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/
Please register separately for both events!
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.
