Nature Apps Workshop & Walk

Join the Nature Trust of New Brunswick and the Saint John Naturalists’ Club on April 23^rd (Rain date: April 24^th) for a fun and informative workshop at Brundage Point River Centre and Noremac Nature Preserve! The Nature Trust currently conserves and stewards over 10,000 acres of land at over 70 Nature Preserves throughout New Brunswick. In order to care for and manage these lands, staff and stewards rely on various apps to help them collect data and make informed decisions about land conservation and management. If you’ve ever been curious about how apps can help everyone become citizen scientists in their own communities, you won’t want to miss this hands-on, educational workshop!

Activities will be led by Nature Trust leaders with experts on site to assist. Workshop topics include:

• Introduction to the Nature Trust of NB – Project, programs, and more!
• How to be a citizen scientist
• Using the iNaturalist app, e-bird, and field guides to identify species
• Navigating with the Avenza app for trail building and walkthroughs
• And more!

The day will begin with a presentation and app demonstration at the Brundage Point River Centre. Following lunch, we will reconvene at the Noremac Nature Preserve for field activities to get real, hands-on experience with the apps and expert advice each step of the way! Trails are of moderate difficulty, with wooden boardwalks and smaller wet patches.

Event Details and Registration

Date: April 23, 2022 (Rain date: April 24)

Time: 10:00am – 2:00pm

Full schedule and presenter bios will be circulated in advance.

Register here to secure your spot: link

Masks and proof of vaccination are required to enter the venue.

Venues/Locations:

10:00am: Brundage Point River Centre 

• 4 Ferry Rd, Grand Bay-Westfield, NB, E5K 0A8

12:00pm: Noremac Nature Preserve

• To reach the Noremac Nature Preserve trail, from highway 177 Martinon Bypass take Acamac Backland Road for 1.6 km to the parking area at the end of the road (right by the big Grand Bay-Westfield sign on the adjacent highway 7). From there walk the old woods road approximately 430 metres to the trailhead.

What to Bring

• A smartphone (if you have one) with Avenza/iNaturalist downloaded in advance (installation details here.) Please come prepared with the apps downloaded do your device.
• Shoes for walking (rubber boots, ice cleats, etc.)
• Clothing layers/waterproof layers as needed (dress for the weather)
• Field guides
• Binoculars (if you have them)
• A notebook and pencil
• Packed lunch, snacks, water
• Mask and proof of vaccination

Thank you to our funders: Wildlife Habitat Trust Fund, McInnes Cooper, EcoAction Community Funding Program, Howard Webster Foundation, NB Wildlife Trust Fund, Environmental Trust Fund

Ambassador Program

This workshop is part of the Nature Trust’s 2022 Ambassador Program. The Ambassador Program teaches you the tools you need to support nature conservation in your own backyard and on nature preserves throughout the province. The program is designed for experienced stewards and curious community members alike to build skills and contribute to protecting the natural places you love. 

To learn more and to register for our upcoming Orientation Webinar on April 19^th, visit: https://www.naturetrust.nb.ca/en/ambassador-program