Leaders: Bernard Forsythe (902) 542-2427 and Suzanne Borkowski (902) 445-2922 E-mail: suzanneborkowski@yahoo.ca This will be a joint trip with the Nova Scotia Bird Society.  Meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Wolfville waterfront. We will be looking for raptors, lingering winter visitors, and rarities in and around Canning and Grand Pré. Dress warmly and bring a lunch.

The Valley Orchid Group will have its annual display of orchids in the conservatory of the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre at Acadia University from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is usually a presentation in the downstairs auditorium about orchid growing and people in the lobby selling orchids along with specialized materials and instructions on how to help them grow well.

Monday, March 15, 2010 –
Replacing Most Fossil Fuel Use in North America with a Two-Terawatt Solar Electric Generating System, or A Practical Solution For the “Inconvenient Truth”. – Guest Speaker: Fred Archibald. Fred is a research microbiologist and was a professor/researcher at McGill and The Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada for many years. He is Associate Editor of the Water Quality Research Journal of Canada, and has much experience in wastewater biotreatment, pathogens, antioxidant enzymes, biological trace metals, and microbial ecology. He is also interested in electrics, electronics, and alternate energy sources.

Leader: Wayne Neily (902) 765-2455 E-mail: neilyornis@hotmail.com.

Astronomy Observing Session – Join members of the Minas Astronomy Group to observe the night sky. Constellations will identified by the use of a laser pointer. There will be a not-too-bright crescent Moon in the vicinity of the Pleiades, Venus and Mercury are in the western twilight, Mars is high in the south near the Beehive, and Saturn will be well up in the southeast. Meet at 8:30 p.m. at the old parking lot at Grand Pré National Park. Bring binoculars and be sure to dress warmly. Rain/cloud date is Saturday, April 17.

It’s the End of the World As We Know It. Most aspects of natural history occur on the surface of the Earth. Earth’s surface (and its biology, etc.) has changed drastically in the past. One only needs to look at a dinosaur skeleton to bring that fact home, yet we take the existence of life on the Earth’s surface for granted. In astronomy, one is often faced with looking at not only the “big picture” but the “long clock” view of things. Modern astronomers and biologists now have tools that allow them to look far ahead and predict what may be in store for Earth’s long-term future. Will things end with a whimper, or a bang? Come find out!

Patrick Kelly has had a life-long interest in astronomy, and has taught first-year astronomy at Acadia, Dalhousie, Mount St. Vincent, and St. Mary’s. He is a life member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and is an active member of the Society’s Halifax Centre. He currently edits the Society’s annual Observer’s Handbook.

Jim Wolford 542-9204 E-mail: jimwolford@eastlink.ca This will be a joint trip with the Nova Scotia Bird Society, pond hopping for ducks and early migrants. Possibly there will be a visit to Wolfville Ridge first for Barred Owls.  Meet at the town wharf off the east end of Front Street in Wolfville at 10:00 a.m. Dress warmly and bring a lunch. No rain date.

Herbert River Canoe Trip. Patrick Kelly (472-2322,

patrick.kelly@dal.ca

) will be leading this trip. The Herbert River is fairly easy with lots of water at this time of the year, and it covers a great variety of terrain. There may be spots where it is running a bit faster, or where there are new obstructions from the trees, etc. that have come down over the winter, so we may have to wade in a few places, if necessary, or stop to scout out a bend. The trip will be two to three hours long, depending on our pace. Bring life jackets, canoe or kayak, and paddles. If you have access to a life jacket but not a canoe, there will likely be extra room in one of the canoes. Check with the leader to be sure. Meet at the Newport rink parking lot at 9:30 a.m. Take Exit 5 from Highway 101 and follow Highway 14 east for about 10 km to the village of Brooklyn. At the cenotaph, keep left and follow Highway 14 north for just under 1 km. At the intersection (Petro Canada station), Highway 14 turns right. Continue straight on Highway 215 (Note the YIELD sign. you do NOT have the right of way!) The rink is on the right as soon as you exit the intersection. We will be leaving some cars there as we will actually be putting into the river farther upstream.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010 AND EVERY TUESDAY – Acadia University Woodland Trail Biodiversity List – For a fourth year we will take a walk every Tuesday evening throughout the spring and summer to look for flowering plants, nesting birds, fungi, butterflies, dragonflies, etc. This will be done in cooperation with the K. C. Irving Environmental Science Centre and we plan to continue it as a long-term project to observe the changes in biodiversity over the seasons and over the years. Everyone is invited to participate. Come for one week or every week. You don't need to be an expert but we need lots of people to show up to help spot and identify the different forms of natural history. Some weeks we will have a special leader with an emphasis on a specific area of natural history. If you would like to lead a walk or be on one with a particular emphasis, call Melanie at 585-1916. Meet at 6:30 p.m. at the main entrance to the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens on University Avenue.

Nova Scotia Spring Migration Count
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Annapolis  Valley coordinators are:

Hants West: Patrick Kelly (Falmouth) – Tel : 902 472-2322 (patrick.kelly@dal.ca)

Kings County: Judy Tufts  (Wolfville) – Tel : 902 542-7800

Kings County (Kingston area): Sheila Hulford – Tel: 902 765-4023

Annapolis County:  Contact Chris Pepper 829-3478 E-mail: cpepper@ymail.com. Anyone interested in helping coordinate Annapolis County, or parts thereof as a regional representative, would be most welcomed by Chris.

Come and participate in this worthwhile project. This is a wonderful way to get out for a day’s enjoyment while discovering possible rarities visiting the Valley!

Cape Split Hike
– Make a trip to Cape Split with leaders Jim Wolford (542-9204) and Patrick Kelly (472-2322). This will be joint trip with the Halifax Field Naturalists. There will be interpretive stops along the way. Spring wildflowers and birds should be abundant. This walk requires good footware and people are reminded to stay away from the edge of the cliff. You should bring water with you and a lunch as we usually don’t get to the end of the trail until lunch time. Meet at the Wolfville waterfront at 8:15 a.m. or at the start of the trail in Scott's Bay at 9:00 a.m.

The Butterflies of Nova Scotia and the New Maritimes Butterfly Atlas — John Klymko. The talk will consist of a brief introduction to butterflies and a discussion of the species occurring in Nova Scotia, including “Maritime Specialties” and Nova Scotia’s species of conservation concern. The Maritimes Butterfly Atlas will then be introduced. This citizen-science project is the first comprehensive butterfly survey for the Maritime Provinces and will rely on records submitted by volunteer naturalists. It aims to greatly improve the baseline knowledge of butterfly occurrence in the Maritimes, allowing for the identification of species of conservation concern and more informed conservation decisions.

John grew up in southern Ontario, did his BSc and MSc at the University of Guelph, and has done insect, bird and plant work in Ontario and the Maritimes. He is now the zoologist at the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre where he focuses on butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies, and other insect groups.

Blomidon Provincial Park — Jim Wolford (902 542-9204, jimwolford@eastlink.ca) will lead a walk from the campground about two kilometers to a seasonal pond that has the very rare and beautiful fairy shrimp. Other pond life, spring plants/flowers, and birds will also be seen. A lookoff toward Five Islands Park, across the Minas Basin, will be visited. BNS members can meet and meet and carpool from the Wolfville Waterfront at 9:15 a.m. or meet Jim at the Blomidon Park registration building at 10:00 a.m.

 
Historic Hants County
— This is a field trip from the Nova Scotia Bird Society. Suzanne Borkowski 445-2922 E-mail: suzanneborkowski@yahoo.ca will lead this trip which will start at 8:00 a.m. in the parking lot of Mount Uniacke Estate Park. (Those wishing to carpool should meet at the Wolfville Waterfront and leave by 7:00 am to ensure they arrive on time.) The main gate will be locked, but the 2nd gate (coming from Halifax) will be open. The trip will start by exploring some of the grounds at Mt. Uniacke then continue along back-country roads through Hants County. Bring a lunch to be enjoyed at Smileys Park. No rain date.