The Sable Island Institute, a registered not-for-profit with charitable status, is a multidisciplinary organization that will conduct and support Sable Island programs ranging from biodiversity surveys to public outreach initiatives. The Institute is expanding on the roles of the Friends of the Green Horse Society (FGHS), and will continue the Society’s key projects and events. The FGHS enthusiastically supports the Sable Island Institute, and the two organizations are presently collaborating on several projects. The Sable Island Institute is registered under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act S.C. 2009, c.23, and is a charity registered with the Canada Revenue Agency. The Institute is presently located in the Gatekeeper’s Lodge in Point Pleasant Park, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Friends of the Green Horse Society
The Friends of the Green Horse Society (FGHS) is an inspiration and a partner in the development of the Sable Island Institute. For over a decade, the FGHS, a not-for-profit organization registered under the Nova Scotia Societies Act, conducted on-island monitoring and research programs (such as biodiversity surveys for lichens, mosses, and invertebrates), and organized educational and public awareness events for schools and public interest groups. But there have been green horses turning up for almost fifty years. As for these two, we thank Sandra Barry.
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Contributors
A growing list of individuals are contributing their energy and talents to the Sable Island Institute. Gina Little is sharing her photos, Marielle Thillet is assisting with translations, and Elizabeth Leadon recorded her experience on one of Adventure Canada’s visits to the island.
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Officers & Directors
Zoe Lucas
President
Zoe Lucas has over forty years experience as a naturalist on Sable Island, conducting various research and monitoring programs including terrain restoration projects and biodiversity studies. In 2008, Zoe received an Honorary Doctorate degree from Dalhousie University.
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Andrew G Horn
Director of Science
Andy Horn is Research Adjunct at Dalhousie University, specializing in the behavioural ecology of animals, especially birds. He has been involved with research and conservation of Sable Island’s bird life for over 20 years.
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Dominique Gusset
Vice-President
Dominique Gusset has over 30 years experience as a cinematographer and documentary filmmaker and a passion for environmental communication. She first visited Sable Island in the early 1980s, working with the terrain restoration crews.
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Jim McMillan
Treasurer
Jim McMillan’s 35-year career was at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography studying, with a team of scientists, biologists and technicians, the ecology of marine species. Beginning with work on groundfish ecology, Jim spent most of his career with the Grey Seal team researching foraging ecology on Sable Island.
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Anne Muecke
Secretary
Anne Muecke studied geology at the University of Bristol and design at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and worked for three decades with Griffiths Muecke Associates, an environmental consulting practice which she co-founded. During much of that time, Anne has also been a very active volunteer with arts and education organizations.
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Brad Toms
Director
Brad Toms is a Wildlife Biologist at the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute, and his primary focus is on the recovery of Species at Risk. During four field programs on Sable Island between 2006 and 2018, Brad has worked on various bird species including Ipswich Sparrows and Roseate Terns.
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Renée Kuehnle
Director
Renée Kuehnle is a Rural Planner specializing in community-led design, strategy, and policy development. She had her first experience on Sable Island in 2022, and is excited by the transdisciplinary nature of the Institute and the many ways to know and understand the island to connect and communicate its stories more broadly.
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Anna Grue
Director
Anna Grue is a Chartered Professional Accountant and is completing her Master of Business Administration at Dalhousie University. She volunteers with the Bass River Heritage Society and Big Brothers Big Sisters. As a child, Anna was captivated by horses and developed a keen fascination with Sable Island.
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Sherman Boates
Director
Sherman Boates studied ecology of birds and invertebrates at Acadia University and Exeter University, and as a government scientist and professor, he has worked as a conservation biologist for more than 30 years. Sherman is a passionate biodiversity champion and a keen life-long student of nature. He spent a summer studying terns on Sable Island.
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Advisory Council
In addition to its Directors and Contributors, the Sable Island Institute has an Advisory Council of experts who provide advice and guidance on issues and programming, and also participate in selected projects. Together, their Sable experience and interests include scientific research, the arts and design, and education and public outreach. Their insights, and their support and enthusiasm for the Institute, are invaluable.
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Personnel
Krista Patriquin is employed by the Sable Island Institute as the Research Coordinator for the Fences in the Sand project – a collaboration between the Institute and Parks Canada to understand how the wild horses influence the ecosystems and organisms in the Sable Island National Park Reserve.
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