WHAT'S UP
Thursday May 31: Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes Regional Park
May 18, 2012: 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 moreMonday, June 4: Ban open-pen & support closed-containment salmon aquaculture
May 18, 2012:
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 WRWEO's letter, Salmon Wars (Silver Donald Cameron video), Closed Containment in N.S. & more about the June 4th event.
Harrison Lewis Centre spring offerings
Logs to lumber:Portable Sawmill course with Lew Dingwall- May 25 - 27, 2012; Women-only chainsaw course Patrick Allan, certified instructor - June 1 - 3, 2012; Introduction to Plants and Ethnobotany - June 8 - 10, 2012; Writing from Nature with Harry Thurston - June 15 - 17, 2012 and MORE - see HLC Programme Details
Montreal and Quebec City go for Greenbelting
April 12, 2012: The Quebec government announced in their budget on Tuesday that $60 million will be used to develop greenbelts in Montreal and Quebec City. Our HRM Alliance is proposing a greenbelting solution for Halifax. Read more
Monday April 16th: Meeting about Business Park Expansion
April 11, 2012: Expansion of the Bayers Lake Business Park threatens the integrity of the Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area. A meeting to inform the public about this issue will be held on Monday, April 16th April 7:00 pm at Keshen Goodman Library. See PosterTrail Work
April 9, 2012: Our volunteers do an immense amount of work to maintain The Bluff Trail and the associated parking lot. Recently, several volunteers cleared a fallen tree from the trail and made a new bench and a crossing for a stream in the process. See PhotosDetails of Our HRM Greenbelting Proposal Released
April 5, 2012: Go to Our HRM Alliance website for details of their (our) proposed Greenbelting of HRM. It envisions four physical zones (Protected areas and natural corridors,
Natural resources and agriculture,
Rural communities and Coastal Management Area,
Regional Centre and suburban growth centres) and four corresponding zones of policy
that can help direct growth and development within HRM. 
Sun. April 1, 2012: Poetry in The Bluff
Mar. 23, 2012: Join us on a light 8 km meditative hike on The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail. Silent, reflective hike in. Poetry exercise (optional). Social hike out. Read moreApr. 2, 2012: View some Photos from the Event
Mon. March 19th, 2012, at Tantalon: Regional Plan Review and Release of a Draft of the Greenbelting Solution
Mar. 13, 2012: HRM is holding a public consultation meeting in connection with the first five year review of the Regional Plan March 19, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm at the St. Margaret's Centre in Upper Tantallon. Also on the same day & place but at 10:30 am: Release of a Draft of the Greenbelting Solution. Read more
N.S. Wetland Courses
Feb. 11, 2012: The Fern Hill Institute for Plant Conservation in assocation with the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre is offering four practical 3-4 day wetland courses in 2012. DetailsTuesday March 6: AGM & Bob Bancroft on Interacting with Wildlife in Protected Areas
Feb. 8, 2012: Please mark this one on your calendar. Our AGM will be held at the Tantallon Library, Tuesday, March 6. Doors open at 6:30; meeting starts at 7:00 with formal business lasting about 40 mins. Then keynote speaker Bob Bancroft will talk about moose and coyotes and other wildlife in protected areas and how we interact with them. All welcome. More detailsSat & Sun March 3rd & 4th: Woodlot Seminars/Worskhops at Tantallon
Feb 17, 2012: Trees Company is offering a free 6-hr workshop on Chainsaw Safety & Maintainence on Saturday followed by presentations on Sunday on Woodlot Management, Tree and Disease identification & Woodlot Management Techniques and the Structure of the Acadian
Forest. They are being held at Tantallon Superstore Community
Room. More DetailsNova Scotia Environment seeking Info on Vernal Pools
Feb. 2, 2012: Vernal pools are small, shallow wetlands that lack permanent inlet or outlet streams and often dry out in the summer. They provide critical breeding habitat for frogs, salamanders, insects and fairy shrimp, and feeding and drinking sites for birds, mammals, turtles and other wildlife. Are you aware of any shallow wetland pools in the forests near your home or near places you vacation, hike, hunt or bird watch? Please tell NSE about them!.Local Lakes Not Yet Safe for Winter Activities!
Jan. 17, 2011: Local lakes have thin ice and open water. Check out HRM's Ice Thickness Reports when you think it's ready. The website Lake Ice describes how to read the ice and how to be safe on the ice. It's a "must read" for ice-goers.
Applied Stormwater Management Workshop
Jan 13, 2012: This 1&1/2 day
workshop is being offered Feb 20-21 by the Ecology Action Centre in collaboration with the Halifax Regional Municipality Environment and Energy Office, Halifax Water and the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
It is designed to increase capacity of participants to identify and implement stormwater Best Management Practices to reduce infrastructure damage, flooding and impacts to marine and freshwater systems. Limited enrolment; register by Feb 3. DetailsThoughts By A Stream.. and for the New Year
Seven Solutions for a More Sustainable, More Liveable HRM
Dec. 1, 2011: On Wed., Nov.30th, Our HRM Alliance, of which WRWEO is a mamber, presented their seven recommendations for a more sustainable, more liveable HRM. "The solutions were developed with 33 groups and with the needs of urban, suburban and rural residents and taxpayers in mind," says Jen Powley, Alliance Coordinator. Read more
Monday Dec. 5: Talk on Protected Areas in N.S.
Nov. 26, 2011: Dr. Martin Willison will give a talk on Protected Areas in N.S. at 7:30 pm on Monday Dec. 5 at the Museum of Natural History Auditorium (1747 Summer St., Halifax). The title is "From Picnic Parks to Systematic Protection of Biodiversity: A Review of the Development of Protected Areas in Nova Scotia". The talk is a free public lecture in the Nova Scotia Institute of Science 150th Anniversary series. Read more
New data on acid rain in the Woodens River Watershed
Nov. 20, 2011: Bob Chambers reports on acidity of rain and lakewater measured periodically from November 5, 2010 to October 30, 2011. See listing under Water Quality on this website.
Bluff Numbers Count!
Nov. 16, 2011: Thanks to the efforts of a WRWEO volunteer, there is now a "Bluff Numbers" booklet at the junction for the Pot lake Loop, where the Trail Dedication sign is located as well. Please take a moment when you go by this point to make an entry in the book. Most important: provide the date, and number in your group. This will help us to better uderstand trail usage for most effective planning. See Photo.
What's NOT going to happen to barrens in the FBLWA
Nov. 2, 2011: Where it's not protected, barrens habitat can become prime real-estate. See Requiem for a Barrens.
Article expresses concern for the moose
Oct. 26, 2011. An article in OPENFILE about the new wilderness area expresses concern about the effects of recreational activities on the moose. One expert interviewed suggested there might be some restrictions during the calving/immediate post-calving period, an idea that has been discussed by WRWEO members (see Moose & Wildlife Corridors 2)
Oct. 25, 2011: The Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area is designated under the Wilderness Areas Protection Act.
In a ceremony at the St. Margaret's Bay Centre, The Honourable Sterling Belliveau, N.S. Minister of Environment, designated lands of the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area under the Wilderness Areas Protection Act. See NSE Press Release and page on the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area. After the designation, WRWEO Co-chair Richmond Campbell conducted a virtual unveiling of the new sign at the trailhead for The Bluff Trail. See Photos from the event
Formal protection of Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness to be be announced on Tuesday Oct 25th
Oct 24, 2011: Nova Scotia Environment will announce formal protection of Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area on Tuesday Oct 25th at a ceremony at The St. Margaret's Centre in Tantallon begining at 1 p.m. That will be followed by a virtual unveiling of the new signs at the Bluff Trail at 2 pm, also at Tantallon (NOT at the trailhead). Read more
Trail Camp on Nov 5 & 6.
Oct. 20, 2011: WRWEO members are invited to attend Trail Camp, a two day event (Nov. 5 & 6, 2011) where volunteers as well as government representatives get together to discuss issues about trails in Halifax. Read moreMonday, Oct 24th: Nova Scotia's Diverse Forest Ecosystems
Oct. 19, 2011: Peter Neily and Eugene Quigley of the Nova Scotia Dept. of Natural Resources will talk to the Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society about Forest Ecosystem Classification (FEC) in Nova Scotia, highlighting results of ten years of study on over 1500 FEC plots. All welcome! 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct 24th at N.S. Museum of Natural History, enter via the parking lot. Read moreN.S. Wetland Conservation Policy released
Oct 18, 2011: The province released its Wetland Conservation Policy on Oct. 14th. The policy "identifies what legislation, regulations, and policies are currently relevant to wetland conservation; clarifies the roles and responsibilities of government and the public in relation to wetlands; and makes this information more accessible to Nova Scotians. Ultimately, the policy establishes specific objectives intended to prevent the net loss of Nova Scotia's wetlands." Read more
N.S. Government posts Draft Coastal Strategy
Oct 13, 2011: 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
Sun. Oct 23rd:
Free Workshop on Forest Health and Stewardship
Oct 6, 2011: MTRI, NFA, Whippletree Farm and the Warners are sponsoring a half day (12-5) workshop. Come find out more about traditional woodland crafts, portable miling, forest regeneration, selective harvests…
View Poster
Tues, Sept. 13th:
Sep 5, 2011: Development in Susies Lake/Blue Mt-Birch Cove Lakes area
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.
Saturday, Sept. 17th:
Volunteer Trail-Building Workshop with Garnet McLaughlin
Aug. 27, 2011: Learn ecologically-sensitive and highly sustainable trail-building techniques by participating in this practical workshop on The Bluff Trail. Read more 
Sunday, Sept. 11th:
Hike and Compass Work on The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail
Aug. 27, 2011: Join the Woodens River Watershed Environmental Organization on Sunday Sept. 11th for a 5-6 hour hike over the rough terrain of The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail. We will be hiking both Pot Lake and Indian Hill loops while doing some compass work. Read more New protected areas for Nova Scotia
July 29, 2011: The Nova Scotia Dept. of Environment has identified potential lands for future protection required to achieve the 12% figure by 2015 and is seeking input from individuals and groups on which of these sites to select. A lot of land has been or is slated for protection on the Chebucto Peninsula, including the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area. A major block of crown land that is NOT currently slated for protection but for which a number of groups have been seeking protection lies in the Herring Cove Area. Read more
WRWEO Member publishes "Urban Tigers"
July 20, 2011: Local resident and WRWEO member Kathy Chisholm has recently published a novel called Urban Tigers, Tales of a Cat Vet. It is a humorous account of "Dr. Emily McBride's" first year at Ocean View Cat Hospital. Kathy and her husband Hugh Chisholm plan to use any profits from the sale of the book to help animal welfare and wildlife preservation groups (including habitat preservation organizations like WRWEO). For example, they were able to raise $1000.00 for Pierre's Alley Cats Society at the recent book launch. Read more
Low Impact Forestry Workshop August 3,4
July 17, 2011: Managing small woodlots for timber and non-timber values. Picea Forestry Consulting and horse logger Tristan Kelley join us at the Harrison Lewis Centre woodlot for practical, In the field instruction. Read moreWorkshops for the Nature-Oriented at Harrison Lewis Centre
July 5, 2011: 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 8-10: Writing From Nature, Juty 15-17: GPS for Farm and Forest, July 29-31: Know and Grow Wild Mushrooms, August 12-14: Plein Air Watercolour, Painting with Roger Savage. See 2011 Schedule for details and other workshops except for Mushroom Workshop. Aug 2-5 is Forestry Week.Our HRM Alliance
July 4, 2011: WRWEO is a member of Our HRM Alliance. "The Alliance came together because our members want to ensure HRM is a great place to live for our entire lives and for the entire lives of our children and grandchildren."Older Posts