From CPAWS NS:
(more…)CPAWS Nova Scotia is excited to share this information. On our kayak expedition to Owls Head last week, we observed an endangered leatherback sea turtle. It was feeding on jellyfish very close to shore, about 20-30 feet out from the shoreline, in the deeper waters near the headland.
Despite its incredible benefits to the oceans and to our fisheries, nearly one-third of seagrass worldwide has been lost in the past century alone. Here in Nova Scotia, we have an incredible opportunity to protect it.
Contributed by Dr. Kristina Boerder
June 8, 2021
World Oceans Day
We have a treasure right in front of our doorstep that few people know about — eelgrass beds, a remarkable coastal ecosystem under the waves, just steps off the coast. Very few people know that eelgrass provides critically important ecosystem services, including supporting our fisheries, helping to prevent coastal and beach erosion, and storing carbon. The UN has even declared eelgrass meadows a “secret weapon” in the fight against climate change. Unfortunately, seagrass meadows are also one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems. It is estimated that the world loses up to 2 football fields worth of seagrass each hour. That’s the equivalent of 336 football fields each week.
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Owls Head Provincial Park has been a candidate for legal protection since the 1970s. It was a key component of the Eastern Shore Seaside Park System, Our Parks and Protected Areas Plan, and more. Today, we look back on its extensive history and the government decisions that brought us here.
Christopher Trider worked as a park planner for 21 years. He designed well-loved coastal parks including MacCormacks Beach, Rainbow Haven, Lawrencetown, Pomquet Beach, and many more. I have received a number of messages from members of our group asking how to visit and access Owls Head Provincial Park. You deserve Read more…
The Department of Lands and Forestry’s decision to secretly delist Owls Head Provincial Park prompted applicants Bob Bancroft and Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association to take the case to court on behalf of concerned Nova Scotians. This legal case has been generously funded by supporters of the Save Owls Head Read more…
As a 268-hectare coastal landscape on the Atlantic Flyway, Owls Head Provincial Park is an important habitat for native bird species and a refuge for migratory birds.
The coastal headland supports a variety of habitats, including a beach, estuaries, bogs, and salt marshes. Last summer, CPAWS NS and a team of biodiversity experts set out “to identify bird species across these habitats and document the ecological significance of this unique region.”
(more…)“The Applicants’ legitimate expectations that they would be informed and consulted before a park would be removed from the PAPA Plan and sold for private development further elevates the duty of fairness owed.”
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In spite of a year that has been challenging in so many ways, our volunteers have contributed their time and their talents. We would like to extend our deepest thanks to each of those wonderful groups and individuals. While we can’t share each and every action, we wouldn’t be here without the passion and persistence of our supporters. Please keep reading to see just how far we’ve come.
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