Welcome from Lisa Young UINR’s Executive Director

As common as talk about the warm spring weather are people’s comments on the wonder of seeing nature come alive again. Early fishing, spring peepers singing in the ponds, and plants and trees flowering are what we look forward to with the return of longer days and warming nights.

After an unusually mild winter, Spring arrived early this year–earlier than any in memory. Climate change is not something that is happening in the future, it’s happening right now. We are seeing changes in weather patterns, storm activity, rising sea levels and coastal erosion.

For example, the road to the historic graveyard at Malagawatch is no longer passable and despite efforts to stabilize the banks, immediate work needs to be done. We developed a plan to provide relief to the erosion and preserve this significant area of Mi’kmaq, French and British history.

In this issue we pay special tribute to Shelley Denny, UINR’s Biologist and Research Coordinator. Shelley’s understanding of the Bras d’or Lakes extends to her passion for protecting the environment. Shelley’s commitment to using earth-friendly products is making a difference in the health of our communities. If we all take a step and do even one little thing, we are making things better for ourselves today and for our families tomorrow.