Past Events
View the old website.
Allison Schmidt (left) with volunteers moving Bill Freedman’s native plant collection to a Dal site in the fall of 2017
Sunday Sept 9th, 1 pm to 4 pm, 2018:
Volunteer & Plant ID at Dalhousie University campus/Bill Freedman native plant collection
RAIN DATE: SAT Sep 8, 9 am to 1 pm only if on Friday the forecast indicates there will clearly be rain on Sunday and not Saturday. (Check website if in doubt.)
Meet 1 pm by the tennis courts at Dalhousie University (next to the South Street exit); if later than 1pm, go to the wooded area nearby behind the tennis courts, between the LSC and Sheriff Hall. We will have a brief tour of the site, circa 1:15, and then organize the rest of the time between plant ID and site maintenance. ‘Not necessary to stay for the whole period, but it’s best to come at the beginning. Contact: davidgpatriquinATyahoo.ca
For more about Bill Freedman’s native plant collection and the Dal site, view Bill Freedman Native Plant Collection.
Friday Sept 21, 2018:
Participation in Dal Biology Bioblitz
Monday Sep 24, 2018:
The Acadian Forest Love Affair
Old forests, pits and mounds, and hurricanes are elements of an affair between yellow birch and eastern hemlock observed in old forests of Sandy Lake (Bedford). Presentation by NSWFS member /retired biology prof David Patriquin. Preview Regular Meeting.
Map of where to meet
Click on image for larger version
Sun Oct 14, 2018:
Drumlin and Moraine Forests on the Jack Lake Lands; fall colours.
Field trip, led by David Patriquin. We will walk to the top of the drumlin first where there is mature mixed forest, then come down to the “Moraine Forest”, which is a hemlock dominated forest on a series of outcrops with a mossy floor. We have to carpool because of limited parking where we want to enter the Jack Lake lands. Meet 9:30 a.m. on Memory Lane behind Fultz House Museum in Lower Sackville. Bring lunch. ~ 3-4 hours. Medium difficulty – some ups and downs on outcrops on latter part of the walk, but we will not be in a hurry! Please Register: (limited to 12 participants): davidgpatriquinATyahoo.ca – put NSWFS HIKE in subject line. Sunday looks good weather-wise as of Wed Oct 10.
Mon Oct 22, 2018:
3 Unique Habitats: Albert Mines, Cape Breton, Shingle Lake
Presentation by NSWFS member Bob Kennedy of his visits to some unusual habitats this year.
In late May, Bob visited Albert Mines, NB – a unique Arctic ecosystem buried in the middle of a deciduous forest. Several arctic plants growing here, such as Entire-leaf Mountain Avens (Dryas integrifolia) and Myrtle-leaved Willow (Salix myrtillifolia) are found no where else in the Maritimes. Bob discusses why this may be.
In late July, Bob, Jeff White and Louse Cook visited several unique Cape Breton ecosystems, from barrens to bogs to protected valleys and found many plants they had not seen before, including several orchids and the semi-parasitic Marsh Lousewort (Pedicularis palustris).
In late August and again in early September, Charles Cron, David Partiquin and Bob canoed into a remote site off Shingle Lake to locate the only known colony of the small mint, Blue Curls (Trichostema dichotomum) growing on exposed granite. It took two tries, but it was worth it.
Bob will briefly recount his experiences finding and visiting these sites and present many pictures. He gave his macro lens a good workout.
Monthly Wild Flora Meeting Monday Sep 23
Our speaker, Alain Belliveau, will talk about his explorations for the Ram’s-head Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium arietinum), a small but beautiful orchid whose very few populations are ranked as vulnerable in Nova Scotia.
Alain is the Botanist and collections manager of the Irving Biodiversity Collections at the E.C. Smith Herbarium at Acadia University, with a focus on the Acadian Forest Region.
Photos Bob Kennedy
Monday, Oct 28, 2019: Jamie Simpson on Eating Wild in Eastern Canada
Jamie Simpson will be our guest speaker at our regular monthly meeting for October. All Welcome.
“Jamie Simpson is a forester, lawyer, and writer with a passion for exploring our natural world (and sometimes eating it). He is the author of Restoring the Acadian Forest: A Guide to Forest Stewardship for Woodlot Owners in Eastern Canada, and Journeys through Eastern Old-growth Forests. Jamie has received several awards for his conservation work, including the Elizabeth May Award for Environmental Service, the Environmental Law Prize from Dalhousie University, and the Honour in the Woods Award from the Nova Scotia Environmental Network.” His most recent book is Eating Wild in Eastern Canada, A Guide to Foraging the Forests, Fields and Shorelines.
We look forward to an interesting evening!
7:30 p.m. at NS Museum of Natural History, 1747 Summer Street, Halifax
