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MTRI 6th Annual Science Conference:

Biodiversity Workshop July 14, 2017 Caledonia Fire Hall & North Queens Business Hub

9:00— Arrival and Light Breakfast

9:30— Welcome: Peggie

Wentzell, Julie Tompa and

Tom Herman

9:45- 10:30— Biodiversity-R-US

Keynote Speaker:

Sherman Boates

Nova Scotia Department of Natural

Resources

10:35- 10:55— Biodiversity

Keynote Speaker:

Andrew Hebda

Organised as part of Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site’s first ever BioBlitz!

Sign up for Keji BioBlitz on July 15 (main park) and 16 (seaside) at:

www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ns/kejimkujik Sign up with iNaturalist.ca to get mobile app for BioBlitzing today!

WIFI: Firehall pass# NQFIRE9793/ HUB (BELLALIANT3864) pass# bell682154

~15 min Break ~

11:15- 11:35— iNaturalist:

Denis Doucet

Parks Canada

11:40- 11:55— BioBlitz:

Sean Brillant

Canadian Wildlife Federation

12:00- 1:00— Lunch

1:00- 3:30— Workshops

3:30– 4:00— Closing

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Fire Hall

Community Room

(Cap: 100+)

Fire Hall

Training Room

(Cap: 20+)

HUB

Board Room

(Cap: 10+)

HUB

Main Room

(Cap: 30+)

Outdoors

1:00pm to 1:30pm

Ferns

Alain Belliveau

Atlantic Canada

Conservation Data Centre

Turtles and Snakes

Steve Mockford

Acadia U.

Sea Birds

Megan Boucher

Ticks

Andrew Hebda

Nova Scotia

Museum

Butterflies

Charlane Bishop

1:30pm to 2:00pm

Orchids

Alain Belliveau

Atlantic Canada

Conservation Data Centre

Frogs

Steve Mockford

Acadia U.

Marine Fish

Megan Boucher

Dragonflies

Tom Herman

Acadia U.

Medicinal Plants

Lesley Rogers

Parks Canada

2:00pm to 2:30pm

Bats

Jason Headley

MTRI

Salamanders

Steve Mockford

Acadia U.

Resident Winter Birds

Greg Stroud

Parks Canada

Shrews, voles, and mice

Tom Herman

Acadia U.

E-bird

Bob and Wendy McDonald

2:30pm to 3:00pm

Mi'Kmaw Medicinal Uses of Plants

Tuma Young

Cape Breton U.

Wildlife photos

Denis Doucet

Parks Canada

Intertidal Species

Sean Brillant

Canadian Wildlife Federation

Mosses

Anne Mills and Tom Neily

Independent/MTRI

iNaturalist

Matt Smith

Parks Canada

3:00pm to 3:30pm

Forest Birds

Holly Lightfoot

Parks Canada

Learn to Navigate

Jackie Woodruff

Parks Canada

Freshwater Fish

Darrin Reid

Parks Canada

Lichens

Harold Clapp and Brad Toms

Independent/MTRI

General plants

Sean Blaney

Atlantic Canada

Conservation Data Centre

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Biodiversity Workshop Detailed Schedule

9:00— Arrival and Light Breakfast

9:30— Welcome to the Conference (Peggie Wentzell, Julie Tompa, and

Tom Herman)

9:45- 10:30— Biodiversity-R-US (keynote): Sherman Boates, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources

A talk on biodiversity and how we are inseparable from it. We will consider; what biodiversity is, what it does, as well as, some new tools that make it accessible, fun and easy. Finally, we will con-sider how we can be useful in the conservation of biodiversity.

Dr. J. Sherman Boates is a conservation biologist working on research, inventory and monitoring, management, policy and legal components of species and biodiversity conservation. As Manager of the Biodiversity Program for the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources he is responsible for programs that have a species, and/or biodiversity component including species at risk. As an Adjunct Professor in Biology at Acadia University he has taught conservation biology courses and has had research projects and students working on shorebirds, invertebrates, goshawks, seabirds and plants. He is a keen student of natural history and a passionate champion of biodiversity.

10:35- 10:55— Biodiversity (keynote): Andrew Hebda, Nova Scotia Museum

What does biodiversity actually look like in a regional context? And what influences do anthropo-genic activities have on how it comes out? We will explore the idea that biodiversity means much more than lists of species and abundance.

Andrew Hebda started his career as an evacuation officer in the military (CFMS), followed by bio-logical consulting. He is currently working as Curator of Zoology Nova Scotia Museum and has been doing so since 1995. His research interests (aside from curating activities) include Mammals, Fish and invertebrates (including Marine Molluscs). Andrew is currently heavily involved in moni-toring for spread of vectors of infectious diseases. He is active in public programming, media inter-face and community work. He has run a sheep farm with wife (Gwyneth) for last 34 years.

~15 Minute Break ~

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11:15- 11:35— iNaturalist: Denis Doucet, Parks Canada

iNaturalist is a great tool to register observations from BioBlitzes that are happening in Parks across Canada this year for the 150th Anniversary. People take pictures with their mobile phones and digital cameras and upload these to the website.

Denis Doucet is on his fifth year with Fundy National Park as a seasonal interpreter, and was at Kouchibouguac National Park for eight years before that. He has also served as a professional tour guide (birding / whale watching / nature guide) with Fundy Hiking and Nature Tours for a dozen years. He is a former zoologist for the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre (2005-2009). Denis’ wildlife photography is featured in several field guides, including Dragonflies and Damsel-flies of the East by Dennis Paulson (Princeton University Press), Butterflies of Minnesota, Insects of the Pacific Northwest by Merrill Peterson and Beetles of North America by Art Evans. His specialty in entomology is Odonata, but he has also spent a fair bit of time with Orthoptera, Coccinellidae and Butterflies. Denis loves BioBlitzing and iNaturalist!

11:40- 11:55—BioBlitz: Sean Brillant, Canadian Wildlife Federation

Bioblitzes are all the rage, but they are more than just a fad, and a lot more important. Sean will talk with you about what they are, why they matter to the world, and what you get out of doing them.

Dr. Sean Brillant is the Senior Conservation Biologist – Marine Programs for Canadian Wildlife Fed-eration and is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Originally from New Brunswick, Sean did undergradu-ate and graduate studies at University of New Brunswick- St. John and his PhD at the University of Sydney in Australia. He is an experimental marine ecologist, with a background in management and conservation. Sean works on a wide range of topics; from right whales, to carnivorous gastro-pods, to commercial fishing gear, to rocky shorelines. Last year, he saw his first flying squirrel.

12:00– 1:00— Lunch

1:00-3:30- Concurrent Workshops (see workshop schedule and floor plan)

3:30-4:00- Closing

~THANK YOU FOR JOINING US~

Please fill out an evaluation form and leave it at the door with your name-tag. We strive to incorporate comments and improve our conference every year so

we appreciate your constructive criticism.

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