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Port of Saint John Waterbird Survey

Nature NB began a long-term waterbird survey project in the Port of Saint John in 2019. This project aims to capture information on the abundance and distribution of waterbirds (shorebirds, waterfowl, seabirds, etc.) in the region. This project is funded through Canada’s Ocean Protection Plan led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in partnership with the Nature Trust of New Brunswick and the Saint John Naturalists’ Club.

In 2020 the team surveyed over thirty sites and counted 30,678 individual birds! This monitoring helps inform oil spill preparedness and helps us monitor trends in bird populations in the Saint John area. In 2021, Nature NB is transitioning this project to be led by citizen scientists! We need your help to monitor waterbirds along the coast throughout the year. If you enjoy birding and would like to contribute to a local project, get in touch with us below to learn more!

How the Program Works

Citizen scientists monitor 1-2 sites and visit them throughout the year to complete surveys and submit data to Nature NB, which is then used by government and other agencies for oil spill preparedness. This program includes a diversity of sites from Musquash to Cape Spencer all along the coast.

Get in touch with Nature NB at info@naturenb.ca and check out our citizen science guide to learn more or sign up for a site!


Volunteer

Get involved!

Sign up to volunteer as a waterbird surveyer! Volunteers will head into the field during the follow time frames to monitor for the presence of waterbirds:

Early Fall: August 1st– October 15th
Late Fall: November 1st – December 15th
Winter: January 18th– February 28th
Spring: April 14th– May 28th
Summer: June 15th– July 31st

Sign up to volunteer!


Resources

Review the Port of Saint John Waterbird Survey Manual to learn about the project and it’s impact.

Review the Port of Saint John Citizen Science Guide to learn more about what’s involved in this project.


Supporters & Funders

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