CPAWS-NL

09/01/2026

🌊 Today is World Beach Day! How are you celebrating?

Here in Newfoundland and Labrador our beaches aren't just beautiful, they're functional too! Shorelines across the province provide habitat for countless species, they provide a place to beachcomb, surf, and soak up the sun (or fog!), and they help reduce the impact of storms and hurricanes on coastal communities by buffering waves.

Beaches can also provide us with clues about the health of our marine ecosystems, which is why we've been spending the summer surveying the coast in Garnish and Frenchman's Cove!

Do you live in or visit this area? We'd love to to hear from you! Take our online survey and share your observations and experiences along this section of the Burin Peninsula coast. Once 25 people have completed the survey, participants will be entered to win a $50 gas card!

👉 Complete the survey: https://arcg.is/000Hij1

08/28/2026

Last night of the 2026 Puffin Patrol is tonight!

Thank you SO much to all community members and volunteers for your support and effort this August! This initiative truly would not be possible without all of you, whether patrolling, calling our hotline, dimming your nighttime lights, donating, or spreading the word about the Patrol and sharing information. We are so grateful for all of it, and we know the puffins appreciate it too 💚🌊

The last night of the 2026 Puffin Patrol is tomorrow, August 28th. While the puffin fledging season is winding down, we might still see some stragglers over the coming days.

If you find a stranded puffin in your community, please text or call our hotline at 709-330-8929. You can drop it off at Patrol HQ (we won't be there, but the puffin crates will be!), and we will come pick it up to be safely released.

Patrol HQ is located at O'Brien's Whale and Bird Tours (22 Lower Rd, Bay Bulls, NL A0A 1C0).

08/27/2026

Congratulations David Sturge! 👏 We're so proud to have you as a volunteer!

08/26/2026

😍

Say hello to Chunk! 🥰

Weighing in at 305 g (about the weight of a small can of soup), with a wing length of 155 mm, he's an unusually big and feisty boy for this late in the fledging season! 💪

Chunk was found by patrollers on Sunday night, and was released first thing Monday morning. 🌊 Before being released, biologists from the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) measured and banded him. This means they secured a small, uniquely numbered bracelet around his leg. If Chunk is encountered again, researchers can identify him and learn more about his survival, migration patterns, and life history. Over time and on a large scale, this information helps us understand more about puffin populations and what we can do to help protect them!

Chunk even gave the CWS biologists a p**p sample 💩, so they'll be able to find out what his parents were feeding him to help him grow so big and strong!

The Puffin Patrol is made possible by dedicated volunteers, staff, and the support of our community. THANK YOU to everyone who has supported the patrol this year, whether through volunteering, donating, reporting stranded puffins, or sharing helpful information with others! ❤️

We are always grateful for donations, which support our program coordination efforts and rescue supplies (please specify that your donation is for the "puffin patrol"): https://donate.cpaws.org/page/26393/donate/1

All pufflings are handled by trained permit-holding wildlife biologists. Photo credit: Canadian Wildlife Service

08/25/2026

We apologize for the late notice! For the safety of residents, patrollers, and staff we have to cancel tonight's (Aug 25th) Puffin Patrol due to heavy rain expected in the forecast, which may make road conditions dangerous for travel.

If you live in the area, please report all puffin sightings to our hotline at 709-330-8929. We will arrange for puffin collection and release in the morning when conditions improve.

Thank you for understanding, and thank you to locals for your continued assistance during this busy season!

08/24/2026

🌊 This week, CPAWS-NL staff will be out surveying beaches and coastal habitats around Frenchman’s Cove and Garnish as part of our Coastal Ecosystem Baseline Project.

We’ll be conducting shoreline surveys on foot, as well as using a drone to collect information about the shoreline and nearshore environment, including habitats, marine life, eelgrass, and potential environmental impacts like pollution and litter.

If you see us out and about, say hi! 👋 We’re always happy to chat about what we’re working on and why this information is important for understanding and protecting our coastal ecosystems.

And we still want to hear from you! 🐟 Your knowledge and observations are an important part of this project. If you live in or visit the area, take our online survey and share what you know about the coast. Once 25 people have completed the survey, participants will be entered to win a $50 gas card!

👉 Complete the survey here: https://arcg.is/000Hij1

08/20/2026

📷 You may have noticed some new signs popping up along your favourite local trails! These stations are part of our monitoring project to help track changes in freshwater ecosystems over time.

By taking photos from the same location regularly, we can build a visual record of how streams, rivers, wetlands, and their surrounding habitats change from season to season and year to year. 🌿💧

Become a citizen scientist by adding your own photos to this dataset! Photo stations can be found at the following locations:
📍 Cobb's Pond (Gander)
📍 Appleton Marina (Gander)
📍 Hodge's Brook (Gander Lake)
📍 Rotary Trail (Clarenville)
📍 Manuels River (CBS)
📍 The Fluvarium: Nagle's Brook (St. John's)
📍 MUN Botanical Garden (St. John's)

🔎We’re excited to see what these photo stations can teach us about the health and changing conditions of our freshwater ecosystems over time! Thank you to the Canadian Water Agency for their support in undertaking this project.

08/17/2026

❗There's still time to participate! Do you live on the Burin Peninsula, or have you visited the area recently? Fill out our survey here: https://arcg.is/000Hij1

📝 CPAWS-NL is gathering local knowledge and observations about coastal conditions and species on the Burin Peninsula, and we’d love to hear from you! Once 25 surveys are completed, participants will be entered in a draw for a $50 gas card (or choose to complete the survey anonymously if you wish)! 🌊

08/15/2026

08/14/2026