From coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca Thu Dec 2 10:21:09 2021 From: coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca (Caroline Beddoe) Date: Thu, 02 Dec 2021 12:21:09 -0400 Subject: [BNS_members] Membership: A Great Time to Renew or Join! Message-ID: Hi all, As we move into December, I wanted to remind you that now is a great time to renew your membership with the Blomidon Naturalists Society. This is also a great time for new members to join (so please share around if you know keen folks - makes a great gift along with the 2022 calendar!) ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT OUR MEMBERSHIP, ALONG WITH INFORMATION ABOUT PAYMENTS, CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEBSITE HERE [1]. To renew: Please send an e-transfer to treasurer at blomidonnaturalists.ca (you may also pay online, through Paypal, though we find e-transfer to be swifter). To join: We encourage new members to pay for their first membership THROUGH PAYPAL/ONLINE because we require your ADDRESS and PHONE NUMBER, and this online payment platform will prompt you do insert these details. (NB: Do not worry, Paypal does_ not_ deduct any fees from us!) Once again, all this info is on the BNS website under "Get Involved!" and "Become a Member" [1]. The mission of the BNS is to educate the public about nature, to advocate for its conservation and protection, and to inspire wonder for the natural world in all generations. We achieve this by fostering a community grounded in nature exploration, education and stewardship. We welcome everyone who is curious and wants to learn about nature. As such, our events, field trips and meetings do not require membership to attend. However, our community of members is so valuable for fostering community connection, sharing our passions and knowledge, and supporting environmental and conservation work in this area and province. We thank every one of our supporters and members and we hope that you enjoy our newsletters, events, presentations and community work. I for one am getting excited for our 2022 plans, projects and ideas (and I invite any members or potential members to reach out if you have ideas developing over these reflective winter months). I hope you will join us through another year of nature exploration, knowledge sharing, community engagement, environmental stewardship and much more! Thank you, Caroline -- Caroline Beddoe She/her 613-619-1098 Coordinator, Blomidon Naturalists Society Blomidon Naturalists Society activities take place in Mi'kma'ki, the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. This territory is covered by the "Treaties of Peace and Friendship" which did not deal with the surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi'kmaw title. We want to recognize that outdoor education and play would not be possible without access to the natural world that has been stewarded since time immemorial by the many Indigenous peoples of this land. We acknowledge that we have a responsibility to honour and learn about their histories and current cultures and to actively work in support of reconciliation. We are committed to fostering respectful and sustainable relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of this land, with all other organisms, with the land and with the water. Links: ------ [1] https://blomidonnaturalists.ca/membership/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca Fri Dec 3 07:30:22 2021 From: coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca (Caroline Beddoe) Date: Fri, 03 Dec 2021 09:30:22 -0400 Subject: [BNS_members] From Ed Sulis: Too Much Carbon Message-ID: <7269d8c9b9905f7b1cf9e185145fb05f@blomidonnaturalists.ca> Good morning, I am circulating a compilation of facts, figures, thoughts and quotes, titled "Too Much Carbon," recently created by active BNS member Ed Sulis. Ed was the former Treasurer of the BNS and is very engaged in our activities. I encourage you to read his piece, as it is a sobering reminder of the reality of the climate crisis that must propel us to shift our mindsets and our actions. The BNS recognizes how imperative action on the climate and biodiversity crises is, and how groups like ourselves can help shift our communities towards increased resiliency and sustainability. In these challenging times I am reminded of the power of collective action to help make a difference. This feels like an appropriate message to send out today, since every Friday is "Fridays for Future" across the world, where people demonstrate and take action for the climate. This happens every Friday at 12 noon in Wolfville's Clock Park, too. Take care, Caroline -- Caroline Beddoe She/her 613-619-1098 Coordinator, Blomidon Naturalists Society Blomidon Naturalists Society activities take place in Mi'kma'ki, the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. This territory is covered by the "Treaties of Peace and Friendship" which did not deal with the surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi'kmaw title. We want to recognize that outdoor education and play would not be possible without access to the natural world that has been stewarded since time immemorial by the many Indigenous peoples of this land. We acknowledge that we have a responsibility to honour and learn about their histories and current cultures and to actively work in support of reconciliation. We are committed to fostering respectful and sustainable relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of this land, with all other organisms, with the land and with the water. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Too Much Carbon.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 3319475 bytes Desc: not available URL: From coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca Mon Dec 6 16:40:44 2021 From: coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca (Caroline Beddoe) Date: Mon, 06 Dec 2021 18:40:44 -0400 Subject: [BNS_members] Dec. Monthly Meeting (& More) Message-ID: <45107ce8653a29d0278fd9508f1ae063@blomidonnaturalists.ca> Good (well, quite damp) evening everyone, A few things to note and some other thoughts... Given that we are into December, the monthly meeting will be in a week's time on the _second_ Monday of the month to allow for holidays and merrymaking. JOIN US VIA ZOOM NEXT MONDAY, DECEMBER 13TH AT 7:30 PM TO HEAR FROM MATTHEW SMITH ABOUT "PROTECTING ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY IN A TIME OF CHANGE." Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site is at the centre of two major threats to biodiversity: invasive species and climate change. In this talk, Matthew will discuss the impact of these threats to native biodiversity, species at risk and ecological integrity. Learn how conservation actions and restoration in partnership with Indigenous communities are providing hope in a time of great ecological change. Register for the Zoom here. [1] (Don't worry, I'll send a reminder closer to the date! And we will record the presentation if you cannot make it.) Thanks so very much to all who supported and shared our BUTTERFLYWAY PROJECT campaign last week for Giving Tuesday! Your support and encouragement for this exciting project is so valuable and appreciated. While I am personally a lover of winter, the thought of blooming flowers is making me excited, so thanks for your continued support for this BNS project and there is a lot more to come...! Members of the BNS board have collaborated (on behalf of whom Soren and I have signed) on a response to the draft _Old-Growth Forest Policy for Nova Scotia _that the provincial government has opened to PUBLIC FEEDBACK UNTIL DECEMBER 8TH. I have attached it below. In short, we feel that the policy falls short on protecting old-growth forests in that it should be legislation not policy, be less easy to renege upon (and with that, less easy to remove protection from forests), have a broader scope for what forests can be protected, engage private landowners and the public more robustly, and more. Also, Heather let me know that THE AL WHITTLE THEATRE IS SHOWING AN AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY ON CLIMATE JUSTICE, "DEAR FUTURE CHILDREN," THIS COMING WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 8TH AT 7:00 PM. Very relevant to these times, this may be of interest to many members seeking inspiration and action on the climate crisis, and looks like a powerful film. Tickets are $11.50 (including HST) at the door, masks and proof of vaccination required. One review says, "_This is a film I waited for a long time. Finally this is a brilliant and well-made documentary which gives a voice to young activists from Uganda, Hong Kong and Chile. __I long searched for a richly detailed documentary about climate activists and the way how the audience can connect with the protagonist Nakabuye Hilda Flavia here is wonderful, entertaining and informative at the same time."_ Take care, Caroline -- Caroline Beddoe She/her 613-619-1098 Coordinator, Blomidon Naturalists Society Blomidon Naturalists Society activities take place in Mi'kma'ki, the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. This territory is covered by the "Treaties of Peace and Friendship" which did not deal with the surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi'kmaw title. We want to recognize that outdoor education and play would not be possible without access to the natural world that has been stewarded since time immemorial by the many Indigenous peoples of this land. We acknowledge that we have a responsibility to honour and learn about their histories and current cultures and to actively work in support of reconciliation. We are committed to fostering respectful and sustainable relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of this land, with all other organisms, with the land and with the water. Links: ------ [1] https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIocO6srjwpHNMeyut5Igm6-wDAA8_CRYYG -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: December Monthly Meeting.png Type: image/png Size: 1059490 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Old-Growth Forest Policy BNS Response.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 361897 bytes Desc: not available URL: From coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca Wed Dec 8 15:47:25 2021 From: coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca (Caroline Beddoe) Date: Wed, 08 Dec 2021 17:47:25 -0400 Subject: [BNS_members] Nature NS Memberships Message-ID: Good snowy evening, I wanted to let you all know that Nature Nova Scotia has changed their membership system/categories, and there is no longer the $5 federate membership that was offered in the past to members in societies or groups that are organizational members of NNS (NNS is a federation of societies and groups, of which BNS is a member). I truly apologize for the miscommunication, and we will honour existing membership requests made prior to this email (I will be in touch if this applies to you). That being said, there are other options for joining Nature Nova Scotia, and as you are renewing your BNS membership, I encourage you to consider a NNS membership too! BNS members can join NNS directly, their membership page with all the details is here. [1] The rates are: - Individual: $10/year, $75 lifetime - Family: $20/year, $150 lifetime Joining NNS is a great way to support natural history networking, research, education, and advocacy in this province. A membership gives you access to all events, a vote at the AGM and reduced rates for special events. To note also - NNS has be shifting over the past few years, and is much more active and vocal in conservation work across Nova Scotia. This is a great way to support their work and be engaged on that front. Please reach out if you have any questions. Caroline -- Caroline Beddoe She/her 613-619-1098 Coordinator, Blomidon Naturalists Society Blomidon Naturalists Society activities take place in Mi'kma'ki, the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. This territory is covered by the "Treaties of Peace and Friendship" which did not deal with the surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi'kmaw title. We want to recognize that outdoor education and play would not be possible without access to the natural world that has been stewarded since time immemorial by the many Indigenous peoples of this land. We acknowledge that we have a responsibility to honour and learn about their histories and current cultures and to actively work in support of reconciliation. We are committed to fostering respectful and sustainable relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of this land, with all other organisms, with the land and with the water. Links: ------ [1] https://naturens.ca/join/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From soren at bondrup.com Thu Dec 9 10:04:21 2021 From: soren at bondrup.com (Soren Bondrup-Nielsen) Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2021 12:04:21 -0400 Subject: [BNS_members] Reminder - book launch Message-ID: <2D5528BF-CBE7-4CF7-AF5E-89E31CB4328A@bondrup.com> Hello everyone, I am excited about my book launch on Saturday at ArtCan in Canning 2-4 pm. Cheers, Soren -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Book Launch 11 Dec 21.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 638711 bytes Desc: not available URL: From coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca Thu Dec 9 10:20:34 2021 From: coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca (Caroline Beddoe) Date: Thu, 09 Dec 2021 12:20:34 -0400 Subject: [BNS_members] On the look-out for owl pellets Message-ID: <3858204237abf9f5c51e726141377bce@blomidonnaturalists.ca> Hi all, A request from Dave Shutler (Biology, Acadia) to keep your eyes peeled for owl pellets: "A request to Blomidon members to collect any owl pellets they encounter from now until Dec 2022. I have an incoming Hons student who will be quantifying contaminants (at least mercury) in them." So if you find any owl regurgitation in the next year on your outdoor adventures, or have any questions about this, let Dave know! (dave.shutler at acadiau.ca) Caroline -- Caroline Beddoe She/her 613-619-1098 Coordinator, Blomidon Naturalists Society Blomidon Naturalists Society activities take place in Mi'kma'ki, the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. This territory is covered by the "Treaties of Peace and Friendship" which did not deal with the surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi'kmaw title. We want to recognize that outdoor education and play would not be possible without access to the natural world that has been stewarded since time immemorial by the many Indigenous peoples of this land. We acknowledge that we have a responsibility to honour and learn about their histories and current cultures and to actively work in support of reconciliation. We are committed to fostering respectful and sustainable relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of this land, with all other organisms, with the land and with the water. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From burka at upei.ca Thu Dec 9 10:55:32 2021 From: burka at upei.ca (John Burka) Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2021 12:55:32 -0400 Subject: [BNS_members] Strategic Plan Message-ID: First let me introduce myself as the new Secretary of the Board of the BNS. Thanks to Patrick for his many years on the Board and his dedication to his role as Secretary. I am fortunate that he is mentoring me as I move into this role. The Board has been developing a Strategic Plan for the BNS for almost 2 years and we finally have a document we can share with the Membership. We inadvertently didn't send out the Strategic Plan prior to the AGM, so I am sending it out at this time. Please read it through and we welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions. John John F. Burka, Ph.D. (retired) Professor Emeritus, UPEI burka at upei.ca -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: BNS 2021 Strategic Plan.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 17419 bytes Desc: not available URL: From coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca Sat Dec 11 08:52:21 2021 From: coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca (Caroline Beddoe) Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2021 10:52:21 -0400 Subject: [BNS_members] Presentation on Owls Head Provincial Park Message-ID: <1fc1397887cac237a4c9a3f427330503@blomidonnaturalists.ca> Hi all, Something to look at this rainy weekend. Recently, a group of concerned citizens met with Eastern Shore MLA Kent Smith to advocate for legally protecting Owls Head Provincial Park. Christopher Trider, Dr. Kristina Boerder, and (Blomidon Naturalist Society member) Celes Davar spoke about the background timeline of the park's history (45 years to the present), the science associated with the park, the people's voices, and a different vision for tourism and economic development. This presentation proposed ways to ensure legal protection of the site's significant biodiversity and conservation values. In an effort to legally protect Owls Head, and ensure that this issue remains in the public eye, they seek to share the presentation, along with presenter notes, to as many Nova Scotians as possible. I encourage you to take a look here: https://saveowlshead.org/actionsevents/presentation-to-mla-kent-smith/?fbclid=IwAR2cuGEXmPrd780BypbONIaTOntJhb8O6SvbpXxVwa8GhZCziQrAUp8veXs Thanks to all involved in this presentation, and to all those who have been, and continue to be, engaged in the Owls Head movement. Caroline -- Caroline Beddoe She/her 613-619-1098 Coordinator, Blomidon Naturalists Society Blomidon Naturalists Society activities take place in Mi'kma'ki, the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. This territory is covered by the "Treaties of Peace and Friendship" which did not deal with the surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi'kmaw title. We want to recognize that outdoor education and play would not be possible without access to the natural world that has been stewarded since time immemorial by the many Indigenous peoples of this land. We acknowledge that we have a responsibility to honour and learn about their histories and current cultures and to actively work in support of reconciliation. We are committed to fostering respectful and sustainable relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of this land, with all other organisms, with the land and with the water. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca Sat Dec 11 09:02:02 2021 From: coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca (Caroline Beddoe) Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2021 11:02:02 -0400 Subject: [BNS_members] Soren's Book Launch Today Message-ID: Hi again, One more email on this Saturday morning! A reminder that BNS president Soren has his book launch TODAY! Soren will be sharing about his new book, "voles, not moles" at ArtCan in Canning from 2-4pm. I'm sure this book will be of interest to many BNS members and supporters. In this book wildlife biologist and ecologist Soren Bondrup-Nielsen reflects on his career as a scientist and on how his experiences as a researcher cultivated a deep sense of connection with nature. While structured as a memoir, this book is at heart a meditation on the role of science in society, contemplating issues such as human evolution, the nature of science, human population size, forestry practices, the role of wilderness preserves, the concept of biodiversity, climate change, and the importance of solitude. Congrats Soren! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Book Launch 11 Dec 21.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 164009 bytes Desc: not available URL: From coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca Sun Dec 12 18:15:21 2021 From: coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca (Caroline Beddoe) Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2021 20:15:21 -0400 Subject: [BNS_members] Reminder: Monthly Meeting Tomorrow at 7:30 Message-ID: <4f2d1ec67d5b71e2d287298352157447@blomidonnaturalists.ca> Good evening, A reminder of tomorrow night's monthly meeting and presentation! JOIN US VIA ZOOM TOMORROW, MONDAY DECEMBER 13TH AT 7:30 PM TO HEAR FROM MATTHEW SMITH ABOUT "PROTECTING ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY IN A TIME OF CHANGE." Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site is at the centre of two major threats to biodiversity: invasive species and climate change. In this talk, Matthew will discuss the impact of these threats to native biodiversity, species at risk and ecological integrity. Learn how conservation actions and restoration in partnership with Indigenous communities are providing hope in a time of great ecological change. Register for the Zoom here. [1] See you online, Caroline -- Caroline Beddoe She/her 613-619-1098 Coordinator, Blomidon Naturalists Society Blomidon Naturalists Society activities take place in Mi'kma'ki, the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. This territory is covered by the "Treaties of Peace and Friendship" which did not deal with the surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi'kmaw title. We want to recognize that outdoor education and play would not be possible without access to the natural world that has been stewarded since time immemorial by the many Indigenous peoples of this land. We acknowledge that we have a responsibility to honour and learn about their histories and current cultures and to actively work in support of reconciliation. We are committed to fostering respectful and sustainable relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of this land, with all other organisms, with the land and with the water. Links: ------ [1] https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIocO6srjwpHNMeyut5Igm6-wDAA8_CRYYG/success?user_id=EnY4hgI3RFuauHPMfRgdiw&timezone_id=America%2FHalifax -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: December Monthly Meeting.png Type: image/png Size: 1059490 bytes Desc: not available URL: From coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca Tue Dec 21 11:26:01 2021 From: coordinator at blomidonnaturalists.ca (Caroline Beddoe) Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2021 13:26:01 -0400 Subject: [BNS_members] Happy solstice & best wishes for the holidays Message-ID: Dear BNS community, Wishing you a happy solstice on this shortest day of the year, and a happy return to days of increasing light. In these dark midwinter weeks, the natural world (with its snow-covered branches, hibernating creatures, dormant plants...) provides a gentle reminder, perhaps even encouragement, to slow down and rest. And with this rest there is space to reflect and plan and dream for the year to come. I am excited for the new year with BNS, hopefully full of snow and fun fields trips such as snowshoe hikes and night walks. There are many interesting presentations/webinars shaping up too. As this winter dreaming and planning coalesces into events and projects, I will be sure to let you know. Everything will be listed on our website [1] too, and soon we will change the activity calendar from 2021 to 2022. As always, please reach out if you have any ideas or passions for field trips, events or initiatives. Thank you to all for your engagement, support and knowledge-sharing over the past year! And thank you to everyone who has sent in their membership renewal and calendar orders. Wishing you all safe and happy holidays. Caroline -- Caroline Beddoe She/her 613-619-1098 Coordinator, Blomidon Naturalists Society Blomidon Naturalists Society activities take place in Mi'kma'ki, the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. This territory is covered by the "Treaties of Peace and Friendship" which did not deal with the surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi'kmaw title. We want to recognize that outdoor education and play would not be possible without access to the natural world that has been stewarded since time immemorial by the many Indigenous peoples of this land. We acknowledge that we have a responsibility to honour and learn about their histories and current cultures and to actively work in support of reconciliation. We are committed to fostering respectful and sustainable relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of this land, with all other organisms, with the land and with the water. Links: ------ [1] https://blomidonnaturalists.ca/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Happy Solstice & Happy Holidays.png Type: image/png Size: 1473570 bytes Desc: not available URL: