Students and Faculty Collaborate on Dominion Beach BioBlitz
CBU students and faculty from a range of courses, including the Bachelor of Arts and Science in Environment (BASE) Field Course, Marine Ecology, Entomology, Ornithology, Ecology and Chemistry, are teaming up for the Dominion Beach BioBlitz, a project that blends science, history and 福利免费在线看 to explore the future of one of Cape Breton鈥檚 most popular beaches.
Throughout the fall, students are documenting birds, insects, plants and marine life at Dominion Beach. They鈥檙e also digging deeper, working with the Beaton Institute to uncover the site鈥檚 history and with Chemistry faculty to analyze sediment for signs of coal contamination.
鈥淗urricane Fiona showed just how vulnerable our coastlines are,鈥� says Kellie White, co-director of the BASE program at CBU. 鈥淭he BioBlitz gives students the chance to apply what they鈥檙e learning while contributing knowledge that matters to our 福利免费在线看.鈥�
The BioBlitz highlights the hands-on, interdisciplinary experiences that set CBU鈥檚 programs apart. For students in the BASE program, these field projects are at the heart of their degree, offering opportunities to connect science, social science and 福利免费在线看 while preparing for graduate studies and careers in government, NGOs, consulting, education and environmental advocacy.
鈥淐ollecting marine invertebrates and plants at Dominion Beach for two of my classes has been such an eye-opening experience,鈥� said Bhreagh Dean, a BASE student. 鈥淲e鈥檝e already recorded 130 different plant species, 30 species of molluscs, and 319 species in total. It鈥檚 incredible to see how much life is packed into this one beach and to know our work is helping to document and protect it.鈥�
Community members can also get involved by recording their own sightings at Dominion Beach and sharing them on the . Together, these contributions will help build a stronger record of biodiversity on Cape Breton鈥檚 coast. With Piping Plovers returning to nest on the beach this year, the project underscores the importance of local conservation while giving students the chance to do meaningful, career-shaping research.
Interested in tackling environmental challenges hands-on while earning a flexible, interdisciplinary degree? Learn more and apply to the Bachelor of Arts and Science in Environment program at CBU.
Follow along with the Dominion BioBlitz on and the .