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!

Donate Now

Recent News

We’re hiring!

February 1, 2023

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

January 30, 2023

Province Provides Only Partial Protection To River

July 20, 2022

Thinking about reducing your impact? Here’s some inspiration!

July 18, 2022

NWAI on Twitter

@ASDWLimelight @ASDWLimelight @MusicAsdw Check it out

- 49 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

- 50 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

- 52 days ago

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

- 54 days ago

@Andrew__Holland @mla_mike @Gov_NB @NCC_CNC Excellent work!

- 54 days ago

Follow @NashwaakWater

NWAI on Facebook

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

10 hours ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
It’s almost time for river ice monitoring! Each year, we conduct river ice surveys along the Nashwaak River throughout the winter and spring as a part of GNB’s River Watch Program. The information collected in these ground-based surveys helps the province keep track of the state of our rivers and streams, and can actually be used to forecast potential floods. During the surveys, we record ice types and concentrations, snow and ice thickness, surface and shore conditions, and many other parameters. This information is especially important to collect during ice jams, as they can increase water levels upstream and result in flooding. Keep an eye out for us along the Nashwaak and check back for more ice monitoring updates over the coming months. #MyNashwaak #eauNBwater ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

1 day ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
A big thank you to everyone who who whooo joined us and @atlanticducks for the first of our three Owls, Stars and Snowshoes events. It was beautiful evening to be in the winter forest with you folks ❄️🌲🦉#nighthike #owlcalling #community #hotchocolate #nashwaakwatershed ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

5 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Though still SOLD OUT, we wanted to make sure everyone knew that our event has been moved to Sunday the 5th due to the extremely cold forecast tomorrow. Same time, same place, same adventure. If you have tickets and this is news to you, please check your junk mail for any missed Eventbrite updates. Cheers ... 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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