Thus Dec 6, 2018: A natural history perspective of the forests, wetlands and surface waters of Sandy Lake (Bedford) & Environs

Posted on November 19, 2018 by admin

Place & Time: 7pm at 45 Connolly Rd #206, Middle Sackville (the SRA offices)

Description: As a volunteer contribution to the efforts of the Sandy Lake Conservation Association to protect the ecological integrity of Sandy Lake and environs, David Patriquin conducted extensive observations on plant communities and surface waters of Sandy Lake and environs (including the Jack Lake lands and lands around Sandy Lake and Marsh Lake) over the interval June 14, 2017 to the present. His objectives were “to describe ‘what you see on the ground’, identify significant ecological attributes of the area, and make some assessment of existing or potential threats to the ecological integrity of the area.” David will provide a virtual tour of Sandy Lake and Environs and present his major conclusions about what he now sees as a major ecological and recreational asset for HRM.

David retired from his position as Professor of Biology at Dalhousie University in 2008. Since then he has been active several natural history and hiking groups with a focus on the Chebucto Peninsula.

View PDF of slides

Posted in Talks & Walks | Leave a comment

Sat Oct 20, 2018: Sackville Lakes Provincial Park event

Posted on October 14, 2018 by admin

Posted in Events | Leave a comment

New documentary on Hemlock Wooly Adelgid in Nova Scotia

Posted on September 11, 2018 by admin

An informative, up-to-date documentary on Hemlock Wooly Adelgid in Nova Scotia has just been released by the Blomidon Field Naturalists.

This is all very relevant to Sandy Lake and Environs, where we have many hemlocks.
Continue reading →

Posted in Acadian forest, Invasive Species | Leave a comment

EAC kicks off Biodiverse-city Guided Hikes with Sandy Lake walk on Sep 15, 2018

Posted on September 11, 2018 by admin

From EAC website:

Join the Ecology Action Centre and the Sandy Lake Conservation Association as we go for a hike at Sandy Lake and in its environs. Learn about the biodiversity of this special place (old growth forest! wetlands!), and how it fits into the new Green Network Plan for HRM. See for yourself why this area has been proposed as a regional park, and hear the story of why supporters of the area have been fighting for its protection.
Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Halifax Green Network | Leave a comment

Friday September 14th, 2018: Sackville Rivers Association dinner & auction

Posted on September 10, 2018 by admin

“Dear Friend:

“Last year, community contributions to the Sackville Rivers Association’s (SRA) Annual Dinner and Auction helped us raise over $8,000 for the improvement and conservation of the Sackville River and surrounding watershed.

“The SRA continues our mandate of conservation, including in-stream habitat improvements at various locations throughout the watershed, fish stocking, and river clean-ups by volunteers of all ages. We have continued improvements to our Bedford-Sackville Connector Greenway trail that now stretches from Bedford Basin to Lower Sackville and is used by thousands of walkers, cyclists and runners and are currently constructing phases 2 and 3 of Section B of the Sackville Greenway from Glendale Drive to Sackville Drive along the Little Sackville River.
Continue reading →

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Sackville Floodplains study in, open houses planned September 20, 22, 2018

Posted on August 16, 2018 by admin

“On August 14, 2018, the municipality published the findings of the Sackville Rivers Floodplains Study (2017). This study involved an assessment of the Sackville River and the Little Sackville River, and their watersheds, to produce updated floodplain maps. Areas at risk of flooding were evaluated using updated information and computer modelling that accurately predicts the impact of rain storms on the rivers.” Read more on HRM website.

Public Open House Events “to learn more about the floodplains [and] Come talk to municipal staff and technical experts” are scheduled for
– Thursday, September 20, 2018, noon to 4:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Kinsmen Community Centre, 71 First Lake Drive, Lower Sackville or
– Saturday, September 22, 2018, noon to 5:00 p.m. at the LeBrun Recreation Centre (Lion’s Den), 36 Holland Avenue, Bedford.

Posted in Events, watershed | Leave a comment

Question called, and Motion passes!! The Halifax Green Network Plan has been passed at Council!!!

Posted on August 14, 2018 by admin

A festive group greeted Councillors this am
including Lisa Blackburn
(Middle/Upper Sackville, Beaverbank, Lucasville,
3rd pic down)
& Lindell Smith (Halifax Peninsula North, 4th pic)

So reads a final Tweet from this morning from Our HRM Alliance.

View Council eagerly approves Halifax Green Network Plan by Yvette D’Entremont in the StarMetro Halifax (Aug 14, 218) for more details and comments by Walter Regan of the Sackville Rivers Association.

The sequence of Tweets from @OurHRMAlliance:

@OurHRMAlliance
56m56 minutes ago
More
HRM Planner Ben Sivak is here to present the final draft of the Plan and to introduce the background. “There has been 3 rounds of public engagement, the State of the Landscape Report, and this is the first time we’ve been able to look at HRM as an entire landscape.”

@OurHRMAlliance
54m54 minutes ago
More
Sivak – “The Halifax Region has incredible assets in wilderness and recreation. The intent of this Plan is to build on these assets and protect what we have here.”

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Tues Aug 14, 2018: Rally to support the Green Network Plan

Posted on August 11, 2018 by admin

Our HRM Alliance Photo

From OurHRM Alliance:

“Join us on Tuesday, August 14th at 9:00 (ish) to show your support for the Halifax Green Network Plan!

“The Green Network Plan will FINALLY be going to Council that day at 10:00AM. We want to be there with signs, smiles, and support to ask the 16 Councillors to vote YES to pass this incredible plan. The Councillors typically begin arriving around 9:00, so pop by while you can during that hour, or come and stay the whole time!

“We’ll be having a sign-making party the night before at Ecology Action Centre. Either make your own sign, or borrow one of ours for the day!

“There will also be a crew of people attending the Council meeting to watch the presentation and debate and show our support. Feel free to join for this as well, if you’re interested. Want some more info about the Green Network Plan? Check out http://ourhrmalliance.ca/halifax-green-network/”

View Facebook Event Page

Posted in Events, Halifax Green Network | Leave a comment

Multiflora rose, an invasive that crept up on us in Halifax, NS

Posted on August 9, 2018 by admin


Rosa multiflora climbing over trees in
Lower Sackville, Jul 7, 2018.
Click on photo for larger version.

A colleague from my Dal days had a question for me: is the white rose I have in my yard an “invasive”?

He had been cycling the Grand Pre to Blomidon route in The Valley and had seen a white rose climbing over trees. He was already battling what looked like the same species growing over his garage from a neighbouring property and had another, smaller plant in his own yard. Is it “invasive”? Should he take it out?

These are question others in the Halifax area may be asking. I can’t offer definitive answers – any discussion of invasive species, even amongst ecologists*, – can be surprisingly intense – but I can offer a perspective as I have been following the advance of multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) into the Halifax area for a while. I have also made some efforts to control it in a few areas. Continue reading →

Posted in Invasive Species | Leave a comment

Beavers responsible for the high water level in Sandy Lake in the summer of 2018

Posted on August 5, 2018 by admin

Near the top of Upper Peverill’s Brook
on Aug 15, 2017 (above)
and Aug 3, 2018 (below)
Click on image for larger version

I had noticed there was no beach at Sandy Lake Beach Park during earlier visits in June and July of 2018 and wondered how long it would take for the lake to drop to the level I had seen in the summer of 2017.

A week or so ago Bruce S. told me why it hasn’t dropped: beavers have been building dams on Upper Perverill’s Brook.

I couldn’t wait to have a look.

With Derek S., I had made a trek down Upper Peverill’s Brook on Aug 15, 2017. We were then able to take my good ship Lollipop (an inflatable Sea Eagle FastTrack kayak) only into the upper reaches of the brook for a distance of about 160 m from the entrance on Sandy Lake, and that with some grounding.

On Aug 3, 2018 we repeated the route, but this time it could be paddled with ease for about 360 m into the brook except for having to lift the kayak across three dams on the way.

Read more

Posted in Beavers, natural history | Leave a comment