Dr. Nelson Poirier Awarded Roger Leblanc Memorial Naturalist of the Year Award

On June 8, 2024 at the Best Western Woodstock, Dr. Nelson Poirier became the inaugural recipient of Nature NB’s newly renamed Roger Leblanc Memorial Naturalist of the Year Award. Though many of our passionate members have received this award in the past, Nelson is the first to receive the award under its new name. It was awarded during the Celebration Banquet at the 2024 Festival of Nature, held this year in Woodstock, NB.

This award, simply named Naturalist of the Year previous to this year, was re-named in early 2024 to honour the legacy of long-time member and supporter Roger Leblanc, who passed away during the 2023 Festival of Nature in Saint John. Roger’s commitment to our mission, to his club work, and to bilingualism in all we do at Nature NB made him a dedicated resource of Nature NB staff and members alike. It was this dedication that made him an ideal subject for the re-naming of this award.

When accepting nominations for this year, Fred Richards, the President of Nature Moncton, knew of the ideal candidate. Dr. Nelson Poirier, a retired veterinarian and close friend of Roger’s, is renowned as one of the foremost educators in all aspects of nature in New Brunswick. He is a life member of Nature Moncton with 50+ years of voluntary participation on their Executive Committee (currently as Past President). Nelson is also a member of Nature Miramichi, the Chignecto Naturalists Club, Nature NB, and the New Brunswick Botany Club.

In addition to his weekly and daily nature posts that have existed in some format for 34 years, Nelson was also instrumental in this spring’s installation of a live video feed monitoring a nesting pair of Peregrine Falcons atop the Assumption Life building in downtown Moncton. This video stream received 32,000 views in the first month alone, and has seen the pair grow from two adult Peregrine Falcons to a family of six, with four eggs hatching into four adorable, fluffy baby birds. It is these accomplishments combined with Nelson’s numerous presentations to clubs over the years, and his overall genial spirit and kind nature, that earned him this award.

Nature NB congratulates Dr. Nelson Poirier on this tremendous honour, and looks forward to seeing what he will do next.