Geoffrey Grantham and Ron Kuwahara paint en plein air in the Jack Pine-Crowberry barrens on Nov 2, 2015, 6 years after 2009 ‘Spryfield Fire’.
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The “Backlands”, located only a few kilometers from from peninsular Halifax, NS, are a Thompsonesque urban wilderness of approximately 1350 hectares which include nine lakes, hills with spectacular views and dozens of kilometers of informal hiking and biking trails. Erratic blocks, whalebacks and boulder fields are prominent features of the glacially scoured rocky landscape. It is also one of the most fire-susceptible landscapes in Nova Scotia, with recurrent fires pre-dating European settlement. One result is the presence of highly fire-adapted plant communities including the globally rare ‘Jack Pine/Broom Crowberry Barrens’.
David will describe the plant communities, their fire ecology, and discuss what’s involved in managing fire to conserve these ecosystems while at the same time protecting structures and people at the Urban-Wildland Interface.
For more about the area, visit www.backlandscoalition.ca.
David Patriquin, Professor of Biology at Dalhousie University (retired 2008) is involved in conservation-oriented activities with several local natural history, trail and environmental organizations.
To register for this event and receive a link for the Zoom session, contact novascotiawildflora@gmail.com
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.
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.
