Site-by-site consultations will then take into account local opinions, land use activities, and challenges, so that reserves will be designed and moved forward with local considerations in mind. Catch up with some of…

This weekend Nature NL celebrated World Migratory Bird Day with an online event of photo sharing, recommendations for birdwatching from home and an educational quiz about local migratory birds. Thank you to everyone who joined us! In case you missed it, you can find a summary of our birding from home tips below and a link to a petition through our affiliate Nature Canada to protect Canada’s migratory birds. Also, if you want to hear more about Newfoundland and Labrador’s migratory birds and World Migratory Bird Day, you can listen to an interview with Nature NL board member, Beverly McClenaghan, on VOCM’s The Outdoor Hour. Backyard Birding Looking for birds in your yard and out your windows is an easy way to do some birdwatching from home. It’s always surprising how much you can see so close to home when you spend the time looking. As we are all spending…

By Lancy Cheng These tales from the South have been shared by naturalist Lancy Cheng who leads events with Nature NL including our Gull workshop. 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! We hope you will enjoy his reflections on these recent adventures. “I am an Arctic tern. In winter, I migrate the longest distance of all birds to Antarctica.” (photo: M. Boucher) This was the dream I had before landing in Punta Arenas, Chile. I was not a lone bird but with a team of Hurtigruten expedition staff. We continued our journey onboard MS Roald Amundsen on December 14th, 2019, the same day that Roald Amundsen reached south pole for the first time in human history, 108 years ago. Coincidence? Fate? Just a view outside my "office" Birds of Antarctica…