The Nova Scotia Adopt a Highway Program provides organizations, volunteer groups, and businesses the opportunity to contribute to local communities and our province by removing litter from roadsides or interchanges (exit ramps). After a cleanup our province benefits in many different ways; instantly the appearance of the province improves, the environment is aided, tourism is strengthened, and wildlife’s attraction to roadways is reduced.
Our program assists the Watch for Wildlife Vehicle Collision Prevention Program by limiting the amount of litter found on roadsides. Roadside garbage, which has been thrown out of motorists cars for example, attracts animals on to roadways. A seemingly innocent apple disposed of from a car window is not as simple as it may seem. Wildlife and birds are attracted to roadways from garbage, even biodegradable apples, and will most likely end up being injured or killed. Decreasing the amount of litter on and near roads reduces attraction to roadways and ultimately reduces wildlife-vehicle collisions.
Litter is a real problem in Nova Scotia and we want to change that so we have made adopting a highway easy and free! Currently, the Adopt-A-Highway Program has over 170 groups who have adopted more than 1000 kilometers of secondary roads and 18 interchange areas throughout the province. With that being said, we still have a lot of roads that need adopting.

Adopt a Highway is Recruiting:
We are looking for groups to get involved and adopt roads and highways in Nova Scotia that aren't yet cared for. If you are part of a group that may be interested in adopting a roadway please take a look at our website at www.adoptahighwayns.ca for more information on our program and our application process. Or, you may contact us by telephone at 902-843-9467 or by email at aah@eastlink.ca.
Our volunteer information and training session is coming up on April 28th in Debert (just outside Truro), and is free (though space is limited). Watch for Wildlife will be there to present on the impacts of litter on wildlife on and near our roads, and to show interested volunteers how they can track wildlife collision data and contribute to the Watch for Wildlife collision data project using the INaturalist app. For information about the AAH Training session, see our website for details.
Please drive safely, keep your litter in your car and off the road, and consider adopting a local roadway, every LITTER bit helps - and every person can make a difference. - Amy Langille