City Nature Challenge begins Apr 26 (today) & runs to Mon Apr 29, 2024

Posted on April 26, 2024 by admin

Photo from Canadian Wildlife Federation page on the City Nature Challenge

Halifax is participating in the iNaturalist-based City Nature Challenge again, this year over the days Friday Apr 26 to Monday Apr 29

It’s pretty simple to contribute to Halifax’s effort to document our natural world and illustrate citizen’s love of that world.

Participants photograph a nature observation of a “species” (e.g.a robin, or a flower) within the boundaries of HRM within the Apr 28-May 1 timeframe and upload it to iNaturalist. (HRM refers to Halifax Regional Municipality, now just called Halifax. It encompasses all of Halifax County.) Cape Breton Regional Municipality is the other NS participant. Continue reading →

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Trip to Smiley’s Provincial Park – Sat. Apr. 27

Posted on April 23, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

Charlie will be leading a trip to Smiley’s Provincial Park. This is a focused walk to see a Nature Trust property with Hazelnut in bloom and leatherwood shrub in Smiley’s Park as well as the general destruction caused by last year’s flooding. Because the bridge on Clayton Mckay Rd. below the entrance to the park is still washed out, approach only from Ashdale or along Hwy 14 (any direction) and follow road signs to the Park.
Meet at the Entrance to Smiley’s Park at 10:00hrs.. 2-4 hrs.Bring water, snacks, binoculars, cameras. Wear hiking boots or any waterproof footwear and dress in layers ( may be quite warm).

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NSWFS City Nature Challenge Hike – Long Lake Fri. Apr. 26 12:00pm

Posted on April 23, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

Charles Cron will be leading a nature hike to support the iNaturalist City Nature Challenge on Friday April 26. It will be along a little used trail on Long Lake Provincial Park.

 

Meet 12:00 Noon; Dunbrack street. Part of Long lake trail system. Best route is from the Armdale Roundabout,St Margaret’s Bay Road to Dunbrack connector,turn left on the connector,go to Dunbrack, turn Right onto Dunbrack  heading towards the Old Sambro Road. Follow the Metal Roadguard  about 1/4 KM on the right,at the end of the barrier there is space for roadside Parking for 10-12 or more cars.; Meet at the roadside trailhead (2 entrances within sight of one another,both go to the same single file trail). There are multiple loops possible,plan about 2hrs. Wear hiking boots or any waterproof footwear.Bring Water,snacks ,binoculars and cameras,Dress for the weather in layers. Please contact ccron72@hotmail.com if you plan to attend.

Charlie’s cell phone 902 430 4785. (I cannot answer when driving and will need to stop if possible, so if no answer wait 5 minutes and call again.)

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Additional Hikes for City Nature Challenge Apr 27

Posted on April 23, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

Saturday, 27 April, 2024, 9:00AM:  Halifax Field Naturalists City Nature Challenge Walk (CNC) (iNaturalist)
Dr. Sean Haughian, Curator of Botany and interdisciplinary ecologist at the Nova Scotia Museum, has graciously offered to lead a HFN CNC walk on Saturday, April, 27th. Due to Sean’s very considerable experience and nature knowledge, this walk presents an excellent opportunity for all to learn of nature’s secrets. The walk will take us through Hemlock Ravine’s diverse areas with a wide variety of plants for the CNC records.  On this walk, he’ll concentrate on locating and identifying different species of moss and lichen along the way.  He recommends we bring a 10 x 16 hand-lens (loupe). He will take along a few spare loupes with him.
Note: registration is required for communication purposes and because attendee numbers may be limited. Also note, for CNC (iNaturalist) purposes your iNaturalist identification information is required when registering. It’s worth testing the app prior to the walk and anyone needing iNaturalist set-up help please contact Mary Kennedy at cnc2019hrm@gmail.com
Rain Date:    Sunday, April 28
Contact:        Bernie McKenna, 902-434-3202, or mckennab197@gmail.com
Time: Place: 9:00 am start / Hemlock Ravine Park, 40 Kent Ave. Halifax
Directions:    Kent Ave. is west off of Bedford Highway
Difficulty:      Moderate off-trail walking, waterproof footwear (rubber boots) and warm clothing is recommended. Also, ticks are out and about.
Duration:      2 – 3 hrs.

Saturday, 27 April, 2024, 1:00PM:  David Patriquin – City Nature Challenge Walk (CNC) (iNaturalist) at Sandy Lake

Details are at: http://versicolor.ca/sandylakebedford/2024/03/30/inaturalists-events-x-sandy-lake-sunday-april-21-and-saturday-27th-2024/

May be full

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Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society Annual General Meeting – Apr. 22 at the Museum

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

Beaked Hazel Corylus cornuta and Eastern Leatherwood Dirca palustris – Photos Bob Kennedy

Our 2024 AGM will take place at the Museum of Natural History at 1747 Summer Street on Apr 22 at 7:30pm. It will also be simultaneously streamed on Zoom.

If you are a NSWFS member, you should receive an email zoom invitation with attached agenda, minutes from last year’s AGM and financial report. Please contact novascotiawildflora@gmail.com if you do not receive it.

Following the AGM, the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre will make a presentation of their most recent activities documenting the flora of the Maritimes.

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Acadia University’s 2024 Native Plants Sale – June 1

Posted on April 12, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

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 1  between 9:00AM and 12:00PM – and some of the limited stock often sells out early.

The vendors and exhibitors include Baldwin Nurseries, Falmouth; LeHave Drumlins Native Plant Nursery, New Germany; Beneath the Boughs Woodland Plant Nursery, Kentville; Helping Nature Heal Restoration Gardeners, Bridgewater; the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council and Blomidon Naturalists Society. Find out more, including a list of available plants here.

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Eagle Hill Entomology Seminar (May 6th – May 20th, 2024)

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

The course will explore topics including an overview of the insect orders, evolution, external morphology and internal anatomy, reproduction and mating strategies, social behavior, ecological services, and conservation. The course will also include some simple methods and resources for beginning the study of insect identification. Participants will be invited (as time allows) to share their own insect images for group consideration. No previous background in entomology is required for this course – only an interest in insects.

See more here

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Member’s Zoom Meeting March 25 7:00pm – Rebecca Parker Gets Us Up to Date with The Young Naturalists Club

Posted on March 24, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

Pollinator Count and Bee Friendly Activities

Rebecca (Becky) Parker is Executive Director at Nature Nova Scotia and helps run the Nova Scotia Young Naturalist’s Club. She will talk to us about their activities including the multi day expedition to SW NS in 2021 with the YNC’s older youth chapter, where they worked on various plant surveys. They found and recorded field notes on species like redroot, goldencrest, and thread-leaved sundew.

After returning home they then compiled their observations and drawings into the Kids Guide to Weird Plants book, which the YNC now distributes.

They repeated the trip in 2023 and chose educational signage as their science communication topic, drafting signs that could be placed in and around national or provincial parks in the area. They’re hoping to make that a reality this or next year, but really the best part of both trips has been just letting the kids explore and draw and ask questions.

As part of the meeting, we also hope to talk with Becky about how the Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society can better work with the Young Naturalists.

If you are a member of NSWFS, you should be getting an email with the Zoom link. If you do not receive it, please contact novascotiawildflora@gmail.com

 

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Field trip to Balancing Rock, Long Island – Sunday March 24, 2024

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

Balancing Rock Trail on Long Island. Meet at trail head at 10:00 hrs. If you miss the Ferry at 09:30 catch the next crossing.

We will be near the start of the trail and looking for Skunk Cabbage in bloom, Dwarf Mistletoe flowers  – male in bloom and female flowers ( the female will not be in bloom). We then return to long Island and search a bog for Curly Grass Fern. If time permits we will then try to locate and briefly explore a new trail near Acaciaville ( Nature Trust Property).

From Halifax take the 101 to Digby ( 2hrs): get Gas in Digby if required) then take the 217 to Tiddville and the Ferry to Long Island. The trail is about 1Km South west of the Ferry landing. Just follow the Road signs the area is well marked and easy to find.

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Update to Eagle Hill Seminars for this Summer

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Bob Kennedy

Join the people at Eagle Hill this summer for a week-long, natural history seminar taught by expert field biologists. Eagle Hill is located on the coast of Maine, between Acadia National Park and Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge. For more details click here

Eagle Hill Institute’s 2024 Vascular Plants and Related Seminars

Jun 30 – Jul 6 Grasses and Sedges as a Way to Read the Landscape *1 Brett Engstrom and Jerry Jenkins
Jul 14 – 20 Grass Identification: An In-depth Review Dennis Magee and Rick Van de Poll
Jul 28 – Aug 3 Natural Communities of the Maine Coast: An In-depth Experience for Field Botanists and Naturalists *1 Robert Wernerehl and Kristen Puryear
Aug 4 – 10 Submersed and Emergent Aquatic Flowering Plant *1 *F C. Barre Hellquist
Aug 11 – 17 Ferns and Lycophytes: Identification, Biology, and Natural History *2 Robbin Moran, Carl Taylor, Alejandra Vasco
Aug 25 – 31 Pressing Plants for Art and Science *F Daniel Atha
Sep 8 – 14 Identification of Trees and Woody Plants of the Northern Forest: A Wholistic Approach Erika Mitchell

For general information, the registration form, seminar flyers, and a complete calendar:

https://eaglehill.us/programs/sems-weeklong/calendar-weeklong.shtml

If you have any questions about the content of the seminar, please reach out to the seminar instructor(s), whose contact info can be found on the seminar flyer. If a seminar you are interested in is full, and you would like to be put on the waitlist, please fill out the application form.

If you have any questions about registering for the seminar, please contact us at office@eaglehill.us.

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