Late spring and early summer see finback and minke whales and harbour porpoises to be the first to arrive from their southern breeding grounds. By mid June humpback whales return along with white-sided dolphins. By mid-July the water are active with whale and dolphin common until the fall. If you are lucky, you will get a glimpse of the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale or a Pilot Whale which are occasionally observed along with Orcas, Bluefin Tuna, Sea Turtles, Ocean Sunfish and Basking Sharks while out on the water. Beluga, Sperm and Blue Whales are known to inhabit the region but are rarely seen. We know that the whales are the headlin- ers of the boat tours but do not forget to keep an eye out for bird species like Atlantic Puffins and several varieties of gannets, petrels, shear- waters and phalaropes while on the water. We recommend that you book a tour on each provider as when you get to experience a whale breech up close and personal, a 3 to 4 hours tours seem to fly by in the blink of an eye and have you wanting to get back on the water ASAP for another encounter with these majestic crea- tures of the ocean. Before or after your adventure on the water you can enjoy the 19.5-km loop trail near Westport. The trail is generally considered an easy route taking around 4 on average to complete. This trail is great for camping, hiking, and mountain biking, and it’s unlikely you’ll encounter many other people while exploring. The island is a mecca to nature lovers for so many reasons. One of the big reasons is that it’s home to one of the world’s rarest plants: the Eastern Mountain Avens or Geum peckii. The only two places in Canada where this flower grows are here on Brier Island and in the East Ferry area of Digby Neck, not far away. The flora of Brier Island is very plentiful and diverse due to seed drop from the many migrat- ing birds that stopover in the area. There are actually twenty-one different species of orchids that grow here. Botanists travel from around the world to see the flora. The Eastern Mountain
Residents and businesses on the Island are strong proponents of environmentalism and eco-tourism, so we asked Virginia what Brier Island Lodge is doing to support these initiatives. She proudly responded, “We’re in-line with the sustainability initiatives in Digby County, but we also try to go above and beyond. At the lodge we follow all the similar waste and cost reduction practices that all hotels do, in the way of on-de- mand linen refreshing. Being on wells rather than a town water supply makes water conser- vation extremely important to us, so plumbing is tailored for low consumption. We try to reduce the plastics used and opt for biodegradable products in all departments. We compost much of our kitchen waste and use the compost in our landscaping. We have on-site greenhouses that we use to grow some of our food in and focus on sourcing our food supplies within 100 kilometres to offer fresh, local dishes on our menu. Plus, recently the Brier Island Lodge was the perfect place to host an indoor event to promote and learn about the clean, renewable, and predictable energy that is being created by the power of the tidal currents in the Grand Passage. Why you might say, well first of all it has that amazing view of the Grand Passage, which includes the very large tidal power gen- erating platform sitting in the middle of the Passage. This platform known as PLAT-I 6.40 is a very exciting advancement in clean, renew- able, and predictable energy. In May of this year
after many years of testing and hard work the platform is now sending power, created by the force of the spinning turbines, via a submerged cable to a power station in Freeport.
Avens are a protected plant species, so it’s a look with your eyes and no touch experience. With the emphasis on nature and the reality of conservancy now, the Island has become a real centre for research. There are a lot of unique opportunities, especially for people who are into botany, here on the island. The bog here that the nature conservancy is reclaiming is only one of three of its type in North America. They’re raising the water levels in the bog to protect the Eastern Mountain Avens. Approximately a third of the island is actually owned by the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, and not just for the flora. The fauna plays a major role in the biodiversity of Brier Island. It is, in fact, one of the major resting spots for migratory birds on the eastern seaboard, like the sharp-shinned, broad-winged and red-tailed hawks that migrate to the island every fall by the hundreds. It’s something to see.
“We’re in-line with the sus- tainability initiatives in Digby County, but we also try to go above and beyond.”
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MAY/JUNE 2022 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • MAY/JUNE 2022
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