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
All members should have received an email invitation to the Zoom meeting. Please contact Anne Mills ocotillo8@gmail.com if you have not.
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.
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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
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
For those that missed the October and November member meetings, we have now posted recordings of the Zoom sessions under Programme: Videos of Presentations
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
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 MillsThe 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.
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).
A 2-week bioblitz was just held in Southwest Nova.
This is the second year for this competition in Kespukwitk, one of the seven traditional districts of Mi’kma’ki. This area includes the nine Southwest Nova municipalities that are in Kespukwitk today: Annapolis, Argyle, Barrington, Clare, Digby, Lunenburg, Queens, Shelburne, and Yarmouth.
Observations were posted to iNaturalist and can be viewed under the following project: Second Annual Kespukwitk Municipal iNat Competition: https://inaturalist.ca/projects/second-annual-kespukwitk-municipal-inat-competition Of the >5,387 observations 2,600+ were plants and to date there are 611 species.
To view the plant collection click: https://inaturalist.ca/observations?place_id=6712&project_id=second-annual-kespukwitk-municipal-inat-competition&iconic_taxa=Plantae
Many (1,631) of the ‘plant’ observations posted still need to have names assigned: https://inaturalist.ca/observations?place_id=6712&project_id=second-annual-kespukwitk-municipal-inat-competition&quality_grade=needs_id&iconic_taxa=Plantae
Labrador Castle walk/hike; Sat .Oct 2, 10:00 AM.
Meet at Parking lot at Chester -East River exit (7) from Hwy.103, at the side of the exit road just as it meets Highway 3.
The rail trail is about 1km from here along Hwy 3. We will take a long stroll (approx 6 km) along the old rail bed to the entrance to the Labrador Castle trail, 1.5 km to the top. Fantastic panoramic view of Chester basin and Mahone Bay. Transitions from Acadian forest to barrens vegetation. Bring binoculars, camera etc. Need good hiking boots, some wet areas but not bad. Dress for the weather. Return around 4:00 PM. Long hike moderate difficulty. Please register with Charles Cron at 902-477-8272 leave message; or email >ccron72@hotmail.com< by Friday Oct 1.Weather dependent . Rain date Oct 3.
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