Halifax Field Naturalists

Minga O’Brien will talk to the N.S. Wild Flora Society on Monday evening on the topic of Treemarking: managing for quality products while maintaining wildlife habitat. This topic is very timely, given the recent announcement by the N.S. Government of new Strategic Directions for foresty. All welcome. Read more

Garnet McLaughlin will be the keynote speaker at the WRWEO AGM on Wednesday eveing at Tantallon, when he will talk about how volunteers can work to preserve the wildness and beauty of wilderness trails. Read more

This joint trip with the Nova Scotia Bird Society will visit all the favourite winter birding sites in and around Halifax Harbour looking for ducks, gulls and alcids. Read more

David Mosher of the Geological Society of Canada will talk about a new understanding of the creation and unique geology of the Arctic Ocean. Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History at 7:30 p.m. (Co-sponsored by the Atlantic Geoscience Society and the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History) Read more.

Carina Gjerdrum, a seabird biologist with Canadian Wildlife Service will talk about the diversity of seabirds that occur in our waters throughout the year, and the amazing adaptations that allow them to survive in the marine environment. Read more

Plans to open a strip mine in karst located in forested uplands of the Avon Peninsula threaten sustainable livelihoods and would obliterate habitat for a number of species at risk. Fundy Gypsum announced on Jan 25th that it is closing the nearby Wentworth Creek mine and its Miller Creek Mine was closed last year because of reduced demand; plans for the Avon mine are apparently “on the shelf for now”. Read more

A recent report documents losses in landbirds shared by Canada, U.S. and Mexico. One-hundred and forty-eight species are in need of immediate conservation attention. The report calls for Tri-National action to protect, restore, and enhance populations and habitats of North America’s birds. Read more at www.savingoursharedbirds.org.

There may be some lessons for us in N.S. as we proceed to reduced clearcutting. See article in Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Canadian Geographic or online

Are you making a New Year’s resolution to eat more locally grown and produced food? Then you will already be a shopper at the new Seaport Market. Join us as we spend some time discovering the details behind the scenes of this LEED designed and built building, one of the first in Halifax. Read more

As a coastal province, we have opportunities and challenges ahead. Learn about the priority issues and progress towards a Coastal Strategy in Nova Scotia at our first meeting of the New Year. Read more

On Dec 1, the N.S. Government released a Policy Framework for its Natural Resources Strategy which includes a directive to “reduce the proportion of wood harvested by the clear cut method to no more than 50% of all forested lands over a five-year period.” (Clearcutting has averaged over 520 km2 a year over the past decade.) Another directive: “Public funds will not be directed to herbicide spraying for forestry”. Read DNR Update