Siwkw – Spring is in the air! After all the mild winter weather, it is great to see the pussywillows announcing the return of Spring, the most important season of all. Spring represents a new beginning for all of earth’s creations. That is the focus of this, the third issue of UINR Marten–new beginnings.
Of great concern to us are the disappearing plants and animals in Unama’ki. We have been working on a project to educate Mi’kmaq school children about the species at risk in Unama’ki and we produced a poster that identifies eight of the most threatened species. To help you identify them we have included photos and some information on what you can do to help.
All winter, the talk has been on the mild weather we have been experiencing. Everyone has a story to tell and we have collected some of our favourites to share with you. Global warming and climate change are the most important issues facing us today. It is up to each and every one of us to do what we can to reduce the impact of these changes on our environment.
This issue also marks new beginnings for UINR in the form of new staff and initiatives. Clifford Paul has joined us to help develop a management plan for moose in Nova Scotia. Shelley Porter has come aboard to coordinate the Bras d’or Lakes CEPI and Blair Bernard is coordinating a new Natural Resource Officer program for Unama’ki. Madeline Yakimchuk has also joined us to develop a documentary video on the human impact on the change in the oyster fisheries.
Spring’s new beginnings heralds more projects from UINR to watch for: Cape Breton (Collaborative Salmon Initiative), Wtisi Science Nest, Traditional Ecological Knowledge Workshops, and more.
charlie@uinr.ca