Follow-up Earth Day (Friday Apr 22nd 2022) with a guided nature walk with Clarence Stevens at Sandy Lake Park, off Smith’s Road, Bedford, on Saturday April 23rd at 2pm.
Come see first hand why this area is so important to save from a looming housing development! Last time we had an outing with Clarence we got to hold baby snapping turtles, and a Barred Own flew right over our heads on huge silent wings! Beautiful!
Register by messaging Clarence directly on his FaceBook page, or just go to the big parking lot at the end of Smith’s Road, just off exit 3 of the 102 highway, 2 pm, this Saturday April 23rd.
Be prepared for 1 ½ to 2 hours exploring spring at Sandy Lake-Sackville River Regional Park.
& Let’s Save Sandy Lake-Sackville River Regional Park!
It is remarkable that we still have large, wild places like Sandy Lake – Sackville River so close to Halifax’s urban centre. However, suddenly, on March 25 2022, without being asked to do this, the Province took over the city’s processes for choosing housing locations and picked the Sandy Lake – Sackville River area as one of its locations to fast-track for development!
News March 25 2022: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20220325005
Special Planning Order Sandy Lake: https://novascotia.ca/just/regulations/regs/2022-062.pdf
The rich and diverse Regional Park has been planned since 1971, when it was chosen by a provincial/municipal/federal program as an exceptional ecological unit for both wilderness protection and recreation and worthy of preserving for all time.
How could such a mistake be made? HRM needs more houses. But to put houses in an area needed to protect this precious Regional Park!? Like the secret Owl’s Head Provincial Park decision, this is wrong!
We ask you to please stand up for Sandy Lake and Sackville River! Please do all you can to generate a clear message to the Province. Send a message to the provincial authorities who made this decision, and ask that the Sandy Lake “special planning area” be removed from their housing development list and protect it all as park!
Here is a form letter you can send, directed to key decision-makers: https://ecologyaction.ca/save-sandylake
Tip: decision makers always pay more attention to personalized emails.
Learn more from our websites and JOIN Friends of Sandy Lake to receive more news at:
SLCA Website: www.sandylake.org
SL-SR Regional Park Coalition website: www.sandylakecoalition.ca
Dr. Patriquin’s studies of Sandy Lake and area website: www.sandylakebedford.ca
From the Event:
(From a post on Sandy Lake Conservation Association FB Page)
“We enjoyed learning from Clarence Stevens guided walk yesterday for Sandy Lake’s Earth Day event. Did you know the area has a friendly pair of barred owls whose territory takes in the entire proposed park area? Again and again, Clarence would pause along the trail to tell us interesting things we otherwise would not have even seen. He has amazing vision and attentiveness to the natural surroundings.
Above: Clarence spotted a tiny peeper in a pond beside the trail and told us about these amazing little creatures we hear peeping so loudly in the spring. Clarence is kneeling to show it to us.
Below: We have just seen the home base of the 2 barred owls. They were either quietly watching us today or were busy hatching eggs. We didn’t see them this time.
Thank you, Clarence!”
