The Ecology

Reports and articles from scientists on the high biodiversity of Owls Head Provincial Park Reserve

Nina Newington: “The Climate Crisis Cannot Be Solved Without Solving the Nature Crisis”

It [the IPBES report] identifies actions to simultaneously fight both crises, including expanding nature reserves and restoring—or halting the loss of—ecosystems rich in species and carbon, such as forests, natural grasslands and kelp forests.

The only way Bill 57 addresses the biodiversity crisis is by mandating the protection of 20% of our land and water by 2030. This is a definite improvement over previous goals but I would urge that we need an earlier target of 2025. This will not be easy to achieve but it is essential. Our federal government has agreed to implement the UN’s goal of protecting 30% of lands and waters on earth by 2030.

Here in Nova Scotia, we should get cracking on our 20% target. First on the to-do list: restore Owls Head, with its globally rare ecosystem, to the list of proposed Parks and Protected Areas then immediately protect all the areas on the PPA list.

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By Save Owls Head, ago

Carbon and Conservation

Why Our Elections Need to be about Hectares, Not Just Climate Change

We need to conserve this nation with every bit the vigor we apply to climate change, and our government will not – in fact it cannot – succeed in either case without robust public engagement. So, while each of us reconciles our carbon footprint, with electric cars, vegan diets, heat pumps and solar panels, we must also identify those remaining patches of wilderness we’re willing to fight for, and insist they one day constitute our 30 per cent by 2030. Then we need to go find more.

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By Save Owls Head, ago

Support Science at Owls Head Provincial Park

Marine biologist Dr. Kristina Boerder has launched a Go-Fund-Me campaign to fund important scientific research at Owls Head Provincial Park. If you can’t afford to make a donation, check out other ways to take action, here.

Donate Here

Please help us with this important research at Owls Head Provincial Park! Your contribution will cover essential costs for volunteers during our scientific expeditions, including:

  • Food and water
  • Transportation to and from the Eastern Shore
  • Research equipment rentals, such as snorkeling and diving gear for marine surveys
  • Photography and media support to help document our research and share our results

The findings from our 2021 expeditions will be publicly available so everyone can learn about the conservation value of Owls Head Provincial Park.

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By Save Owls Head, ago