Maps of thinned and as yet un-thinned forest at Point Pleasant Park 20Jul2024

Posted on July 20, 2024 by admin

Forested Area in PPP that was blown down by Hurricane in 2003, exhibited vigorous re-growth and was thinned in 2020.  Photo in early evening of May 27, 2024

Our Members’ annual Outdoors Meeting was held at PPP (Point Pleasant Park) on May 27, 2024.   We planned that, after a brief meeting, we would  look at sites where the forest had been thinned (2019 or 2020), and at sites that were as yet un-thinned. (Both are in areas that were largely blown down during Hurricane Juan and that have exhibited vigorous re-growth,)

View the Background to Thinning for some info  the thinning in PPP, and at NSWFS Outdoor Meeting at PPP for a few pics from our evening meeting.

A few of us arrived early and examined a  thinned area not far from the  from Tower Road parking lot before proceeding to the meeting at the Prince of Wales Martello Tower at 6:30 p.m.

After a brief meeting, the assembled group (about 15) walked areas that had not yet been thinned lying below Martello Tower (i.e. southwest, towards the Arm). As is usual on our NSWFS outings, there were lots of botanical distractions and it was getting dark by the time we again walked by the thinned areas. Continue reading →

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Upcoming Eagle Hill Field Seminar: Leaf and Stem Mining Insects

Posted on July 10, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

Title: Leaf and Stem Mining Insects
Instructor: Charley Eiseman
Dates: August 4–10, 2024
Description: Leaf and stem miners are insect larvae that feed within the tissues of plants for at least part of their development, forming externally visible feeding patterns (mines). In North America, they include well over 2000 species of moths, flies, beetles, and sawflies. They tend to be highly host-specific, feeding on one or a few closely related plant genera, and each miner leaves a species-specific pattern as it feeds. It is therefore generally possible to identify these insects by noting the host plant and studying the mine characteristics. This course will introduce students to the identification and biology of leaf and stem miners. On field trips, we will visit a variety of habitats to observe and collect mines from as many different plant species as possible. In the lab, we will use the hostplant-based keys in Leafminers of North America to identify what we have found. Slideshow presentations will give overviews of the many groups of leaf and stem mining insects and their natural history. We will also discuss how to rear leaf and stem miners to adults, with a brief introduction to the various types of parasitoid wasps that inevitably emerge in the process.

REGISTER HERE
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Otter Ponds iNaturlaist BioBlitz Sat July 6, 2024

Posted on June 28, 2024 by admin

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Nature Trust Hike, Acaciaville June 17

Posted on June 17, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

Nature Trust is conducting a hike on Sat. June 17 at their new Acaciaville properties: 2 field trips one at 10:00 hrs and a second at 14:00hrs. Registration required. About 2.5 hrs from Halifax.

Upcoming Events

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Orchids in Bloom

Posted on June 17, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

Showy Lady’s Slippers, Smiley’s Park June 23

Smiley’s Park : June 16 /24:Bridge on Clayton Mckay road is still out. Showy lady slippers are in Bloom now; still lots of immatures just past the bud stage but not yet open.

June 17 /24 Arethusa orchids in bloom at Chebucto Head but not yet at Herring Cove. At Chebucto head blooms are scattered in wet areas along with pitcher plants, Eriophorum,spike rushes,labrador tea and others.

Charles Cron

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Searching for the 3 flowered (on one stem) violet

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

NSWFS member Peter Steiner is engaged in a research project on Viola sagittata (Arrowleaf Violet on the left) and the closely related Viola fimbriatula (Downy Blue Violet on the right). In particular, he is trying to find evidence of a rare form with 3 flowers on a single peduncle (flowering stem). This form was collected over 100 years ago in “the ornamental gardens in Halifax”. There is no other description of the location. Peter asks if other NSWFS members could keep an eye out for this unique form of violet (both are known to occur on the peninsula) to see whether it has been reproducing over time. We will also be asking members to keep an eye out for it at our Monday member’s meeting.

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Member’s Meeting Outdoors Point Pleasant May 27, 6:30pm

Posted on May 21, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

The next and final meeting (until next fall) for the Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society will be outdoors, rain or shine, at Point Pleasant Park in Halifax on Monday May 27 at 6:30pm. Please meet us at the Prince of Wales Martello Tower, shown on the map.

PPP (Point Pleasant Park, 77 ha) is owned by the British Government, but the park is administered by the Department of Canadian Heritage while the Halifax Regional Municipality holds the lease. The municipality pays 1 shilling annually for the lease.

PPP was largely a closed canopy mature evergreen forest until Hurricane Juan hit shores of PPP in Sep 2003, leaving only a few groves untouched. An extensive public consultation was held in 2005 in which the many respondents expressed a desire for “Nature dominated landscape, Natural beauty, a place to connect with local history, a non-commercial park…” The Point Pleasant Park Comprehensive Plan was released in 2008 with a goal “To create a naturalized forest ecosystem”; it was widely applauded. In 2019, a tree-thinning program was begun, the objectives being to cut out invasive tree species such as Norway Maple, and to “thin out the weaker trees”. The final stage of thinning will begin this fall.

After discussing the member business at 6:30, we will look at vegetation in thinned and unthinned areas – there will be lots of spring flowering plants!

Some of us may arrive before 6:30 to scout around the park before the meeting.

 

Bluets – Hedyotis caerulea
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Field trip to see Ram’s Heads May 20

Posted on May 18, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

Charles Cron will be leading a field trip to see a colony of Ram’s Head Lady’s Slippers near Windsor on Monday May 20 at 10:00AM. Exit the 101 at Highway 14 to head east towards Brooklyn. Just after exiting the highway, continue to the SECOND parking lot on the right.  You will go uphill and there is a marked parking lot with trash containers etc. part way up the hill.

 

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Season of the Spring Ephemerals/Early Summer Forbs 12May2024

Posted on May 12, 2024 by admin

Left: Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s breeches)
at Cape Split, N.S. May 18, 2008. Right: Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower, wild lily of the valley) in Point Plasant Park (Halifax, Nova Scotia) June 5, 2009

‘Received this a.m. a notice about a post on Spring Ephemerals by Kate MacQuarrie on her PEI Untamed Blog. Kate’s blog has lots of natural history stuff relevant to NS.

Kate’s piece on spring ephemerals reminded me of an “article” I wrote in 2012 for the old nswildfora.ca website on “The True Spring Ephemerals in Nova Scotia“; it lists also common Early Summer Forbs. Photos are by Jack Pine, Ocotillo, Charles Cron, and Patrick Foote, many taken on NS Wild Flora Society field trips.

– david p

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Rally for the Coastal Protection Act, Wed May 8, 2024

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

The Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society shares the concerns of environmentally conscious Nova Scotians on the current government’s reversal on proclaiming the Coastal Protection Act.

There are species at risk plants, ordinary salt water loving plants and habitats such as salt water estuaries and lagoons that will be affected by rising waters, not to mention the effects of storms, flooding and coastal erosion that are being seen already. For example, the current uncontrolled increase in installations of rock walls to save erosion on select properties is resulting in added environmental stress and accelerated erosion on either side of the walls. There are many studies that outline better natural maintenance conformation of beaches and shorelines by none other than Mother Nature herself when left alone!

Without a Coastal Protection Act  we are left with an imperfect set of guidelines for residents to follow when wishing to build in coastal areas. In some quarters these  guidelines are deemed to be based on outdated information about what is really going on along our coastline. If the Act is not proclaimed, then 49 municipalities – many of whom acknowledge they do not have the staff or the funding or the expertise in coastal matters – are left to devise their own sets of guidelines. This leaves the potential for 49 sets of regulations. We would have a patchwork quilt of regulations that would continue to leave our coastlines at ever increasing risk. 
 
The Nova Scotia Coastal Coalition, the Ecology Action Centre and Nature Nova Scotia have organized a rally to demand that the Nova Scotia government do the right thing and proclaim the Coastal Protection Act to protect our coasts and the communities that rely on them.

Please come out to the Rally for the Coastal Protection Act on Wednesday, May 8 at noon outside the Nova Scotia Legislature (1726 Hollis St., Kjipuktuk/Halifax).
Bring your family, bring your friends, and bring your passion for the coast. We need a really big turnout of people to make sure the message is heard loud and clear. Handmade signs are welcome and encouraged.
Rain date: Thursday, May 9, 12 – 2 p.m.
For more information, contact mimi.ohandley@ecologyaction.ca
Also, the Coastal Protection Act FB page can be found at :https://www.facebook.com/share/Auk6vYzgmZNBtQBQ/?mibextid=A7sQZp

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