Newfoundland ~ Joppa Flats Volunteer Tour With Bill Gette and David Larson July 14 – 25, 2010 Our Newfoundland adventure combines outstanding wildlife viewing and beautiful scenery with very special opportunities to experience the island’s rich cultural heritage. Imagine, exploring a place that has not one, but two, United Nations World Heritage Sites: L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Park and Gros Morne National Park. L’Anse aux Meadows preserves an 11th century Viking settlement on the northern tip of the island; Gros Morne is noted for its unique geological features, including the moonlike Tablelands and Newfoundland’s second highest mountain. And then there are the incredible seabird nesting colonies in Witless Bay and along Cape Saint Mary. There we will see thousands of Atlantic Puffins and Northern Gannets and other seabirds such as Black-legged Kittiwake, Thick-billed Murre, and Razorbill. With luck, we could spot some Barren-ground Caribou as we drive through the Avalon Peninsula. Throughout our trip, along with seeing the area’s incredible wildlife, we will also take time to savor the incredible beauty of the landscape and learn about the area’s rich human history. For example, we will take a boat trip into a landlocked fjord to view 2,000-foot waterfalls. We’ll also visit historic towns such as Placentia, the former French capital of Newfoundland, and St. John’s, famed for its visual charm and cultural offerings. This program is open to Joppa Flats Education Center supporters and volunteers only until January 31, 2010. If there are openings at that time, the program will be made available to other participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 800-289-9504 Newfoundland ~ July 2010 Tour Terms and Conditions Tour Price: $ 3900 per person, double occupancy, Single Supplement: $400 Singles are limited. Price Includes: All meals and accommodations as shown in the itinerary Services of Mass Audubon naturalists – Bill Gette and Dave Larson Local guide and naturalist All Tips and Gratuities All excursions, entrance fees Extensive trip preparation notes Medical Evacuation coverage Price Excludes: International airfare Passport and visa fees; Trip cancellation insurance; Airport taxes; excess baggage charges; Items of a personal nature, including alcoholic beverages, laundry and telephone calls; other items not specifically mentioned as included. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: US citizens must carry a passport. Citizens of other countries should check with the Canadian consulate. MASS AUDUBON NATURALIST LEADERS: Bill Gette is the Sanctuary Director of Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary in Newburyport. Bill, a skilled teacher and field naturalist, has been leading domestic and international natural history expeditions for the Society since 1986. He has led very successful programs throughout the United States and to Canada, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Belize, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, and Antarctica. He led a Mass Audubon group to Bhutan in April 2008. Bill has taken a leadership role in bird research and public education about birds and bird conservation. He will be joined in leading this program with skilled local naturalists and guides. David Larson is the Director of Mass Audubon's Birder's Certificate Program, a college-level ornithology course, and is teaching a bird ecology course for naturalist guides in Belize. He is the Education Coordinator for Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport, where he designs and leads educational programs and field trips for participants of all ages. He holds a PhD in zoology from the University of Minnesota and has served on the faculty of Boston University. He is a member of the Nuttall Ornithological Club and is the Production Editor of Bird Observer. He has birded and led expeditions throughout North America, and in the Caribbean, Trinidad, Belize, Panama, Brazil, Botswana, and Japan. Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 2 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 800-289-9504 Newfoundland ~ July 2010 DAY-TO-DAY Itinerary in Newfoundland Day 1: July 14 ~ Arrive St. John’s Our local naturalist guide will meet us at the St. John’s airport. After a brief orientation tour of the St. John’s area (time permitting), we will check into our hotel. The hotel is only a fifteen-minute walk from a spectacular, scenic overlook – the Atlantic Ocean is in one direction, and the heart of the city is in the other. Tonight, we join together for dinner and a tour orientation. Quality Hotel Harbourview, St. John’s (D) Day 2: July 15 ~ St. John’s Today, we will explore the historic city of St. John's and the surrounding area. St. John’s has spectacular ocean scenery, wonderful urban parks, charming streetscapes, and significant cultural sites. It is also a walker's paradise with many of the walking trails following the magnificent coastline. We have planned time to visit the Johnson Geo Centre, a state-of- the-art interpretive center that illustrates the amazing life story of our planet through the remarkable geology of Newfoundland and Labrador. One of the most distinctive buildings in the province, the Centre is located on a beautiful 18-acre site at world-famous Signal Hill. In the St. John’s area, we will also explore the Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden, Cape Spear, and, if time permits, the Newfoundland Museum. This museum displays significant collections representing archaeology, human history and natural history. Quality Hotel Harbourview, St. John’s (B,L,D) Day 3: July 16 ~ Whale Watch This morning, we will drive a short distance south of St. John’s to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. We will embark on a boat trip for spectacular whale and seabird watching. Our boat will cruise among Great, Gull, Green, and Pee Pee islands, so that we can view North America’s largest Atlantic Puffin colony. In addition to the “sea-parrots,” we will see thousands of other seabirds including Common Murre, Black-legged Kittiwake, and Razorbill. Green Island is home to the second largest Common Murre colony in North America. We will also be on the lookout for whales. After lunch and a visit to a historic fishing village, we will return to St. John’s via North American’s most easterly point at Cape Spear National Historic Park. Quality Hotel Harbourview, St. John’s (B,L,D) Day 4: July 17 ~ St. John’s to St. Brides Our adventure continues as we leave St. John’s and drive south to an extraordinary place, the Avalon Peninsula. The peninsula is classified as being part of the South Avalon Burin Oceanic Barrens. The climate here is strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean – strong winds, cool temperatures, and salt spray. As a result, dense carpets of mosses, lichens, and low-growing shrubs are common. Dwarf krummholz (stunted, gnarled forests) of Balsam Fir grow in upland areas. Although Woodland Caribou populations have declined significantly in recent years due to predation, we hope to see some of these magnificent animals during our drive around the peninsula. We also have a good chance of seeing the largest member of the deer family, Moose. In the barrens, we should also be on the lookout for Willow Ptarmigan. This close relative of Ruffed Grouse will be hard to find, however, due to its secretive behavior. During our drive, we will also stop at several coastal venues to look for seabirds and whales. Bird Island Resort, St. Brides (B,L,D) Day 5: July 18 ~ St. Brides and Placentia to Terra Nova This morning, we will explore the western part of the Avalon Peninsula near St. Brides. A highlight will be our visit to the Cape St. Mary’s Travel with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 3 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 800-289-9504 Newfoundland ~ July 2010 Ecological Reserve on the western tip of the peninsula. Bird Rock, located within the reserve, hosts the third largest Northern Gannet colony in North America, and it is the southernmost breeding site for Thick-billed Murres. It will be wonderful to watch the breeding behavior and the general “chaos” associated with a large breeding colony. Northern Fulmars are often seen at Bird Rock. Whenever we scan the ocean, we should be on the lookout for whales and pelagic seabirds, including shearwaters. In the afternoon, we will explore historic Placentia, the former French capital of Newfoundland. We will also visit Castle Hill National Historic Park which preserves 17th and 18th century fortifications occupied by both the French and British empires. This evening’s destination is the Terra Nova National Park area. Clode Sound Motel (B,L,D) Day 6: July 19 ~ Terra Nova to Grand Falls Terra Nova National Park preserves approximately 240 square miles of coastal and upland habitats. We will explore coastal areas of the park with their steep cliffs, exposed headlands, and sheltered coves, as well as the rolling forested hills, bogs, and wetlands of the inland sections of the park. The forests here are predominantly Black Spruce with pockets of Balsam Fir, Mountain Ash, and Tamarack. We will be looking for several boreal bird species, including Pine Grosbeak, Red and White-winged crossbills, and Common Redpolls. Around bogs and wetlands, we will search for orchids and look and listen for Rusty Blackbirds and nesting wood- warblers. Snowshoe Hares and Moose are fairly common in this area. With luck, we could also see some magnificent icebergs – huge chunks of ice that have calved from Greenland glaciers and drifted to Newfoundland. In the afternoon, we will continue our adventure by driving west to the Grand Falls-Windsor area.