Event of interest: Chebucto Moose Field Meeting on Sunday Oct 22, 2023

Posted on September 20, 2023 by admin

Details & Registration Here

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Field Trip : Polly’s Cove – Sept 30, Rain Date Oct 1

Posted on September 19, 2023 by Bob Kennedy

Charles Cron will be leading a field trip to the Polly’s Cove Trail (between Peggy’s Cove and West Dover)  The call for which date will be made a few days before once Charlie sees the weather forecast.

Take the 101 from Halifax: exit 5 at Upper Tantallon : turn  left at the lights on the Hamonds Plains Road ,to the Junction with Rte 3 St. Margaret’s Bay  Road,turn Right on the St,Margaret’s Bay Road to the lights: then Left onto  rte.333 .Follow route 333 to Peggy’s Cove, go about 1.5 km past Peggy’s Cove uphill : there are 2 parking areas ,oe on the left the next on the right at the Trail head for Poly’s Cove. Otherwise park on the roadside but do not block traffic.

Meet at the trailhead at 10:00 am. Duration about 2-3 hrs. Wear waterproof hikers or rubber boots. Moderately difficult (Depending on the route taken). Bring water and lunch. (some areas may be flooded).

Please register with Charlie Cron by Thursday  Sept 28 to let him know that you plan to attend. ccron72@hotmail.com or call 902 477 8272 leave message

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Sep 25 Member’s Meeting – The Laugavegur Trail of Iceland: A botanical journey

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Bob Kennedy

At 7:30pm on Monday Sep 25, we will have our first member’s meeting of the fall season at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History’s downstairs auditorium. Entry is via the downstairs south door by the parking lot. There will also be a concurrent Zoom session for those unable to attend.

For our presentation, Sean Haughian, the Curator of Botany at the Nova Scotia Museum, will share a slideshow about his 2017 trek along the world-famous Laugavegur trail in Iceland. Sean will share photos of many unfamiliar ecosystems, such as black deserts, high alpine glaciers, and jagged lava fields, as well as a few familiar ecosystems, such as riverside valleys and heathlands, while emphasizing the characteristic and exceptional plants throughout. Highlights include some always popular carnivorous plants and hardy lava-loving mosses.

Members will be receiving the Zoom link soon via email. If you have not received before the meeting, please contact paris2@ns.sympatico.ca

 

 

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Province Seeks Input on Protected Areas Strategy

Posted on August 29, 2023 by Bob Kennedy

ENVIRONMENT/CLIMATE CHANGE/NATURAL RESOURCES/RENEWABLES–Province Seeks Input on Protected Areas Strategy
——————————————————–
Nova Scotians are invited to help shape the approach for protecting 20 per cent of the province’s land and water by 2030.

An online public consultation started today, August 23. Click on this link to join the conversation: Collaborative Protected Areas Strategy Engagement

The input will be used to develop the Nova Scotia Collaborative Protected Areas Strategy, which will outline how the Province will achieve its 2030 land and water conservation goal and identify next steps.

“Protecting more land and water will benefit every single Nova Scotian today as well as future generations – conserving more of these precious resources will help fight climate change, keep drinking water clean and have so many more benefits,” said Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “As we take the next steps to achieve this conservation goal, we want to hear directly from Nova Scotians – to get their innovative ideas, suggestions and solutions – and work together to create sustainable prosperity.”

The deadline for public comments is October 6. The Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act requires the strategy to be developed by the end of 2023.

Quotes:
“Parks and protected areas strengthen biodiversity, provide habitats for our wildlife and give us natural spaces for outdoor recreation to support our physical and mental health. That’s why we’ve made biodiversity and conservation a priority on Crown land. And we want to do more. I look forward to hearing from Nova Scotians about how we can reach our goal.”
– Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables

Quick Facts:
— the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act has a goal to protect 20 per cent of Nova Scotia’s land and water by 2030, including working with the Mi’kmaq to create Indigenous protected and conserved areas in the province
— the Province’s climate change plan, Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth, has five actions to protect and restore natural areas and ecosystems so they can help minimize climate impacts
— about 13.2 per cent of Nova Scotia’s land is protected; protection of the remaining lands in the 2013 parks and protected areas plan will increase this to 14 per cent
— Nova Scotia’s protected areas conserve the province’s biodiversity, unique habitats, coastlines, and natural landscapes and features, while providing places for people to connect with nature, and play an essential role in fighting climate change

Additional Resources:
Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act

Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth

Parks and protected areas plan

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Media Contact: Mikaela Etchegary
Cell: 902-229-5671
Email: Mikaela.Etchegary@novascotia.ca

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Can a soil sample from 416,000 years ago give us some insight into where we are headed today?

Posted on August 20, 2023 by admin

Norris’s examples of plants that can help to cool the Earth

NS Wild Flora Society member Norris Whiston thinks so.

One of Norris’s passions is compiling user-friendly guides to the local flora. He also has a fascination with the geological/geochemical/evolutionary history of the Earth, and likes to put it all together in historical guides and to relate what we see today to that history. View NW Guides & Keys on this website for some of them.

Recently, this item by Paul Bierman and Tammy Rittenour: When Greenland was green: Ancient soil from beneath a mile of ice offers warnings for the future , posted on phys.org on July 23, 2023, grabbed his attention.

Norris researched the background and some of the related science and put it together in a document which takes the reader step by step through the whole story.
View

416,000-Year-Ago Glance at Greenland and Its Natural World
(PDF with active links)

Continue reading →

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The Summer Continental Mycoblitz: August 11 – 20, 2023

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Bob Kennedy

The 2023 Continental Mycoblitz is open to anyone who is willing to make scientifically valuable collections of mushrooms – including photography, field notes, and submitting a dried specimen. Any individual or organization can submit their most unique/interesting/exciting collections from the foray week to the project. Mycologists and foray partners will examine each collection and will perform DNA sequencing on thousands of the specimens that are submitted.

For general information about the Mycoblitz see: https://mycota.com/2023-continental-mycoblitz/

Mycologists in the three Maritime Provinces will coordinate the Mycoblitz efforts in our region, to try sequence over 1,000 collections of mushrooms from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
If you are located in NS please contact Sean Haughian Curator of Botany at the Nova Scotia Museum (sean.haughian@novascotia.ca) to get more detailed information about collecting and documenting mushrooms for the Continental Mycoblitz.

There will be another Fall Mycoblitz on October 13-22

 

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Eagle Hill Seminar on Entomology

Posted on July 21, 2023 by Bob Kennedy

Dates: August 13–19, 2023

Description: This seminar takes place at the Eagle Hill Institute in Stueben, Maine. It will focus on the family and genus level taxonomy of the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera and is offered for anyone involved in aquatic biomonitoring or natural history survey programs. Intensive laboratory study of each group combined with field work in diverse aquatic habitats will refine taxonomic skills to improve participants reliability of family and genus level determinations as well as sampling proficiency. Reference specimens will be provided for study, but participants are strongly encouraged to bring specimens from their own region for study. Field trips to sample for nymphs/larvae and adults will be structured to provide an introduction to a variety of important macro and microhabitats. Information on the biology and ecology of families and genera of EPT taxa relevant to biomonitoring programs will also be presented. A practical exam will be available at the end of the seminar for those who want an assessment of their skills.
 – Interactive color flyer for this seminar is available here!
– Any questions about the content of the seminar should be directed to the instructor (email address can be found on the flyer).
– Details about costs, discounts, accommodations, and meals can be found here.
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Art Meets Nature and Activism at Sandy Lake – art show opens Thursday July 13th, 2023 !

Posted on July 12, 2023 by admin

Sandy Lake at Peverill’s Brook, by Jeremy Vaughan. Click on image for larger version.

A wonderful collective of artists has been creating works based on their experiences at Sandy Lake Regional Park.

Their gorgeous paintings and drawings will form part of a 2-week long art show at Second Gallery (Upstairs at 6301 Quinpool Road, Halifax), called “Sanctuary – Save Sandy Lake.”

The show opening is on Thursday, July 13, from 6 pm to 8 pm and ALL are invited (so is everyone you know). It  runs for 2 weeks.

Read more about the artists’ inspiration and how it relates to the campaign to save critical lands – including important wildlife corridors connecting the mainland and lands of the Chebucto Peninsula – and protect Sandy Lake in the press release about the show.

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NSWFS/Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Botanical Walks – June 26 Inverness County

Posted on June 10, 2023 by Bob Kennedy

Showy Lady’s Slipper – Cypripedium reginae – Photo by Jeff White

There will be two walks near Lake Ainsley on June 26

The morning walk will be conducted by the Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society to see the Showy Lady’s Slippers. Participants will meet at 1171 Blackstone Rd. (at the intersection with W. Lake Ainsley Rd.) at 9:30. We will car pool to the head of the Inverness Shean/Celtic Shores Coastal Trail, then walk about a km to the access point for the orchids. We will then hike about 200m into the brush. If time allows, we will then drive to a site where a pure white Lady’s Slipper is known. Please register for this walk (if you have not yet done so) by emailing novascotiawildflora@gmail.com

Bring a lunch, boots and insect repellent.

The afternoon walk starts from the same location, 1171 Blackstone Rd. at 1:00pm. This walk is being conducted by the Nature Conservancy of Canada in conjunction with the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre and the Nova Scotian Department of Natural Resources and Renewables.  We will wander through the Black River Bog property nearby and check out some wonderful bog and other flora, including the rare sage willow. We look forward to seeing you there!

Registration and more details for the afternoon walk are to be found at:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/black-river-bog-botanical-walk-tickets-653998135027?aff=oddtdtcreator

Please register separately for both events!

 

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Meguma Falls Field Trip with Nature NS – May 27

Posted on May 16, 2023 by Bob Kennedy

Field Trip starts at the Yellow Birch Trailhead 9:00AM May 27. We will follow Sandy Cope trail (solid red line) then the trail to Meguma Falls (dotted line). The Sandy Cope Trail is easy and the Meguma Falls Trail is moderate. Some may wish to only do the easier part of the trail.

To get there from Halifax: Drive to Truro,take exit 14A turn Right onto Onslow Road ( NS 2) and drive 3.7 Km at a Flashing Yellow light turn left onto Hwy 311. Drive about 26 km,and turn right onto Kemptown Road. Drive about 5 km on the Kemptown Road. The Gully lake Wilderness Trail Head will be on your left. There is limited Parking for cars; if full, park on the roadside. Do not block the entrance as this is also a Gated fire road. We will access the trails from the fire road., and return along the fire road.
We should arrive by 09:00 hrs.

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