Halifax Field Naturalists

Several HFNers were spotted at the booklaunch today for Jamie Simpson’s Journeys Through Eastern Old Growth Forests. “Yes, there is old-growth forest in the Maritimes. The Acadian Forest, as it is known, is a complex mosaic of various species and ages. Now left only in pockets scattered here and there, these forests will stop you in your tracks, invite your gaze upward, and fill you with wonder…”

This will be a joint hike with the Blomidon Naturalists (it is their 40th anniversary!) to beautiful Cape Split, led by Jim Wolford and Patrick Kelly. read more

The Annual General Meeting of the Williams Lake Conservation Company will be held at 7:00 on Wednesday, May 14th at the Captain Spry Centre, 10 Kidston Rd, Spryfield. Dr. David Patriquin will present highlights of the Ecological Assessment of the Plant Communities of the Williams Lake Backlands that he and Dr. Nick Hill recently completed on behalf of the WLCC. The AGM is also an opportunity for us to review the year’s activities and for you to bring forward your concerns and observations. Everyone is welcome.

HRM regional Council will (tentatively) discuss amendments to the Regional Plan that would greatly reduce controls on development and our eventual greenbelt on Tuesday May 20th. OurHRM Alliance opposes these amendments because they were made last-minute, at the first reading of the plan, at which point there is little opportunity for public input. The date of the discussion will remain tentative until May 16, the same day staff will be releasing a report on the proposed amendments. Stay Tuned!

Join the Nova Scotia Nature Trust and HFN bird expert Clarence Stevens to count birds as part of an international citizen science event. The Meander River Conservation Easement (MRCE) is a fabulous spot to see warblers and other forest birds…read more

The Backlands Coalition invites Nova Scotians to participate in an afternoon of guided walks in the Backlands on Saturday May 3, organized as part of the annual Jane’s Walk events across Canada and around the world. HFN is one of the founding members of the Backlands Coalition. More about the walks

Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society AGM. Keynote speaker: Sean Blaney on Rare plants of the Lahave River Lunenburg Co. & Pollets Cove/Blair River Cape Breton. All welcome. Time: 7:30 p.m. Place: Auditorium, N.S. Museum of Natural History, Summer St., Halifax

Two speakers are touring Canada to educate consumers about the history of, and the effects of, genetically modified foods. They will be speaking in Halifax on April 24th at the Dalhousie Potter Auditorium, Rowe Building at 7:00 p.m. Entrance to the event will be by donation. Continue reading →

In a submission to the N.S. Hydraulic Fracturing Panel, Dr. Barrie Clarke lays out some of the processes involved in movement of fracking fluids and concludes “Poisoning of the groundwater again in Nova Scotia could, therefore, become the undesirable 2114 legacy of a fracking time-bomb set in 2014.” Read more

Come and enjoy an early spring hike in one of Nova Scotia’s Provincial Parks. Located on Grand Lake, this park was extensively renovated in 2011, and Shirley McIntyre, a long-time HFN member, will lead you through it. (Note it was originally scheduled for Saturday with Sun as rain date.. so now it’s set for Sunday.) Read more

Have you heard a squeaky-hinge song lately, or seen a flash of rust-tipped feathers under a bright yellow eye? Although occasionally overlooked as “just another blackbird,” Rusty Blackbirds face an unfortunate and remarkable notoriety: this species has endured a decline more severe than that of any other once-common landbird – 85-95% in the past 40 years. The Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz challenges birders to scour the landscape for Rusty Blackbirds during this species’ northward migration. Read more

From EAC: Why Are Our Birds Dying? By Dr. Richard Elliot, Director of Wildlife Research, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada. Last year, Dr. Elliot authored a paper which listed the main causes of bird mortality, from windows to pesticides. The top cause was cats, with the authors estimating that anywhere from 190 to 400 million birds are killed each year in Canada by cats. Join us at 7:00pm on April 16, 2014 at Saint Mary’s University Scotiabank Theatre to learn more! For more information, contact Mark Butler at EAC 429-5287 or www.ecologyaction.ca/alliedcats.