Photo Ed Halverson

If the idea of walking through the woods and exploring an area of the province you may have never seen while getting your hands dirty to protect the environment sounds like your idea of fun, then mark Saturday on your calendar.

An invasive plant removal event is being held at Pleasant River.

Hosted by Treasured Wetlands of Nova Scotia, the event is a partnership between the province and Ducks Unlimited Canada.

Conservation Program Specialist with Ducks Unlimited Canada Izzy Clarke says the Pleasant River site was nominated by the Mersey Tobiatic Research Institute to help protect species at risk. Not identifying which species is at risk is best practice according to Clarke who says humans are often the biggest threat.

Clarke says that’s not the only reason they chose Pleasant River.

“It also is really special because it has these gigantic red maples,” said Clarke. “Red maples are a very common species you find them all over the place but it’s very uncommon to find ones that are as large and as old as these so it’s quite special.”

The chance to work alongside multiple agencies protecting and conserving wilderness areas also made the site an obvious choice.

“It was also a good opportunity to partner with several different organizations because the Nova Scotia Nature Trust owns part of this land so it’s a great opportunity to highlight different conservation measures that are being applied to our wetlands across the province,” said Clarke.

Anyone wishing to participate is advised to dress accordingly. Clarke suggests wearing long shirts and pants and closed toe shoes. Work gloves, tools such as shovels or pruners, and some tick spray are also good to bring along.

Clarke says after an orientation volunteers will be working to remove glossy buckthorn.

According to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, “glossy buckthorn is a non-native tree that was introduced to Canada from Eurasia approximately 100 years ago. It can grow as tall as seven metres.”

Clarke says as glossy buckthorn grows; it chokes out native plant species.

The Pleasant River invasive plant removal is the first of four such events Treasured Wetlands of Nova Scotia will be hosting this summer.

Clarke says each location has something special to offer and they hope events like these will encourage more people to learn about the diverse areas around the province.

“A lot of these wetlands are kind of like hidden treasures to everybody outside of the immediate community that that they’re in, and that’s definitely part of the intention of this program, is to draw attention to them and invite people out to them and kind of invite people to be curious about these really special and unique ecosystems,” said Clarke.

People wishing to participate in Saturday’s Pleasant River event can join either the 10am-noon or the 1:00pm to 3:00pm sessions.

Registration is not necessary, just show up at the Pleasant River Community Hall.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens council took their last meeting on the road to the Pleasant River Community Hall.

The highlight of the agenda was council’s decision to invest almost $2 million to repair the failing air conditioning unit at the Liverpool Business Development Centre.

The meeting opened with the public comment section.

A couple of residents spoke asking council to put a pause on the permits to a controversial house being built on Eagle Head Beach while a third inquired about the possibility of adding more bylaw enforcement officers.

After that council went about approving the job descriptions for workers at Hillsview Acres long-term care facility.

The Region is mandated by the province to review the positions every four years.

From there, council voted to go ahead with the $1.9 million plan to install a new four-zone cooling system at the Liverpool Call centre.

Council then moved into the discussion phase of their meeting.

First up was a conversation around installing an accessible ramp at the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre in Liverpool.

Provincial law requires all government owned buildings to be accessible by 2030.

Council deliberated on the placement of the ramp and how it is to be enclosed.

The preferred option seems to be along the side of the building adjacent to the Royal Bank that leads from the rear parking lot.

The plan will be evaluated and brought before council in greater detail at a future meeting.

The last piece of business was a lively discussion on whether or not to form a pool committee.

The Queens Community Aquatic Society recently received a $3 million private donation towards the construction of a new pool and are looking for the region to begin construction as soon as possible.

The conversation revolved around who will make up the committee, what responsibility it will have and what will be asked of staff.

In the end, council decided to form a committee but what it will look like and what role it will play in the construction of a new pool has yet to be determined.

Council will hold a special council meeting Tuesday July 5 to discuss the location of the new library.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.