Halifax Field Naturalists

This walk is hosted jointly by HFN and Nova Scotia Nature Trust (NSNT), and led by an NSNT staff member. It involves participants in documenting the flora and fauna of Purcell’s Cove Conservation Lands (PCCL). This urban wilderness property is very accessible. Read more

A Rally/Information Session to address options for the Bowater-Mersey Lands will be held at 7 p.m. at the Hubley Community Hall, 4408 St. Margaret’s Bay Road. There is lot’s at stake for forestry, recreation, conservation – please attend! Read more
Note: our next field trip (July 28) is to The Old Annapolis Road Hiking Trail which lies on the Mersey St. Margaret’s Bay Block. See Walks

Dr. Tony Charles at SMU is project leader for a new Community Conservation Research Network. “We’re looking at … achieving a balance between jobs and a reasonably healthy environment,” Charles says. “How do we do that in practice?” Read more

John Klymko & the Maritime Butterfly Atlas are featured in a story n The Weather Network about the exceptional butterfly numbers we’re experiencing – see video, also an earlier report on the Red Admiral butterfly migration

Apologies from webmaster for 2 days outage of this website – problem fixed – David P.

Thinking about swimming (when it hasn’t been raining for several days) or other activities on Halifax’s NW Arm ? Satlantic offers free online access to continuously recorded data on water variables measured at its LOBO (Land/Ocean Biogeochemical Observatory) platform on the NW Arm: see LOBO. The water is 15 degrees already (June 18).

On Tuesday, June 5th at 7pm discover the wonders of the Patagonian wilderness and hear exciting tales of adventure. Join an event with NS Nature Trust for for their Expedition for the Earth: Patagonia Showcase. There will be snacks, beverages, great draw prizes, and awesome images, films and stories about Patagonia, adventure, and saving the planet’s wild places. Read more

An Information event to share the HRM Vision for this long awaited Regional Park – Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes. Come out and view the maps and learn more about the proposed plans that will help shape the largest wilderness urban park east of Montreal. 6:30p m preview for 7pm presentations at St Peters Anglican Church, 3 Dakin Drive (near Kearney Lake Rd and Bedford Highway, Halifax. Read more

The Atlantic Coalition for Aquaculture Reform is holding a press conference & Rally on Monday June 4th, 10am to Noon at the Lord Nelson Hotel, Halifax. Show your support for a ban on open pen salmon farms and support for closed containment systems. See Salmon Wars (Silver Donald Cameron video), Closed Containment in N.S, Ford and Myers Paper, & more about the June 4th event.

The April 2012 newsletter for the Williams Lake Conservation Co. describes recent development pressures in the Williams Lake area. They want to ensure continued public access to Williams Lake via the Purcell’s Cove Road trail and appropriate protection for water quality. See newsletter. Their AGM is on Monday May 14th 7:30 pm at the William Spry Centre, all welcome. “Your involvement will be particularly needed this year with major developments occuring in the Williams lake watershed area. This is an opportunity for everyone to learn more about these issues and their relationship to Williams Lake and its major water suppy, Colpitt Lake.”

HRM has released a second draft of its Urban Forest Master Plan for public review, A series of workshops will take place in mid-May at which the public will be asked to help determine priorities for the future implementation of the UFMP. See HRM UFMP Meetings on Wed May 16 (Cole Hbr), Thurs May 17th (Halifax) and Wed May 23rd (Spryfield).

Fred Harrington, Professor Emeritus of animal behaviour at Mount Saint Vincent University, will speak about the behavioral ecology of coyotes in Nova Scotia, their on-going relationship with their larger wolf cousins, and their often contentious relationship with us. Read more