A sour huckleberry is prob. not a huckleberry

Huckleberries in Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area, Sep 16
Sweet-tasting huckleberries in Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area, Sep 16
Chokeberry in Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area, Sep 16
Sour-tasting chokeberries in Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area, Sep 16

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.

Help a Trail – McIntosh Run Maintenance

If you’d like to help a trail, the McIntosh Run Watershed Association is inviting the community to help trim brush, Saturday, September 19th, 9:30 – 11:30 am.

We’ll be meeting at the Drysdale Road bridge, beside the Spryfield Lion’s Rink. If you have work gloves and branch-cutting tools please bring them along. No power tools please! We do have some extra tools and gloves, so please come even if you don’t have any.

Seeking bids on brush cutting and deadfall removal

 

trail_work

The Woodens River Watershed Environmental Organization is seeking bids on brush cutting and deadfall removal – if you are interested in submitting a bid, please contact us at info@wrweo.ca to obtain more information and a bid submission form. References are required. Response deadline is Sept 16, 2015. The response deadline has been extended to Sept 23, 2015.

Well attended rainy evening Hike-the-Greenbelt event

Tristan Cleveland talks to hikers & runners before setting out Wed Aug 15
Tristan Cleveland talks to hikers & runners before setting out Wed Aug 15
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
Participants in Bluff Trail run and hike Aug 12

Reminder to pack it OUT

Not the place to leave garbage!
Not the place to leave garbage!
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.

Aug 1: Clear bags will reduce impacts of the Otter Lake Landfill

landfillGreatly 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”