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)
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.
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.
Trip is now confirmed. Meet at the Carpool Parking lot near exit 4 at St Croix at 10:o0hrs. : Take exit 4 at St Croix go to the Evangeline Trail, turn left (marked exit to Halifax), drive about ½ km to the carpool site, gravel road near Hwy 101, exit to Halifax is on the opposite side of the 101. Do not drive under the highway as you will have gone too far. The carpool site is off the gravel road adjacent to the 101 on the St Croix side of the 101. We will meet there.
Nova Scotia is fortunate to be the home of a large, disjunct population of Atlantic Coastal Plains plant species. For most of these species, specialized habitats in South-West Nova Scotia are the only places in Canada where they can be found. The next nearest occurances can be in Massacheusetts, New Jersey or even the Carolinas. This field trip is a chance to learn about and see many of these rare plants when they are in bloom.
One of the best sources of ethically grown native plants is the Native Plant Sale at the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens at Acadia University in Wolfville. This year it is on Saturday June 3. I need to confirm the times, but I believe it is between 9:00AM and 1:00PM – and some of the limited stock often sells out early.