NB Fieldnotes

A Pollinator Garden and a Great Partnership with Mount Allison University

This past fall, our team was fortunate to kick off an exciting partnership with Dr. Emily Austen, Assistant Professor with Mount Allison University Biology Department and Experiential Learning & Career Development office. It all started last spring when we approached Dr. Austen to help us out with some of our native plant seed work. As many of our readers know, when we get excited about things, new projects quickly take form. For this edition of NB Fieldnotes, our Program Director Adam Cheeseman asked our partners to come up with a series of questions reflecting on their experiences.

The Sweet Spot for Sap: A 2025 Maple Season Tour

This past maple season, I got the chance to work at the Fundy Maple sugar shack—a mesmerizing experience. Every year, I’d heard stories of the magic of sugar harvest season. In 2025, the season was short, but sweet. Even then, I enjoyed it! This installment of NB Fieldnotes focuses on the joys and challenges of maple season – our “Fifth Season” just before the real spring.

Counting all the Snowbirds: Waterbird Surveying and Arctic Migrants

Since I have started to be more serious in learning about birds, waterfowl have always intimidated me a bit. So many ducks to learn, so little time, I thought! Until I realized I have the rest of my life to learn about them. So I travelled to Saint John to learn more about waterbird surveys, by tagging along with my colleague Lauren.

Marram Grass, the Weaver of Dunes

In this blog post, Samuel walks us through the role marram grass plays in coastal ecosystems and highlights efforts to protect and restore this important plant. You’ll also find actionable tips on how to share space with marram grass during your next trip to the beach.  Let’s tread carefully into the story of marram grass—the unsung hero holding our dunes together.

It’s Seed Sitting Season!

Letters were sent out this fall for the Seed Sitters Club, containing the seeds of five species for this year. Then Samuel donated 24 species to the Club, from the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library. Whether you were part of this first batch of “Seed Sitters” or not, now is a great time to start your planting for the winter! Our Communications Coordinator Samuel LeGresley, who conducted a webinar this fall (in French) on winter sowing, is excited for the sowing season. He talks to us about his current projects with the Club, and for the near future.

A Summer with Aerial Insectivores

This summer, as I was taking a break from this blog and keeping up with the busy season, I had the chance to meet some very interesting insect-eaters. Thanks to Birds Canada’s survey programs, I was able to contribute meaningfully to the conservation efforts for those species, even though the survey I did myself ended up with a total of zero sightings. Read on to learn more about my adventures (sorted by survey) and what you can do to help!

Learning the Plants as They Grow: Our Wondrous Spring Buds and Blooms

Maple trees are flowing with sugar and Bumblebee queens will soon come out of their long hibernation. But prepare to be amazed, as something remarkable is happening: nothing less than the beauty of spring in the woods! Learn how to profit fully from this period by reading this third installment of our NB Fieldnotes series.

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