Programme: Past Meetings and Events (2007-2010)
Sunday, January 21, 2007 - A visit to the Herbarium of Acadia University
Find out what the scientific value of a herbarium is, to education and science. For members only
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Place: K. C. Irving Environmental Science Centre, Acadia University, 32 University Ave., Wolfville
Contact: Heather Drope, 423-7032. Pre-registration required (limit of 10).
Monday, January 22, 2007 - Members slide night
This is the evening to bring those slides you would like to share with everyone. Brief slide presentations are fine: even just a couple of slides would be great. Mystery flora slides are always a lot of fun. A CD with digital prints can be shown on the Museum's DVD machine.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Contact: Heather Drope, 423-7032. Please let her know how many slides you will be bringing.
Sunday, February 4, 2007 - Twigs and things
This is the perfect time of year to test your native plant identifying skills. Our president, Charlie Cron, doesn't want to stay indoors this winter, so his challenge is to identify shrubs and trees without their leaves. Join him on this winter field trip/outing. Immediately following we will meet at a local Tim Hortons for something warm and good conversation.
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Place: Frog Pond parking lot, Fleming Park, Purcells Cove Road
Storm date: Saturday, February 3, 2007
Contact: Charlie Cron, 477-8272
Monday, February 26, 2007 - Life in the Cracks
This project was coordinated by Dr. Jeremy Lundholm, a member of our society and educator at Saint Mary's University. A couple of our 2006 summer field trips were devoted to this project. In fields and waste places we recorded over 100 species, a few of them previously unreported in Nova Scotia.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
March, 2007
This is the month that Skunk Cabbage blooms. This field trip will be weather (and spring) - dependent, so no firm date can be set. It will likely be at the end of this month. Register with leader Charlie Cron (477-8272) and you will be notified close to the date. Be prepared for an all-day trip, as these plants grow in the Yarmouth area and on Long Island, Digby County.
Monday, March 26, 2007 - Experiencing spring in Crete
Mary and Chris Helleiner travelled to Crete last year fot the first two weeks of April. Their love of nature and wild flora will be depicted in this slide show. Highlights: wild tulips, cyclamen, bee orchids, anemones and their habitat.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Contact: Heather Drope, 423-7032
Sunday, April 22, 2007 - Hepatica
The very rare Hepatica is expected to be in bloom at this time on North Mountain. For members only
This an all-day trip, so come prepared and bring your lunch.
Contact: Heather Drope, 423-7032. You will receive travel directions when you pre-register.
Monday, April 23, 2007 - Annual General Meeting and election of officers
This should take about 15 minutes, and will be followed by
Spring flora -
A slide show by Charlie Cron of the very early spring wild flowers, particularly Wood Anemone, Hepatica, Primula.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Monday, May 28, 2007 - Spring wildflowers at Lewis Lake Provincial Park, Upper Tantallon
We hope to see a variety of spring wildflowers. The park also has an interesting variety of shrubs and tree species. Bring along a copy of A.E. Roland < A. R. Olsen's Spring wildflowers (available at the NS Museum), if you have one, and insect repellent.
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Lewis Lake Provincial Park, situated on Rte. 3, 4 km. south of Hwy. 103, Exit 5 east.
Contact: Barry Sawyer, 445-4938
Sunday, June 3, 2007 - Nature Nova Scotia Annual General Meeting
This year, because of its involvement in the 2007 Nature Canada conference, there will be a one-day Annual General Meeting and conference for Nature N.S. An afternoon field trip to a section of the Salmon River will feature the wild flora that grow there beneath the sandstone cliffs.
Time: 9 a.m. (refreshments before the 10 a.m. AGM)
Place: N.S. Community College, Truro, 36 Arthur Street, McCarthy Hall - Salon C.
For more details see Nature N.S. website: http://wwww.naturens.ca
Wednesday, June 6, 2007 - Evening walkabout at Bayers Lake Nature Reserve
We will find the traditional woodland plants of a mixed boreal forest, but also there are many shrubs worth identifying along the lake shore.
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Place: Chain Lake Drive on the opposite side of the road from the Recycling Depot in the direction of the St. Margaret's Bay Road. Meet at the entrance to the small park. You can park along the road, but not in the bus stop area.
Contact: Heather Drope, 423-7032.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007 - Bog orchids at Belchers Pondbr />
A joint field trip with the Orchid Society of Nova Scotia, led by John MacDonald of OSNS. This is the pond and marsh area that Bob and Wendy McDonald have been exploring and for which they are compiling a list of plants.
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Contact: Heather Drope, 423-7032 or John MacDonald, 221-4033 for directions.
Saturday, July 21, 2007 - Lookoff Trail, Wentworth
Another shared event with the OSNS. Plan to see and photograph the large Platanthera macrophylla orchids on the higher slopes of the mountain. Some uphill walking. Wear good footwear and bring water and lunch with you.
Time: 11 a.m. to at least 2 p.m.
Place: Meet in the old train station yard, Wentworth Station Road, Wentworth, Cumberland County.
No rain date
Contact: Heather Drope, 423-7032 (cell phone 440-5032, on the day of the event). Pre-registration is requested for this event.
August 1-5, 2007 - Acadia University in Wolfville will be hosting naturalists from across Canada at the Nature Canada Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting. The conference will include presentations during seminar sessions as well as a good variety of field trips. Pre- and post-conference nature tours will be offered. Updated information and registration material will be available at: http://www.nature2007.ca
Wednesday, August 8, 2007 - Hartlen Point, Eastern Passage
A joint field trip with OSNS, led by John MacDonald. The small purple fringed orchids are very plentiful out there. Easy walking and access. We are requested to contact John at 221-4033 to register and find out the meeting place.
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday, August 25-26, 2007 - Tusket Coastal Plain Flora
Charles Cron will lead this field trip to his favourite places to view the Coastal Plain Flora. This is a three-hour drive from Halifax and will need an overnight stay. He will be checking out B<Bs in the area to recommend. Please register with him (477-8272, evenings only) to find out particulars.
Monday, September 24, 2007 - Old growth forests
Department of Environment and Labour's David MacKinnon will take us on a virtual tour of the Province's hardwood and softwood old growth forest Special Places.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Contact: Heather Drope, 423-7032
Monday, October 22, 2007 - Digital plant photography
First, Ocotillo
and JackPine
will introduce our new website. Then David will talk about and illustrate some of the nuances of digital photography of plants; processing images for the web or for print; pros and cons of SLRs and non-SLR digital cameras; and the "digital herbarium" assignments he has developed for online classes. Bring your camera and contribute some of your own tricks of the trade.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Note: Several 'Parks are for People' events have interesting natural history aspects. See website: http://parks.gov.ns.ca/programs.htm
November 26, 2007 - Finding and photographing flowering plants in Nunavut, 1951-1964.
Dr.Ian McLaren will give a talk and slide show. Ian writes:
"In the summer of 1951, through a series of lucky circumstances, I found myself aboard the motor-ketch "Calanus" exploring the marine biota of Ungava and Frobisher Bay - my first of 12 wonderful seasons in that marvelous part of Canada. Although I was mostly a committed birder, Lewis McIvor Terrill, well-known Montreal naturalist, had urged me to collect a representative series of flowering plants for his private collection, which I did. Subsequently I collected some for the McGill University and National herbaria, but did not really become "hooked" until I spent four months with my wife Bernice at a remote campsite on Frobisher Bay. Bernice paid much more attention to the local plants, and collected many more. That year, Ehrling Porsild's published the first edition of his Flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and this abetted my primary leisure-time obsession during subsequent arctic seasons from James Bay to Ellesmere Island collecting plants and photographing many striking and some more obscure ones." This will be a presentation no one will want to miss!
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
January 28, 2008 - Members slide night.
This is the evening to bring those slides (or computer images) you would like to share with everyone. Miniature slide presentations are fine or even just a couple of slides would be great. Mystery flora slides are always a lot of fun.
Please contact Heather Drope at 423-7032 and let her know how many slides you will be bringing. If the images are on a computer, please put them in a common format (e.g., Power Point, Web Pages) and put it all on a CD &/or bring your own laptop. We will do our best to deal with them but some advance discussion of needs will help - please contact JackPine
(4235716; patriqui@dal.ca) in that regard.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
February 17, 2008 - Twigs and Things (Field Trip)
This is the perfect time of year to test your native shrub identifying skills. Our president, Charlie Cron, doesn't want to stay in doors this winter so his challenge is to identify shrubs and trees without their leaves. Join him on this field trip to the Frog Pond,, Purcells Cove Road and have a winter outing. Immediately following we will meet at a local Tim Hortons for something warm and good conversation. Bring your camera if there has been a recent snow fall. Who knows what wonderful images await.
Time: 2 pm
Place: Place: Frog Pond parking lot, Fleming Park, Purcells Cove Road.
Contact: Charlie Cron 477-8272
February 25, 2008 - Flora of the South Korea Mountains.
Lloyd and Barbara McLean lived in South .Korea for a couple of years collectively and they took the opportunity to explore the mountain flora bringing home not just memories but photographic ones too! Lloyd and Barbara are naturalists and gardeners so we expect that they will bring both perspectives to this presentation.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
March 24, 2008 - Preserving Port Joli.
Danielle Wharton is working towards preserving the sensitive coastline and waters of this beautiful and scenic area of Nova Scotia. Port Joli hasn't been explored by this society but after Danielles presentation, we are sure we will want to organize a field trip there.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
March 30 - Skunk Cabbage in Bloom (Field Trip)
This is the month that Skunk Cabbage blooms. This field trip is weather and spring dependent so no firm date can be set. Please Register with Charlie Cron (477-8272) and you will be notified closer to the date. Be prepared for an all day trip as these plants bloom in Yarmouth area and on Long Island, Digby County.
April 28, 2008 - Indigenous & Alien Flora in HRM Parks
& Annual General Meeting
Following a brief AGM, Richard La Paix
will talk about the conservation of indigenous flora within urban parks of HRM and how the distribution and abundance of indigenous and alien species are affected by environmental and anthropogenic factors. Richard is a MSc student in the Biology Dept. at Dalhousie University.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Sunday May18 - Cape Split spring wildflowers and hike.
(Rain date Monday. May 19/08)
This is an all day trip. You may leave early by following the trail in reverse but you will be on your own. We plan to do the full round trip along the trail about 6 hrs. This is a classic area for spring ephemerals.
Directions: as followsƒ..
Take Highway 101 from Halifax area, to Wolfville, you may take the Wolfvoille-Grand Pre exit and travel through Wolfville to the New Minas exit and turn right onto route 358 just opposite to a garden centre on the left, or go behind Wolfville on the 101 to the New Minas exit,then at the junction with the old highway, turn right at the lights, Garden center is on your right, then turn left onto Route 358. Pass through Port Williams, Canning and go uphill to the lookoff (follow the road signs to the Lookoff), then on to Scotts Bay. Go to the end of the road and meet in the Parking Lot at Scotts Bay at 9:00 AM. About 1 to 1 & 1/2 hrs from Halifax. Bring Lunch, water, cameras, field guides, etc. Dress for the weather. Check forecasts.
Time: 9 a.m.
Place: Parking Lot at Scotts Bay
Leader: Charles Cron.
Registration is required: Call Charlie at 477-8272
We call this a meeting but it is one of the best kind. No work and all play. For this evening we are meeting at the north end of the Fire School parking lot and stroll the road that follows the coast just below York Redoubt. Expect to see many shrubs and one area has us passing by a bog. Bring field guides and binoculars. Easy walking! Plan on sharing your knowledge.
Directions from Halifax - From the old Armdale Rotary, now Roundabout, head for Purcells Cove Road. Continue on towards Herring Cove. At the top of the hill past Purcells Cove you will come across the sign for York Redoubt. The bus turnaround is there. Keep on going on this paved highway for at least one or more Km until you come to the big parking lot on your left and park at the north end of this lot. This is where the trail starts. This is the area of the Government Fire School.
Time: meet at 6:15 pm
Leader: Heather Drope 423-7032 or cell # 440-5032
Registration: It would be nice to have a head count but not necessary. Bring a friend or two.
Sunday, June 22 - Salmon River Colchester County (Members Only)
This is a very sensitive area of the Salmon River and it prone to major flooding so technically this would be flood plain. Our last newsletter cover showed the sandstone cliffs that are there. Even the walk following a stream down to the river holds many plants, ferns and mosses of interest. This is a field trip that isn't hurried so plan to eat lunch down by the river and spend time exploring.
Very nearby where we park our cars there is a flood plain that has cucumber root vines and Jack-in-the-pulpit just to name a couple of interesting plants.
Time: 10 am in Truro.
Meeting point: to be determined by leader
Leader: Heather Drope
Register: Please contact Heather at 423-7032 or heather.drope@ns.sympatico.ca
Monday evening, June 23 - Suzie Lake
Bob and Wendy will lead this evening hike negind the box stores at Bayer's Lake, many interesting plants.br /> Time: 6:30 pm
Meeting point: In front of Staples at Bayer's Lake
Leaders: Bob and Wendy MacDonald
Register: Not necessary; contact Bob and Wendy at 443-5051
Aug. 1 to 4 - Coastal Plain species trip to Yarmouth County
This is a 3 day trip with 3 overnights. It is being organized by Charlie Cron. Please contact Charlie to register for this trip and get details. (Charlie is away 3 weeks in July, contact early or week of the trip.)
Monday September 22: First Fall Meeting.
Come out and catch up on the wildflower sitings of the summer and discuss options for the fall and winter.
Monday, October 27 - Bhutan and its Plants
Chris and Mary Helleiner visited the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan from April 28 to May 8, 2008 on a wildflower excursion put on by Quest. Many kinds of rhododendrons were in bloom, as well as primulas, arisaemas and other interesting plants, which will be illustrated with photos. These will include as well the mountainous scenery and Bhuddist monasteries, and the Helleiners will talk about the life of the people in this remote and seldom visited land.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Monday, November 24 - Bryophytes (Mosses) 101
Mosses evolved more than 320 million years ago and remain widely distributed today. Anne Mills will introduce us to some of the common species in Nova Scotia and talk about where they grow, their identification, and how they have been used historically.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
[Sunday, November 23] - Mosses Under the Hand Lens
CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER/to reschedule
Anne Mills will lead a moss field trip along the trail around the Frog Pond. We will try to identify some
common mosses. Bring a hand lens if you have one; Anne will have some some extras if you do not. Come along and find out more about these intriguing plants.
Time: 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
Place: Meet in the parking lot next to the Pond (Purcell's Cove Road).
Monday, January 26, 2009 - Members slide night.
This is the evening to bring those slides you would like to share with everyone. Short slide presentations are fine or even just a couple of slides would be great. Mystery flora slides are always a lot of fun. Digitial photographs and Power Point presentations can be shown - please bring your own laptop or confirrm that one with the appropriate program will be available.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Wednesday, February 18 - Riparian Rarities on the Run
A special presentation co-sponsored by NSWFS and HFN (Halifax Field Naturalists): plant ecologist Nick Hill will talk about the floodplain system, including discussion of coastal plain rarities and effects of damming, degradation of floodplain habitat more broadly, relationship of diversity to calcium, and how we should be using floodplain lands to maintain native diversity and wildlife corridors.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT IS BEING HELD ON A WEDNESDAY IN MID-MONTH, NOT DURING OUR REGULAR MEETING TIMES.
Monday, February 23 - The Acadian Forest
Jamie Simpson, Natural Resources Coordinator for the Ecology Action Centre, will talk about the Acadian Forest and its restoration. The presentation will include discussion of a proposed prescribed burning in Kejimkujik National Park. Jamie has a background in forestry, forest ecology and land conservation. He recently completed a book on Restoring the Acadian Forest: A Guide to Forest Stewardship for Woodlot Owners in the Maritimes.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
(A previously announced presentation for this meeting - Identification and Ecology of Sedges by Tyler Smith - had to be postponed.)
Monday, March 23 - Wildflowers of East Texas and the Lost Pines
With Dr. Phil Schappert. Spring in East Texas and the Lost Pines region of central Texas is well underway by
mid-March. This presentation will follow the progression of the seasons in Texas and
introduce you to the remarkable diversity of the region. Contrasts and comparisons to the
wildflowers of Nova Scotia are inevitable and you will recognize more than a few species
and will find many others somehow familiar, but with more than 3400 species (about one of
every six species known in the US and Canada combined) known for the region, there are
many new and spectacular species to see and discover.
Phil and spouse Pat lived in the "Lost Pines" of central Texas
for just over 10 years while Phil managed the Stengl "Lost Pines" Biological Station. Two field guides Phil authored (Butterflies, and Wildlfowers, of "East and South-Central
Texas") will be published by Texas A&M University Press in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Friday April 10 - Skunk cabbage in SW Nova Scotia
Rain Dates Sat Apr 11 or Sunday Apr.12. Please pre-register with Charlie Cron .This trip is weather dependent, especially road conditions.The exact date will be determined 2-3 days in advance and Charlie will notify participants by phone.
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Place: Meet Shelburne Tim Hortons (suggest leave Halifax at 08:00). We go in a group to Glendale Provincial Park 12:00-14:00. Yarmouth/ Cape Forchu at 15;00. Return via 203 to Shelburne,and to Halifax. Details are subject to change pending road and weather conditions.
Contact: Charlie Cron at (902) 477-8272 (after 6 p.m.).
Monday, April 27 - Annual General Meeting and election of officers
& Alpine Flowers of the Swiss Alps
The society business will take about 20 minutes. Then Shirley McIntyre will give a presentation showing the great variety of wild flowers, seen at different altitudes of the Bernese Oberland district of Switzerland. Shirley spent two weeks there , the latter part of July in 2008. They lived at the 1200 meter level and hiked at different altitudes. The last hike was to the Aletsch Glacier which is a UNESCO World Heritage site at 2800 meters.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Saturday or Sunday, May 3 - Hepatica at Gays River
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Place: Meet at Carols Corner school parking lot.09:00hrs. Weather dependent and rubber boots suggested as we will be walking upstream in water. Details will not be availableæuntil after April 25.
Leader/Contact: Charles Cron, 477-8272. Advance Registration is Essential/Numbers will be limited.
Saturday, May 23 - Salmon River Colchester County. (Members only)
This is a very sensitive area of the Salmon River and it prone to major flooding so technically this would be flood plain. Even the walk following a stream down to the river holds many plants, ferns and mosses of interest. This is a field trip that isn't hurried so plan to eat lunch down by the river and spend time exploring. Very nearby where we park our cars there is a flood plain that has cucumber root vines and Jack-in-the-pulpit just to name a couple of interesting plants. A bit too early to see these plants but I can point it out for later exploration.
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Place: Meet in Truro. details to be posted.
Leader/Contact: Heather Drope, 423-7032, cell # 440-5032 or heather.drope@ns.sympatico.ca.
Members only; Registration required.
Sunday, May 17 - Spring Wildflowers at Cape Split
Cancelled
Sunday, June 7 - Guided walk through Hemlock Ravine Park.
Hemlock Ravine Park is one of the five large municipal parks in HRM. Overlooking Bedford Basin, it occupies part of the 19th century estate of the Duke of Kent, and was formed in the 1970s from a complex of private and public lands both to preserve remaining cultural features and the old growth Hemlock forest remnant in the ravine itself, but encompasses several habitats. Like Point Pleasant, it has been severely impacted by both hurricane Juan and the brown spruce longhorn beetle, and is an environment in transition. The walk will last 1 - 2 hours.
Time: 2:00 pm
Place: Meet in the parking lot at the top of Kent Street
Leader/Contact: Barry Sawyer, (902) 445-4938
Saturday, July 4 - Taylor Head Provincial Park. (Members only)
This is an all day trip and will consist of two parts. It will be leisurely so members may identify the coastal forest plants and photograph them. Bring lunch as there are no nearby eating or take out restaurants.
Time: 10:30 a.m. (no rain date)
Place: The Park is situated on highway 107 and the park sign will be on your right. Park at the end parking lot closest to the beach.
Leader/Contact: Heather Drope, cell 440-5032
Tuesday, July 21 - Shubie Park Orchids.
Growing in splendor in Shubie Park are the magnificent Large Purple Fringed Orchids. Join us on a walk into see them.
Time: 6:00 p.m. (no rain date)
Place: Meet at the main parking lot of the Shubie Park at 6 pm.
Leader/Contact: Heather Drope, 423-7032
Friday to Monday, July 31, Aug. 1, 2, 3 - Yarmouth Coastal Plain Flora.
This is a 3 day trip with 3 overnights. Registration required before June 30.
See Detailed Itinerary & Registration Info.
Time: Travel Day, July 31: a.m. (no rain date)
Place: Meet Shelburne Tim Hortons @2:00PM if possible. We will then take hwy 203 to Vaughan Lake B&B.
Leader/Contact: Charlie Cron 477-8272.
Sunday, August 30 (rescheduled from Aug. 23) - The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail. CANCELLED
Unfort. it's clear that our rain date is a storm date (as was our previously scheduled time), so we are canceling this walk. 'Will try to do it later in Sept.
Co-hosted by the Woodens River Watershed Environmental Organization, this field trip will cover the first loop of The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail. The terrain is a patchwork of black spruce, red spruce, red oak and mixed forest types, lakes and associated wetlands, granite barrens and bogs. Difficulty: moderate, length approx 8km/4-6 hours. There will be
a shorter, approx. 2 hr option.
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Place: Meet at the Bluff Trail Parking Lot. To access the parking lot, go to exit 4 on hwy 103, turn onto the Bay Road (Rt.3) heading back to Halifax, go 2 km to Bay Self-Storage on the right. The Bluff Trail parking lot is immediately afterward.
Leader/Contact: David Patriquin, 4235716.
The field trip was rescheduled from Aug 23 because of heavy rains expected on that date. The hike will go ahead on Aug. 30 if there is light rain/scattered showers, but not if there is heavy rain. Please check this site the day before if in doubt.
Monday, September 28 - Plants and Butterflies: the Chemistry of Relationships
A presentation by Dr. Phil Schappert. Plants and insect herbivores, like the butterflies, have co-evolved in sometimes intimate relationships that are a product of their interacting chemistry: what butterflies need, plants provide. Come and learn how the defensive chemistry of plants has been subverted by butterflies and other insects to serve their own needs. Examples will be drawn from the wild flora and butterflies of Nova Scotia and Texas.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Sunday, October 4 - Mosses 101 Field Trip.
CANCELLED due to rain
Some of you who came to my Mosses 101 talk last fall will have some idea about the biology and habits of these small but interesting plants but with the cancellation of the field trip, because of a snow storm, we didn,t have the chance to see where they grow and thrive. I propose to remedy this by leading a field trip Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009 in Long Lake Provincial Park. We will look at some of the common mosses one finds along the trail; on trees, rocks, fallen logs, over soil and, if we're lucky, by the lake.
Time: 1:00 p.m. (no rain date)
Place: Take the Bay Road (old route 3) from the roundabout to the Halifax Regional Water Commission sign, 250 m past Albert Walker Drive at the stop lights (to Northwest Arm Drive). Continue past the sign and turn around farther along the road at the main parking lot for Long Lake PP. Head back inbound to the sign where you can pull off the road at the trail head. We will meet there at 1:00 p.m. for about 2 hours in the field. The trail is narrow and rather uneven over rocks and tree roots so wear suitable footwear. Bring along water and a hand lens f you have one. Some extra lenses will be provided.
Leader/Contact: Anne Mills
Monday, October 26 - The Wild Flora of Turkey
Presented by Blake Maybank
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Monday, November 23 - Native Orchids of Nova Scotia
Presented by Heather Drope, this will be a virtual tour of the orchids and the habitats they live in.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
This trip is to look at Bayberry, Bearberry Crowberry Cranberry, Pitcher plant,Iris setosa, Iris versicolour all in fall colors or seed pods. Please register with Charles Cron, 477-8272
Time: 10 a.m. Rain date is Sunday, Nov. 1
Place: Meet at From Armdale Roundabout St.Margarets Bay road to Hgwy. 333 Peggys cove rd. 15Km to Whites Lake,turn off to Prospect just before Shad Bay.Follow road to Prospect Village.Trail entrance is on the right just as you enter the village.
Contact: Charles Cron. Register 477-8272
Monday, November 23 - Native Orchids of Nova Scotia
Presented by Heather Drope, this will be a virtual tour of the orchids and the habitats they live in.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Monday, January 25 - Members presentation night.
Always an entertaining evening with photos, slide shows, show and tell and digital presentations. Short presentations are fine as well as medium length ones. Please contact Heather Drope so that we will know what is being presented. Heather will be away until January 20 so please call or email after that date. (Heather Drope: 423-7032).
Place: Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Sunday, February 21 - Annual twig identification walk. (Weather and Trail conditions permitting)
The walk will be along the trail at the frog pond and if time permits possibly Near the Fire Fighting training School just past York Redoubt, and the trail at Herring Cove.
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Place: meet at Frog pond: parking lot
Contact: Please register with Charlie (477-8272) so he can contact you if there are changes.
Monday, February 22 - Plants of the wet (Jamaica east) and the dry (Jamaica south west and Arizona). Presented by Joan Czapalay. This will be a slide presentation and talk by Joan who spent many winters working in Jamaica with the local teachers and traveled to areas in Jamaica that tourists never get to see. Place: Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Monday, March 22 - Plant Watch
Plant Watch is back for the Wild Flora. Many years ago we participated in the annual Plant Watch study. This year Melanie Priesnitz, Nova Scotia Plant Watch Coordinator will be explaining to us about it and letting us know how we can once again participate. Place: Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Monday, April 26 - AGM / Landscapes & Habitats of the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area (FBLWA)
The society business, including election of officers, will take about 20 minutes. Then Nick Hill and David Patiquin will provide a conceptual and pictorial tour of landscapes and habitats in the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area, our newest Candidate Protected Area. FBLWA is a mosaic of habitats including many lakes, rivers and streams; extensive barrens with pockets of forest and wetlands above the Old Coach Road; and, below, largely undisturbed deciduous, mixed and coniferous forest with pockets of barrens, wetlands, and treed bogs. The latter includes significant old growth red oak and red spruce stands that Nick and Dave investigated in the summer of 2009.
Place: Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Sunday, May 16 - Mosses 101 Field Trip.
Some of you who came to Anne Mills' Mosses 101 talk at one of the NSWFS meetings, will have some idea about the biology and habits of these small but interesting plants but with the cancellation of the field trip, because of a snow storm, we didn't have the chance to see where they grow and thrive. Anne is remedying this by leading a field trip Sunday, May 16 in Long Lake Provincial Park. We will look at some of the common mosses one finds along the trail; on trees, rocks, fallen logs, over soil and, if we're lucky, by the lake.
Time: 1:00 p.m. (no rain date)
Place: Take the Bay Road (old route 3) from the roundabout to the Halifax Regional Water Commission sign, 250 m past Albert Walker Drive at the stop lights (to Northwest Arm Drive). Continue past the sign and turn around farther along the road at the main parking lot for Long Lake PP. Head back inbound to the sign where you can pull off the road at the trail head. We will meet there at 1:00 p.m. for about 2 hours in the field. The trail is narrow and rather uneven over rocks and tree roots so wear suitable footwear. Bring along water and a hand lens if you have one. Some extra lenses will be provided.
Leader/Contact: Anne Mills
May 29 - Avon Peninsula Watershed Commons.
We will join Avon Peninsula folks in their mini-BioBlitz. Yellows should be out. Details to follow. Contact person: David Patriquin, patriqui@dal.ca or 4235716.
Meet 9 a.m. Ferry Road. Google Map | Poster Please let David Patriquin (patriqui@dal.ca) know if you plan to attend.
Monday, June 14 - OldCoach Rd Trail, Bedford
Sponsored by the Wild Flora Assc and the Halifax N. W. Trails Association, join a walk on the historic OldCoach Rd Trail which was incorporated into the Ravines of Bedford South by Clayton Devt.
Participants can look at the flora or use a series of connecting walkways to explore the area with views over the Bedford Basin. Moderate walking level on gravel and paved paths. Dogs on leash. Time 1-2 hours but participants can easily return earlier. if needed. Interpretation board and also self guiding leaflet available.
Time: 6.30 p.m.
Place: Park by the mailboxes above 70 Southgate Rd, Bedford. Southgate is close to Clearwater if coming on bus route 80. Meet down by the interpretation board ,behind the mail boxes.
Leader/Contact: Patricia Leader, 457 9197
Possible Coastal Plain Flora Trip on Labour Day Weekend
Posted Tuesday 24 Aug:
The proposed trip is as follows: Yarmouth Coastal Plain Flora 2010. Sept. 3,4,5,&6. Leave Halifax O8:00 Sept 3 Friday. Stop at Fancy Lake to view the Goldcrest.10:30
Medway River at Charleston,11;00; then Shelburne Tim Hortons 13:00-14:00 lunch. Port la Tour Bog 15:30 hrs. Tusket 20;00 hrs. Dinner at Marcos. B&B at 22:00 hrs.Vaughn Lake. Sat. Sept.4 Wilsons Lake Shoreline and Gilfillan Lake shoreline. Dinner at local Restaurent in Yarmouth?. Sunday Sept.5 Wedgeport area and /or Pubnico penninsula. Dinner TBA. Monday Sept.6 Return to Halifax via 203 stop at Indian Fields. I will arrange the B&B and make a more detailled agenda for the group. I must have some numbers within the next few days re.participants. Please call me (Charles Cron) directly to Register. 477-8272 after 6:00 PM.
Saturday, August 21, 2010 - Natural History Hike on The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail
Co-sponsored by the Woodens River Environmental Organization, The Halifax Field Naturalists and the Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society. We will walk the first loop of The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail, exploring and talking about the natural history of the area. The terrain is a patchwork of black spruce, red spruce, oak and mixed forest types, lakes and associated wetlands, granite barrens and bogs. The Bluff Trail lies within The Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area, now a candidate for protection under the Wilderness Protection Act.
Difficulty: moderate
Duration: 4-6 hours, 8km. There will be a shorter, approx. 2 hr option.
Time & Place:
Meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Bluff Trail Parking Lot, 2890 St. Margaret's Bay Rd. To access the parking lot, go to exit 4 on hwy 103, turn onto the Bay Road (Rt.3) heading back to Halifax, go 2 km to Bay Self-Storage on the right. The Bluff Trail parking lot is immediately afterward. See wrweo.ca for maps and last minute weather changes.
Raindate: Sunday August 22, 2010, 10 a.m.
Registration: Required. There is a limit of 30 participants. Contact David Patriquin. Check wrweo.ca for space.
Leader/Contact: David Patriquin, 4235716, patriqui@dal.ca. Please put "Bluff Hike" in the subject line of e-mails
Monday, September 27, 2010 - Ecology of Coastal Barrens
Plant ecologist Jeremy Lundholm of Saint Mary's University will talk about research he and his students have been conducting on Nova Scotia's coastal barrens. These barrens, which occur mainly along the Atlantic Coast, host a number of provincially rare vascular plant species. Their research involves quantitative description and investigations into their dynamic interplay with forests.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
If you study a topographical map or photo of Nova Scotia you may notice that although there are many lakes dotted around the southern counties, there are very few lakes of any size in the northern counties. Historically these northern lakes were not well studied by the botanical community; and thus Nova Scotia's Northumberland Coastal Plain species* was not well defined and so far, there is no protected area in this landscape. Angevine Lake is the largest lake in Cumberland county and the closest to the strait. A portion of the land bordering the lake supports cottage development but most is owned by the province and a local lumber company. Because of recent findings in, on, around and near the lake (botanical, animal and insect) the area has been defined as "Tier 1" (first priority for future protection). Mary Macaulay has a cottage at the lake and has helped find some of the interesting and unusual species there. She will bring some slides of the flora and show the group the locations of these on an aerial photo. Some of these species include ram's head lady slipper, hepatica, blue cohosh, and black ash. She also has some slides that are "unknown" and hopes the Wild Flora group will help her with these.*Note that the term "Northumberland Coastal Plain" refers to a physiographic unit and is not the used in the same sense as "Nova Scotia's Atlantic Coastal Plain". See Clarification of "Northumberland Coastal Plain species"
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Monday, October 25, 2010 - The special flora of the gypsum karst on the Avon Peninsula
Charlie Cron will give an illustrated talk showing leatherwood, rams head, hepatica and other species found on gypsum karst on the Avon Peninsula during a "mini-bioblitz" in 2010 and his many other visits to the area. Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Sunday, October 17, 2010 - Fall colurs on the barrens
Field trip to Polly's Cove
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Place: Meet in the parking lot just off the highway.
Contact: Charlie Cron (902) 477-8272 (after 6 p.m.)
Monday, January 24, 2011 - Members' slides night.
This is the evening to bring those photos (slides or computer images) you would like to share with everyone. Miniature slide presentations are fine or even just a couple of slides would be great. Mystery flora slides are always a lot of fun.
Please contact Heather Drope at 423-7032 and let her know how many slides you will be bringing. If the images are on a computer, please put them in a common format (e.g., Power Point, Web Pages) and put it all on a disc drive &/or bring your own laptop. We will do our best to deal with them but some advance discussion of needs will help
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Contact: Heather Drope, 423-7032. Please let her know how many slides you will be bringing.
Sunday, February 20, 2011 - Annual twig identification walk.
The walk will be along the trail at the frog pond and if time permits we will check out check out huckleberry shoots and Jack Pine skeletons near the Fire Fighting training School just past York Redoubt. Finish 16:00hrs. Tim Hortons off NWA drive 16:15 - 15:15 hrs. for warm up coffee etc. Access may be limited by ice and slippery conditions.Trip will be modified as we go along according to existing conditions, to keep thing as safe as possible. Dress for the weather,use boot clip on studs etc. Bring Magnifier if you have one.
Time: 1-4 p.m.
Place: Meet at Frog Pond Parking lot at 1 p.m.
Contact: Please register with Charlie (477-8272) so he can contact you if there are changes. Feb.27/11 is an alternate date for this walk if the weather is really bad on the 20th.
Monday, February 28, 2011 - Treemarking: managing for quality products while maintaining wildlife habitat
Speaker Minga O'Brien, an ecologist and forest technician, is well aquainted academically and practically with Nova Scotia forests. Most recently, she has been working for small and large private landowners, researching and teaching the essentials of uneven-aged management, as well as treemarking and writing forest management plans. This topic is very timely, given the recent announcement by the N.S. Government of new Strategic Directions for foresty.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Sunday March 13 - Skunk Cabbage
Weather permitting. Alternate date April 1. Plan Hwy.103 to Shelburne.08:00-12:00hrs. Glenwood prk.Cavenaugh Rd. to ? 101 then up through valley.???,this can be modified,kept flexable to accomodate weather and road conditions. Skunk cabbage early shrubs etc. Home by 20:00hrs.
Contact: Please register with Charlie (477-8272) by the end of March.
Monday March 28th, 2011 - Environmental Infractions: Enforecment Options
Deborah Carver, the Executive Director of ECELAW (East Coast Environmental Law Society)
will be telling us about ECELAW and about enforcement options to take if we come across environmental infractions.
Deborah has a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, an LL.B. from Dalhousie and an LL.M. from the University of London, England.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Monday, April 25, 2011 - AGM & A Botanical Expedition to Lockhart Brook (almost) in the Cape Breton Highlands
In the summer of 2008, the KC Irving Environmental Science Centre of Acadia University and the Acadia Lifelong Learning (ALL) group, joined forces to organize and carry out a botanical expedition to Lockhart Brook, a remote gorge in the Cape Breton Highlands known to be 
one of the richest areas in Nova Scotia for rare arctic alpine flora. Since the time of the original botanical survey work, conducted in the 1950Õs by Acadia University professor Dr. E.C. Smith and students, no further plant surveys had been carried out at this location. The goal of the 2008 expedition was to revisit Lockhart Brook and determine the present day status of the arctic alpine flora. This presentation by Ruth Newell, Curator of the E.C. Smith Herbarium at Acadia University, will describe the botanical adventures and experiences of the participants in their efforts to reach Lockhart Brook. Our AGM, including election of officers, will take place at the beginning of the meeting.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
The Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society and The Halifax Field Naturalists have cooperated in organizing a series of field trips for the long weekend in May. Trips are open to all Members of both groups and invited guests (local naturalist trip leaders). Non-members are welcome but should join at least one of the sponsoring organizations. Sites include Rogart Trail, Ward's Falls, Fox River, Age of Sail Heritage Centre, Advocate Hbr, Cape D'Or & more.Please see Details Document.
Moday May 30th: Evening Foray to Beaverdam Falls
Meet at Exhibition Park off Peggy's Cove Road at 6:30 p.m. Park in the parking lot to the far left as you enter Exhibition Park.
Saturday, June 18 - Purcell's Cove Lands
Join N.S. Nature Trust staff, volunteer land stewards, HFN and NS Wild Flora members for this annual field trip to look at the flora and fauna (big and small) in this urban Nature Trust property of PurcellÍs Cove Conservation Lands. Bring a lunch and water, waterproof boots, and insect repellent. No rain date alternative will be offered for this trip.
Contact: Bob McDonald, 443-5051 or bobathome@eastlink.ca CHANGE: Trip will be led by Charlie Cron of Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society (call 902) 477-8272 after 6 p.m.)
Time/Place: 9:30 a.m. at the trailhead on PurcellÍs Cove Road (more details available upon pre-registration).
Duration: 4 to 5 hours
Difficulty: The trail can be wet, and boulders require nimble feet in places.
Friday to Sunday, June 3-5: Nature Nova Scotia AGM & Conference
This year's nature Nova Scotia AGM and Conference will take place at the Gaelic College, St Anne's, Cape Breton on the weekend of June 3rd through to the 5th. This is a time for great field trips, wonderful talks, and networking with other Nova Scotia naturalists in this beautiful setting. For additional information, go to www.naturens.ca.
Sunday, Aug. 7th: Hartlen Point , Eastern Passage - Orchids. Sundews, Blueberry plants and lots of other flora
This a very easy going walk to view four species of orchids along with Sundews, Blueberry plants and lots of other flora. Bring a field guide, if you have one, and lets all explore and identify the plant life. An added bonus may be seeing the mother osprey feeding her young if she hasn't taught it to fly by then.
Time 11 am
Place Hartlen Point , Eastern Passage
We are meeting at the end of the Eastern Passage road where it takes a 45 degree turn to the left to head up to the golf club parking lot. There is a barrier at that turn cutting off the road to the DND land and that is where we go in. See Google Earth Map.
Leader/Registration Heather Drope - Please phone Heather to register for the trip. This is in case of cancellation. 423-7032 and cell 440-5032 on the weekend.
Sunday, September 11th - Celebrating the International Year of the Forest
Years ago one of our members went for a wander into the old farming fields of the park and realized that they were laid out in a particular way - a strip of trees then field more trees and more field. This was good farming practise. The fields may have been let to go back into trees but the wood lots remain. The woods were made up of the biggest stand of Iron wood ( Ostrya virginiana) this gentleman had ever seen. We have all seen the monster Ironwood tree on previous field trips but never a good stand of them. Come out for a good look at this old farm featuring a flood plain, a drumlin and lots of Iron wood trees with their unique seed capsules. Lets all celebrate the International Year of the Forest !
Date: September 11, 2011
Place: Wentworth Picnic Park, Cumberland Co. Rte 4
Time: 10:30 am
Duration: Two hours
Leader: Heather Drope
Contact: phone number 440-5032 for the weekend.
Difficulty: Easy.
Meet: Meet by the walking bridge in the park.
Monday, September 26th, 2011: War of the Roses
At our first meeting for 2011/2102, plant ecologist Nick Hill will talk about ecological aspects of the invasion of coastal habitats by Rosa rugosa, as well as about other invasive species in Nova Scotia. He has a fascinating story to tell about Rosa rugosa on Brier Island. Nick, a past member of the faculty at Mount Saint Vincent University, operates Fern Hill Farm and Gardens and the associated Fern Hill Institute for Plant Conservation near Berwick N.S.
Place: Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, 1747 Summer Street, Halifax.
(Use the Parking Lot entrance.)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
All welcome!
Enjoy the bright colors and fragrance of the fall fire barrens. The granitic barrens in the vicinity of Lower Mud Pond include stands of jack pine burned over in the spring of 2009 as well as some areas that burned last about 40 years ago. As time permits, we may hike some of the lower Mac Run (not burned).
Leader: David Patriquin, 4235716
Time: 1 p.m. on Sunday Oct. 16th (changed from Saturday 15th because of rain)
Meet: Naval Engineering School parking lot on the Purcell's Cove Road.
Directions from Halifax: From the old Armdale Rotary, now Roundabout, head for Purcells Cove Road. Continue on towards Herring Cove. At the top of the hill past Purcells Cove you will come across the sign for York Redoubt. The bus turnaround is there. Keep on going on this paved highway for at least one or more Km until you come to the big parking lot for the Naval Engineering School ("Government Fire School") on your left and park at the north end of this lot.
NOTE; I WENT BY THERE TODAY (Oct12) AND THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARKING LOT IS CLOSED OFF. SO DRIVE 1 KM BEYOND THAT POINT to WHERE THERE IS A GATE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. TURN AROUND AND PARK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD OR GO A BIT FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD TO PARK AND WALK BACK TO THE GATE. WE'LL MEET AT THE GATE. COLOURS ARE GREAT!
Duration: 2-3 hours. It will be easy for a participant to leave early if one wishes to do so,.
Difficulty: some rough ground - wear good boots.
Monday, Oct 24th: Nova Scotia's Diverse Forest Ecosystems
Peter Neily and Eugene Quigley of the Nova Scotia Dept. of Natural Resources will talk to us about Forest Ecosystem Classification (FEC) in Nova Scotia, highlighting results of ten years of study on over 1500 FEC plots. Recently published FEC guides contain identification keys, descriptive information, photographs, and management interpretations for 14 forest groups, 88 vegetation types, 19 soil types, 2 ecosite groups and 28 ecosites found within Nova Scotia. 7:30 p.m. at NSMNH.Saturday Nov 12th: Witch Hazel & Oak Woods in the South End
Witch hazel is our latest flowering native shrub/tree. It's a typical understory species in oak woods. There is a nice patch of red oak forest with abundant witch hazel, as well as other species of interest, in the south end of Halifax by the rail tracks.
Leader: David Patriquin, 4235716
Place: Meet at south end of Beaufort (Go south on Oxford and keep on going.)
Time: 1 pm Saturday Nov 12th. (Rain date: Sunday Nov 13th - check website if in doubt.)
Duration: 1-2 hours.
Difficulty: EZ going
Monday Nov 28th: Botanical Shock Downunder - In the footsteps of Sir Joseph Banks
 Stringy Bark Eucalyptus Click on image for larger version |
Monday January 23rd, 2012: Members' Slide Night. 
Bring some of your favourite slides to share with us all.
See Details for presenters.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: NSMNH, side entrance by the parking lot
SUNDAY February 19: Winter Botany
Charlie Cron will lead on this now traditional winter field trip.
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Place: Meet at Dingle Parking Lot, 1:30 p.m.
Monday February 27th: Our Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora.
Megan Crowley, a Species at Risk Stewardship Biologist at Kejimkujik National Park
and National Historic Site will talk to us about this special flora which "holds a special place in her heart" and that is the subject of our annual foray to south west Nova Scotia in late summer. Megan is co-author, with Lindsey Beal, of the recently published Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora in Nova Scotia: Identification and Information. She received a Master's in Resource and Environmental Management from Dalhousie and a BScH in Wildlife Biology from Guelph.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: NSMNH, go in via the side entrance by the parking lot
The Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora (ACPF) is a group of 90 species of taxonomically unrelated wetland plants that inhabit our lake and river shores, bogs, fens, and estuaries. The Atlantic Coastal Plain was formed at the end of the last glacial period (10,000 to 14,000 years ago) when the sea level was as much as 100 m lower than present day. There was a land bridge between Nova Scotia and Massachusetts and plants likely migrated northwards to southwestern Nova Scotia. Some of the world's largest and least disturbed ACPF populations are located here in N.S. Source: http://www.speciesatrisk.ca/coastalplainflora/?q=node/2
(Irving Biodiversity Collection, Acadia University)
Ruth Newell, Curator of the Herbarium, will be our host.The E.C. Smith Herbarium contains over 200,000 specimens, including vascular plants, bryophytes, and fungi. It is the largest herbarium in Atlantic Canada and the first Canadian herbarium to have digital database with scanned images of the collection.Time: 2:00 p.m.
Place: Meet at the Herbarium - go to K. C. Irving Environmental Science Centre,
Acadia University, 32 University Avenue, Wolfville.
Pre-registration is required Register with Katherine Clough (borealiskATgmail.com)
Monday March 26: Wetlands Management and Development Projects
Clinton Pinks, a landscape architect with a background in plant science and environmental design, will share some of his experience in wetlands management and development and demonstrate how landscape systems should be considered in site design.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: NSMNH, go in via the side entrance by the parking lot
Monday April 23: AGM & Sean Blaney on the Nova Scotia Flora
Sean Blaney, whose work is well known to botany folk in Nova Scotia, is Botanist and
Assistant Director at the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre in Sackville, N.B
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: NSMNH, go in via the side entrance by the parking lot
Saturday April 28: In Search of Hepatica
We will search for the red listed roundlobe hepatica, Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa, in the Antigonsh area. Rain day April 29th. Depending on spring weather, the excursion could be delayed to May 12th (rainday May 13th). Leader: Charlie Cron
More details to follow.
Friday to Sunday 25-27 May:
Nature Nova Scotia 2012 Annual Meeting (Tatamogouche)
This is a once-a-year social, learning and outdoor event for naturalists. There will be wine and cheese and banquet nights interspersed with field trips and hikes to new places; layered with information given in illustrated talks by experts. A two hour Annual General Meeting will be held beginning on Sunday morning at 10:00 am. There is a free breakfast. Come join us for an informative, fun and unforgettable weekend! See Nature N.S. website for details http://naturens.ca/
Sunday June 10th: Gypsum barrens/Lady's slipper orchids
We'll walk up the road a short distance and onto a trail that takes us into a gypsum exposure, Yellow Lady's Slippers, possibly Ram's Head Lady's Slipper, Shepherdia and Dirca have been found here. Then if you are willing we'll check out Smiley's Provincial Park. If you have access to John Erskine's In Forest and Field read the chapter entitled Plaster Rock.
Leader: Katherine Clough
Time: 2 pm, June 10
Place: Meet at 2 pm in the gravel parking lot on the RHS just a few hundred metres east
of Exit 5 from Hwy 101 from Halifax to the Annapolis Valley
PLEASE REGISTER with Katherine Clough (borealisk@gmail.com, 405 5804) so we know
how many to expect.
Monday, June 25: Moonwort at Conrad Beach
Our summer evening meeting. Moonwort (Botrychium lunaria)
is found at only a few locales in N.S.
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Place: Meet at the parking area, Conrad beach
Monday to Saturday, August 6-11th: Coastal Plain Flora, A joint excursion with members of the The Wildflower Society of Newfoundland and Labrador
A 3-4 day excursion to southwest Nova Scotia to look at aquatic sites with Atlantic Coastal Plain flora has become an annual event for the Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society. This year, members of the Wildlfower Society of Newfoundland and Labrador will join us for an expanded excursion. Enrolment will be limited, so register early.
Trip Itinerary: (Updated July 20) PDF doc | Web Page
Registration required: Registration Form
Nova Scotians: please send the registration form to Charles Cron via nswildfloraATyahoo.ca
Newfoundlanders and Labradorites: please send it to Heather Saunders - c.saundersATnl.rogers.com or as advised by your society.
Monday to Saturday, August 13-15th: Cape Breton: A joint excursion with members of the The Wildflower Society of Newfoundland and LabradorCarl Munden will lead a set of field excursions in Cape Breton as our visitors from Newfoundland head towards home. Few people know Cape Breton better than Carl. He is the author of Native Orchids of Nova Scotia: A Field Guide (Cape Breton University Press, 2001).
Provisional Intinerary
Monday, Sep. 24, 2012: Plant communities and rare species on Coastal Barrens in Nova Scotia
This talk, by Katie Porter, will present new unpublished research classifying plant communities on the Coastal Barrens in Nova Scotia, interesting landscapes and rare species including new records for the province. Katie grew up in rural Nova Scotia and has 7 years of experience identifying plants in the field. Currently, she is Masters student at Saint Mary?s University. She will be presenting a portion of her thesis research. Monday Oct. 22, 2012: Restoring the Acadian Forest
For over 30 years Gary has walked the talk, restoring Acadian Forests in PEI from his base at the MacPhail Woods Ecological Forestry Project in Orwell. He runs a native plant nursery, raising trees and shrubs and does workshops on forest restoration, forest flora and fauna. His focus is on what you can do to restore forests in the Maritimes as well as how to introduce native flora and fauna into our urban landscapes. Read more about it at
www.macphailwoods.org
Sunday Oct.28/12: Prospect NS Indian Point Trail Meet at trail head 14:00hrs. From Halifax: Route 333 to Whites lake,then towards Shad Bay.Sign on left indicate Prospect (large sign to Prospect B&B) follow road south to Prospect,turn Right on Indian Point RD. Trail head is at end of road. Parking is limited If full park in Church parking lot in Prospect and walk up the hill. !-2 hrs.(depending on how cold it is). Explore headlands.Cranberries are ripe if you want them. We may stop at Otter Lake on return if time pemits. For detailed map see Google Maps Prospect NS Indian point Road.
Monday Nov. 26th, 2013: South West Nova/Cape Breton 2012 & A Walk With Orchids
Nova Scotia Wild Flora President Charles Cron will talk about the August excursions we shared with The Wildflower Society of Newfoundland and Labrador and NSWFS veteran Heather Drope about her favourite group: Nova Scotia's native orchids.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: NSMNH, side entrance by the parking lot
Monday, January 28th, 2013: Members' Slide Night
Bring some of your favourite slides to share with us all.
See Details for presenters.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: NSMNH, side entrance by the parking lot
Monday February 25, 2013:
Monday, February 25, 2013:Carolyn Mallory: A Whole World at Your Feet: Common Arctic Plants
Carolyn is a writer whose book Common Insects of Nunavut was published in December 2011. It is a follow up to her popular Common Plants of Nunavut, co-written with Susan Aiken. She is also hard at work on a picture book for children and a novel. Carolyn travels across the Arctic on a cruise ship in the summer where she lectures and guides people on tundra walks. Carolyn and her husband Mark have recently made the move from Iqaluit to Canada's East Coast after living in the Arctic for the last twelve years.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: NSMNH, side entrance by the parking lot
Sunday Mar.17, 2013:
Lewis Lake & Enivrons (Trail)
Meet at Tim Hortons at Bayers Lake 2:00 pm. We will drive from there to the Hubley - Timberlea Exit 4, on Hwy. 103. Turn left at the intersection,then along the old #3 hwy. to just past the sign for Lewis Lake as you are exiting Hubley ( Hubley sign on left not visible from this direction, and Lewis Lake sign on the right). There is a group of Mail Boxes on the right and the Parking area is accessed on the same turnoff. The small parking lot is close to where the old railway track trail crosses the #3. We will start from there and walk along the trail towards Jerry Lawrence Park. We will return along the same trail. 1-2 hrs. We may also visit other parts of the same trail if time permits. This trip is weather dependent, and will go only if the weather is clear. ( NO rain or snow). Bring a Newcombs Field guide if you have one or any winter botany guide book. Binoculars and/or a magnifier also will help.CC
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Place: Meet at Tim Hortons at Bayers Lake
Monday Mar.25, 2013:
New Research and Species in our Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora
Martin Is a retired professor of biology at UNB now living in the Annapolis Valley. He has done work for Parks Canada, MTRI, and plant photography for the NSMNH. He has worked in Bermuda for 20 years authoring two books on the natural history of Bermuda. Martin has an extensive knowledge of our coastal Plain flora.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: NSMNH, side entrance by the parking lot
Sat or Sun April 13/14
Skunk Cabbage
Travel to Long Island to see Skunk Cabbage now in bloom. Please register by Friday night (Apr 12). Meet Tim Hortons at 08:30 hrs. Windsor near Exhibition Park, just off the 103Hwy. Should be at Long Island Balancing Rock trail Parking Lot about 11:00 hrs. Ferry schedule and weather dependent. Return to Halifax along Hwy.103 with stops at several sites along the way.Bring lunch camera etc. Dress for the weather.
Contact: Charlie Cron (902) 477-8272 (after 6 p.m.)
Monday April 22, 2013:
 |
AGM, Keynote: Donna Crossland on Wind and fire in gloomy forests After a brief AGM, Donna Crossland will provide a brief examination of 18-19th century forests, and describe how assemblages of floral species were influenced by natural processes and human-altered disturbances, as early settlers toiled in dim shadows cast from tall trees. Donna is a forest ecologist and Senior Park Warden at Kejimkujik National Park. She co-authored the 2010 Report A Natural Balance - Working Toward Nova Scotia's Natural Resources Strategy. There will be a short AGM with election of a new board and executive at the beginning of the meeting. Time: 7:30 p.m. Place: NSMNH, side entrance by the parking lot |
Saturday May 11, 2013
Spring Ephemerals Field Trip A field trip to Fairmont Trail in Antigonish, Sat. May 11 (Rain Date: Sun. May 12) 2013. Meet at the trail head at 10:00 hrs. Duration 1-3hrs.or longer, depending on what we find. Please register with Charles Cron 902 477 8272 by Wed May 8 so we can carpool, or make last minute changes if required for weather etc. If time permits we may also visit Browns Mountain for spring beauty and other spring ephemerals, in the afternoon. This will probably take all day but some may wish to leave early so will do this in two separate parts. We hope to be joined by Randy Lauff and other local naturalists from the Antigonish area. This will be a 2-3hr.drive from Halifax, so we will need to leave early (07:00 hrs.) and not expect to be back in Halifax before dark (16:30 hrs or later). Bring lunch, snacks, water, camera, binoculars and dress for the weather.
"To get to the Fairmont Ridge Trail, exit the Trans-Canada Highway at Antigonish and follow the green "H" signs towards the hospital on Route #337. Keep travelling on #337 towards Cape George for about 12 minutes. The trail head and parking lot will be on your left."
Friday to Sunday May 24 - 26, 2013
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Nature Nova Scotia 23rd Annual Conference and AGM
Field trips and talks at Milford House & environs (near Annapolis Royal)
See Nature NS website
Coastal Plain Flora 2013 - August 2-5
Aug 3: Unfotunately, the Field trip to Yarmouth, an annual event, has been cancelled. Water levels are very high and there will be no accessable shoreline to view the plants we usually seek. Charlie Cron comments further: "We recently discovered large numbers of Redroot and other coastal plain flora plants on the shoreline of Shingle Lake. We will plan a trip to the area in the near future. A shortened version of our Yarmouth trip may also be possible at a later date if there is sufficent interest. Call me if you are interested in exploring the area.CC."
Our annual excursion to SW Nova Scotia to look at our Atlantic Coastal Plain flora. From Charlie Cron:
Booked B&B Vaughn Lake 1-902-648-3122 Dale Duncanson, for Aug 2 to Aug. 4. Leave on Aug. 5 to return to Halifax. Arrive Friday Aug 2, probably late ( 9:30- 10:00 pm.) Travel from Halifax on Friday Aug 2, follow usual route along Hwy 103, or any other route desired by individuals.Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013: Point Pleasant Park - Ten Years Post-Juan
We will meet at Charlston on the Medway River, Friday Aug.2 , at 09:30 hrs. Leave Halifax 07:30 hrs. Take the 103 directly to Charlston, 1st exit after crossing the Medway river, follow the road straight through the village, go past the fire station, on left as you cross the bridge,then on to the last house on the right. The bridge is right ahead and we will meet there.
Explore area, see buttonbush and find Dulichium arundinacia. Look for a small mushroom Naiadolina flavomerulina. For details see the May issue of Omphalina. Vol IV no.4 May22/13. Google on Wickiwipedia Marasmius flavomerulinaus, the old name for this mushroom, for the links to Omphalina and other information.
Next stop: Greenfield Community Church and school parking lot. regroup and go to Judd Freemen Road , site at Ponhook lake. Then to Liverpool via Hgwy 8. To Shelburne Tim Hortons. Then along Route 203 to Stops along Roseway River, Indian Fields, and Pearl lake. Then to Wilsons lake at New Caanan and to B&B after supper in Yarmouth.
Day2: Sat. Aug 3. Ellenwood Park, Wilsons and Gilfillan lakes. Supper in Yarmouth. then B&B.
Day3. Sun. Aug 4 Explore Wedgeport and Pubnico Penninsulas. ? Briar Island.
Day4 Mon. Barrington Passage, Port la Tour and Baccaro bog. Return to Halifax.
The basic plan is subject to change by agreement among the participants. Some areas may be difficult access depending on weather & road conditions.
Accommodation: Each member must call Dale and reserve a room in advance (477-8272). Members may book other B&B or motels etc. as desired, but would prefer that we all stay fairly close together for easier communication.
Please register by Thursday Aug. 1: Please call me if you have any questions. 477-8272. Please call and register by Thursday this week so we know to expect you.
Joint Field Trip with Halifax Field Naturalists
As the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Juan approaches, there is an opportunity to revisit its destruction in Point Pleasant and to look at the park's recovery since September 28th, 2003. Join us for a walking tour guided by HRM Public Lands Manager Peter Bigelow who led its cleanup and restoration. During the walk, Peter will reflect upon the park?s pre-Juan conditions and other associated issues, and how Juan not only changed the park itself but also how it changed the approach to park management. Participants will see how nature is healing the area and learn about some of the interventions that park caretakers have undertaken. The cultural assets within the park will also be discussed. Registration is required as the maximum number of participants is 30.
Contact: Grace Beazley (HFN), 429-6626, rbeazley@dal.ca
Rain Date: Wednesday, September 18th
Time/Place: 6:00 p.m.at the parking lot at the south end of Tower Road
Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
 Photo by Mary Macauley Click on image for larger version |
Wallace River Hotspot
In 2009 a mysterious botanical hotspot was found tucked away along a short stretch of dirt road by the Wallace River in Cumberland County. Mary Macaulay, who discovered the site, will give us a three season floral tour and discuss possible reasons for its unusual biodiversity. As usual, she will expect the audience to chime in with identifications before she displays her opinion of genus and species. Of particular interest to those of us getting long in the tooth or lame of leg, many of the rare plants at this rich little Eden, can be viewed simply by driving slowly by. The talk is free and open to the public
7:30 pm at The NS Museum of Natural History
Sunday, February 21 - Annual twig identification walk. (Weather and Trai Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013: Whopper Drop Trail
Join a leisurely paced walk jointly sponsored by the Halifax Field Naturalists and the Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society (NSWFS). Members of both organisations, and the public, are invited. The five-km-looped trail is located between Bayers Lake Business Park and Susie Lake, traversing a beautiful wilderness area with rugged granite ridges, panoramic views, and abundant flora. Come and experience the autumn-coloured foliage of maple, birch, and huckleberry interspersed among the evergreens, and get a chance to discover less obvious plants as will be pointed out by NSWFS President Charles Cron and other knowledgeable outdoor enthusiasts. Registration is required as the maximum number of participants is 20.
Contact: Richard Beazley, 429-6626, rbeazley@dal.ca
Rain Date: Sunday, October 20th
Time/Place: 12:45 p.m. at the gravel parking lot at the end of Susie Lake Crescent. Turn off Chain Lake Drive in Bayers Lake Business Park, across from Montana?s Restaurant beside the Burger King, and go 120 m to the parking lot.
Duration: 3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Monday October 28, 2013: Old Growth ForestsJamie Simpson will talk about priceless remnants of old growth forests in the Maritimes.
Jamie is the author of Restoring the Acadian Forest.
7:30 pm at The NS Museum of Natural History.
Monday, January 27, 2014 - Members' presentation night.Always an entertaining evening with photos, slide shows, show and tell and digital presentations. Short presentations are fine as well as medium length ones. Please contact Heather Drope so that we will know what is being presented. (Heather Drope: 423-7032).
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax
Monday Feb. 24, 2014 - Nova Scotia Nature Trust Conservation Lands Katie Porter will talk about The Nova Scotia Nature Trust's work to protect vulnerable and significant ecosystems on private land in Nova Scotia, with a focus on our coastline and the critical habitat of at-risk species. This presentation will detail the ecology of conservation sites protected by the Nature Trust over the past year, including accounts of diverse habitat types and provincially rare or uncommon species that occur within those newly protected sites. The Nature Trust also works with volunteers and partners to monitor known populations of Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora and there will be discussion about how to get involved and what else is coming up this summer.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History,
Summer St., Halifax
March 24,2014 
Our speaker will be Sean Basquill on "Karst: Rare plant communities, characteristic rare plants and ecological determinants" Sean Basquill is employed with the Wildlife Division of Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resources as Provincial Ecosystem and Habitat Biologist and an adjunct professor in the Biology Departments at Saint Mary's and Acadia Universities. Sean's current field research includes surveying coastal dunes and beaches, heathland, and karst vegetation across Nova Scotia. Time: 7:30 p.m. Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax For some background on Karst in Nova Scotia, see
(Rescheduled from Sat Mar 29) Leave Halifax at 07:00 hrs. Liverpool by 09:30- 10;00 (meet Tim Hortons Liverpool.) exit 19,drive in to Liverpool Tims is at the T intersection straight ahead. Glenwood Park,then Hectanooga, for site reconnasence, and return Halifax ? via 101. This can be modified en route by conference and agreement. 'Can make final plans Friday night if required. Please let me know by Sat Apr. 12 if you are interested in this one day trip. (4778272). It will take all day depending on how much time we spend at any given place." April 19 or 26: Field trip to Avon Peninsula To look for Primula and Leatherwood in flower Contact CC (4778272) April 26/end of April: Field trip to Antigonish area sugar maple woods, spring ephemerals Contact CC (4778272)
Sun May 25, 2014: Field trip to CWF Walk for Wildlife at Wentworth Heather Drope will lead this field trip to see the flora of Wentworth Provincial Park, Cumberland Co, on Sunday May 25 at 10 am to noon. We meet at the park foot bridge, bring fly repellant, field guide if you have one and binocculars. This trip is for Nova Scotia Parks and the public are very welcome and there is no fee. Heather Drope can be contacted at 440-5032. Monday a.m. - it is looking cold and wet for this eve so we will postpone this one, June or July. Mon May 26: Evening Meeting/Evening Walk: Piggy Mountain. Meet at beginning of Aarons Way, across Purcell's Cove Road from York Redoubt at 6 pm. This area of Jack Pine and Broom Crowberry burned in 2009, now has lots of Golden Heather. David Patriquin will lead the short hike. Wear footwear appropriate for a few rough areas. Fri May 30 to Sun June 1: Nature Nova Scotia Saturday, JUL. 12: Prospect Scenic Coastal Hike Peter Webster of HFN will lead this scenic hike which starts and finishes at the Inner Gulf Island end of the coastal trail and goes toward Prospect. The trail begins on an easy-to-follow path through woods for a short distance, then it reaches the open sea shoreline where there is a wonderful view of Inner Gulf Island. The trail with its number of small footpaths meanders over granite ridges, through mixed flora, and around wetlands toward Prospect, which is barely visible in the distance. This will be a 4-hour hike, with a lunch break at the halfway point, then the return hike to Hages Lane. Bring a lunch and bug repellent, and expect rocky/windy trail conditions. Carpooling is encouraged. If you can provide, or need, a drive, please let Gillian know one week in advance. (This is a joint field trip with the Halifax Field Naturalists.) Contact: Gillian Webster; 453-9244; gillian.webster@eastlink.ca Rain Date: Sunday, July 13th Time/Place: 10:30 a.m. at the end of Hages Lane. Drive along Prospect Road toward Peggy's Cove. Just past White's Lake turn left on to Prospect Bay Road. Drive five km or so along the edge of Prospect Bay and turn right on to Selig's Road. After about 0.4 km, turn left onto Jamil's Road. After about 0.8 km, turn right on to Hages Lane and drive about 1.5 km to its end. Duration: 4 hours Difficulty: Moderate |
More details to be posted
Saturday Sep. 20, 2014Spiranthes orchids, St. Margaret's Bay Area field trip
Spiranthes orchids mostly S.cernua some S. ochroleuca (have to search for those): black eye Susan, Juncus sp. false foxglove,bayberry,sweet fern, Typha sp. goldenrods, witherod, and many more. About 2-3 hrs. Plan to make various stops along the 103,and travel to the new "Tote road",then walk along a straight stretch of old logging road to look at some wet areas with many Cyperacae species. The trip may be shortened or lengthened to suit the group, and depending on what we can find.
Meet at Tim Hortons, Bayer's Lake (close to exit to Hwy 103), 10 a.m.
Monday Sep. 22, 2014
Jeremy Lundholm on Green Roofs
Green roofs involve layers of vegetation and growing medium over regular roof membranes. These "built habitats" are usually constructed for energy conservation (the soil and vegetation lead to reduced building energy costs) and to reduce storm water outputs from urban systems. Jeremy's research group at SMU is trying to determine whether native plant species outperform non-natives on green roofs in Atlantic Canada. They are also interested in determining the role of species- and trophic- level diversity on green roof performance. This project also includes basic horticultural research into the propagation of native species for use in restoration and urban greening projects. See Jeremy's Research Page for more, including a list of species tested.
Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014Point Pleasant Park with Peter Duinker
Peter, Professor in the School of Resource and Environmental Studies
at Dalhousie University, was intimately involved with the Point Pleasant Park Comprehensive Plan and more recently with the Urban Forest Master Plan
for Halifax. We will do a walk-around of the park.
Meet at 2 p.m. at Canteen by the seaside entrance to the park.
Raindate: Sunday October 19th, same time & place.
Monday, Oct 27, 2014 The Atlantic Coast Jack Pine/Broom Crowberry Barrens
David Patriquin will talk about this globally rare community found in isolated windswept patches on rock outcrops from the Aspotogon Peninsula to Canso, and in a few spots in Maine and nowhere else.
7:30 p.m. at the NSMNH
Saturday, November 8, 2014 (Raindate: Sun Nov. 9)
NOTE: These are new dates on account of rain predicted for both Nov 1,2.
Fri Nov 7: It's a Go for Saturday Nov 8!!
Jack Pine/Broom Crowberry Barrens Visit to recently burnt and unburnt Jack Pine/Broom Crowberry Barrens on Halifax south mainland.
Meet: 1 p.m. at Parking lot at Frog Pond*
Raindate: Sunday Nov. 9, same times, place to meet.
*Frog Pond is on Purcell's Cove Road 2.2 Km after the intersection of Herring Cove.
The Nearest Metro Transit Stop: At the corner of PurcellÍs Cove Rd. and Parkhill Drive,
145 m after the parking lot. Routes #15 at Mumford.
Monday November 24, 2014
Identification of Forest Flora in the Field
Norris Whiston has been developing a number of user-friendly, illustrated keys to simplify identification of the more common vascular plants, mosses, lichens and ferns in the field. In this evening session, he will test our ID skills!
Bring Trees & Shrubs of the Maritimes by Todd Boland if you have it and any other favourite guides*. 7:30 p.m. at the NSMNH
*See Resources for Identifying the Plants of Nova Scotia for a list of guides.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Members' Slide Night
This is the evening to bring those digital photos you would like to share with everyone. Brief photo presentations are fine: even just a couple would be great. Mystery flora are always a lot of fun. Bring them on a CD or USB stick drive.7:30 pm at NSMNH
Monday 23 February 2015:
Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest (OPDF)
Matt Miller of the Ecology Action Centre will talk about Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest (OPDF), in Mooseland, on the Eastern Shore. It's a community forest project where a 1500 acre parcel of Crown land is being managed cooperatively by 4 NGOs (EAC, Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators, Eastern Shore Forest Watch and Mooseland Community Association). The first of its kind in Nova Scotia! Their mission is to demonstrate the philosophy, science, and practice of uneven-aged management in the Acadian Forest. They produce timber for market using the best forest practices presently known, while protecting wildlife habitat and the Tangier River watershed, respecting the ecosystem services provided by the parcel, and enhancing the social and cultural value of the forest. Management practices are certified to the Forest Stewardship CouncilÍs Maritime Standard.7:30 p.m. at the NSMNH
Monday March 23, 2015
Ferns of Nova Scotia
Talk by Iain Jacks. Iain founded and operates Fernwood Plant Nursery in Hubbards. Read Growing a fern business isn't for impatient gardeners for a little more about it.7:30 p.m. at the NSMNH
Monday April 27, 2015AGM and Gypsum Flora of NS
After our AGM formalities (30 min max), David Mazerolle of the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre will talk on Gypsum Flora of NS with emphasis on new findings in Gypsum areas.7:30 p.m. at the NSMNH
Sat May 16, 2015:
Avon Peninsula (gypsum flora)
Rain date Sunday May 17. Meet Ferry Rd. parking spot 10:00am. Drive to Mantua, then Poplar Grove, turn right at Ferry rd. and go to the area where the Gypsum Mine threatens to cross over Ferry Rd and extend in to the center of the Avon Penninsula. The road into the area is muddy in spots but surprisingly dry in most places. Rubber boots would be best. Access past the Beaver Dam may be compromised as the Dam has changed again. Hepatica nobilis should be in bloom.
Anyone interested in this hike should contact Charles Cron by Friday May 15. 902-477-8272 leave name and number or send email ccron72@hotmail.com.
Charlie reports: (May 12, 2015): Trips have been on hold due to weather conditions. The Bridge on Clayton Mckay rd. at Meander river is being replaced. Access to Smiley's Park can only be made from the Ashdale side. Expected to be completed mid June. Logging roads St Margarets Bay still covered with ice and snow. Monday May 4 Dirca palusris at Smiley's Park still had snow 1 metre deep around it's base, no blooms buds still tight.( 2 wks late). Friday May 8 Gay's River Hepatica not in bloom. Sat May 8 Avon Penn. Ferry Rd. Dirca palustris in bloom along road in good sunlight, none in bloom in shaded areas. Sheperdia in bloom. Sunday May 10 Mayflowers in bloom along Hwy 103. Corema conradii in bloom mid April Herring Cove, ( Hayes Gardens). also at various sites along Hwy. 103. Mature female flowers are hard to find. This shrub is now in full bloom (mostly male flowers most places now).
Monday, May 25, 2015:Early Evening Meeting at Herring Cove
We will meet at Hayes Gardens Herring Cove at 6:30pm.(Weather permitting). Google Map Location This is our regular meeting night and will be an outdoor meeting. We will study the headland plants on the rocky hill overlooking the entrance to Halifax Hr. Corema conradii is now in full bloom in some parts of this trail. There are few plants in bloom on the hill itself at present, these late bloomers should be just right by the 25th. If time permits we may also have a quick look along the Pumphouse road as well. If there are any other areas of interest some modifications of this plan can still be made. Contact me if you have any other sites you might like to visit. - CC. Pres.NSWFS. (902-477-8272 leave name and number or send email ccron72@hotmail.com)
Fri-Sat Aug 14-15, 2015: Coastal Plain Flora
We will join the Nova Scotia Nature Trust event on Sat Aug 15 celebrating their aquisition of a new property protecting Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora on the Tusket River system. The NS Wild Fflora Society has a long standing interest in this flora, typically sponsoring a 2 or 3 day excursion in early August. The property (precise location is not yet formally announced) is one we have viewed (or close-by) in past trips.
The Nature Trust event is 2:00-4 :00 pm Sat Aug 15. Charles Cron (Pres, NSWFS) plans to go to that area on Friday, stay overnigh at a B&B and return to Halifax Saturday. Other members of NSWF are invited to join him for this trip. Contact Charlie at ccron72@hotmail.com or (902) 477-8272 (after 6 p.m.).
Sunday Aug 16, 2015: Hike-the-Greenbelt final event - The Backlands
"Come out and hike the Backlands (Williams Lake, Colpitt Lake and Purcell's Cove) for the last day of Hike the Greenbelt. The big finale! And some of the most beautiful landscapes of the whole 216 km trip! Our goal is to draw attention to the backlands associated with Williams Lake, Purcell's Cove, Ferguson's Cove, and Herring Cove in order to get them protected as part of the Halifax Greenbelt.
"We plan to have two guides [one is David Patriquin of the NS Wild Flora Society] leading slightly different hikes, both starting together. We will leave from the Captain William Spry Community Centre on Herring Cove Road and follow the McIntosh Run Community Trail to the bridge over the McIntosh Run at Drysdale Road. From there we will hike to Colpitt Lake and explore the region around the lake, including rocky barrens and forests with several beautiful viewpoints. At Colpitt Lake, hikers will be able to choose a longer or shorter hike. Also we want to keep these trails beautiful, so we will be collecting garbage along the way."10:00 am Captain William Spry Community Centre (Map)„Hiking. Difficulty: Moderate Option (5k.) / Longer Option (8k.)
"12:15 pm Shorter hike finishes at start, Captain William Spry Community Centre
"1:30 pm Longer hike finishes at start, Captain William Spry Community Centre
"What to bring: Good footwear, backpack, lots of water and food, flashlight, whistle, sunscreen, sunhat, bug spray, cell phone. Dress for the weather.
BUSES
"Bus #20 (get off on Herring Cove Road at the community centre), Bus #14 (get off on Dentith Street at the shopping mall, walk 5 minutes)"
Go to this site to register
Friday Sep 11, 2015: Spiranthes orchidsA search along highway 103 in SW Nova Scotia for four species of Spiranthes.
Contact Charlie Cron (902) 477-8272 (after 6 p.m.) ccron72AThotmail.com
Monday Sep 21, 2015: Exploring a "hotspot" on the Waugh River
Meet 2 pm Sept 21 at Remember Adventures, 365 Main Street, Tatmagouche. For info, contact Mary McAuley 902-2931533. This a members-only event. (See About Us for information on membership.)
Monday Sep. 28, 2015: Summer Recap
For our first regular meeting of 2015/2016, several or more members will show a few slides highlighting their wild flora experiences over the past summer. If you want to show some slides, please contact davidgpatriquinATyahoo.ca. 7:30 pm at Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.
Recommended: Saturday, Oct 17, 2015:
Halifax Field Naturalists LICHENS & MOSSES FIELD TRIP
Frances Anderson and Anne Mills will lead this field trip to Polly's Cove.
Details on HFN website
Monday, Oct 26, 2015. Native Plant Ecology Research Talks
Five scientists and graduate students from three universities in Halifax will present their state of the art work studying the ecology of native plants here in Nova Scotia. Their topics of study are all around us Ð from the tops of our roofs to under the forest floor, the shores of lakes and under the sea!
- Bee diversity and pollen foraging on native planted green roofs in Halifax
Emily Walker, MSc. Candidate, Saint Mary's University - Characterizing fungal communities of coniferous roots and how they change during decomposition
Logan Gray, MSc. Candidate, Mount Saint Vincent University - Spatial patterns of Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora and structural diversity across Nova Scotian lakeshore edges
Natasha Daze Querry, MSc. Candidate, Dalhousie University - Ecology of Plants on green roofs
Amy Heim, PhD Candidate, Saint Mary's University - Seascape photography: the use of aerial remote sensing to quantify landscape-scale patterns of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Halifax Harbour
Dr. Jeff Barrell, Dalhousie University
Saturday, Nov 21, 2015. ID of Trees and Shrubs in Winter
(Field trip).
We will exercise and develop our skills on this field trip. It will include evergreens but the focus will be on identifying deciduous trees and shrubs after the leaves have fallen based on buds, patterns of branching, bark, fallen leaves etc.
When: Saturday, Nov 21, 2015 at 11 am (2-3 hrs duration; bring a lunch). Sunday is a possible alternative if the weather is bad on SaturdayWhere: Meet at 130 Chain Lake Drive (Address for Art of Stone) where the Chain Lake Trail crosses Chain lake Drive. (See Google Map)
Register: Please send an e-mail by Thursday Nov 19, 2015, to davidgpatriquin@yahoo.ca to register. Put "Winter ID field trip" in subject line, and give your name, phone number and home address in the text.
Some resources:
Asterisked items are out of print but may be available in libraries, used bookstores. Please bring any favourites you might have.
- Identification of Nova Scotian Woody Plants in Winter*
by James F. Donly. Nova Scotia Dept. of Lands and Forests, 1960. 56 pages.
Keys, line drawings. - Merritt Gibson's Winter Nature Notes for Nova Scotians*
Lancelot Press, 1980. 206 pages. A Gem. - Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast
by Michael Wojtech. Universty Press of New England. 2011. The first guide making use of bark as the primary tool for tree ID. - Winter Key to Woody Plants of Maine*
by C.S. Campbell, F. Hyland & M.L.F. Campbell, University of Maine Press,Orono Maine. 1975. Not quite our area but it presents most of our species. Keys and many line-drawings. 52 pages text & 63 plates.
Monday, Nov 23, 2015. Lichens of Nova Scotia Frances Anderson, co-author with Troy McMullen of the recently published Common Lichens of Northeastern North America*, will talk about identification, occurrence and ecology of the lichens of Nova Scotia.
*The book will be available for $40 (cash or cheque).
Meet at NS Museum of Natural History at 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Jan 25, 2016. Members' Slide Night
Bring your favourite recent plant slides on a USB Drive (or bring your own computer).
Meet at NS Museum of Natural History at 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Feb 29, 2016.
Speakers: Art Lynds and Clinton Pinks (DNR Parks)
Art Lynds and Clinton Pinks will present a brief review of the Nova Scotia Provincial Parks system, including a discussion about the significance of ecological integrity within the park. The Division of Parks and Recreations is responsible for over 200 Provincial Park properties and 90 plus protected beaches. Their mandate includes the planning, development and operation of nature-based park and trail properties and associated opportunities for recreation, education and tourism. Nova Scotia Provincial Parks are administered by the Department of Natural Resources. The Department is responsible for the Provincial Parks Act, the Trails Act and the Beaches Act.
Meet at NS Museum of Natural History at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Field trip to HRM Greenhouse on Sackville St. in Halifax
Particular emphasis on the tropical Room but will also see planting s that are growing at that time.
Meet 1:30.
Parking: We can drive in by the greenhouse to the back and park near the trucks. or else in the Wanderers Grounds back a little before the Greenhouse.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Field trip to HRM Greenhouse on Sackville St. in Halifax
Particular emphasis on the tropical Room but will also see planting s that are growing at that time.
Meet 1:30.
Parking: We can drive in by the greenhouse to the back and park near the trucks. or else in the Wanderers Grounds back a little before the Greenhouse.
Monday, Mar 28, 2016.
Returning the Tide: 10 years of tidal wetland restoration in Nova Scotia.
Tony Bowron & Jennie Graham of CBWES will talk about Nova Scotia's salt marshes, the plants and animals that inhabit these muddy, stinky, bug infested places, the impacts we have on them, and what is being done to protect and restore these vitally important coastal wetlands.
Meet at NS Museum of Natural History at 7:30 p.m.
April 2 CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHERFirst flowers: skunk cabbage
We will go to Digby area to view skunk cabbage spathes emerging as they melt the snow aound them. E-mail C. Cron ccron72AThotmail.com .
Monday, Apr 23, 2016. AGM
Featured Presentation: Alain Belliveau (Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre): Review of new botanical findings for N.S.
Meet at NS Museum of Natural History at 7:30 p.m.
Monday, May 23, 2016.
Outdoor, evening meeting: Withrod (Lakeview) Lake Trail
Meet at the Parking lot opposite Long Lake Villages, just off the Northwest Arm Drive. From the old Sambro road turn on to NWA and go to the first set of lights,left turn into the Parking Lot. From Cowie Hill travel down the hill to the lights and go straight into the parking lot. In bound towards the old Sambro road it is the last set of lights before the Old Sambro road, right turn into the parking lot. "Lakeview Trail system" is on a large sign at the entrance
Time: 6:30 pm.
Fri May 27 to Sun May 29
Nature NS 2016 Conference & Annual General Meeting
"This year the NatureNS weekend get-together will be at the gorgeous KC Irving Environmental Science Centre at Acadia University in Wolfville, with rooms, meals, hiking, and nature just steps away. NSWFS is a member group of NatureNS. This is a social, learning, and outdoor experience event for naturalists. On Friday night, registration will be followed by a wine and cheese reception. Saturday morning will feature the usual early-morning nature walks and breakfast, followed by informative and entertaining illustrated talks by two esteemed experts in their fields: Rob Raeside (Acadia U.) and Donna Crossland (Parks Canada). The afternoon will feature a choice of field trips. That evening we will participate in the Farmworks May Flavours Gala Dinner Ð a banquet of locally sourced farm products in a variety of dishes created by local chefs. On Sunday morning, following walks, breakfast, and an address by Ted Leighton (Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre), our Nature Nova Scotia annual general meeting begins at 10 am. More field trips will be available in the afternoon. We hope you can join us for an informative, fun, and unforgettable weekend!"
More Info
 Menyanthes trifoliata (buckbean) occurs in the upper part of the Lawrencetown marsh |
Lawrencetown Brackish Marsh
Many of our brackish marshes have been lost or are threatened. These marshes host a high diversity of flora and fauna. We will explore the brackish marsh in Lawrenctown Lake that lies across the road from Lawrencetown Beach on the eastern shore. Remnants of Acadian dykes criss-cross the marsh. Be prepared for wet footing and mosquitoes. A description of the site as documented in 1975 can be viewed here.
Meet: 1:30 pm at the Parking Lot at Lawrencetown Beach, Sun June 19, 2016
Register: Limit of 15 people. Please register with David Patriquin (davidgpatriquinATyahoo.ca) Please put NSWFS in subject line
Wed June 22
Bayers Lake Industrial park Nature trail
Heather Marchione is leading a small field trip on Wed, June 22/16 at 2 pm to 4 pm. This will be held in Bayers Lake Industrial park Nature trail. the trail head is across the street and up a bit from the HRM recycling Depot. The trail is on the south side of the lake and the rails to trails paved path is on the opposite side.
Bring Field Guides if you have one, water, foot ware that you don't mind getting wet, fly dope, hat and camera. Sometimes binoculars are handy too.
We will be sharing our trip with a Meetup.com group called Native Plants and Native orchids of NS.
Please email to confirm. This trip could be cancelled due to either poor weather or poor health: Heather Marchione, 902-440-5032, heathermarchione@icloud.com
Monday July 4, 2016Visit Showy and Yellow Slipper orchids and picnic
Heather Marchione is leading a this walk at Smiley's in conjuction with her new Meetup Group (http://www.meetup.com/Native-Plants-and-Native-Orchids-of-NS/). "Not a lot of walking for this outing but hope to see the last of some late blooming Yellow Slipper orchids as we travel to Smileys Provincial Park. At Smileys there are the big Showy orchids (wet underfoot). Bring fly dope, hat and camera. We are NOT traveling the length of the fen but just enough to see the orchid. When we picnic I can discuss what other wonderful plants you can find in this treasure of a park during the seasons. There are birds for those that watch them and a lovely river on the edge of the park. The trip should take several hours and bring a nice lunch. Part of identifying wild flowers is the social aspect.
Registration: limited to 7 members due to the sensitivity of the area. Contact Heather at 902-440-5032 Time and Place: Meet at the bottom of Exit 5 off of Route 101. I drive a greenish Ford Escape and wear a hat. Transport: I do not car pool but you may arrange that among your selves, e.g., via Meetup
 Wild Leek flowers ready to open July 9 |
Salmon River Intervale
Remnant intervale forest sites host a suite of Appalachian herbs such as blue cohosh, wild leek.
Meet: Tim Hortons at Mastodon Ridge (just off exit 10) at 11 am
Leader: Charles Cron
Registration required: Limited to ten. Please register with Paris paris2ATns.sympatico.ca 902-425-1079
Saturday, July 24, 2016
Purcell's Cove Conservation lands hike
(NSNT-HFN Partnership Event).
See HFN website
Saturday, Sep 24, 2016
The Bluff Trail (HFN Hike)
David Patriquin and Richmond Campbell will lead a walk along the Pot Lake Loop of the Bluff Trail, stopping to enjoy and discuss the diverse habitats along the way. See HFN
Monday Sep 26, 2016
Summer Finds!
An informal first of the "new year" get-together. Bring some of your special pics from the summer past to share with us all.
Monday Oct 24, 2016
Oak Drumins of the Chebucto Peninsula
Speaker: David Patriquin
Oak-dominated woodlands occur on many of the drumlins on the Chebucto Peninsula. Most stands are less than 50 years old, dating back to an era of frequent fires. At least one and possibly several drumlins in a more remote area of the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area support multi-aged old growth red oak stands. David Patriquin will describe these communities based on informal observations over the last 8 years and a more formal study of an old growth stand that he conducted with Nick Hill. Old growth red oak forest is apparently now rare within the whole range of red oak in North America. For a little background about the natural history of the area, see Landscapes of the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area: A natural History
 Oak drumlin in the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area Monday, Nov 28, 2016 Will Martin: How the sharing economy can enable good forestry and why that's really important for conservation goals  This talk will explore how existing timber markets often make more sustainable forestry practices in Nova Scotia impossible and how new economic patterns emerging through web technology may unlock these challenges in a powerful new way. Dubbed "the Sharing Economy", new internet platforms are helping people all over the world share information and build cooperative markets that can actually outcompete even the largest incumbents. By telling the story of launching WoodsCamp.com, Will is going to highlight how it may be possible to use this approach to solve some of the most intractable problems in how we manage our forests. Will loves exploring the dynamics between rural communities and the natural resources they depend on. He has co-founded WoodsCamp Technologies Inc. to build healthier markets and cooperation for family woodlands, Co-chairs the Medway Community Forest Co-op to reimagine the model for public resource management, and served as President of the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association to foster leadership and shared learning amongst landowners. 7:30 pm at NSMNH (All Welcome) WINTER 2016/2017  Saturday, March 18, 2017:Skunk cabbage Skunk cabbage, located only in SW Nova Scotia, is our earliest flowering native plant. We plan to leave Halifax by 07:00hrs. and arrive Digby by 10:30-11:00. I have asked Jeffrey White to lead us to the van Tassel Lake site. We may also visit other sites time permitting. Meet at the Irving Big Stop ( exit 26 from 101) at the above time). Please call me (Charles Cron) or email me (902-477-8272 after 6 p.m.; ccron72@hotmail.com) by Friday Mar 17 to register,car pool etc. I will need a contact number for you in case of cancellation or other problems . Cell phone numbers if you have one can help with communication along the way. Monday, March 27, 2017: Nature's Symbiotic Symphony - It Took So Long Presentation by Norris Whiston All welcome. NS Museum of Natural History, Summer Street, Halifax 7:30 p.m. (Enter by Parking Lot entrance.)
Norris Whiston has a BSc in Civil Engineering from University of Rhode Island and Masters in Education from Acadia. Norris is now a retired public school educator and writer of books and materials on nature, environment, history, and genealogy, He also helped develop, build and interpret 35 kilometers of hiking trails in Earltown. More events to be posted shortly Past Events Monday, February 27, 2017: The Forested Wetlands Project Presentation by Logan Gray and Sydney Bliss All welcome. NS Museum of Natural History, Summer Street, Halifax 7:30 p.m. (Enter by Parking Lot entrance.)  Forested wetlands are an important part of the broad coastal landscape of the Atlantic provinces. Although these habitats are likely to be as sensitive to disturbance as other wetlands, they have been overlooked and understudied. Because of the presence of trees and their more complex vegetation structure, forested wetlands are likely very diverse and and have distinctive aspects to their ecosystem functioning. However, they may also be threatened from harvesting and other development as they often resemble non-wetland forests. They may also be more sensitive to changes in precipitation due to climate change because soil moiture levels may be closer to the threshold required for maintaining wetlands. Different types of forested wetlands (e.g., spruce peat bogs, alder swamps) may differ in their role in carbon storage and sensitivity to biodiversity loss and climate change.The Forested Wetland Project, funded under the Atlantic Ecosystems Initiative, was initiated in 2016 under the direction of Karen Harper and Cindy Staicer (Dalhousie), Gavin Kernaghan (MSVU) and Yolanda Wiersma (Memorial). Its objectives are to characterize biodiversity of different types of wetlands (structural, plant, bird, lichen, fungal diversity); relate different aspects of biodiversity in forested wetlands to assess their vulnerability to biodiversity loss; and to determine the role of forested wetlands in the carbon cycle by monitoring tree decomposition. The Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society is one of the NGO partners in the project who are asked to provide input on locations of forested wetlands, identify interesting features and challenges and assist in the dissemination and discussion of results. It is early on in the project and this presentation will help to engage NSWFS members and others in the project. Logan Gray is the Project Manager for the Nova Scotia team, Sydeny's focus is on birds. Sydney Bliss is a wildlife biologist by training with a focus on avian ecology. She received her BSc from Mount Allison in 2015 (Morphometrics and distribution of Semipalmated Sandpipers in the upper Bay of Fundy). She has provided technical support to studies of Atlantic Sturgeon in NB, Bicknell's Thrush in NS, and forestry in BC. She's also worked as an interpretive naturalist for the NCC. Sydney will be starting her MSc at Dalhousie in 2017 with Cindy Staicer studying the fine-scale habitat associations of three landbird species at risk in NS:Olive-sided Flycatcher, Rusty Blackbird, and Canada Warbler. Logan Gray's training is mostly in microbial and molecular biology. He received a BSc from Acadia in 2012 (A survey of potential bacterial zoonotic pathogens in shrew feces). He completed a MSc at Saint Mary's under Gavin Kernaghan (Changes in root associated fungal communities during fine root decomposition in Red Spruce and Balsam Fir). Logan conducted some preliminary vegetation surveys for the Forested Wetlands in the summer of 2016 and is currently the Project Manager for the NS team. Logan instructs introductory biology labs at SMU and is on the executive (Secretary/Events coordinator) of the Nova Scotia Mycological Society. April 24, 2017: AGM & Sean Blaney on new botanical findings Featured Presentation: Sean Blaney (Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre): Review of new botanical findings for N.S. Meet at NS Museum of Natural History at 7:30 p.m. Sat April 29, 2017 ( Rain Date Apr 30): Avon Penninsula Expect to see : leatherwood in bloom, Shepherdia canadensis, Ostrich fern Amphitheatre, beaverdam, and more. Bring camera lunch water binoculars. Wear rubber boots to get through wet areas around beaver dam, (hikers may be ok if waterproof). A little rough through this area. To get there: Highway 14 to Junction , turn towards Mantua past small General store on left then turn left at intersection onto Avondale road; go past the Miller creek Gypsum mine (closed): to Poplar Grove ,at intersection take Ferry Road ( right turn at triangle intersection) large farm on the right, go along Ferry Road (towards Belmont) to a cleared area with the Miller Creek mine on the right and a parking area and old logging road on the left. (only road that crosses Ferry Road). Park at the logging road entrance. We will walk from there. 3-4 km to Hepatica site. When: We will meet at the Ferry Rd. Parking site at 09:00hrs. Estimate 4-6hrs for the hike and time to search and take photos. Register: Anyone interested please call me , Charles Cron at 902 477 8272 by 7:00 pm Friday evening Apr 28. Best to call in the evening between 8:00pm and 11:00 pm before Friday. I will need your name and phone number so I may contact you in case of cancellation or change related to weather and unforseen events. You may also contact me by email before Friday Apr 29. I may not see your email Friday night. ccron72AThotmail.com Click on image for larher version. |
