Author: Paul Berry

You won’t make a bouquet out of them, but flowers of witch-hazel do provide some colour and interest though the fall. Witch-hazel is a common understory shrub in the oak woods of The Bluff Trail. More

It’s prime huckleberry season right now. Sometimes I have reached for what looks like a really delicious-looking cluster of huckleberries, throw them in my mouth and spit ’em out quickly. Then I look at the leaves and realize I had picked black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), not black huckleberry (Gaylussacia buccata). They often grow together and the berries are not readily distinguished. The leaves are superficially similar, but on inspection can be readily distinguished. Click on these pics to enlarge them and see how the leaves differ – those of chokeberry have distinct “teeth” on the margins while huckleberry has smooth margins. – David P.

Approx. 30 people participated in the Hike-the-Greenbelt event on The Bluff Trail wed evening. The rain stopped shortly after we set out. Tristan Cleveland lead a run, and Tristan Glen a walk with WRWEO member David Patriquin talking about the natural history of the area. View Tristan C. talking about the Hike-the-Greenbelt series and the Halifax Green Network initiative in this youtube video .

Participants in Bluff Trail run and hike Aug 12

WRWEO/The Bluff Trail wants to remind users of the Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail to carry their garbage off the trail. All garbage should be carried home to be properly sorted into the various waste, recycle, and compost streams. Please note that the garbage barrel located at the trail head will soon be removed. The volunteers who have generously emptied this garbage barrel are no longer able to maintain this service and WRWEO asks for your help to keep both the Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail and the BLT Rails to Trails free of garbage and litter. For more information about Leave No Trace principles and practice please visit: Leave No Trace Canada Outdoor Ethics http://www.leavenotrace.ca/home.

Greatly reducing inputs to the Otter Lake Landfill can go a long way towards limiting the height of the Otter Lake landfill..or even eliminate the “need” to increase the height at all. Clear bagging, which has been introduced to reduce the amount of inappropriate material going to the landfill, begins on Saturday August 1, 2015. “Clear bags for garbage will be the rule. Continue reading “Aug 1: Clear bags will reduce impacts of the Otter Lake Landfill”

Announcement for a Public Information Session on parks & protected areas, trails, and land use/development: MLA Iain Rankin has asked Nova Scotia Environment to participate in a public info session on parks, protected areas, and trails & land use. The geographic focus will be on the Chebucto Peninsula to Hammonds Plains Road, more or less. This Public Information Session will take place at Hubley Community Centre, Tuesday Aug 4 2015, 7 pm to 9 pm. Here is the address for the Hubley Communtiy Centre: 4408 St Margaret’s Bay Rd., Lewis Lake, Nova Scotia 902-405-6511.

Please see the Parks & Wilderness section on this website for an overview of parks and protected areas on the Chebucto Peninsula.

Nature Nova Scotia, the Young Naturalists Club of Nova Scotia and the Wildland Writers are sponsoring a Nature Writing and Art Contest for Nova Scotian youth ages 8 – 15 years. Submissions may be a written piece (short story, non fiction, poetry ,etc.) OR an original artwork (painting, drawing, collage, etc.) that is inspired by:

• native plants or animals of Nova Scotia (native means a species that occurs naturally in a region)
• an adventure, personal moment, or happy experience in Nova Scotia’s wild places (lake, river, ocean, forest, trail)
• an injustice that impacts nature in Nova Scotia

Entries must be submitted by October 31, 2015. View Rules and Poster for more details.

The Woodens River Watershed encompasses a set of 19 lakes draining into St. Margaret’s Bay at Woodens Cove. Five of 7 of the headwater lakes lie in the vicinity of Hubley, roughly half way across the top of the Chebucto Peninsula travelling via Hwy 103; four of those lakes are moderately settled. The Woodens River develops as a recognizable, singular river – the “Lower Woodens” as it flows out from Hubley Big Lake; it is fast moving, slowing where it widens into each of 7 lakes… Read more from some comments prepared as supplementary input to Public Engagement for Halifax Green Network/Online Map Tool, June 2015 – & please let them know why you value The Woodens.