Miss Members’ Slide Night? It’s posted on YouTube 27Jan2022

Posted on January 27, 2022 by admin

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NSWFS Field Trip. Jan 29/22 – Crystal Crescent Beach

Posted on January 20, 2022 by Bob Kennedy
Photos Charles Cron
Crystal Crescent Beach Park. Meet 10:00 am. Weather permitting. Meet at the Park entrance which is gated and closed. There is parking space for at least 5 -7 cars , with additional spaces along the side of the entrance road outside the gate. Be careful not to block the road.
We will follow the road to the first enlarged parking lot inside the gate. Then along the boardwalk and trail bordering Coote Cove and may go to Mackerel Cove and “The Enchanted Forest”. There is also an alternate trail to the south east which we may also visit but may be too icy. Plants to see: Amophila, Elymus, Black and White Spruce, Viburnums, Chokeberry, Ilex verticilliata, Alders,  Juncus gerardii,  Carex silicea and others.
Directions to Crystal Crescent: Follow road signs to Harrietsfield, Williams Wood and Sambro (at intersection turn right – at Misoo’s Riteway store), then East Pennant Road (left turn) then left again to Sambro Creek: The park entrance is about 1/2k,  at Back Cove see sign and entrance road on the right. This is a Provincial Park and should not be difficult to find.
Please register  with me  By Friday  Jan 28 ; Call 902 477 8272 or email >ccron72@hotmail.com< .Do not email on Sat Jan 29 I will not see it. Call my cell 902 430 4785 if lost or change plan. Covid -19 precautions will be observed.
Dress for winter weather: parka, insulated boots, wool socks, warm gloves, etc. The wind is very cold out there.
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Jan 24 Online Members Meeting: Member’s Slide Show

Posted on January 13, 2022 by Bob Kennedy

NS Wild Flora Society is inviting all members to participate in our Members Slide Night, which is part of the scheduled NS Wild Flora January Zoom meeting on January 24.

If you have 10 or so slides that you would like to share, please read the attached document Slide Presentation Specs 2022 and contact bob@grimsey.ca

Netted Chain Fern – Photo Bob Kennedy

All members should have received an email invitation to the Zoom meeting. Please contact Anne Mills ocotillo8@gmail.com if you have not.

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Housing development proposed on forested slopes by Eisner’s Cove Wetland 10Jan2022

Posted on January 11, 2022 by admin

Rhodora coming into full bloom  in Eisner’s Cove Wetland on May 29, 2017
Click on images for larger versions

Further Updates on this site/situation will be posted on Eisner’s Cove Wetland (new page on this website)

UPDATE, 2:46 p.m. Jan 11, 2022. The Motion received unanimous approval: “1.Initiate a process to amend the Regional Centre Secondary Planning Strategy and Land Use-By-law to develop site-specific Comprehensive Development District (CDD) policies and an associated development agreement to enable development on the Southdale Future Growth Node site that considers the review items identified in the Discussion Section of the staff report dated December 6, 2021; and 2. Follow the public participation program as set out in Attachment A of the staff report dated December 6, 2021”  I guess the train had left the station when I wrote this piece.  ‘Echoes of the Whopper Dropper.

————-

A critical decision related to the Eisner’s Cove Wetland could be made at Halifax Regional Council on Jan 11, 2022 re: Item 15.1.3 

Is land in HRM now so intensely developed that we  have to move into some of the most ecologically precious places, the linked climate and biodiversity crises and need for green space in settled areas notwithstanding? 

Post by David Patriquin, member NSWFS

“Eisner’s Cove Wetland” is a near pristine, approx. 15 ha forested wetland located within a densely settled area of Dartmouth. NSWFS has organized several visits to the area in the last 5 years or so.

The  wetland corridor downstream  was filled in years ago, but somehow this  Eisner’s Cove Wetland* was spared. Mixed Wabanaki-Acadian forest occurs on the slopes leading into   the wetland.
*It’s not clear why it is known as “Eisner’s Cove Wetland” as it currently drains to the northwest and ultimately into MicMac Lake, not southeast towards Eisner’s Cove, although perhaps it did before the Circumferential Highway was built.

A large portion of the wetland and the adjacent forested land was owned by INNOVACORP when NSWFS members visited it in years past; INNOVACORP put it up for sale in early 2018.

INNOVACORP OFFERS MASSIVE DARTMOUTH ACREAGE. Devin Stevens. Government venture capital agency is inviting property developers to submit potential uses for more than 100 acres of land just inside Dartmouth’s Circumferential Highway, and the lease could be for the next 100 years. – from an ad in allnovescotia.com Mar 5, 2018

That land was owned by the Province before that, presumably it was turned over gratis to InnovaCorp, “Nova Scotia’s early stage venture capital organization”, when this quasi-government entity was formed. Continue reading →

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Comments submitted Dec 8, 2021 to Old Growth Policy Consultation

Posted on December 9, 2021 by admin

Pit and Mound topography in Old Growth
hemlock/yellow birch forest by Sandy Lake
(Bedford, NS).

Comments on the proposed Old Growth Forest Policy submitted on Dec 8, 2021 on behalf of the Halifax Field Naturalists and the Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society
by
David Patriquin, Prof of Biology, Dalhousie University (retired), Member of the Conservation Committee of the Halifax Field Naturalists, Member of the Board of the Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society.

Context
A draft “Old-Growth Forest Policy for Nova Scotia” was released by the Nova Scotia government on Nov 9, 2021 with a general invitation to Nova Scotians to give their feedback on proposed updates to the policy by Dec 8, 2021.

The short version follows. Read the Full Submission

Comment 1: The draft Nova Scotia Old Growth Forest Policy is weak on conservation of old forest species

Recommendation 1: Define an Old Growth stand as follows

An Old Growth stand is any forest stand (polygon) or circumscribed area of 0.5 ha and greater with 20% or more of the basal area greater than or equal to 100 years of age.

Comment 2: The goal of including a minimum of 8% of Crown land in each ecodistrict in the Old Forest Policy Layer is arbitrary and insufficient to properly conserve Old Growth Forests and associated species dependent on old forests. Continue reading →

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Previous Monthly Presentations now Online

Posted on November 23, 2021 by Bob Kennedy

For those that missed the October and November member meetings, we have now posted recordings of the Zoom sessions under Programme: Videos of Presentations

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We lose a beloved naturalist, Bob McDonald (1944-2021)

Posted on November 22, 2021 by admin

It is with heavy hearts that we heard this past week of the passing of Bob McDonald.

Bob and Wendy, his always present spouse, partner, campaigner, have contributed so much to the naturalist community, Halifax and the province over the years, it really cannot be summarized in a few words.

Bob and Wendy were regular participants in NSWFS events, and Bob an organic chemist whose naturalist interests began  with birds, became a ‘resident expert’ in lichens and goldenrods.

Our hearts are with Wendy and all of the family. Thank you for sharing truly wonderful and gentle man with so many of us. We live in a better place because of him.

Please view the Obituary on the JA Snow website 

Visitation will be held at J.A. Snow’s Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Drive Thursday, November 25, 2-4 and 6-8 PM, with a Celebration of Life on Friday, November 26 at 2 PM. Proof of vaccination and masking protocol are required. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bob’s memory to the Nova Scotia Nature Trust (nsnt.ca/) the QE2 Foundation (https://qe2foundation.ca/) or the Dr. Bob MSVU Scholarship (https://www.msvu.ca/). Online condolences may be made at: www.jasnowfuneralhome.com

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Field Trip to Maguma Falls – Sat. Nov 20

Posted on November 15, 2021 by Bob Kennedy
Photo Hayden Breau
The NSWFS is hosting a Field Trip to Maguma Falls and selected associated trails on Saturday, Nov. 20.  This is a preparation for another trip to this area in the spring of 2022.
From Halifax and area, drive to Truro HWY 102: at Truro take Exit 14A ( to Onslow) Hwy 2, about 3.7K then left at flashing yellow light onto HWY 311: drive about 26K then Right onto Kemptown Rd. The trailhead should be on your left  (about 3-4 Km)  along Kemptown rd. Travel time is about 1 1/2 hours. We will meet at the trailhead at 09:00 hrs (to ensure enough time for return before dark.) Return around 16:00hrs. Contact Charles if you need transportation.
Wear hunter’s orange. Bring lunch, cameras, walking stick or poles, hiking boots (waterproof).binoculars,dress in layers for the weather. Forecasts have been changing rapidly; Rain date will be Sunday Nov.21 if required.
Please Register with Charles Cron 902 477 8272,  or email >ccron72@hotmail.com< before Thursday Nov 18. Limit 10 participants only. Carpool if possible.
If we would like a group supper after the walk let me know when you register and I will make arrangements for a group supper at Sugar Moon Farm.
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Nov 22 Online Members Meeting: Finding Beauty and Diversity in our Mosses and Liverworts

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Bob Kennedy

The last meeting for 2021 will be a ZOOM only meeting at 7 pm, Monday November 22, 2021.

Invitations to the ZOOM meeting will be emailed to members soon.

Photo Anne Mills

The presenter will be retired Biologist Anne Mills who has been interested in the field of Bryology since she retired. The study of bryophytes; liverworts, mosses and hornworts, can be a daunting task to the beginner but perhaps she can introduce you to some of the more common and familiar, small-sized wonders of the plant world that evolved more than 400 million years ago during the Paleozoic Era. Come and be amazed at the beauty and diversity of these elfin plants.

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Oct 25 Online Members meeting: Destination Botany (or What I did on my summer vacation)

Posted on October 17, 2021 by Bob Kennedy

The next NSWFS meeting will be a Zoom only meeting at 7:00PM on Oct 25. Invitations to the Zoom meeting will be emailed to members soon.

The presenter will be the avid botanical naturalist Jeff White. Mainly in July of 2021, Jeff vacationed in a wide variety of locations in NS and NB. Day trips took him to many destinations: from well-known waterfalls to rare-plant locations to personal family visits. These provided opportunities for botanizing, of course. Jeff will show plenty of photos of the delightful flora he found in places like Pollet’s Cove in Cape Breton, Moose Island (Five Islands) and Oromocto, NB.

You can check out his many observations on iNaturalist (user name jeffwhite).

Identity of this orchid is still being debated on iNaturalist. Likely a variation or hybrid of Platanthera psycodes. Photo Jeff White
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