Halifax Field Naturalists

The government posted the much awaited draft Coastal Strategy today and is seeking feedback until November 30th, 2011. See Our Coast to download draft Coastal Strategy, feedback questions and online feedback form. The Coastal Coalition of Nova Scotia comments: “A Good Start; now let’s get moving on an Act!” – see Press Release

Bob Bancroft, President of Nature Nova Scotia (the umbrella group for N.S. natural history organizations) will give an overview of his 56-acre property in Pomquet, focusing upon the results of 36 years of active stewardship working with nature’s forces. He ill also give a brief overview of some of Nature Nova Scotia’s current activities. 7:30 pm at NSMNH. Read more

Join us for a leisurely bike ride from Bissett Road along the Salt Marsh and Atlantic View trail to Lawrencetown Beach. View details

Bruce Smith and others from Halifax North West Trails Association will make presentations at 7 pm related to impending sale of 180 acres of Public Lands in the Bayers Lake Business Park which will impact access to Susies Lake/Blue Mt-Birch Cove Lakes area. Also, future plans for the extension of the trails in Halifax West will be discussed. For details, please View Poster.

The Nova Scotia Mycological Society is holding its fourth annual mushroom foray September 30-October 2 (Friday to Sunday). This year it’s at Debert; rooms are available at the Debert Hospitality Centre. The event includes a cookoff competition, instructions on identifying mushrooms, forays followed by sorting and identification sessions, and workshops (e.g., on growing mushrooms). Details

A newly released Identification and Information Guide for the Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora in Nova Scotia is available online in English and French versions. The Guide, produced by produced by Megan Crowley (Parks Canada) and Lindsey Beals (MTRI), provides photos, descriptions and distribution maps for 87 species. See Guide.

At our first meeting for the new season, Alain Belliveau will talk about the status of red and yellow-listed ACPF populations populations in southwestern Nova Scotia. All are welcome. 7:30 p.m. at the NS Museum on Summer Street. Read more

Workshops for the Nature-Oriented at Harrison Lewis Centre The Harrison Lewis Coastal Discovery Centre at East Port L’Hl’bert on Nova Scotia’s south shore hosts a variety of workshops of interest to nature orinted people. Amonst those coming up: July 29-31: Know and Grow Wild Mushrooms, Aug. 3,4: Low Impact Forestry Workshop, August 12-14: Plein Air Watercolour, Painting with Roger Savage. See 2011 Schedule for details, except for Mushroom Workshop and Low Impact Forestry Workshop.

Thinking about swimming in the NW Arm (when it hasn’t been raining for several days)? 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.

Join Peter and Linda Payzant looking for butterflies typical of grassy fields and woodland edges of Uniacke Estate Park, and later a woods road in the Pockwock watershed. See our Walks Page for more about this walk and others over the summer and early fall.

David Blackwell forwarded this interesting story and photos (taken by friends) about his thwarted efforts to “free” a Luna Moth. Read more

Join N.S. Nature Trust staff, volunteer land stewards,HFN and NS Wild Flora members for our annual field trip to look at the flora and fauna (big and small) in this urban Nature Trust property of Purcell’s Cove Conservation Lands. Read more