LEARNING ON THE LAKE
Bras d’Or Watch teaches children, adults about the importance of nature and the Bras d’Or Lake
Bras d’Or Watch teaches children, adults about the importance of nature.
Clara and Monica Simmons had seen the Bras d’Or Lake before, but didn’t know much about it.
The twin sisters have spent many days near the lake with their grandparents, who own a trailer at the Ben Eoin RV Park.
The Halifax residents were in Cape Breton this weekend visiting and decided to take part in the Bras d’Or Watch, an event aimed at spreading awareness to plants and animals as well as the importance of the lake to the island.
Close to 30 people participated in the event at the Ben Eoin RV Park on Saturday.
Participants learned about eagle nests as well as the different types of fish and plants during the four-hour activity.
“I thought it was very cool being able to see the eagles nest,” said Monica Simmons. “Seeing the fish was really cool too because I had never held a fish before.”
Simmons believes the event is important, not only for children, but for adults as well.
“It helped me learn more about the different kinds of fish that live in the Bras d’Or Lake that I didn’t know about before,” she said. “It was exciting and something I will remember.”
Meanwhile, Clara Simmons couldn’t take the smile off her face.
“I liked the part where we were able to go in the water and look for fish,” she said. “I thought it was so cool to be able to see fish up close, it was pretty amazing.”
Steve Fowler of Hamilton, Ont., also participated in Saturday’s event with his son Grayson.
“I wanted him to learn more about nature because he loves animals and I thought this would be a good opportunity for him to see some crabs, fish and eagles,” said Fowler.
“I think this is an amazing opportunity and it should be done more often for the children and for adults to learn more about the lake itself.”
Dave Harris, a member of the Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere Reserve Association, volunteered his time during the event to show participants an eagles nest, located on the hillside near Highway 4, across from the park.
“The Bras d’Or Lake has some very deep channels, so you have things that only occur way north of here (Ben Eoin) and it also has pretty warm water, so you have things that are south of here (Ben Eoin) too, so it’s a mesh of the two extremes of what you can find in the waters,” said Harris.
“Because it’s such a rich waterbody, the Bras d’Or Lake is great for eagle nesting… the lake is a food source for pretty much every pair of nesting eagles, so it’s important that they have a view of their ‘dining room’ from the nest.”
Unfortunately for participants, they didn’t see an eagle in the nest.
“The young would have fledged a couple of weeks ago, so as soon as they fly away the adults don’t spend a lot of time in the nest,” said Harris, who worked as a biologist for the Department of Natural Resources before his retirement in 2010.
“Sometimes the young (eagles) come back to check it out, but usually not a lot of the time.”
Saturday’s Bras d’Or Watch marked the fourth year for the event, hosted by ACAP Cape Breton and the Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere Reserve Association.
Along with the Ben Eoin event, the Bras d’Or Watch also took place at the Ross Ferry Marine Park, St. Peter’s Marina and the Whycocomagh Provincial Park.
Attendance numbers for the other locations were not immediately available.
As for the Simmons girls, they hope to participate in the event again next year.
For more information on the Bras d’Or Lake and the Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere Reserve Association, visit the website www.blbra.ca.