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Fieldwork

Sable Island Fieldwork 2026

Another productive field season brought almost twice as many samples as last year, five new bird species and memorable days in the dunes.

In July, I had the opportunity to return to the remarkable Sable Island National Park Reserve for another field season. Despite patchy weather—and plenty of fog—Jocelyn, Aurelia, Victoria and I made the most of every workable day. By the end of the season, I had collected almost twice as many samples as last year, an exciting step forward for the project.

Fieldwork also brought memorable moments beyond the horses. I added five species to my life list: Arctic Tern, American Herring Gull, Laughing Gull, Semipalmated Plover and Yellow-crowned Night Heron.

Hiking through Sable Island’s dunes is always an extraordinary experience, and I’m grateful to the team for another productive and unforgettable season on the island.

Two dark bay Sable Island stallions standing close together on a sandy beach beneath a clear blue sky.
Stallion friendship.
Victoria, Aurelia, Weronika and Jocelyn standing together at foggy East Point, with the beach and ocean behind them.
The team at East Point, from left: Victoria, Aurelia, Weronika and Jocelyn.
A smaller chestnut Sable Island horse standing beside a larger dark bay horse among dune grass.
The power of genetics.
Weronika in field gear hiking across rippled sand dunes in dense fog.
Looking for horses in the fog.
Close view of the head of a deceased pilot whale resting on sand on Sable Island’s north shore.
One of the 16 pilot whales found stranded on Sable Island’s north shore in June 2026.Read the CBC News report
Weronika looks toward a large flock of terns flying above the green dunes of Sable Island.
Our relationship with terns is somehow complicated