Nature Moncton Nature
News
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Nature Moncton members, as
well as any naturalist in New Brunswick or beyond, are invited to share their
photos and descriptions of recent nature sightings to build a fresh (almost)
daily edition of Nature News.
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** As an early heads-up to mark on the calendar, the Nature Moncton activities committee is planning a
field trip for October 17, with a write-up at the end of this edition and
upfront as the day draws nigh.
**Early on Tuesday morning,
the Moon moved between the Earth and the planet Jupiter, temporarily blocking
it from view. This is called an occultation, and it is infrequently seen in a
nicely dark sky. On this morning, the waning crescent Moon approached
the planet Jupiter and slowly blocked it from view for about an hour
before the planet popped back into view on the dark limb of the Moon, creating
a visual spectacle for the astronomically minded naturalist. Brian Stone put together
a composite image showing the Moon slowly covering the planet and then
uncovering it as it moved past. Zoom in on the image for closer details of
Jupiter being occulted. Brian also shares a Stellarium screenshot showing the
names of Jupiter's visible moons which can be seen in some of the photos when zoomed in enough.
(Editor's note: With days
getting shorter and more dark skies, it’s a good time of year to look up and
take note of some of the interesting events that are happening in the sky. Let’s
start to take the time to share these with Nature News.)
**As it's the mushroom
year of the decade, there is always another interesting mushroom scenario to
share.
Nelson Poirier shares a
photo of a barometer earthstar mushroom seen recently. This relative of
the puffball group uses its flaps (avoiding technical terms) to close over when
humidity and temperature conditions aren't right but opens up when there is
enough moisture and the temperature is cool.
When mature, it detaches
from the ground, gets blown around by the wind, and lets its spores spread to
develop a new territory. They seem to like sandy dune conditions and can be
seen from the boardwalk at the Bouctouche dune.
**Autumn
Colours Outing: Discover Highland Park in Salisbury 🍂
Looking to
enjoy the best of fall in Greater Moncton? Join Nature Moncton for a peaceful
and scenic autumn walk through Salisbury's Highland Park on Saturday,
October 17, 2026.
Highland
Park features vibrant fall foliage, rich wetland habitat, and fantastic
opportunities for birding and mushroom spotting. We’ll take a relaxed, 1.5-hour
loop (approx. 3 km.) over easy, flat, and well-groomed terrain, complete with water views
and cozy benches along the way.
Event
Details
📍 Where: Meet at the unpaved parking area at the bottom of MacDonald
Road, Salisbury. (From Route 112/Main St, turn left onto MacDonald Road just past the Pizza Mill).
⏰ When: Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10:00 AM
🎒 Tip: Wear comfortable footwear and bring bug spray for the wetland
trail.
All are
welcome. Whether you're a long-time Nature Moncton member or joining us for the
first time, we'd love to see you there! Don't forget your Nature Moncton name
tag if you have one.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
