The items on this page are a collection of updates and reports on Sable-related events and activities, and short accounts about selected features of the island’s natural and human history, operations, and cultural life. Some predate the establishment of the Sable Island National Park Reserve in 2013, and of these a number were previously published in the website of the Friends of the Green Horse Society.
The items here are not organized by subject and/or by date of occurrence. They are presented in this page only in the order of publication (i.e., date of publication in this website). Some of the articles are “news”, while others provide some background details about people, projects, programs and operations both on and off the island—all slices of life and times of Sable Island.
Winter Solstice, December 21st, 2018
The Sable Island Institute wishes all Sable Island’s personnel, friends, and supporters the very best for a happy and healthy winter 2018-2019.
Birds with Bling – Banding Ipswich Sparrows
To really understand animals, we need to know them as individuals. Bird legs provide a flagpole for coloured bands that can be seen from many metres away and enable researchers to track individual birds.
Fall Colours on Sable Island, September-October 2018
During autumn, the island’s landscape becomes a tapestry of silvery-white, pale yellow, tan, amber, buffy, sienna, orange, red and purple, with the bright greens of juniper and crowberry woven throughout.
Marine Litter Brand Audit, Sable Island, September 2018
Although the island is not as fouled as many other locations, marine debris is abundant, with some plastic containers originating in Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, Japan, Malaysia, South Africa, France, and Russia.
Disposal of Hazardous Ordnance on Sable Island in August 2005
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from Canadian Forces Base Shearwater arrived on Sable Island to dispose of a few years worth of beached, and potentially dangerous, Marine Location Markers (MLMs).
The Sunroom Museum – A Glimpse of Sable Island
Many people in Nova Scotia have small collections of Sable Island curios, but much of Herb’s appreciation and joy in his collection is the opportunity to share the items and their stories with visitors.
A Mysterious Light in the Sable Sky, October 2016
On a clear night Wayne Broomfield set up his tripod and took a series of photos. Later, when he examined the images, he saw a shape like a spinning top glowing in the sky above the Sable Island Station.
Ocean Sampling Day, June 21st 2018, at Sable Island
On summer solstice, samples of ocean water containing millions of microbes were collected from >100 sites worldwide in an international study of marine microbes and their key roles in ocean ecosystems.
The Petrels of Sable Island
Leach’s Storm-petrels were first recorded nesting on Sable Island in July 1994. Their vocalizations are now part of the nighttime soundscape of summer as petrels circle and swoop bat-like in the dark.
A Mortality Event of Herons and Egrets on Sable Island, Spring 2018
Many dead herons and egrets—Yellow-crowned Night-heron, Cattle Egret, Great Egret, and Great Blue Heron—found during May, were likely part of an unusual mortality event on Sable Island in early spring.
Sable Island Talk at Argyle Fine Art, in Halifax, June 20th, 2018
On June 20th (Wednesday) 6:30-8:30 pm, Argyle Fine Art will host a free talk with artist Briana Corr Scott and marine biologist Nell den Heyer about their experiences in art and science on Sable Island.
Sable Island Institute and ArtsSmarts Visit a Lawrencetown School
The Sable Island Institute and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia’s ArtsSmarts Nova Scotia program visited Atlantic View Elementary school in Lawrencetown for a fun day of Sable Island-themed art-making.
