The Atlantic puffin (Fraterculus arctica) is a well-known symbol of Newfoundland and Labrador. Over 95 percent of all the puffins in North America breed on the coasts of the province. The largest colony can be seen in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve just south of St. John’s.
Both parents nurture until the chick is ready for life at sea in late August or early September. Ninety-five per cent of North America’s Atlantic Puffins are found in this province. It was designated the Provincial Bird in 1991.
The Puffin Patrol in Newfoundland is a community effort to rescue pufflings (baby puffins) that become stranded on the roads and shorelines. The Puffin is community-driven initiative to save land-stranded puffings was started by a German couple, Juergen and Elfie Schau who noticed pufflings stranded on the roads while vacationing in Witless Bay. What began as a small project involving neighbors and their children has grown into a beloved community tradition of rescuing puffings each year during fledging season.
In the summer of 2011, the program expanded to include the rescue of Leach’s Storm-Petrels and to extend the patrol to include an additional 5 communities surrounding the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve.
Since the early beginnings of the program in 2004, thousands of pufflings and Leach’s Storm-Petrel chicks have been rescued with the help of local volunteers and returned to their ocean environment.
The patrol takes place every night from August to October.
They used butterfly nets, flashlights, and gloves to catch the birds and place them in boxes overnight and release them into the ocean the next morning.
The Seabird Conservation and Habitat Improvement Program facilitates volunteers to educate and encourage locals to dim or turn off unnecessary lighting, decreasing light pollution that attracts the chicks to the shore.
a close up of three puffins standing on rocks at the seashore.
Atlantic Puffin or Common Puffin, Fratercula arctica, in flight on Mykines, Faroe Islands
Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica), on the rock on the island of Runde (Norway). It is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean.
El frailecillo atlántico (Fraterculus arctica) es un conocido símbolo de Terranova y Labrador. Más del 95% de todos los frailecillos de Norteamérica crían en las costas de la provincia. La mayor colonia puede verse en la Reserva Ecológica de Witless Bay, al sur de St. John’s.
Ambos progenitores crían hasta que el polluelo está listo para la vida en el mar, a finales de agosto o principios de septiembre. El 95% de los frailecillos atlánticos de Norteamérica se encuentran en esta provincia. Fue designado ave provincial en 1991.
La Patrulla de Frailecillos de Terranova es un esfuerzo comunitario para rescatar a los frailecillos (crías de frailecillo) que quedan varados en las carreteras y costas. La Patrulla de Frailecillos es una iniciativa comunitaria para salvar a los frailecillos varados en tierra. La pusieron en marcha una pareja de alemanes, Juergen y Elfie Schau, que se dieron cuenta de que había frailecillos varados en las carreteras mientras estaban de vacaciones en Witless Bay. Lo que empezó como un pequeño proyecto en el que participaban vecinos y sus hijos se ha convertido en una tradición comunitaria muy querida que consiste en rescatar frailecillos cada año durante la época de cría.
En el verano de 2011, el programa se amplió para incluir el rescate de paíños de Leach y extender la patrulla para incluir otras 5 comunidades que rodean la Reserva Ecológica de Witless Bay.
Desde los inicios del programa en 2004, miles de frailecillos y polluelos de paíño de Leach han sido rescatados con la ayuda de voluntarios locales y devueltos a su entorno oceánico.
La patrulla tiene lugar todas las noches de agosto a octubre.
Utilizan redes para mariposas, linternas y guantes para capturar las aves y colocarlas en cajas durante la noche y liberarlas en el océano a la mañana siguiente.
El Programa de Conservación y Mejora del Hábitat de las Aves Marinas facilita voluntarios para educar y animar a los lugareños a atenuar o apagar la iluminación innecesaria, disminuyendo así la contaminación lumínica que atrae a los polluelos a la orilla.
In 
Bahkita, who is also the patron saint of Sudan, her homeland, was kidnapped and sold into slavery at a very young age – a victim of human trafficking. Eventuaslly freed, she became a Canossian nun and was declared a Saint in 2000.
Debt cancelation is not just an economic solution; it’s a moral imperative rooted in the theological principle of justice for all. By addressing the root causes of debt and advocating for systemic reform, we can create a more equitable world where the welfare of people and the planet are prioritized.
Behind every diagnosis lies a unique human story – stories of grief, pain, healing, resilience, love and more. That’s why a people-centred approach to cancer care that fully integrates each individual’s unique needs, with compassion and empathy, leads to the best health outcomes.
