Irving Nature Park
Sand Cove Rd E2M 4Z9 Saint John, NB, Canada

Kate Furbish, a botanist and botanical artist during the 1800’s, from Brunswick, Maine, discovered the rare plant of Furbish lousewort. Lousewort is found along the banks of the Saint John River and actually depends upon periodic scouring of the river banks by ice in order to flourish. Today, J.D. Irving Limited protects more than half of this species habitat. Check out the related article below!... https://medium.com//seeing-the-furbishs-lousewort-through-

The beach road and beach road parking, were freshly sanded today to reduce some of the ice build up that had been occurring in these areas. Happy trails!

Check out http://www.acapsj.org/harbour-seals to learn more about the awesome work that ACAP Saint John is doing on the Harbour Seal population within the Bay of Fundy. Follow the link to find out how you can help with Harbour Seal monitoring! This photo was taken at the Irving Nature Park just this winter. The next time you visit the park, see if you can spot these magnificent animals!

Happy Friday! When you are out on your winter adventures, do you find it tough to identify those trees that once had recognizable leaves attached? Here are just a few tips on how to identify between deciduous (broadleaved) trees during the winter season. Take note of: - The basic shape of the tree (some tree crowns are umbrella shaped, some oval, some round, etc).... - The buds. Buds are next year’s leaves and flowers, tightly wrapped in tough packaging. What is the same and what is different about the various buds you see (are they round or pointed or blunt or hairy or scaly)? - The colour and structure of the tree’s bark. What colour is the bark? Is the bark smooth or furrowed or flaky? Can anyone guess what deciduous tree species is featured below!?

Happy 2021! The conditions this morning at the Irving Nature Park are perfect for a winter hike, snowshoe or cross country ski We want to know - what is your favourite winter activity!?

What a beautiful December day at the Irving Nature Park! The sun was shining perfectly on Manawagonish and Thumb Cap Island, located just off the shore from Saint's Rest Beach. Did you know that Manawagonish Island is a protected sea bird sanctuary of the Nature Trust of New Brunswick? The island used to be covered in a forest of spruce and fir trees, however, it's population of sea birds have changed the vegetation cover. The bird guano, aka bird poop, killed off the trees. ...Man-made poles with platforms were constructed on the island to provide roosting sites for blue herons. Check out this article by the CBC for more interesting facts and history of Manawagonish and Thumb Cap Island! https://www.cbc.ca//manawagonish-island-saint-john-nature-

Sunrise this morning along Saints Rest Beach at 8:04 a.m. with a temperature of -9 degrees Celsius. Winter hiking can be a lot of fun and provide the opportunity to try different activities such as snowshoeing or cross country skiing. But with shorter daylight hours and colder temperatures, winter hiking requires a little more planning than your regular hiking excursion. Here are just a few tips to keep yourself safe and comfortable during any outdoor winter adventure > Dr...ess appropriately. Layer up with a base layer, mid-layer and jacket. Avoid cotton as the material holds moisture and can make you cold when wet. > Start your hike early and finish early. Sunlight hours are limited, so make the best use of available daylight. > Stay hydrated. > Eat lots. Your body needs more calories than usual when hiking in the cold because it’s burning more to stay warm. > Electronic devices tend to malfunction in cold temperatures, so be prepared and pack extra batteries/battery packs and try to keep your devices warm. Don’t solely rely on your phone. We wanted to share a few winter hiking tips with you but there are many more out there! Happy hiking

We’d like to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season!

Can you all guess what animal this is? That’s right, a coyote! We wanted inform you all about a couple of coyote sightings along Sheldon’s Point Trail recently. Coyotes are a species of canines that are native to North America. Their diets consist of deer (we have a lot of deer around the park this year!), hares, rodents, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. It is no wonder why some coyotes have decided to venture this way, the Irving Nature Park is abundant... in their preferred diet! A diverse range of flora and fauna are able to thrive in the environment of the park, as this protected area allows nature to take its course. There are a few things you can do if you happen to meet a coyote in the great outdoors and this includes: 1) Be loud! Yell in a deep voice, stomp your feet and wave your arms to deter it from coming closer, 2) Stand your ground. Don’t try and run away - stay where you are and look it in the eye, 3) Be prepared and carry a whistle or some sort of personal alarm, and 4) Finally, be sure to keep your dogs on a leash! You do not want your off-leash dog to become a part of the encounter. Being prepared whenever you go out into nature (whether along a park trail or deep in the woods) is always best practice in keeping yourself and wildlife safe.

Happy Winter Solstice! This year, December 21st marks the shortest day of the year and the first day of winter . An exciting astronomical event will also be occurring tonight! The Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn hasn’t been witnessed in almost 800 years. Join Astronomy by the Bay tonight at 5:30pm to witness this exciting phenomenon!

David Goss and all of us from the Irving Nature Park, would like to thank you for joining us in tonight’s virtual showing of Christmas at the Barn event! We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season!

What a cool sunset, along Saints Rest Beach, with the fog rolling in after a sunny and warm November day #bayoffundy #saintawesome #discovernb

Hi Everyone! Roger here again to send out a friendly reminder, that although our gates are closed for the season, the Irving Nature Park is an on-leash park. It is important to keep us pups on a leash to protect the plants and animals that live here and to keep us all safe! Thank you for your understanding and we hope you have a great day!

Here is the fourth and final story! David Goss’s passion for storytelling is remarkable! We are delighted to have been able to share it with everyone during this unique holiday season.

It may be a brisk morning but it is a beautiful one! We just couldn't pass up the view of the sunrise at Sheldons Point Trail this morning #bayoffundy #sheldonspoint #saintawesome

Here is Story#2, we hope you enjoy!!

Due to strong winds, we have closed the gate to the inner loop of the park by the Information Kiosk, for the remainder of the night. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding Stay safe out there!

There is a lot of history in these cliffs found along Saints Rest Beach. Here at the Irving Nature Park, the evidence of a colder climate during the last ice age, is easy to see. Did you know, 14,000 years ago a glacier front was right here at Saints Rest Beach? The gravel and sand deposits above the clay within these cliffs, were deposited from the meltwater at the front of the glacier. Because of our unique geological history, the Irving Nature Park is a part of Stonehammer Geopark, the first North American member of the Global Geoparks Network. Check out https://stonehammergeopark.com to learn more!

Thank you for joining us at our end of summer event today! We hope you enjoyed planting your own tree!

Well we can’t believe it’s that time of year already! Today, November 1st, is the last day that the gates will be open for the season! We really want to thank you all for your support, cooperation and care throughout this season and throughout the changes brought on by COVID-19. It is because of our amazing park users and community, that we were able to have a safe and successful season We look forward to the new year and seeing you all again in the Spring!

Tomorrow is the day! Bring your family and friends to the main parking lot at the Irving Nature Park between 12 PM 2 PM. We will have Woodlands employees there to show you how to plant your own tree, and you will have the opportunity to enter our large giveaway! We look forward to seeing you there! :)

It is an absolutely beautiful day here at the Irving Nature Park. Halloween may look a little different this year but we would still love to see your amazing costumes (here are just a few photos of Halloween past )! We wish you all a safe and Happy Halloween!

Look who came to visit us yesterday! Ducks Unlimited took two classrooms to the Irving Nature Park to explore our Saltwater Marsh and to learn about wetland values. It was a blast! Everyone was in high spirits, masks and all! They even had time to bring in the chickadees and nuthatches along their hike. Thank you Ducks Unlimited Canada - Atlantic for a morning of educational fun!

Wow, look how well this little lady blends into her environment! I am sure that most of you have seen the many White-tailed deer here at the park (bucks, does and fawn!). Read what The Naturalist's Notebook writes on White-tailed deer at the Irving Nature Park in March of 1996: "Common tracks to find in the park's winter snow are large cloven hooves. Naturalist detectives describe them as two elongated semi-circles facing each other. These tracks belong to the White-tailed d...eer. These graceful mammals browse on buds, leaves and twigs and also on the winter saltmarsh grasses. Bucks (males) grow antlers by late summer and shed them in January or Feburary. You rarely find the antlers because other small animals chew them for their nutrients". Happy Friday All!

A big thank you to PhD student, Gina Lonati, with the University of New Brunswick Saint John, for sharing footage of Harbour Seals hauled out on the rocks across from our Seal Observation Deck! As the tide goes out, the rocks found in this location provide a good spot for the seals to rest, thermoregulate and avoid predators, and is known as a haul site. See the black and white photo comparing temperature differences between the seals and their environment (darker colours representing colder temperatures and lighter colours being warmer). Thanks Gina for this perspective!

The magnificent mudflats of the Irving Nature Park exposed at low tide An observation from The Naturalist's Notebook dated September 28, 1993, observed this amazing ecosystem, and writes: "When swiftly flowing waters move into calmer waters, fine sediments of suspended clay or mud settle to the bottom, creating mudflats. Mudflats often form in protected bays or coves, as at Saints Rest. Although a mudflat may look barren, under the surface the mud is full of small, burrowin...g invertebrates. The tiny holes you see on the mud surface are the pathways and homes for a variety of marine worms, small shrimp-like creatures called amphipods, and shellfish. The rich food supply attracts huge numbers of shorebirds, especially during migrations." #explorenb #mudflats #bayoffundy #discovernb

Still wet out there (at least the Great Blue Herons are enjoying the rain!) but the water levels have receded and the Marsh Boardwalk is clear and back open

Just as suspected! The high tide levels today have put some of our Marsh Boardwalk under water. We have temporarily closed the boardwalk until the water levels recede and will keep you updated when we open it back up! Stay warm and dry out there OR come on out for a hike in your rain suits!

Wow, look at those high tide levels experienced just before noon today along our Marsh Boardwalk! These higher than average high tides are called Spring tides and occur at the time of the new moon and full moon. Tonight, October 16th, is the night of a new moon #explorenb #bayoffundy #saintawesome #fundytides

Hi All! It's Chrissy, your new Park Manager! I just want to start out by saying how very sad we all are to see Katie, your previous Park Manager, go! Katie's passion for the Irving Nature Park and her role as manager, is demonstrated throughout the park and in the friendships and connections she has made within the community. We know that Katie will move onto some really great things and we wish her the best on her new adventures! It is my hopes to carry Katie's efforts, enth...usiasm and love for the Irving Nature Park forward, in taking on this new role. I have a deep appreciation for the environment and an understanding of the importance of connecting members of our community with our unique ecological park. Having a background in environmental management and in natural resource studies, it will be with great pride that I continue to care for the Irving Nature Park and it's current and future users. I look forward to meeting and seeing you all out on the trails! Be sure to say hi!

We've got a #throwbackthursday photo for you! Pictured below you will find two gentlemen clearing the way for a new trail with the help of a beautiful logging horse! The logging horse was used to create the Frog Trail in the Irving Nature Park. This method was used to in lieu of heavy machinery as a section of the trail meanders through an ecologically sensitive bog. Have you checked out the Frog Trail? It's our #1 recommended trail for you & your little ones! As a 30 min...ute loop with bog boardwalks, the coastal forest, & a beautiful beach - it's hard not to love! #irvingnaturepark #saintawesome #explorenb #logginghorse #wetlands #environmentallyfriendly

The weather doesn’t appear to be on our side for our event this Saturday. Therefore, we have decided to move the event to our rain date next Saturday, October 24th from 12 PM 2PM. We thank you for your understanding and hope to see you on Saturday, October 24th to learn how to plant your own tree and enter our large giveaway! See you then!

Did you know...in 2011 the Irving Nature Park received designation as Canada's first Urban Star Park by The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada? We are just far enough from the glow of Saint John to afford a glimpse of the Milky Way to city dwellers who don’t get to see this river of stars on a nightly basis. Saints' Rest Beach is an excellent place to take in a planet or two, or perhaps even a meteor shower! Alex Vienneau ... #irvingnaturepark #urbanstarpark #stars #explorenb #saintawesome