in the Citizen Proposed Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area
Post by Lisa Proulx on the Friends of Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area FB Page, May 4, 2025, reproduced with permission on NSFM.
We continue to look for Species at Risk (SAR) in the proposed Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area, in an attempt to protect not only the old growth forests, but the younger and mature areas in between, to ensure the ecological continuity and continuous habitat that so many of our vulnerable species need for future survival.
We spend many hours most weeks “intelligently meandering” through the beautiful woods searching for new locations of SAR and also other species that we haven’t documented yet.
To date we have documented 731 species in our iNaturalist project, 59% of which are considered Research Grade.
We have reported over 100 SAR to Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNR) so they can add the appropriate protective buffer zones to try to protect them. We believe they should be protecting entire habitats rather than individual 100 to 200 metre buffers.
In the past year we have been having fun using trail cams to gather info when we aren’t around. Here’s a peak at what was happening!
This is one of my favourite shots of the elusive Gray Jay!
Click on images for larger versions
This coyote was checking out the beaver dam.
We saw quite a bit of action with this Northern Flying Squirrel!
The chipmunk just showed up this week.
There must have been a big water droplet on the trail cam lens after the rain but we know this is a Hairy Woodpecker.
We often see Gray Jays around Goldsmith Lake area but they have become quite scarce elsewhere.
Beaver working on the dam.
The Great Red Squirrel chase!
We were hoping to get a picture of an American Marten but the resolution is not good enough to really ID this critter.
A pair of White Breasted Nuthatches were regulars.
The Blue Jays are always so handsome!
A chickadee helping itself to some nesting material.
One of the most interesting photos of a deer having a midnight swim in the beaver pond!
I think this is a Deer Mouse!
Last, but definitely not least is a closeup of a Black Bear’s ear as it was checking out the trail cam! I can’t seem to get the videos to upload…will work on that!
For more info about the Citizen-proposed Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area, view
– Save Our Old Forests: Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area
– Friends of Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area (Facebook Page)
– Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area iNaturalist Project
and these pages on nsforestmatters,ca:
– Lichen Camp
– Recent Posts – 2025 Lichen Camp
– Goldsmith Lake Wilderness Area (proposed)
– Stories Maps Tell