The Nashwaak Watershed

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iNaturalist

Have you ever heard of iNaturalist? iNaturalist is a simple, easy to use app for anyone that is interested in plant and animal identification. The primary goals of iNaturalist are to connect people to nature as well as to collect scientifically rigorous data on biodiversity.

Get Started with iNaturalist

Using the app couldn’t be easier. User simply need to take a photo of the organism in question and upload it. If you’re not sure what you’re looking at, iNaturalist will offer suggestions as to what the organism might be. Another handy tool that can be used for identification is Seek, another application created by iNaturalist. Seek is essentially a simplified version of iNaturalist that provides many of the same features but does not require an account and is more kid-friendly. Seek is also better for those who are just starting to explore nature and maybe don’t want to share their observations with others.

iNaturalist contains many useful features, and allows users to keep track of their floral and faunal observations, as well as connecting them to experts who can help to identify organisms and increase their knowledge about nature. Sharing observations can help scientists and resource managers to understand when and where organisms are occurring within local and regional habitats. Pictured below are several species that have been observed within the Nashwaak Watershed.




  • Ground pine (Lycopodium obscurum)
  • Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)
  • Lungwort lichen (Lobaria pulmonaria)
  • Sweet fern (Comptonia peregrina)
  • Purple trillium (Trilium erectum)
  • Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum)
  • Pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpura)
  • Luna moth (Actias luna)

While for some iNaturalist is simply a fun way to identify plants, every single observation can contribute to biodiversity science. iNaturalist data is shared with scientific data repositories like the “Global Biodiversity Information Facility” and is used to help scientists with their studies. Additionally, users can create their own iNaturalist “projects” to collect observations on their species of interest.

NWAI Tree Resistance Program

The Nashwaak Watershed Association is currently conducting an iNaturalist project called the Tree Resistance Program. There are many trees within our local ecoregion that are susceptible to various diseases, such as White elm (Ulmus americana) – affected by Dutch elm disease, American beech (Fagus grandifolia) – affected by Beech bark disease, butternut (Juglans cinerea) – affected by the butternut canker, and white, green and black ash (Fraxinus spp.) – all affected by the Emerald ash borer.

  • A healthy ash tree, not yet affected by the Emerald ash borer
  • An American Beech tree, potentially showing signs of Beech bark disease
  • Fungal blooms that occur on Beech trees once they have been affected by Beech bark disease
  • A “gallery” created by Emerald ash borers beneath the bark of the tree

As a part of our conservation and restoration projects, we are creating a database of disease-resistant trees within our watershed and the Fredericton region. The Tree Resistance Program will gather all of the observations of these six species and will allow us to identify trees that may be resistant to the diseases that target them. The selected disease-resistant trees will then be used as seed sources for various local nurseries.

If you would like to assist us with the Tree Resistance Program or know of any healthy trees of the above-mentioned target species within our watershed, you can participate in a couple of ways!

  1. Log your observations of local trees in the area on the iNaturalist app. The app is free to download and very user friendly.
  2. Send us your observations via any of our social media channels or email. Useful observations would include several photos, including images of the tree trunk, bark, as well as a shot of the canopy of the tree.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Tree Resistance Program, feel free to reach out! The project can be found on iNaturalist, or can be found through the app under “NWAI Tree Resistance Program.”

NWAI Wildlife Tracker

Another iNaturalist project that the NWAI has initiated is the Wildlife Tracker project. This project allows individuals to record their observation of the wildlife species that are present within our watershed. Encompassing all wildlife observations within the Fredericton region, this project currently has over 4000 observations. Observations include anything from large mammals and aquatic species to birds and even the smallest insects!

Currently, the most observed species within our watershed is the monarch butterfly. Other prominent species included the Asian lady beetle, Eastern grey squirrel, mallard, common eastern bumble bee, and black-capped chickadee. While the Tree Resistance Program was created for research purposes, this project was created for individuals who are interested in learning more about our local species. Be sure to check out this project if you’re interested in finding out which species are present within our beautiful watershed.

For more information on this project, you can check it out HERE on iNaturalist!

Useful Links

Click HERE to check out iNaturalist and the other things that you can do with the app.

The NWAI Tree Resistance Program on iNaturalist.

The NWAI Wildlife Tracker Project on iNaturalist.

If you have any questions about iNaturalist or our current projects, reach out and contact us!

Stay in-touch!

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Recent News

Keep up the good work on Nashwaak

March 30, 2023

Nashwaak group to monitor salmon after dam removal

March 30, 2023

We’re hiring!

February 1, 2023

To protect or retreat: Scores of homes at risk of erosion

January 30, 2023

NWAI on Twitter

@ASDWLimelight @ASDWLimelight @MusicAsdw Check it out

- 167 days ago

Mr. Woodcock's talented gr 12 FHS music class joined us at Marysville Flats this week! We talked climate change and floodplain restoration. We're excited to hear what they create from their Nashwaak River trip. Kudos to the NB Dept of Ed for supporting this awesome experience! https://t.co/6nGyCy7XBP

- 168 days ago

Thanks for supporting this outdoor learning opportunity. Come visit anytime. It was a pleasure to spend time talking about water, climate change and floodplain restoration. @ASD_West @ASDWLimelight @FHSkats @CityFredGov @CityFredRec #eaunbwater #mynashwaak https://t.co/ALhfzSS123

- 170 days ago

Thanks @mla_mike for leading crown land conservation! https://t.co/ObSdrLvBcq

- 172 days ago

@Andrew__Holland @mla_mike @Gov_NB @NCC_CNC Excellent work!

- 172 days ago

Follow @NashwaakWater

NWAI on Facebook

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

2 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
#DYK Pollinator species such as bees 🐝, hummingbirds, and butterflies🦋help plants reproduce by spreading pollen? This is important because it supports the biodiversity of native plants as well as crops around the world.If you would like to help our pollinator friends, here are some tips for growing a pollinator garden:🌻Succession planting - plan to have a variety of plants that bloom from spring to fall.🌷Cultivate variety - different pollinators love different shapes and colours of blossoms. Ensure there is a variety for them to choose from.🪺 Add bird baths and bee houses - this will encourage pollinators to take up residence and come back year after year.See the link below to discover native plant species that will make pollinators sure to visit your garden! 👇davidsuzuki.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/DSF-NB-plant-list.pdf#ecofriendlyfriday #pollinator #MyNashwaak #nativeplantgarden ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

4 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Wondering what we’ve been up to lately? If you’re new here, you may not know that we plant lots of trees each year to help re-establish healthy floodplain forests along the Nashwaak River. These floodplain forests are composed of a mixture of silver maple, bur oak, red-tipped willow, red-osier dogwood, and many other species to ensure that there is lots of habitat for local biodiversity. 🌱Over the past two weeks, we’ve spent lots of time flagging! Each spring, we flag our recently planted trees so that we can conduct our seasonal maintenance. While these trees are superstars in terms of their ability to help stabilize riverbanks and provide habitat for local wildlife, they still need some help to ensure that they can survive. Mowing these areas helps to reduce competition from grass and ensure that they are receiving adequate sunlight. If you ever feel like lending a hand, please reach out to us via email at staff@nashwaakwatershed.ca! #MyNashwaak #riverbankrestoration #treeplanting #volunteer ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

4 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Sunday was a beautiful day for birding and what a wonderful gang we had at @nashwaakmeadows . A big thank you to Dan Serpiello and @atlanticducks for making it such a fun morning! The highlight was definitely the American bitterns ❤️ #birdwatching #community #MyNashwaak ... See MoreSee Less

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Contact Us

Mail:
Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
P.O. Box 314, Station “A”
Fredericton, NB
E3B 4Y2

Office:
181 Westmorland Street
Fredericton, NB
E3B 3L6
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Phone: 506 447-9699
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