Friends of Sable Island Scholarship

Sable Island National Park Reserve is a 40-kilometre stretch of sand located approximately 290 kilometres southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is home to many species of animals, sea life, birds, and plants, including approximately 500 wild horses which were introduced sometime after 1738. Many birds, including small numbers of the threatened Roseate Tern, live on the island. It is also the only known breeding ground of the rare Ipswich Sparrow. Sable Island is the largest congregation of breeding Grey Seals and home to a small population of Harbour Seals. More recent discoveries include the endemic Sable Island Sweat Bee.

There has been a continuous human presence on Sable Island since 1801 when Nova Scotia's colonial government founded a lifesaving establishment to assist with the suffering and loss of life and cargo that resulted from the frequent shipwrecks on Sable's shores. There have been an estimated 350 shipwrecks near the Island – the most recent being in 1999 – earning Sable Island the title "Graveyard of the Atlantic". The island has also been an inspiration to artists of all disciplines – from those who have been fortunate to visit in person to those who feel connected to it from afar.

Award Details

A) The "Inspired by Sable Island" Award for 2021 is open to any student who has completed at least one year of post-secondary education and is returning to their studies in the fall of 2021. All areas of study and disciplines are welcome to apply.

B) Award includes a daytrip to Sable Island National Park Reserve with Parks Canada during October 2021, subject to scheduling, operational requirements, and as weather permits. All current Nova Scotia protocols for COVID-19 must be followed.

C) The student will be responsible for his/her own meals, as well as travel arrangements from his/her place of residence to and from the airport in Halifax on the day of the flight to Sable Island. A) $500 will be given directly to the student.

D) Form of submission is a project proposal detailing what the student plans to do on the Island and how it will contribute to their studies (see Application Information below).

Application Information

A) The project proposal must provide enough detail for evaluators to understand the expected on-island experience (approximately six hours), and the longer-lasting potential impacts of this trip. Each proposal will be considered from the perspectives of how it will contribute to the student's studies and career goals, and how it will benefit Sable Island National Park Reserve.

B) The full proposal must include a section titled "Proposal Summary" that identifies the student, their career aspirations, and summarizes what they plan to do on the island. A) Only the "Proposal Summary" section of the winning submission (not the full proposal) will be featured on the website and Facebook pages of Friends of Sable Island and Parks Canada. A) All submissions remain the intellectual property of the students.

C) Submissions must be sent in PDF format to scholarships@sableislandfriends.ca by 11:59pm Atlantic Time on Thursday September 30, 2021.

D) Submissions must be accompanied by a completed application form (see below) and a letter of support for the proposal from a current professor/teacher at the student's current post secondary institution.