NEW GLASGOW
The Young Naturalists Club has a mandate to create a generation of ecologically conscious youth, and cultivate a lifelong love and respect for the abundance of natural wonders in Nova Scotia. The fruits of this effort are on display at the New Glasgow Library, at a showcase.
The theme of the showcase is educating youth about the natural history of Nova Scotia, explained Robin Musselman, a co-ordinator with the Young Naturalists Club.
“Often, in school, they learn a lot about monkeys and elephants and other stuff that isn’t in Nova Scotia. We’re trying to make them familiar with the species and landscapes that they live in,” said Musselman. “We do presentations and field trips, and visit the coast or the wetlands to learn about them. The idea is, when you build a connection with where you live, you grow attached, and may want to do some stuff to protect it, and look after it.”
Presently, artwork and writing celebrating the many natural wonders found in the wilderness of Nova Scotia can be found at the library.
Musselman said this year’s display features the work of the winners of the contest: youth aged 7-15 from across the province, and that the judges had quite a time determining which was the best, due to both the quality and quantity of the entries.
She noted that it was difficult to choose a winner, in the contest where participants were asked to submit art or writing about “either native species or the area’s natural history, a special place or an issue that impacts wildlife or nature,” said Musselman. “We had some great work, according to judges, who judged the work and placed people in the junior and senior categories.”
Winners were chosen, and their work is that which is displayed, and readable in booklets, at the library. That showcase is one of a series that will be taking place in three locations across Nova Scotia.
“The first one’s in New Glasgow, and that’s the one at the library right now. The great thing about this contest is that we get a lot of entries from kids across the province, even where there are no chapters,” said Musselman. “There are hundreds of entries, and I can’t even remember them all, but there is good representation of communities across the province.”
On Feb. 17, from 1 to 4 p.m., Musselman said there will be more going on at the library to celebrate Nova Scotia and its abundant wildlife and ecologically diverse wilderness. Musselman will be visiting the library to conduct a craft-making session.
“There will be some crafts, and hands-on artifacts like deer antlers, shells and birds’ nests – stuff like that. Kids can put their hands on the stuff, and ask questions about the things we collect and bring to events,” she said.
There will be cards for sale too. The artwork and writing of the winning submissions will be printed on greeting cards. Musselman noted there will also be species at risk cards, depicting the 21 species at risk in Nova Scotia, available for purchase.
