Halifax Field Naturalists

Our programme for walks and talks in the upcoming months is now posted. Join us on a paddle, learn about vernal pools and more!

See Walks and Talks

“Birders say a small owl, native to Florida, has been discovered in Nova Scotia for the first time. The rare burrowing owl is listed as a species of special concern in Florida. A shot of the bird with its piercing yellow eyes and spotted plumage recently appeared in the middle of a half-hour Land and Sea documentary about Nova Scotia islands that aired on CBC Television.” Read more

HFN established the Colin Stewart Conservation Award in 2004 to honour a lifetime of contributions by Colin towards conservation initiatives in Nova Scotia. At our AGM on March 7th, the award for 2013 was given to Hope Swinimer for her work to rescue injured wildlife in tandem with promoting conservation of their native habitats. Read more

HFN is noted for speedy rather than lengthy AGMs, always followed by wonderful photo presentations. Also, the Colin Stewart Conservation Award will be presented & we have a social (tea and biscuits) afterwards. All welcome. 7:30 pm at the NS Museum of Natural History on Summer Street.

CBC Interview with Matt Miller of EAC. The strategy set timelines but there has been a lack of progress on significant issues. He explains the difficulties with the government’s definition of clearcutting. Go to CBC interview

“This plan advances Nova Scotia’s efforts to protect and conserve the natural landscape, potentially adding 221 properties and more than 245 000 hectares (ha) – a combined landmass equal to nearly one-quarter the size of Cape Breton Island. And it proposes to protect more than 13 per cent of our province’s outstanding lands. This plan will be the basis of our final consultation with Nova Scotians in 2013. Before any lands are finalized, we want to hear from you. ” Read more

“For Just One Time, to Take The Northwest Passage”…Michael Downing, a long time member and former director of the HFN, will show photos, describe highlights, and share impressions from a commercial touring cruise which ran from late August to early September 2011. Read more

This joint trip with the Nova Scotia Bird Society will visit all of our favourite winter birding sites in and around Halifax Harbour looking for ducks, gulls, and alcids. Sites include Hartlen Point, Eastern Passage, Dartmouth Cove, Sullivan’s Pond, Tuft’s Cove, and the Bedford Waterfront. Read more

A Nova Scotia Institute of Science presentation by Dr. Doug Wallace. Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Ocean Science and Technology, Dalhousie University. 7:30pm at Museum of Natural History Auditorium, 1747 Summer St., Halifax. See Poster

Come to our first talk for the New Year and learn about the SS Atlantic, a White Star Line ship that was wrecked on Nova Scotia’s shores in the worst trans-Atlantic passenger ship disaster of the nineteenth century. Bob Chaulk, who helped author a book on the dramatic story of the Atlantic, will share his unique perspective on the loss of this fine ship. NSMNH 7:30 p.m. Read more

Peter and Linda Payzant have redesigned and updated their Butterflies of Nova Scotia website. Every species in N.S. is presented, together with data on distribution, breeding status, flight period etc. See novascotiabutterflies.ca

Many have been expecting that the province would buy the Bowater lands (555,000 acres in total), and a deal was announced today. Amongst many beneficiaries, it’s good news for wildlife in the Blue Mt.-Birch Cove Lakes and Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Areas as the adjacent, much larger St. Margaret’s Bay District Bowater Lands will be under provincial control. The province has asked groups to submit proposals to operate Crown forestlands in their communities as “community forests” a move described as “a huge opportunity for Nova Scotians to pull together and find creative solutions for our economy and our environment”. Read more