Protected Areas Week is an opportunity to celebrate Nova Scotia’s protected areas and help people connect with these special places. Throughout the week, we’ll be highlighting protected areas across the province and encouraging communities to get outside and explore them. If you’re part of a hiking club, community group, environmental organization, or other group that is interested in hosting a hike or outdoor event in a protected area between July 25 and August 1, we’d love to hear from you. If you already have an event planned during that time, we’d be happy to add it to our provincial schedule and help promote it through our platforms. To get involved, email Marina at education.outreach@naturens.ca
| Date | Location | Hike Details and Registration |
| Saturday, July 18th, 2026 | Feely Lake, Sackville | Registration not required. This hike is led by volunteers from the Sackville Rivers Association See details here: Feely Hike Details Meeting at the intersection of Rossing and Larringto drives. |
| Saturday, July 25th, 2026 | Sandy Lake, Halifax Regional Municipal Park | Details and Registration Here |
| Saturday, July 25th, 2026 | Charlie’s Lake Look Off, Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lake Wilderness Area | Closed |
| Sunday, July 26th, 2026 | Forest Bathing Tour on McNabs Island | Details and Registration Here |
| Peggy’s Cove Conservation Lands | Details and Registration Here | |
| Tuesday, July 28th, 2026 | Spectacle Lake Trail, Dartmouth | NOTE: Registration is required for communication purposes.This delightful, little trail is located on Spectacle Lake Drive off of Commodore Drive, about half way between Dartmouth Crossings and Burnside Industrial Park. A lesser known trail it has great features and is not heavily used. Partially a loop trail it has a large viewing platform that offers a good variety of both plant and animal life and the lake itself. Rain Date: Wednesday, July 29th Contact: Bernie McKenna, 902-434-3202, mckennab197@gmail.com Time/Place: 10:30 a.m. meet at the turning circle on Spectacle Lake Drive, off of Commodore Drive in Burnside. Difficulty: easy, mostly hard packed earthen path and boardwalk. Only slight elevation changes. Duration: 1.5 to 2.5 hours |
| Thursday, July 30th, 2026 | The Blue Mountain Summit | Details and Registration Here |
| Saturday, August 1st, 2026 | Martinique Beach Provincial Park | No registration needed, drop in! Visit Nature Nova Scotia staff and volunteers at our booth in the Martinique Beach Provincial Park parking lot, grab your shorebird scavenger hunt sheet, and bring it back before 3pm for some nature-y prizes! We’ll be on site to help with species identification, talk about shorebire conservation, some concerning developments in plover habitat over the last few years, and how provincial parks like Martinique Beach aren’t actually as protected as you might think… |
| Saturday, August 1st, 2026 | Ingram River Wilderness Area | Drawing Closer to the Forest Slow down and connect with the beauty of the proposed Ingram River Wilderness Area through mindful walking and observational drawing in an old-growth forest. No drawing experience is needed—just curiosity and a willingness to look closely. Facilitator: Firth MacMillan, educator, artist, and mindfulness coach. Time: 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (Meet at 9:45 a.m.; location provided upon registration.) Suggested donation: $20 (if able), supporting the Ingram Action Group’s efforts to protect the proposed Ingram River Wilderness Area. The workshop includes a brief drawing lesson, mindful observation, and approximately two hours of slow hiking over moderate terrain. To register: Email ingramactiongroup@gmail.com by July 26. Space is limited. Bring: Drawing materials (or borrow ours), a bagged lunch, water, sturdy footwear, bug spray, and sunscreen. |
| Saturday, August 1st, 2026 | Kluscap Indigenous Protected & Conserved Area (IPCA) | Registration not required. Join the CB Naturalists, Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources for a public stroll in a protected area on. Time: 10:00 am. Meet at the parking lot along one of the dirt roads at the top of Kelly’s Mountain – click here for Google Maps Link. Please check the weather and dress appropriately (layers recommended), wear sturdy footwear, and bring sun protection. Always a good idea to bring a drink and a snack, binoculars or a camera if you have ’em. The only mandatory thing is to bring your curiosity! |
| Saturday, August 1st, 2026 |
Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area | Please Register here: Goldsmith Lake Forest Walk Join Save our Old Forests (SOOF) and guest hosts Keith Egger and Scott Digweed for a forest walk to explore part of the proposed Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area. Keith and Scott will focus on the mostly hidden organisms that sustain and nurture the forest ecosystem. Keith will share his knowledge of fungi and mycorrhizal networks, and Scott is a local entomologist who is currently leading the Bug Quest Canada project at Goldsmith Lake. Check-in Time: 9:45 am |
During the Summit and Protected Areas Week, complete activities in the Protected Areas Week Passport for a chance to win nature goodies valued at $300! You can use the printed passport (available at the Summit) or the digital version. Once completed, submit a photo or screenshot of your passport by August 3rd to education.outreach@naturens.ca with your name and phone number. Each completed activity earns one entry into the draw.Nature is facing unprecedented biodiversity and climate crises and scientists around the world agree that protecting at least 30% of land and water by 2030 is essential to safeguard wildlife, clean water, healthy forests, and a stable climate. Canada has committed to this global goal, while Nova Scotia has pledged to protect 20% of public land by 2030. Many of Nova Scotia’s most important forests, wetlands, and wildlife habitats are still awaiting permanent protection. Every visit, conversation, and act of advocacy helps protect the wild places that make our province special. Learn more Here: https://naturens.ca/keep-it-wild/
