Sandpiper Festival ends but migration season continues near Dorchester
Dorchester’s Sandpiper Festival brought visitors to the community from Friday to Sunday for three days of activities centered around the annual sandpiper migration.
The festival included food, crafts, fruit vendors, scavenger hunts, a petting zoo and inflatable attractions. The organized events have ended but visitors still have time to see the sandpipers near Dorchester.
Hear the story below:
Seeing the migration for the first time
Emma Doukas is Tantramar’s summer events coordinator. She visited the sandpipers before Saturday’s Jailbird Run.
“I absolutely loved this morning. Before the Jailbird Run started, I went down and I looked actually at all the sandpipers and watching them fly around was so surreal,” said Doukas, “I’ve never seen so many birds all in one place, so it was really cool to see.”
Semipalmated sandpipers breed in Arctic and subarctic Canada before travelling south. They winter along the northern and central coasts of South America, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
The birds stop near Dorchester and around the upper Bay of Fundy during their migration.
Festival and education play connected roles
The festival uses entertainment and community activities to bring people into Dorchester. Visitors looking for detailed information about the migration are directed to the Johnson’s Mills Interpretive Centre.
“When it comes to explaining the sandpipers, we kinda really leave it to the Johnson Mills Interpretive Center because they are pros on everything sandpiper,” said Doukas.
“I bring them down for the more fun, outdoorsy, like, amusement stuff, and they get the informative stuff down.”
Doukas said Tantramar’s amalgamation has also given Dorchester, Sackville and other communities more opportunities to communicate and coordinate events.
Organizers also tried to make the inflatable attractions available to people of different ages and sizes.
“Even if you think they’re just for kids, they’re not. No. Anyone of any age can go and have fun on them.” said Doukas.
Sandpipers remain through August
Doukas said the migration continues after the festival, although the number of birds declines throughout August.
“I know they’re here for the majority of July and August, but as August progresses, you’ll see there’s less and less every day,” she said.
Doukas said an estimate of the number of birds present during the festival was relayed to her by James, whom she described as one of the head people at the interpretive centre.
“From what I heard from James, who’s one of the head people there at the interpretive center, there’s well over 100,000 today.”
The festival tents and attractions have come down, but the sandpipers’ stop near Dorchester continues as the birds prepare for the next stage of their journey south.
About the reporter
Clinton Davis is a PT journalist/producer with CHMA News covering Tantramar (including Sackville, Dorchester, Port Elgin, Midgic and surrounding communities). He reports on municipal government, public safety, community events, local business, regional issues and ideas across Tantramar.
