Mammals of Nova Scotia

  Canada

• All Other Areas in Canada: 
Halifax

Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: see website for details

Description: Research Mission
Monitoring mammal populations to determine the potential impacts of climate change and other environmental changes.

Situation Report
South Shore region, Nova Scotia, Canada -- On Canada's rugged Atlantic Coast, Nova Scotia is a peninsula of wilderness, twice the size of Massachusetts. Less than one million people live here, mostly along the 7,500 kilometers of meandering shoreline. That leaves lots of room for an abundance of wildlife, from moose to meadow voles, lynx to loons, in the vast forests, rolling hills, and varied coastline of the South Shore region. Nova Scotia's ecological diversity is a product of delicately balanced environmental conditions, vulnerable to the rapid changes expected with global warming. You can help Drs. Christina Buesching and Chris Newman explore how Nova Scotia's wilderness ecosystem is coping with the impacts of climate change, with implications for forestry, hunting, and tourism so vital to the local economy.

Meals and Accommodations
Your team will be based in traditional accommodation on the south shore, in double rooms with shared bathrooms, lecture room, and a large garden with sundeck and BBQ for relaxing on an evening. Spectacular white-sand beaches, rocky inlets, and salty lagoons litter this coastline, including some of the few remaining breeding areas for the endangered piping plover. Nutritious meals will be provided, sometimes featuring local specialties, with clean-up help from the volunteers.

Highlights: On the Expedition
Working in a diversity of habitats, from forests to meadows and from wetlands to sweeping beaches, you will use various methods to monitor wildlife. You'll observe the behavior of raccoons, beavers, and skunks and the feeding habits of porcupines, and establish the locations of dens and wildlife trails. You may also use infared video surveillance and camera traps to monitor more elusive animals, such as moose, fisher, coyote, or bobcat. You'll use trapping grids to sample rodents and shrews, and count deer and moose droppings to provide density estimates and habitat preferences. You may also be involved with "lamping" for nocturnal wildlife, using bat-detectors to count bats, sampling invertebrates, surveying seabirds, and watching for marine wildlife.

Qualifications: Earthwatch volunteers are enthusiastic to learn about the research topic and are willing to contribute their time and energy to support leading scientists in conducting field research. Volunteers will be trained upon arrival at the research site. Teams have a minimum age of 18, unless accompanied by parent or legal guardian, in which case the minimum age is 16.

Cost in US$: $2,746

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Earthwatch expeditions appeal to a variety of people: educators gain new knowledge and develop exciting lesson plans; students explore career options and build research skills; writers, photographers and artists contribute their skills and share their experiences through a variety of media; businessmen and women, doctors and nurses, engineers, homemakers, retirees . . . people from all walks of life choose to volunteer on research expeditions each year. Volunteers are actively engaged on a daily basis with the research project, develop global perspectives, and explore new cultures and environments.

Age Range: 18 - 90

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Canada Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 6-12

Scholarships are Available. - Fellowships may be available, mainly for high-school students and educators. Visit our website for more information.

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Earthwatch Institute's Mission Statement: Earthwatch Institute engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Through a unique method of funding, the volunteers Share of Cost contributes directly to the support of the research projects. Earthwatch enables scientists to pursue research goals and members of the public to gain hands-on experience with science. Each year, over 4,000 people from 46 countries directly contribute to scientific research by working alongside scientists, local community members and other volunteers. Earthwatch volunteers can track sea turtles; join archaeological digs; observe animal behavior; collect rare plants, study dolphin behavior and more. The Earthwatch community also includes 20,000 global members, 4,000 eager volunteers each year, 50 collaborating conservation organizations, and 50 corporate partners, all of whom work together to make a difference. Below you will find out more about our leadership, employment opportunities, and contact information.

Year Founded: 1971