Lori Phinney's Projects

Bats

Hibernating bats used to fill the night skies of Nova Scotia, but in 2011 their populations dropped suddenly because of a new fungal disease, white-nose syndrome. Bats are crucial mammals in our native ecosystems and provide many services to our society. Each night they consume massive amounts of insects, pollinate flowers, and spread plant seeds. Since their decline, MTRI has been monitoring, researching and teaching Nova Scotians all about the wonders of bats. We also manage the Nova Scotia Bat Hotline and use this information to identify nesting colonies and work with the private landowners and partners to monitor these sites.

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Blanding`s Turtle

Blanding's Turtles have a gentle and curious demeanour that quickly captures the heart of everyone who meets them. They are endangered in Nova Scotia and there are only 500 adults left in 4 different populations across the province. MTRI works with other organizations and governments to protect nests from predators, monitor populations, and follow up on public sightings to find potential new populations. The Blanding's Turtle has long been associated with our organization and we will continue working hard to preserve and restore them. 

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Eastern Ribbonsnake

Snakes usually give people the creeps, but Nova Scotia’s native species are far from scary. Like all snakes in the province, the Eastern Ribbonsnake is harmless and non-venomous. This small and cautious species is Threatened in Nova Scotia as well as Canada and its range is limited to the interior of Southwest Nova Scotia. MTRI is dedicated to studying the Eastern Ribbonsnake to find out where they live, how its populations are doing, what factors are threatening it and working to make sure it is around for many generations to come.  

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