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 10 February 2026
JD Bharvad - President
Bethsheila Kent - Vice President
Nicola Anderson -Secretary
Alicia Penney - Events Coordinator / Communications Director
Jacquelyn Burneau - Treasurer
John Saunders - Member at Large
Maureen Cameron-MacMillan - Member at LargeMembership
$25 - Individual Membership (annual)
$35 - Family membership (annual)
How to join: sign up in person at any of our meetings or events, or contact us to arrange e-transfer.Note: While membership in the Society is required to vote on Society business, all of our meetings and events are open to everyone, regardless of membership status.
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!
Stay tuned for news about our upcoming meetings!
Our next monthly meeting takes place on April 14 at 6:00pm at the Glace Bay Library, 43 Commercial Street.In 2025, researchers at Cape Breton University and the Dept. of Natural Resources began a detailed ecological survey of Dominion Beach. However, this coincided with a beach "nourishment" project which saw construction of berms and the addition of gravel and rock to the beach in an effort to prevent erosion.This provided a unique learning opportunity for the students and community members to learn about not only biodiversity and conservation, but also about the policy and procedures around sensitive natural areas.Kellie White (CBU) spearheaded the biodiversity survey, and she will give us a presentation on all she has learned about these projects.
Our final meeting of the Spring, 2026 season will take place on May 12 at 6:00pm at the Wilfred Oram Centennial Library, 309 Commercial Street, North Sydney.This Nature Show and Tell is an opportunity for you to bring in your natural treasures or collections, or share a story or some photos with your fellow naturalists.Please ensure that all specimens or objects you bring in are safe to handle, ethically obtained, and legal to possess.
Nature News in CB
News or events that may be of interest to our group
We are very excited about the annual ACAP Cape Breton Harbour Hop and want to invite you to join us for some great winter birding.
No experience or equipment necessary, but make sure to dress for the weather.Date: Feb 21st, 9:30 am
Locations: Sydney River (Parking around Victoria Hill and Sunrise Dr.), North Sydney (Munro Park), and Sydney Mines (end of Fraser Ave.)
Details: David McCorquodale and David Harris from The Bird Hour will be there to guide the event. Coffee will be provided. Due to the volume of snow we've gotten over the past month, we anticipate some areas to still have standing snow and ice. We have an iNaturalist project where observations can be added (linked in ACAP socials - https://www.acapcb.ns.ca/events).Hope to see you there!
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.
