Special Mi’kmaq plants
Plants have always been an important part of Mi’kmaq tradition, not just for food but as cures and prevention for many common ailments. Today it is not unusual to see Mi’kmaq Elders picking sweetgrass for ceremonies and other plants as cures for everything from stomach cramps to relieving the symptoms of the common cold. UINR...
Marten matchmaking
The dating pool for American Marten in Unama’ki just took a leap forward with the release in the Highlands of five animals that were recently trapped in northern New Brunswick! Lending a hand in the matchmaking were UINR staff members, Clifford Paul and Blair Bernard, along with representatives from Parks Canada and Nova Scotia Department...
Marten comeback
Early records estimate that over a thousand marten lived in Unama’ki in the late 1800s. For many years considered to be extinct here, we now know that there are considerably less than 100 martens in Unama’ki. A combination of over-trapping and loss of forest habitat forced the remaining marten into remote areas of the Highlands...
Shrewd Shrew!
In our last issue (Spring 2006) we introduced you to the Species at Risk of extinction in Unama’ki. Missing from those photos was the Gaspe Shrew (Sorex gaspensis). At press time we were still unable to come up with an illustration of this elusive creature that lives in the Cape Breton Highlands. No one we...
Have you seen us?
Not likely. All these species are at risk of extinction in Unama’ki. Species at Risk are animals, plants, and other organisms that are at serious risk of extinction, usually due to human activities which pose a threat to the species or their habitat. In Nova Scotia today there are over ten thousand wildlife species: 5...
Piping Plover in the Bras d’Or?
The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a bird found only in North America and is currently listed under the Species At Risk Act (SARA) as endangered. The adult is a small, sandy-colored bird with a white underbelly and black ring around its neck. Other distinctive features include a black band across its crown, an orange...
Forestry Division
In January 2002, an agreement between Stora Enso and the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources (UINR) was signed in which outlined provisions for forestry management services to be carried out by UINR on the Cape Breton crown lands. This management includes forest planning, harvesting and silviculture. The two parties also agreed to establish a joint...