Halifax Field Naturalists

“Please join us for a day in the woods at Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest. A biota survey will take place on Saturday June 27th – and we’d like your help! The site is located roughly an hour and a half from Halifax, near the community of Mooseland, in the interior of the Eastern Shore.

“Our goal is to increase our knowledge about the property’s flora and fauna. Naturalists with various interests are invited to participate. Please bring along field guides, GPS, binoculars, sturdy waterproof footwear, snacks, water, and insect repellent. The survey will take place throughout the day. We intend to focus on four areas of interest: hardwood drumlins, softwood lowlands, wetlands, and a core area of old forest that hasn’t been harvested since the late 1800’s. Continue reading →

“Solving the Great Titanic Headstone Mystery” In Halifax, 150 victims of the sinking of the Titanic lie buried beneath identical black granite headstones. 15 years ago, when one of these headstones was damaged, the Halifax Regional Municipality sought to replace it. Because there is no historical record about the source quarry, its location has to be found scientifically. In this presentation, retired Dalhousie geology professor Dr. Barrie Clarke will describe the Sherlock Holmesian techniques of sleuthing through cemeteries, repositioning of relatives, fumbling through forests, and labouring in laboratories to collect enough forensic evidence to locate the quarry. Read more 7:30 P.M. at the NSMNH

The Halifax Field Naturalists will partner with the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History (NSMNH) to hold a Members’ Art Exhibit. Its official opening will take place at 6:45 p.m., prior to HFN’s regular meeting, on the main floor of the Museum. The NSMNH is HFN’s public home and the perfect place to hold this exhibit in celebration of HFN’s 40th Anniversary. It is also a unique way to showcase the artistic pursuits of some HFN members. The exhibit will run until September 27th, 2015, so plan to visit with your family and friends!

The NSNT featured an article about “HFN and its 40 years” and it was in their January 2015 Landlines e-newsletter: Updates From the Forefront of Land Conservation in Nova Scotia. It is reproduced below with permission of NSNT.
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This year, the Halifax Field Naturalists (HFN) are celebrating an amazing and productive 40 years of natural history education and conservation advocacy. In addition to monthly field trips and natural history presentations, they publish reports and a quarterly newsletter, and get involved with conservation initiatives. Read about the HFN’s 40 year history in a recent op-ed by HFN member Richard Beazley. Continue reading →

Welcome back our fine feathered friends at the Wolfville Ridge Conservation Lands, just outside of Wolfville. We will offer activities for kids, a guided walk, and help with the identification of birds. This is a family-friendly event, and open to new bird watchers. Hosted in partnership with the Young Naturalists Club, Nature Canada, and the Nova Scotia Bird Society. Register with the Nature Trust at nature@nsnt.ca or 902-425-5263. View Poster

Frances Anderson and Anne Mills will share some aspects of the fascinating biology of lichens, mosses, and liverworts. 7:30 P.M. at the NSMNH All Welcome. Read more

In an editorial for the current issue of the Proceedings of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science (PNSIS), Editors Peter Wells and David Richardson comment on cutbacks in federally funded environmental monitoring programs and highlight “the pivotal role of citizen science, particularly when it is directed at monitoring the various natural environments in Canada and in our region. Such activity by non-government organizations (NGOs) is no longer just a valued supplement to government sponsored programs; in many cases, it has replaced them. However, this situation raises some questions, to be pondered by members of NSIS and the broad environmental community….” The Halifax Field Naturalists are cited as one of the organizations in Nova Scotia pursuing and promoting citizen science and keeping records and are complimented on their 40th anniversary. Read Editorial (posted with permission of NSIS).

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 Council’s Maritime Standard. This presentation is being made to the NS Wild Flora Society with cooperation of HFN. All welcome! HFN/NSWFS plan a field trip to the site in the summer or fall. 7:30 p.m. at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History

An Op-ed in the Chronicle Herald by HFN member Richard Beazley reviews some of HFNs accomplishments and activities and invites members of the public to our 40th anniversary events and, of course, to become members of the Halifax Field Naturalists. View article

Karen McKendry was our guest presenter at our first monthly meeting of 2015 when she talked about “Your Conservation Lands”, referring to lands conserved by the Nova Scotia Nature Trust. Before Karen began, she was presented with a donation from HFN towards the Nature Trust’s 100 Wild Islands Campaign, a good start to the year! The donation was in the form of a pledge as it is being made from an investment coming due in June.

HFB received a Special Invitation: Please make plans to attend : A Press Conference and Rally in support of the Final Report of the Doelle–Lahey Independent Panel on Aquaculture Regulations. It is a ground breaking Report which calls for major regulatory reform of the aquaculture industry in Nova Scotia from top to bottom . It is good and must be supported and implemented in its totality without delay .
Where : The Lord Nelson Hotel
When : 12 noon – Thursday, January 8th – one hour in duration Continue reading →

An article by Zack Metcalfe on Halifax media Co-op highlights our need to respect the significance of coastal habitat. “The piping plover is an excellent example of how dangerous unintended consequences can be, everything from taking your four-wheeler down the beach to enjoying a fire in the sand with friends and family. Public awareness of the piping plover’s plight could be its last best hope for survival.” Read more