On Saturday we had our first Wild Weekends Workshop: Portraits in Nature take place here at the Centre! Geena Morse of Grim Photography led an introductory session on the different functions of DSLR cameras; then we took to the property for a gentle hike to put our new skills to the test! Thank you, Geena, for a wonderful workshop and thanks to everyone that came out! Be sure to join us for our Wild Weekend Hike, “Natural Medicine Nature Walk” on July 21st! Herbalist in Training, Erica Fraser will be teaching us to identify native plants that heal and soothe us!
On Monday Robinson—the Carter’s Beach Outreach Intern—and I—Mackenzie, the Program Assistant— attended a training session at Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute (MTRI). The workshop was about Species at Risk (SAR) on Private Land, and how to establish long-lasting relationships with landowners when monitoring different At-Risk Species. We spent the morning learning about SAR in Nova Scotia, and regulations and conservation efforts across Canada (psst Nova Scotia is one of the most actively engaged provinces working with SAR, yay us!). The afternoon was spent learning the practical tips and tricks when engaging with private landowners, and went through different scenarios of dealing with SAR. It was a very informative workshop and brought together summer interns from across Nova Scotia. Thank you MTRI for hosting us for the day!
Closer to home, the six baby chicks that hatched over the July long-weekend have struck out on their own! Up until now, our founder, property owner, and board member, Dirk, had been keeping them in the main house while they grew stronger. This week they were finally big enough to be transferred into the hen house! Their names are Pierre, Patricia, Charlotte, Claude, Richarde, and Maurice, though its hard to keep track of who’s who! Hopefully soon we will know how many hens and roosters we have, as it is hard to tell when they are so young. Nonetheless we are excited to have more chickens running around, the two mother hens need some more competition.
We have a lot of activities coming up this week! Dr. Sarah Gutowsky is leading an overnight Birding-By-Ear workshop from July 20th – 22nd (this Saturday to Monday!) We have had a last minute cancellation so if you would like to take part, register by emailing info@harrisonlewiscentre.org by the end of the day on Friday!
TONIGHT and tomorrow night– July 19th & July 20th –we are hosting out first HLC @ Night program with a stargazing workshop at Thomas Raddall Provincial Park. To commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon, author, astronomer, and dedicated member of the Royal Astronomical Society, John A. Read will be taking us to the stars! We will be using telescopes to gaze at the planets, star clusters, nebulae, and more! Both nights the event runs from 8:30pm to midnight. Meet at the Park Administration Building, register now at info@harrisonlewiscentre.org.
Finally, this month’s N2O is coming up fast! On July 23rd join Shauna Doll in a gentle chair yoga session followed by a beach meditation practice (weather permitting). This will be a welcoming and non-judgemental space, all abilities and experience levels welcome! As always, a free lunch will be provided to all participants.
This week has also been full of little surprises as the frogs down in our bog and marshland seemingly have reached full maturity and are now roaming around on dry land. We’ve had to be careful where we are walking because these zippy dudes are all over our trails! They are a little photo shy, but you can find them lounging on the rocks by the streams and hopping around in the wetlands. Sadly, we haven’t had a symphony of croaks yet…. maybe in the later half of summer.
Thank you for reading this week’s edition of Friday Field Notes. We have a lot of activities planned for the upcoming weeks so keep an eye out on our social media accounts for more information!
Written by: Mackenzie Blanchard
Edited by: Shauna Doll