Canadian Province - Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is a Canadian Province located on the east coast (Atlantic coast) of Canada covering more than 13.5 million acres (55,284 square km or 21,300 square miles). It the second smallest Province and is connected to the mainland via New Brunswick's Isthmus of Chigneto. The rest of the province is bordered by water, with the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Bay of Fundy in the west, the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the north and the Gulf of Maine in the south.

Nova Scotia includes about 3,800 coastal islands – the biggest is Cape Breton Island at the northeast end of the mainland. There is even a smiley-face-shaped island more than 100 miles (175 km) off the southeast coast of Nova Scotia called Sable Island, which, because of its location, was the site of many shipwrecks throughout history.

The mainland of the Province is called the Nova Scotia Peninsula, but the whole Province (including Cape Breton Island) falls into the biological "ecozone" – Atlantic Maritime. This ecozone is strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, making it cool, moist and moderate. It is warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than mainland regions. Nowhere in Nova Scotia is more than 42 miles (76 km) from the ocean.

Nova Scotia’s had some mountainous areas, but most of the Province is rolling hills, upland plateau and glacial plains covered by forests, wetlands and coastal habitats.

The forest makes up 78% of its land area – 10.6 million acres (4.3 million hectares). These coniferous and mixed forests include red, black and white spruce, hemlock, balsam fir, white pine, yellow and white birch, sugar maple and tamarack.

Interspersed in the forest and along the coastline are wetlands, including: marshes, swamps, bogs and fens.

Wildlife found on Nova Scotia includes white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, raccoon, bobcat, and striped skunk (See a full list of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians below).

Mammals:
Bat (Big Brown) - Eptesicus fuscus
Bat (Eastern Red) - Lasiurus borealis
Bat (Eastern Pipistrelle) - Pipistrellus subflavus
Bat (Hoary) - Lasiurus cinereus
Bat (Keen's) - Myotis keenii
Bat (Little Brown Myotis) - Myotis lucifugus
Bat (Silver-haired) - Lasionycteris noctivagans
Bear (Black) - Ursus americanus
Beaver  - Castor canadensis
Boar (Wild) - Sus scrofa
Bobcat - Lynx rufus
Caribou (Woodland) - Rangifer tarandus
Chipmunk (Eastern) - Tamias striatus
Coyote - Canis latrans
Deer (White-tailed) - Odocoileus virginianus
Fisher - Martes pennanti
Fox (Arctic) - Alopex lagopus
Fox (Red) - Vulpes vulpes
Hare (Arctic) - Lepus arcticus or Lepus timidus
Hare (Snowshoe) - Lepus americanus
Lemming (Southern Bog) - Synaptomys cooperi
Lynx (Canadian) - Lynx canadensis
Marten (American) - Martes americana
Mink (American) - Neovison vison
Mole (Star-nosed) - Condylura cristata
Moose - Alces alces
Mountain Lion - Felis concolor cougar (Possible but Unlikely)
Mouse (Deer) - Peromyscus maniculatus
Mouse (House) - Mus musculus
Mouse (Meadow Jumping) - Zapus hudsonius
Mouse (White-footed) - Peromyscus leucopus
Mouse (Woodland Jumping) - Napaeozapus insignis
Muskrat - Ondatra zibethicus
Otter (River) - Lontra canadensis
Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum
Raccoon - Procyon lotor
Rat ( Black) - Rattus rattus
Rat (Norway) - Rattus norvegicus
Shrew (Arctic) - Sorex arcticus
Shrew (Gaspe) - Sorex gaspensis
Shrew (Long-tailed) - Sorex dispar
Shrew (Maritime) - Sorex maritimensis
Shrew (Masked) - Sorex cinereus
Shrew (Northern Water) - Sorex palustris
Shrew (Pygmy) - Microsorex hoyi
Shrew (Short-tailed) - Blarina brevicauda
Shrew (Smoky) - Sorex fumeus
Skunk (Striped) - Mephitis mephitis
Squirrel (Eastern Gray) - Sciurus carolinensis
Squirrel (Northern Flying) - Glaucomys sabrinus
Squirrel (Red) - Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Squirrel (Southern Flying) - Glaucomys volans
Vole (Boreal Red-backed) - Clethrionomys gapperi
Vole (Meadow) - Microtus pennsylvanicus
Vole (Yellownose) - Microtus chrotorrhinus
Weasel (Short-tailed or Ermine) - Mustela erminea
Wolf (Gray) - Canis lupus (Possible but Unlikely)
Woodchuck  - Marmota monax

Marine Mammals:
Dolphin (Atlantic spotted striped) - Stenella frontalis
Dolphin (Atlantic White-sided) - Lagenorhynchus acutus
Dolphin (Bottlenose) - Tursiops truncatus
Dolphin (Common) - Delphinus delphis
Dolphin (Pantropical spotted striped) - Stenella attenuata
Dolphin (Risso's) - Grampus griseus
Dolphin (Striped) - Stenella coeruleoalba
Dolphin (White-beaked) - Lagenorhynchus albirostris
Porpoise (Harbour) - Phocoena phocoena
Seal (Gray) - Halichoerus grypus
Seal (Harbor) - Phoca vitulina
Seal (Harp) - Pagophilus groenlandicus
Seal (Hooded) - Cystophora cristata
Seal (Ringed) - Pusa hispida
Walrus - Odobenus rosmarus
Whale (Atlantic Gray) - Eschrichtius robustus
Whale (Beluga) - Delphinapterus leucas
Whale (Blainville’s Beaked) - Mesoplodon densirostris
Whale (Blue) - Balaenoptera musculus
Whale (Bottlenose) - Hyperoodon ampullatus
Whale (Dwarf) - Kogia sima
Whale (Fin) - Balaenoptera physalus
Whale (Humpback) - Megaptera novaeangliae
Whale (Killer) - Orcinus orca
Whale (Long-finned Pilot) - Globicephala melas
Whale (Minke) - Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Whale (North Atlantic Beaked) - Mesoplodon bidens
Whale (North Atlantic Right) - Eubalaena glacialis
Whale (Northern Rorqual) - Balaenoptera borealis
Whale (Pygmy Sperm) - Kogia breviceps
Whale (Sperm) - Physeter macrocephalus
Whale (True's Beaked) - Mesoplodon mirus

Birds:
albatross (black-browed)
albatross (yellow-nosed)
ani (groove-billed)
avocet (American)
bittern (American)
bittern (least)
blackbird (Brewer's)
blackbird (red-winged)
blackbird (rusty)
blackbird (yellow-headed)
bluebird (eastern)
bluebird (mountain)
bobolink
booby (brown)
brambling
bunting (indigo)
bunting (lark)
bunting (lazuli)
bunting (painted)
bunting (snow)
caracara (crested)
cardinal (northern)
catbird (gray)
chaffinch (common)
chat (yellow-breasted)
chickadee (black-capped)
chickadee (boreal)
Chuck-will's-widow
coot (American)
cormorant (double-crested)
cormorant (great)
cowbird (bronzed)
cowbird (brown-headed)
cowbird (shiny)
crake (corn)
crane (sandhill)
creeper (brown)
crossbill (red)
crossbill (white-winged)
crow (American)
crow (fish)
cuckoo (black-billed)
cuckoo (yellow-billed)
curlew (Eskimo) - endangered
curlew (Eurasian)
curlew (long-billed)
dickcissel
dove (common ground)
dove (mourning)
dove (rock)
dove (white-winged)
dovekie
dowitcher (long-billed)
dowitcher (short-billed)
duck (American black)
duck (American widgeon)
duck (Barrow's goldeneye)
duck (black scoter)
duck (blue-winged teal)
duck (bufflehead)
duck (canvasback)
duck (cinnamon teal)
duck (common eider)
duck (common goldeneye)
duck (Eurasian widgeon)
duck (fulvous whistling)
duck (gadwall)
duck (garganey)
duck (greater scaup)
duck (harlequin)
duck (king eider)
duck (Labrador)
duck (lesser scaup)
duck (long-tailed or oldsquaw)
duck (mallard)
duck (northern pintail)
duck (northern shoveler)
duck (redhead)
duck (ring-necked)
duck (ruddy)
duck (surf scoter)
duck (tufted)
duck (white-winged scoter)
duck (wood)
dunlin
eagle (bald)
eagle (golden)
egret (cattle)
egret (great)
egret (little)
egret (reddish)
egret (snowy)
falcon (gyrfalcon)
falcon (peregrine)
fieldfare
finch (house)
finch (purple)
flamingo (American)
flicker (northern)
flycatcher (Acadian)
flycatcher (alder)
flycatcher (ash-throated)
flycatcher (dusky)
flycatcher (fork-tailed)
flycatcher (great-crested)
flycatcher (least)
flycatcher (olive-sided)
flycatcher (scissor-tailed)
flycatcher (sulfur-bellied)
flycatcher (vermillion)
flycatcher (willow)
flycatcher (yellow-bellied)
frigatebird (magnificent)
fulmar (northern)
gallinule (common)
gallinule (purple)
gannet (northern)
gnatcatcher (blue-gray)
godwit (bar-tailed)
godwit (black-tailed)
godwit (Hudsonian)
godwit (marbled)
goldfinch (American)
goose (barnacle)
goose (brant)
goose (cackling)
goose (Canada)
goose (great white-fronted)
goose (pink-footed)
goose (Ross's)
goose (snow)
grackle (common)
grackle (great-tailed)
grèbe (eared)
grèbe (horned)
grèbe (pied-billed)
grèbe (red-necked)
grèbe (western)
greenshank (common)
grosbeak (black-headed)
grosbeak (blue)
grosbeak (evening)
grosbeak (pine)
grosbeak (rose-breasted)
grouse (ruffed)
grouse (spruce)
guillemot (black)
gull (black-headed)
gull (black-tailed)
gull (Bonaparte’s)
gull (California)
gull (Franklin's)
gull (glaucous)
gull (great black-backed)
gull (herring)
gull (Iceland)
gull (ivory)
gull (laughing)
gull (lesser black-backed)
gull (little)
gull (mew)
gull (ring-billed)
gull (Ross's)
gull (Sabine's)
gull (slaty-backed)
gull (Thayer's)
gull (yellow-legged)
harrier (northern)
hawk (broad-winged)
hawk (Cooper's)
hawk (northern goshawk)
hawk (red-shouldered)
hawk (red-tailed)
hawk (rough-legged)
hawk (sharp-shinned)
hawk (Swainson's)
heron (black-crowned night)
heron (great blue)
heron (green)
heron (little blue)
heron (tricolored)
heron (western reef)
heron (yellow-crowned night)
hummingbird (black-chinned)
hummingbird (broad-tailed)
hummingbird (ruby-throated)
hummingbird (rufous)
ibis (glossy)
ibis (white)
jackdaw (Eurasian)
jaeger (long-tailed)
jaeger (parasitic)
jaeger (pomarine)
jay (blue)
jay (gray)
junco (dark-eyed)
kestrel (American)
kestrel (Eurasian)
killdeer
kingbird (Cassin's)
kingbird (eastern)
kingbird (gray)
kingbird (tropical)
kingbird (western)
kingfisher (belted)
kinglet (golden-crowned)
kinglet (ruby-crowned)
kittiwake (black-legged)
lapwing (northern)
lark (horned)
limpkin
longspur (chestnut-collared)
longspur (Lapland)
longspur (Smith's)
loon (common)
loon (Pacific)
loon (red-throated)
magpie (black-billed)
martin (purple)
meadowlark (eastern)
meadowlark (western)
merganser (common)
merganser (hooded)
merganser (red-breasted) or goosander
merlin
mockingbird (northern)
murre (common)
murre (thick-billed)
nighthawk (common)
nuthatch (red-breasted)
nuthatch (white-breasted)
oriole (Baltimore)
oriole (Bullock's)
oriole (orchard)
osprey
ovenbird
owl (barn)
owl (barred)
owl (boreal)
owl (burrowing)
owl (great gray)
owl (great horned)
owl (eastern screech)
owl (long-eared)
owl (northern hawk)
owl (northern saw-whet)
owl (short-eared)
owl (snowy)
oystercatcher (American)
partridge (gray)
parula (northern)
pelican (American white)
pelican (brown)
petrel (black-capped)
pewee (eastern wood)
phalarope (red)
phalarope (red-necked)
phalarope (Wilson's)
pheasant (ring-necked)
phoebe (eastern)
phoebe (Say's)
pigeon (band-tailed)
pigeon (rock)
pipit (American)
plover (American golden)
plover (black-bellied)
plover (common ringed)
plover (European)
plover (piping)
plover (semipalmated)
plover (snowy)
plover (Wilson's)
ptarmigan (rock)
ptarmigan (willow)
puffin (Atlantic)
rail (black)
rail (clapper)
rail (king)
rail (sora)
rail (Virginia)
rail (yellow)
raven (common)
razorbill
red knot
redpoll (common)
redpoll (hoary)
redshank (spotted)
redstart (American)
redwing
robin (American)
ruff
sanderling
sandpiper (Baird's)
sandpiper (broad-billed)
sandpiper (buff-breasted)
sandpiper (curlew)
sandpiper (least)
sandpiper (pectoral)
sandpiper (purple)
sandpiper (semipalmated)
sandpiper (solitary)
sandpiper (spotted)
sandpiper (stilt)
sandpiper (upland)
sandpiper (western)
sandpiper (white-rumped)
shearwater (Audubon's)
shearwater (Cory's)
shearwater (great)
shearwater (little)
shearwater (manx)
shearwater (sooty)
shrike (brown)
shrike (loggerhead)
shrike (northern)
siskin (pine)
skimmer (black)
skua (great)
skua (pomarine)
skua (south polar)
snipe (Wilson's)
solitaire (Townsend's)
sparrow (American tree)
sparrow (Brewer's)
sparrow (chipping)
sparrow (clay-colored)
sparrow (field)
sparrow (fox)
sparrow (golden-crowned)
sparrow (grasshopper)
sparrow (Harris's)
sparrow (house)
sparrow (lark)
sparrow (Le Conte's)
sparrow (Lincoln's)
sparrow (Nelson's)
sparrow (sage)
sparrow (Savannah)
sparrow (seaside)
sparrow (song)
sparrow (swamp)
sparrow (vesper)
sparrow (white-crowned)
sparrow (white-throated)
starling
stilt (black-necked)
stilt (little)
storm-petrel (band-rumped)
storm-petrel (European)
storm-petrel (Leach's)
storm-petrel (white-faced)
storm-petrel (Wilson's)
swallow (bank)
swallow (barn)
swallow (cave)
swallow (cliff)
swallow (northern rough-winged)
swallow (tree)
swallow (violet-green)
swan (mute)
swan (tundra)
swift (chimney)
tanager (scarlet)
tanager (summer)
tanager (western)
tern (Arctic)
tern (black)
tern (Caspian)
tern (common)
tern (Forster's)
tern (gull-billed)
tern (least)
tern (roseate)
tern (royal)
tern (sandwich)
tern (sooty)
tern (white-winged)
thrasher (brown)
tropicbird (red-billed)
tropicbird (white-tailed)
thrush (Bicknell's)
thrush (gray-cheeked)
thrush (hermit)
thrush (Swainson's)
thrush (varied)
thrush (wood)
titmouse (tufted)
towhee (eastern)
towhee (green-tailed)
towhee (spotted)
turnstone (ruddy)
veery
vireo (Bell's)
vireo (blue-headed)
vireo (Philadelphia)
vireo (plumbeous)
vireo (red-eyed)

Amphibians:
Bullfrog (American) - Lithobates catesbeianus or Rana catesbeiana
Frog (Mink) - Lithobates septentrionalis
Frog (Northern Green) - Lithobates clamitans melanota
Frog (Northern Leopard) - Rana pipiens
Frog (Pickerel) - Lithobates palustris or Rana palustris
Frog (Wood) - Lithobates sylvaticus
Salamander (Blue-spotted) - Ambystoma laterale
Salamander (Eastern or Red-spotted Newt) - Notophthalmus viridescens
Salamander (Eastern Red-backed) - Plethodon cinereus
Salamander (Four-toed) - Hemidactylium scutatum
Salamander (Yellow Spotted) - Ambystoma maculatum
Spring Peeper (Northern) - Pseudacris crucifer
Toad (American) - Anaxyrus americanus

Reptiles:
Sea Turtle (Atlantic Leatherback)
Sea Turtle (Atlantic Loggerhead)
Sea Turtle (Atlantic Ridley)
Snake (Marine Garter) - Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus
Snake (Red-bellied) - Storeria occipitomaculata
Snake (Northern Ribbon) - Thamnophis sauritus
Snake (Northern Ringneck) - Diadophis punctatus edwardsii
Snake (Smooth Green) - Opheodrys vernalis
Turtle (Blanding's) - Emydoidea blandingi
Turtle (Common Snapping) - Chelydra serpentina
Turtle (Eastern Painted) - Chrysemys picta
Turtle (Wood) - Clemmys insculpta (changing to Glyptemys insculpta)

Wild Science Workbook
Activities that Bridge Outdoor Exploration with Classroom Science
The activities in Wild Science will integrate outdoor exploration with the understanding and appreciation of science and environmental issues.

Using Wild Science as a guide, we invite you to rediscover your sense of wonder about the natural world and share it with the children you know.