Honorary Members of the NSIS
Dr. Zoe Lucas
Zoe Lucas has facilitated and undertaken scientific research on a unique ecosystem in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean (Sable Island) with a consistency and dedication that is extremely rare. By force of intellect and will, and with a remarkable record of diverse collaboration, she has advanced knowledge and understanding of all aspects of the Island and its biota. She is a highly skilled and experienced natural historian with more than five decades of experiential education on her own and in scientific partnerships with at least 35 professional scientists and 40 graduate students. It may confidently be said that no person has a more holistic understanding of the Sable Island ecosystem than Zoe Lucas. More importantly, she has effectively communicated her understandings to diverse audiences at the provincial, national, and international levels. Her contributions are not only to the peer-reviewed scientific literature, but also through outreach and institutions she has founded. Dr. Lucas’s positive impact has been formally recognized by academic and governmental institutions. While her path to this level of achievement has not followed the typical 20th century trajectory of a natural scientist, it is consistent with that of many of the great naturalists of the 19th century: immersion in nature, profound reflection, and generous sharing of knowledge.
Dr. Lucas has made contributions to science in Nova Scotia and beyond for more than 50 years as a result of her intimate relationship with the Sable Island ecosystem and her passion for knowledge of this place. This came about because of her determination to live and work on the island, despite significant challenges and obstacles, as well as the steep hands on learning curve she embraced in meteorology, geomorphology, oceanography, ecology and organismal biology. Her published work reveals both the expansion of her interests from horses to all things insular and aquatic, and of her skills from artisan and cook to on-site nature guide, field observer, and research collaborator. There are a hundred or more people whose scientific research (and well-being) has been facilitated, enhanced, or enabled by partnering with Zoe on Sable Island and on the mainland before and after expeditions.
Regarding Dr. Lucas's education and employment, Zoe was first (and still is) an artist. Originally trained in goldsmithing at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, she received an Masters in Fine Arts from the NSCAD in 1977, where she taught goldsmithing part-time. In 1974, she began working on Sable Island as a volunteer cook and field assistant with a seal research team from Dalhousie University, and after a few seasons continued on the island as manager/technician for the terrain restoration program. By 1982, Zoe was involved full-time with Sable projects, conducting various research and monitoring programs including studies of persistent litter in the marine environment, and shark predation on seals. Long-term projects include research on the island's horses, beach surveys for oiled seabirds and stranded cetaceans, and biodiversity studies (mosses, lichens, fungi, and invertebrates). Results of research programs have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, as well as in newsletters and magazines. Zoe has authored or co-authored 27 scientific papers or reports on several aspects of Sable Island research, 17 of which she is the first or sole author. She has also published a children’s book about the Island’s horses.
In 2002, Zoe founded the Friends of the Green Horse Society, focused on the unique colony of horses that have occupied the island since the 1700’s. The web-site is a resource for information and discussion about Sable Island. In 2004, she was appointed as a Research Associate of the Nova Scotia Museum. For ten years, she partnered with the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax to organize a series of annual public meetings about Sable Island. In 2018, she founded the Sable Island Institute, a multidisciplinary organization developing and conducting a wide range of Sable Island programs, including environmental monitoring, biodiversity surveys, arts and culture projects, and public outreach. The Institute is expanding on the roles of the Friends of the Green Horse Society and will continue the Society’s key initiatives. In 2008, Zoe was awarded an Honourary Doctorate (LL.D) from Dalhousie University, and in 2024 received a Member of the Order of Canada award.
Given her outstanding record of service to the wildlife of Sable Island and the people of Nova Scotia, her acknowledged position as the unofficial steward of the Island, and her ongoing contributions to the advancement of natural history studies and multidisciplinary science on this unique offshore island of biodiversity, the Council has elected Dr. Zoe Lucas as an Honorary Member of the NSIS.