Cape Breton Naturalists Society
A group for anyone who is interested in the natural history of Unama'ki - Cape Breton Island.
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The Cape Breton Naturalists' Society would like to acknowledge that our activities take place in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded ancestral territory of the Mi'kmaq People. We are all treaty people, and we promise to continue to engage in the work of reconciliation; in part by respecting and honouring the wild nature around us and the place of humans within it.
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The Cape Breton Naturalists Society Executive
Elected 19 December 2023
Elizabeth Walsh - President
Bethsheila Kent - Vice President
Maureen Cameron-Macmillan - Past President/Secretary
Alicia Penney - Events Coordinator / Communications Director
Clayton d'Orsay - Treasurer
Cassidy Best - Member at Large
J.D. Bharvad - Member at Large
Cape Breton Naturalists Society Presents
Upcoming events organized by the Cape Breton Naturalists SocietyRegular meetings
From October - June, we will be having monthly meetings at Cape Breton Regional Library locations on the third Tuesday evening of every month (when possible). Additional special meetings may be held with visiting experts at other times.These meetings will consist of presentations by local naturalists and special guests on their areas of expertise. The meetings will also provide news about the Society and opportunity for feedback.Field outings
We will attempt to have field outings as often as possible, often focusing on different taxa or habitat.Check this site for details about all of these upcoming activities. All of our events are educational, engaging and free for all ages!
Come out and warm up for the Christmas Bird Count with a casual birding field trip on December 6th!Meet at 10am at the causeway entrance to the Fortress of Louisbourg
Google maps link.The planned route will be from the causeway entrance to Fortress Louisbourg, Louisbourg Harbour, Havenside, the picnic area on the way to the Lighthouse and the Lighthouse site. A short walk along the trail there will be suggested as there is no telling what might show up in the coves along the trail.And for those intrepid souls who want MORE, there is the option to continue on to Main a Dieu Road with stops at Main a Dieu beach and harbour, on to the Mira Shore Road with stops at the various ocean lookoffs and ponds, stops at Catalone Gut and, of course, stops at the various ponds between Main a Dieu and Mira Gut.No telling how long we'll be out but, of course, participants can choose how long they want to participate.Make sure to check the weather and dress appropriately, bring layers and non-slip footwear. Also a good idea to bring a snack and a drink!
For our December monthly meeting, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Thomas Bouman back to the Cape Breton Naturalists Society to discuss the research the is the basis of his new book, Unraveling Tree Diversity - The Forest in Eastern Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.This is sure to be a fascinating talk, since Dr. Bouman's research includes assessments of tree diversity in forest regions with a history of human-induced disturbances and transformations of nature such as agricultural settlement, acid rain, climate change, industrial wood exploitation, and the introduction of pathogens such as beech bark disease.December 16th, 2025
630pm
James McConnell Memorial Library
50 Falmouth Street, Sydney
Nature News in CB
News or events that may be of interest to our group
Hello Naturalists!
Our events coordinator, Alicia Penney, presented a webinar on July 23, 2024 with the Canadian Wildlife Federation about moths and moth-ing, perfect for beginners and experienced naturalists alike.
Click here to watch the webinar on YouTube
Click here to read a wonderful article about Pixie Williams that was mentioned in David McCorqodale's presentation at our monthly meeting, April 13, 2023.
Members Photo Gallery
Send us an email at CapeBretonNaturalists@gmail.com if you would like us to include your photos in our gallery! Maximum of 3 photos at a time, please :)
The amazing phenomenon of "hair ice". Photo by Bill English.
Hair ice on a birch twig. Photo by Bill English.
Pink Ladyslipper by Jules Cameron
Half-black Bumblebee having a snack in a Spotted Jewelweed bloom. Photo by Jules Cameron
American Red Squirrel sneaking a cheeky peanut. Photo by Jules Cameron.
3 photos from member Angela MacNeil: "I can share this photo that I took today when I was enjoying the winter day. I love the taller spruce trees, although many were cut in my area so it’s a bit sad to see a spruce tree of so many years no longer there."
"After the hurricane I think many people in Cape Breton were happy to see the trees that were still here post storm, as we have a beautiful island really." Angela MacNeil
Thank you for your photos, Angela!
Steve McGrath and Maureen Cameron-MacMillan observe a raft of scaup in Glace Bay, February 2023. Photo by Alicia Penney.
David McCorquodale and J.D. Bharvad at the ACAP CB Harbour Hop January 21st, 2023. Photo by Alicia Penney
Naturalists observing tree swallows at Mira Gut during the City Nature Challenge, April 29, 2023. Photo by Alicia Penney.
More to Learn
Check out the links below for more groups, societies and projects with a naturalist focusEnjoying Nature Responsibly
eBird.org Birding Ethics Guidelines
Audubon's Guide to Ethical Bird Photography
Leave No TraceLocal Groups and Societies
CB Naturalists Society iNaturalist Project
The Cape Breton Fungis - CB Mycological Society
Nova Scotia Mycological Society Facebook
Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society
Cape Breton University Biology
Cape Breton Island Wildlife Association Facebook
Birding Cape Breton Facebook
Nova Scotia Bird Society
Cape Breton Cetacean Sightings Facebook
Nova Scotia Species at Risk Facebook
Reptiles and Amphibians of Nova Scotia Facebook
Nature Nova Scotia
Atlantic Canada Conservation Data CentreCommunity Science
Some websites where your observations can contribute to research about wildlife in Cape Breton
Bras d'Or Watch
Bras d'Or Watch Facebook
Cape Breton Weather Mesonet
Article about the Mesonet
Vernal Pool Mapping Project
Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas
Maritimes Butterfly Atlas
iNaturalist.ca
City Nature Challenge
eBird.org
Christmas Bird Count
National Moth WeekNatural History and Related Organizations
E.C. Smith Herbarium
Atlantic Coastal Action Program Cape Breton
Unama'ki Institute of Natural Resources
Bras d'Or Lakes Biosphere Region Assoc.
Nova Scotia Museum
Nova Scotia Nature Trust
Birds Canada
Contact
Please send us a note if you have any feedback or suggestions for outings, guest speakers, or other events.We would love to hear from you if you would like to get involved, give a presentation, or lead a field trip.Let us know if you would like to be added to our email list to be notified of upcoming outings and events.
Thanks!
Background image by Steven McGrath
Past Events
A great turnout for the fungus walk on September 28, 2024
The fungus was photogenic and prolific, and the weather was fine!
Past president of the CB Naturalists and wildlife biologist Maureen Cameron-MacMillan shares some good news about rebounding bat populations in Eastern NS.
Bill English discusses the numerous species of trees which can be found in the acadian forest, and how to assess their health
Our members were fascinated by how much you can learn about trees just by looking, if you know what to look for!
Alicia Penney records a close up of Fritz McAvoy's "miscellaneous moths" container for the CB Naturalists Facebook live stream. Fritz wowed us with a presentation about his work collecting, identifying and cataloguing moths (and building his own storage!)
Dave Harris shows photos from a recent trip to Botswana to a rapturous audience at our October 2023 Monthly Meeting in North Sydney
A wonderful group of naturalists getting ready to explore Pottle Lake watershed on a beautiful day in October
Observing some green elf cups and slime mold in the Pottle Lake watershed
We had a great turnout for the Lewis Mountain Road Trail walk, with lots of experienced and new naturalists. The weather was perfect, and our guide was sure to point out lots of interesting plants and lichens.
Sean Haughian gave us some tips and tricks to remember how to identify ferns and mosses - such as this beech fern moustache!
A wonderfully informative and inspiring recap of the life and influence of naturalist Pixie Williams, and all of the tangible and intangible contributions she made to natural history in Cape Breton and beyond. The audience was left wanting more!
Does that slide feature a young David Schwimmer? No! It's one of our longtime members, Dave Harris!
Sean Blaney's excellent talk on the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre's activities in Cape Breton at the North Sydney library was wonderful. He described the grueling fieldwork by his team in the C.B. Highlands N.P., finding rare arctic species
Society members Dave McCorquodale and Bethsheila Kent share a laugh at the April 6th, 2023 meeting in North Sydney.
Intrepid blitzers on the last leg of the CNC blitz in Broughton
Hoping for Short-eared Owls in Broughton. No luck, but lots of nice nocturnal observations of other species like American Woodcock and Spring Peepers.
