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Issue (Archive) The Irving Nature Park is a special haven for wildlife and for people. Located just minutes from downtown Saint John, this 600 acre (243 hectares) site was created in 1992 by J.D. Irving Limited to help protect an environmentally significant area. It is open to visitors at no charge.
Visitors on foot are welcome to enjoy the site, year round. Vehicles are allowed in the Park from May to November and can travel on a road which encircles it during daylight hours. However, every Saturday from 7:30 - 11:30 a.m. the park is closed to cars. Visitors may walk, run, or bike without the worry of cars during that time frame. After 11:30 a.m. cars are again permitted. Park Naturalists are available daily to give tours and answer questions from early May to November. Once an island but now connected by a roadway with mud flats and a salt marsh on one side and a Bay of Fundy rocky beach on the other, The Irving Nature Park is a wonderful place to visit and one of the best areas to experience the giant tides of the Bay of Fundy. The water sweeps up the Bay and crashes onto the beach. Due to the wave action, the beach, known as Saint’s Rest, is littered with rocks which have been pummeled by the tides and are of all shapes and colours - many visitors collect the rocks as a unique and free souvenir of their visit to Saint John.
The tides of the Bay of Fundy come in and out daily to heights of 7.62 meters or 25 feet. The powerful waves of this area affect the plants and organisms. The beach is able to exist because the sand and gravel are held together by the root systems of the Marram grass that edges it. These grasses are not affected by the winds or water of the Bay but foot or vehicle traffic will kill it and once it dies it will not reestablish itself. Birds of all kinds and sizes abound in the salt marsh and more than 250 species have been seen in the Park. From Canada Geese and Great Blue Herons to Black-capped Chickadees and sandpipers. Sightings of rare birds visiting this area or blown here by the wind are not uncommon. The area is a traditional staging site for migratory and marine birds that travel between the Arctic and South America. It is also a breeding ground for many waterfowl of the Atlantic coastline. A wheelchair - accessible boardwalk extends 300 meters onto the marsh so everyone can observe and enjoy the marsh inhabitants. Another special feature to be found in the park is a Seal Observation Deck with permanently mounted binoculars for viewing the Harbour Seals on an island off shore. Seals do not necessarily haul out every day, they spend the majority of their time in the water. In the Bay of Fundy the best time to see seals is when the low tide is in the afternoon. Also they are more apt to haul out when there are warmer air temperatures, low cloud coverage, high waves offshore and no human disturbances. Decks have been built at strategic places along the rim of the park to provide special views of the bay. At the highest point on the island is a Lookout Tower with binoculars. Visitors can enjoy a 360 degree view of the terrain and sea from above the treetops. All materials for building this tower and its access pathway and stairs were hand-carried to the site to avoid damaging the forest floor ecosystems on the hillside.
The Irving Nature Park has been designed and equipped with people in mind. There are eight walking trails and they are lined with hemlock chips for dry buoyancy underfoot and simple log bridges span any small waterways or wet areas on the trails. Families are welcomed and gas barbecues and picnic tables are conveniently located near parking lots. Red Squirrels, snowshoe hare and porcupines are commonly seen throughout the Park. The Irving company publishes quarterly sheets for the Naturalist’s Notebook as well as wildflower and bird watching checklists - all of which are distributed free of charge. When opening the this unique park in 1992, Mr. J.K. Irving said that this gift of the Irving Family was dedicated “for the enjoyment of the people of New Brunswick.” The people of New Brunswick do appreciate the Park and it is well attended but many of the visitors come from areas far beyond New Brunswick. For information or to book a tour call the Irving Nature Park manager at (506) 632-7777 or visit the Irving Forest Discovery Network at www.ifdn.com Hours of Operation May 1 - to September 15: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Got a comment or suggestion? ownwords@nbnet.nb.ca |
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The purple violet (Viola cucullata) is a perennial which flowers from May through July.The flowers of the purple violet have been used in jams and syrups, and are supposed to have properties to soothe the digestive tract and suppress a cough. The flower was adopted as the New Brunswick floral emblem in 1936, at the request of the provincial Women’s Institute. 
