Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest

02/23/2026

Mark your calendars! Join us for a 3-part webinar series on managing Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) in Nova Scotia.

If you care for woodlands with hemlock, this series is for you. These webinars are designed to equip woodland stewards with practical, research-informed tools to respond to HWA. Across the series, we’ll explore:

🌲 Chemical Treatment Options and Resources for Woodland Stewards (February 26)
🌲 Understanding Biological Control & Research in Nova Scotia (March 5)
🌲 Silviculture Strategies to Help Prepare & Adapt your Woodland for HWA (March 19)

Whether you’re looking to take immediate action or plan for the future of your forest, this series will help you make informed decisions to support hemlock conservation in Nova Scotia.

Learn more and register: https://www.medwaycommunityforest.com/events

01/07/2026

The Woodland Conferences partners are once again planning for three regional conferences this year! Join us for a conference series where woodland owners, forestry professionals, researchers and nature-lovers learn more about forest stewardship, ecological forestry, and programs available to woodlot owners. Listen to presentations, view exhibits, and network with others interested in forests in Nova Scotia.

Visit nswoods.ca/2026conferences to register and for more details as they become available.

Western Woodland Conference
April 11th, 2026
St. Mary's Bay Academy, Weymouth, NS (Digby County)

Eastern Woodland Conference
April 18th, 2026
Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre, Port Hawkesbury, NS (Inverness County)

Central Woodland Conference
May 2nd, 2026
Maple Ridge Elementary, Lantz, NS (Hants County)

Cost (lunch included):
Early Bird: $25 (deadline 8 days before each conference)
Regular: $30
Student: $20

Recordings and powerpoint slides from the 2025 Woodland Conferences as well as previous conferences can be found here . ​

11/12/2025

Join us for Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest's AGM on the evening of Monday, November 24th, 2025, 6:30-8:30pm!

This will be a hybrid meeting, so you are welcome to join us at the Mooseland Community Centre (4032 Mooseland Road, Mooseland, NS) or via Zoom. The meeting will run 6:30-8:30pm.​

To register to attend in person, visit: https://www.otterponds.ca/2025agm

To register to attend via Zoom, visit: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/yQ88sawPTmuXEhoseOyJPA

09/25/2025

Don't miss our 2nd Annual Otter Ponds iNaturalist Bioblitz coming up this Saturday!

Join us to learn from experts on birds, lichens, herps, invertebrates, wetland species, insects, and more!

The event will take place at Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest in Mooseland, NS from 10am to 3pm, with a free BBQ lunch.

This free, family-friendly event will include tours by species experts as well as stations on critter dipping, water quality sampling, surveying herps, monitoring bird Species-at-Risk, and more.

For more info and to register, visit: otterponds.ca/2025bioblitz

09/09/2025

Love taking photos and walking in the woods? Join us and our partners on Saturday, Sept. 27th for our 2nd annual bioblitz and learn from experts on birds, lichens, herps, invertebrates, wetland species, and more!

The event will take place at Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest from 10am to 3pm, with a free BBQ lunch.

This family-friendly event will include tours by species experts as well as stations on critter dipping, water quality sampling, surveying herps, monitoring bird Species-at-Risk, and more.

For more info and to register, visit: otterponds.ca/2025bioblitz

Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
Ducks Unlimited Canada - Atlantic
Atlantic Water Network
Ecology Action Centre
Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association

07/04/2025

The Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute has partnered with NSWOOA and the Family Forest Network to host a workshop on At-Risk Birds and Forest Bird Biodiversity Monitoring on Your Woodlot!

Date: Saturday, July 26, 2025, 9am-2pm (rain date: July 27)
Location: Near Glencoe Mills, NS (Inverness County)

Register at: nswooa.ca/birdmonitoring

Join Dr. Cindy Staicer to learn more about Species-at-Risk and forest birds, using ARUs (autonomous recording units) to learn about and monitor birds, and ecological forestry practices.

06/05/2025

Want to breathe some fresh forest air and get your hands dirty? Come join us at Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest for a Volunteer Work Party & BBQ on Sunday, July 6th! We will be meeting at the Mooseland Community Centre (4032 Mooseland Rd.) at 10am.

Our main focus will be on clearing storm damage on our trail network from Hurricanes Dorian and Fiona. We'll have a team lead with chainsaw certification in each group, and are looking for some extra hands to move branches and use basic hand tools to clear smaller brush off the trails. No experience necessary!

​A free BBQ lunch will be available for volunteers.

Register at: otterponds.ca/volunteerday

04/17/2025

Don't miss the last of the 2025 Woodland Conferences! The Central Woodland Conference is coming up on May 3rd at North Nova Education Centre in New Glasgow. Register by Apr. 25th to get the Early Bird rate of $25.

Register at: www.nswoods.ca/2025-central-woodland-conference.html

This conference has been organized by:
- Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners & Operators Association
- NS Department of Natural Resources
- Association for Sustainable Forestry
- Federation of Nova Scotia Woodland Owners
- Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq
- Forest Nova Scotia
- Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
- Murray A. Reeves Forestry
- NSCC Centre of Forest Innovation
- And several private woodlot owners

04/01/2025

The Eastern Woodland Conference is coming up on Apr. 12th at NSCC Strait Area Campus in Port Hawkesbury! Register by Apr. 4th to get the Early Bird rate of $25.

https://www.nswoods.ca/2025-eastern-woodland-conference.html

The Eastern Woodland Conference is coming up on Apr. 12th at NSCC Strait Area Campus in Port Hawkesbury! Register by Apr. 4th to get the Early Bird rate of $25.

https://www.nswoods.ca/2025-eastern-woodland-conference.html

This conference has been organized by:

- Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners & Operators Association
- NS Department of Natural Resources
- Association for Sustainable Forestry
- Cape Breton Privateland Partnership - CBPP
- Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq
- Forest Nova Scotia
- Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
- Murray A. Reeves Forestry
- NSCC Centre of Forest Innovation
- NS Landowners & Forest Fibre Producers Association
- And several private woodlot owners

03/26/2025

The Western Woodland Conference is coming up on Apr. 5th at the Forties Community Centre in New Ross! Register by Mar. 28th to get the Early Bird rate of $25.

https://www.nswoods.ca/2025-western-woodland-conference.html

The Western Woodland Conference is coming up on Apr. 5th at the Forties Community Centre in New Ross! Register by Mar. 28th to get the Early Bird rate of $25.

https://www.nswoods.ca/2025-western-woodland-conference.html

This conference has been organized by:

- Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners & Operators Association
- NS Department of Natural Resources
- Association for Sustainable Forestry
- Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq
- Forest Nova Scotia
- Medway Community Forest Co-op
- Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
- Murray A. Reeves Forestry
- NSCC Centre of Forest Innovation
- Western Woodlot Services Cooperative Ltd.
- And several private woodlot owners

03/21/2025

The 2025 Woodland Conferences are coming up soon and there is still time to register for the Early Bird discount! Registration and more information are available at: nswoods.ca/2025conferences

Western Woodland Conference
April 5th, 2025
Forties Community Centre, New Ross, NS (Lunenburg County)

Eastern Woodland Conference
April 12th, 2025
NSCC Strait Area Campus, Port Hawkesbury, NS (Inverness County)

Central Woodland Conference
May 3rd, 2025
North Nova Education Centre, ​New Glasgow, NS (Pictou County)

Cost (lunch included):
Early Bird: $25 (deadline 8 days before each conference)
Regular: $30
Student: $20

03/21/2025

If you missed our recent Planning a Salvage Harvest with Species-at-Risk and Biodiversity in Mind webinar, the recording is now available! Watch it at: https://youtu.be/siq0l6MLsEw

This webinar is part of the Forested Wetland Stewardship Project, a partnership between Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest, Ducks Unlimited Canada - Atlantic and Dalhousie bird researcher Dr. Cindy Staicer, with financial support from Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Speakers:Ryan DickieForestry Operations CoordinatorFamily Forest NetworkDr. Cindy StaicerAdjunct Professor, Biology Dept.Dalhousie UniversityThis webinar is ...