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Excursions

Each year, the NSIS arranges a few excursions for its members and guests. These outings have elements of scientific interest, and they are opportunities to share experiences and socialize. They are led either by member volunteers or by subject-matter experts.

We have done 18 excursions between 2016 and 2024, with a break from 2020-2022 due to Covid.

Natural History of McNab’s Island
Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens (1^st time)
The Science and Art of Making Beer (at the Garrison Brewery)
Burke-Gaffney Observatory
Joggins Fossil Cliffs
Shubenacadie Canal
Bedford Institute of Oceanography
Dalhousie Planetarium
Habits and Habitats of NS Birds (in association with the NS Birding Society)
Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens (2^nd time)
Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest
The Science and Art of Making Beer (at the 2 Crows Brewing Company)
Fundy Geological Museum, Ottawa House, and the Tidal Power Exhibit.
Discovery Centre (including “behind the scenes”)
Purcell’s Cove Backlands (in association with Halifax Field Naturalists)
Halifax Citadel Drumlin Geological Walk
Petroglyphs and Guided Nature Walk in Kejimkujik National Park
Scatarie Island Wilderness Area

We are planning at least one excursion for 2024:

Historical Nova Scotia Gold Mining and Remediation Efforts

And we are also considering several others:

Waterfalls of Nova Scotia (various sites)
Cape Split Nature Hike (Scots Bay)
Nova Scotia Museum of Industry (New Glasgow)
Shubenacadie Wildlife Park (Shubenacadie)
Kejimkujik Petroglyphs & Nature Walk (repeat)
Scatarie Island (repeat)

We welcome additional suggestions!

To & From Scatarie Island

A View of Scatarie Island

Welcoming Committee

Geology Lesson

Fin Whale Backbone & Partial Jaw

East End of Scatarie Island

Purcell’s Cove Backlands

Joggins Fossil Cliffs

Annapolis Historic Gardens

Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest

McNab’s Island

Fundy Geological Museum

Previous Notices

On November 21, 2012, Dr. Suzane Zeller, Professor of History, Wilfrid Laurier University, presented “The Natural History of a Sustainable Institution: The Nova Scotian Institute of (Natural) Science Since 1862″ at the Potter Auditorium, Rowe Management Building, Dalhousie University. This lecture was co-sponsored by the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society, the Nova Scotian Institute of Science, the School of Information Management at Dalhousie University, the Atlantic Node of the Situating Science Research Cluster, and the History of Science and Technology Programme at the University of King’s College.

The NSIS supported the Situating Science Strategic Knowledge Cluster in its Dr. Evelyn Fox Keller Visiting Scholar event in Halifax, October 15-November 7, 2012. As part of her activities as Situating Science Visiting Scholar, Dr. Keller, Professor Emerita of History and Philosophy of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, presented a special public evening lecture “Paradigm shifts and revolutions in contemporary biology” on Tuesday October 30th at 7 p.m. at the Alumni Hall, University of King’s College. For information on Dr. Keller’s other activities as Cluster Visiting Scholar, please visit the Situating Science website.

On May 7, 2012, Dr. Bernie Lightman of York University delivered the NSIS 150th Anniversary Lecture, a free public event co-sponsored by the History of Science and Technology programme at the University of King’s College. The lecture, entitled “Communicating Knowledge to New Audiences: Victorian Popularizers of Science”, is available online via podcast. Our thanks to Situating Science for having arranged the recording of the lecture. NSIS is also delighted to present photographs from the lecture by Dr. Bernie Lightman. An informal lunch-time talk “The Royal Panoption” by Dr. Bernie Lightman about the science museum in Leicester Square in the mid 1850′s was held in the Scotiabank Room, University of King’s College, 6350 Coburg Rd.

NSIS announced the winners of the 2012 NSIS Student Writing Contest on Monday 2nd April at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, prior to the evening’s lecture. The two winners of the Student Writing Competition are: William Roberts, BSc candidate, Acadia University for his paper “An Overview of the Biology, Ecology, Conservation and Fishing Industry of Seahorses (Hippocampus spp.)” and Suzuette Soomai, PhD candidate, Dalhousie University for her paper “The Use and Influence of Scientific Information in Environmental Policy Making: Lessons Learned from Nova Scotia”. Honourable mention goes to Robert Alan Paul, PhD Candidate, Dalhousie University.