Walks & Talks

About Our Walks and Talks

Our walks are led by specialists or well schooled naturalists, and provide a good way to expand your knowledge of local natural history as well as to mingle with members of the natural history community.

Deep Cove Nature Reserve
Brad Armstrong and Doug van Hemessen led HFN participants into the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Deep Cove Nature Reserve on Oct 24, 2015.

We usually have one or more walks a month throughout the year. All participants in HFN activities are responsible for their own safety. Always wear suitable clothing and footwear for the weather, the activity, and the terrain. If in doubt, call the contact person listed for each field trip.

Our talks are given by both experts and interested amateurs. They provide an opportunity to learn what local scientists, volunteers, and HFN members are up to. Regular meetings with talks are held on the third Tuesday of every month except July and August at 7:30 PM in the auditorium of the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, 1747 Summer Street, Halifax. Meetings are open to the public, however in the event of the room being filled up, members would be given priority.  Use the entrance next to the parking lot. There is a charge for parking at the Museum; usually, two hours will be adequate.

Upcoming Events

Note: As of September 2023 our regular meeting time has changed from the first Thursday of the month to the third Tuesday on the month.

  •  Tuesday, 19 March, 2024:  AGM & Members’ Photo Night
    The HFN Annual General Meeting and photo night takes place in three stages:  1) the activity reports for the preceding year; 2) the election of the incoming 2024 Board of Directors; and 3) Members’ Photo presentations.  We’ll get to view some wonderful photos our members have put together for us.  These are always enjoyed and they give us an idea of what these members have been doing and where some of their interests lie.  We usually have a good number participate with their many interesting and varied photos.  There’s room for six presenters on a first-come-first-served basis of about eight-to-ten minutes each.  Note, up to three first time presenters are given priority over the folks who have done this before.
    If interested in presenting your photos, please contact Don Flemming at donjane.flemming@gmail.com or 902-240-8832, by 6 March.
    Time/Place:  7:30 p.m. at the NS Museum of Natural History Auditorium
    Zoom Option:  Yes – an invitation will be sent to HFN members prior to the event
  • Tuesday, 2 April, 2024:  H. Irving Botanical Gardens
    HFN has scheduled a group tour of the internal facilities of these world class botanical gardens.  Here, researchers work within a living laboratory as they investigate our natural world through the environmental study of the Acadian Forest Region and its wetlands.  This tour of the internal resources of the centre will reveal much of what goes into the making of these amazing external gardens.  Considering the distance involved, hopefully we will car-share wherever possible.
    Registration is required, and there is a $69 group charge so attendees are required to reimburse HFN $5 each.
    Rain Date:  Tuesday, 9 April
    Contact: Bernie McKenna, 902-434-3202, mckennab197@gmail.com
    Time/Place:  11:00 a.m., 32 University Avenue, Wolfville, NS
    Difficulty:  Easy
  • Tuesday, 16 April, 2024:  Maritime Rocks, Fossils and Evolution
    Rob Fensome, Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) research scientist, palaeontologist and co-producer of two books with Graham Williams, will lead us on a fascinating journey over the past billion years.  Along the way, he’ll reveal the rich geological record of past environments, ancient life and the evolutionary links between them.  This record covers the earliest animal behaviour, Coal Age Forest evidence, and the earliest record of reptiles, land snails, and quite possibly stem mammals.  This will be a richly illustrated travel through time and promises to fascinate us all.
    Time/Place:  7:30 p.m. at the NS Museum of Natural History Auditorium
    Zoom Option:  Yes – an invitation will be sent to HFN members prior to the event
  • Saturday, 4 May, 2024:  Burntcoat Head Park
    HFN’s old friend Andrew Hebda and his wife Gwyneth Jones will lead us during this wonderful tour of a truly remarkable Nova Scotia site. We’ll learn about a Society for Artistic Research Announcements (SARA), the Lithophaga molluscs – marine Date Mussels, and also the Fallen Angel Wing or Truncate mollusc, a unique creature that lives on this shore. Gwyneth and Andrew will explain the amazing complexity of the ocean floor ecosystem, and how many forces of nature constantly shape its future, day after day and year after year. Weather permitting (visibility-wise), we’ll see several well known and recognisable land marks – Cape Split, Five Islands, Economy Point, etc. With a 2.5 hour drive there from the Halifax area, it’s hoped we can all car pool whenever possible. Note: (1) registration is required, and (2) wet, muddy walking conditions and possibly cool temperatures suggest that boots or similar footwear plus warm clothing are advisable.
    Rain Date:  Sunday, 5 May
    Contact: Bernie McKenna, 902-434-3202, mckennab197@gmail.com
    Time/Place:  1:30 p.m., Burntcoat Head Park, 45 Faulkner Lane, Noel. There’s plenty of parking on the park’s grounds.
    Difficulty:  Medium, a wet and muddy ocean floor with some sandstone areas
    Duration: 2.5 hours there, plus travel time. Distance to Burntcoat Head from Halifax is 88 kms.

HFN Membership:  Just a friendly reminder that HFN memberships expire at the end of the calendar year. If you have not already   done so, please consider renewing your membership.
Details available here: http://halifaxfieldnaturalists.ca/hfnWP/?page_id=2893

It should also be noted that Nature Nova Scotia memberships are no longer available via HFN. Should you wish to continue your membership with Nature NS, or join for the first time, please visit: https://naturens.ca/join/