CEPI Youth

A critical aspect of CEPI’s work is to establish and build capacity to allow for better assessment of environmental health. CEPI is working towards the developm...ent of a forest management guide and associated monitoring program that will support sustainable forestry in an ecologically sensitive watershed. See more

Species Watch: Last Chance for Submissions! Thank you for all the submissions to part three of our species watch contest! There is still time to enter. Get you...r photos of Unama'ki Species at Risk into the contest. The final date for entries is November 19th, 2020. Submit a photo via social media (Facebook of Instagram) using the hashtag #UINRspecieswatch or private message this page. We will be drawing for prizes on November 20th! How you can help these species at risk? - Learn to recognize these species, share your knowledge, report sightings! - Become a citizen scientist using the iNaturalist app. - Reduce your greenhouse gas emissions to help maintain the deep snow found in Cape Breton. - Be an advocate of sustainable forestry practices and buy Sustainable Forestry Initiative or Forest Stewardship council certified products. - Partnerships with local stakeholders like landowners, foresters, and trappers (who are currently collecting good data for NS DNR) are key to helping lynx, marten, black ash and boreal felt lichen.

Species Watch: Threats to lichen and ash Before we can learn how to help species at risk such as boreal felt lichen and black ash in Unama’ki, it is important t...o understand the threats that they face. Threats to boreal felt lichen: Air pollution and acid rain. Clearcuts and tree plantations. Land development. Climate change and severe weather events. Our lack of knowledge about where it is found. Threats to black ash Threat posed by the invasive beetle known as Emerald ash borer. The unknown factor (most likely an introduced disease or insect, potentially the wooly alder psyllid) that is believed to have caused major declines in Nova Scotia since 1958 Climate change, which is predicted to significantly reduce the region suitable for Black Ash within one to two generations. Unsustainable logging and wood harvesting. Wood and pulp plantations. Land conversion for agriculture, renewable energy, industrial, or residential purposes. Severe browsing by dense populations of introduced deer. Get your photo submissions in soon! Any species that we've highlighted or that might be related to them. Contest draw will happen next week!

Fantastic opportunity for Indigenous youth aged 15-30 who may be interested in starting their own business someday!! Check it out

Species Highlight- Rusty Black Bird (Euphagus carolinus) The Rusty Black Bird is known as Pu’tliskiej in Mi’kmaq. It is listed as a species of special concern in Unama’ki due to a decline of 85-90% since 1970 in North America. The decline began in the 1920’s but recent population trends indicate the population has been fairly stable between 2004 and 2014. Remember to keep watch and enter any sightings into our contest using the hashtag #UINRspecieswatch... Life Cycle Typically nest in isolated pairs. The female lays three to seven eggs. Incubation lasts 14 days, and the chicks remain in the nest for about 13 days. Birds from eastern Canada winter mostly east of the Appalachian Mountains Habitat Almost entirely within the boreal forest. Breeding habitat is characterized by coniferous-dominated forests adjacent to slow-moving streams, peat bogs, marshes, swamps and beaver ponds. Primary habitat for migration is wooded wetlands. In winter, it occurs primarily in lowland forestlands and cultivated fields. Defining Characteristics for identification Breeding males are dark glossy black with a greenish sheen. Non-breeding males are dark brown overall with rusty edging on the feathers, pale eye, and a pale eyebrow. Females are brownish to rusty colored with pale eyes, and a pale eyebrow that contrasts with darker feathers around the eye. The breeding male song consists of two or three notes, followed by a higher rising note, like the creak of rusty hinges. Call note is a harsh check.

Species Highlight Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) The Common Nighthawk is known as Pi’jkwej in Mi’kmaq. It is listed as a species of special concern in Unama’ki due to a population decline of 68% since 1970 in North America. The rate of decline has slowed over the past decade, and the species appears to be quite abundant in suitable boreal habitats. Remember to keep watch and enter any sightings into our contest using the hashtag #UINRspecieswatch... Life Cycle Arrives in Canada from early May to mid-June. Produces one clutch per year. Faithfully returning to their nesting sites, females lay an average of two eggs directly on the ground up until mid-August. The female incubates the eggs on her own. Depending on the region, incubation lasts from 16 to 20 days. Nestlings remain in the nest until they are 45 to 52 days old. The species migrates to South America between August and September. Common Nighthawks eat flying insects almost exclusively. The Common Nighthawk has a lifespan of four or five years. Habitat They nest in a wide range of open, vegetation-free habitats, including dunes, beaches, recently harvested forests, burnt-over areas, logged areas, rocky outcrops, rocky barrens, grasslands, pastures, peat bogs, marshes, lakeshores, and river banks. They may have also taken advantage of newly opened habitats created by the massive deforestation associated with European colonization. How to Identify Slender bird with long, pointed wings. White on the wings, located closer to the bend of the wing. Extremely short-legged with a tiny bill and small Flat head. Rather chunky looking when perched, but slim in flight. Well camouflaged in gray, white, buff, and black. Plumage color varies across the range with some individuals having rustier tones while others are greyer. Common Nighthawks give a nasal peent or beer call while flying. When defending a nest, the female gives a hissing or throaty cluck. Courting males give a croaking auk auk auk call. During the breeding season, the male makes a booming sound by flexng his wings while diving, making air rush through his primaries.

Species Highlight Canada Warbler (Cardellina Canadensis) The Canada Warbler is listed as a threatened species in Unama’ki due to a population decline of 85% since 1968 in North America. Remember to keep watch and enter any sightings into our contest using the hashtag #UINRspecieswatch Life Cycle... The female lays four to five eggs once a year, with incubation lasting about 12 days. The chicks remain in the nest for about 10 days after hatching, completely dependent on their parents for two to three weeks after they leave the nest. Over wintering takes place in South America, with fall migration beginning around July 10 and ending around September 20. The species returns to its Canadian breeding grounds between May 12 and June 14. The Canada Warbler feeds mainly on flying insects, such as mosquitoes and butterflies and moths, and spiders in the shrub layer. Habitat The Canada Warbler builds its nest on or close to the ground, often in dense ferns or fallen logs. Found in a variety of forest types, but it is most commonly in wet, mixed deciduous-coniferous forest with a well-developed shrub layer. In winter, this migratory bird uses primarily mature cloud rainforests located at an elevation of 1000 to 2500 m, as well as old-growth forests, forest edges, coffee plantations, agricultural field edges and semi-open areas. How to Identify Dull gray above Bright yellow below Obvious whitish eye ring Most notable feature is their broken black necklace across the chest on adult males, females also have the necklace but it is less bold. Song is fast-paced, starting with a chip and followed by sweet but hurried warbling phrases.

The Barn swallow, known as Pukwales in Mi’kmaq, is listed as a threatened species in Unama’ki. This is due to a decline of 3.6% per year in Canada, which adds to an overall decline of 76% over a 40-year period. Remember to keep watch and enter any sightings into our contest using the hashtag: #UINRspecieswatch Learn more about this species at risk below ... Life Cycle Barn swallows winter in Central and South America, and are very social on wintering grounds and during migration. Egg-laying starts in May in southern Canada. Two broods are produced each year, except in the far north. The Barn Swallow nests in small, loose colonies that usually contain no more than about 10 pairs. Barn Swallow parents sometimes get help from other birds to feed their young. These "helpers at the nest are usually older siblings from previous clutches, but unrelated juveniles may help as well. This species forages in the air and specializes on a diet of flying insects. The oldest known Barn Swallow in North America was at least 10 years old! Habitat Following European colonization, they shifted largely to nesting in and on artificial structures, including barns and other outbuildings, garages, houses, bridges, and road culverts. Barn Swallows prefer various types of open habitats for foraging, including grassy fields, pastures, various kinds of agricultural crops, lake and river shorelines, cleared rights-of-way, cottage areas and farmyards, islands, wetlands, and subarctic tundra. How to Identify Steely blue back, wings and tail. Cinnamon underparts. The throat and forehead are rusty. Long wings. Tail is long and deeply forked with a white band across it. Both male and female sing a twitter-warble song during courtship and egg-laying, with a long series of continuous warbling sounds followed by up to a dozen rapid, mechanical-sounding whirrs. The song can last 4-20 seconds and is often introduced and followed by a chirp.