Halifax Today

Dalhousie marine biologist calls sensitive eel grass at Owls Head ‘treasure’

Kristina Boerder says development would likely cause negative consequences on surrounding aquatic vegetation and marine life

Kristina Boerder completed work in the area last summer and says the rare eel grass beds at Owls Head are more effective at trapping carbon than forests on land. She says about one acre of eel grass can store about 330 kilograms of carbon per year. 

“This is about as much as a car travelling from Halifax to Vancouver would emit in carbon,” she says. “The function of eel grass beds trapping carbon is incredibly important if we talk about climate change and a warming planet.”

She says it also benefits humans and the environment by protecting the coast from erosion and improving water quality.

“It’s one of the most productive ecosystems in the world,” she says. “A square metre produces about 10 litres of oxygen per day, and really benefits everybody.”

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By Save Owls Head, ago
Black Duck Island from Scanlan Point

Calls for land protection continue, as Nova Scotia nearly reaches 13% target

Indigenous activists and conservation groups say Nova Scotia needs to set a higher target for land protection as it comes close to reaching its 13 per cent goal


Katie Hartai
Halifax Today
October 20, 2020

Full article here>

“In the beginning the 13 per cent was a great goal, but the more I learn and share, the more I realize that’s not where we should stop,” she says. “We definitely need to increase that number to allow for more Indigenous-led conservation but also to create more protected spaces for all of Nova Scotia and the people here.”

Melissa Labrador, Mi’kmaw Activist

Chris Miller [executive director of CPAWS NS] says the province needs to make more space for Indigenous-led conservation in the spirit of reconciliation, but also to sustain the health of the planet for everyone.

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By Save Owls Head, ago

Once a leader in conservation, N.S. now falls behind, report finds

Nova Scotia was once considered to be a leader in Canada for the creation of new protected areas, but in a new report, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) says that’s no longer the case.

“Owls Head is probably the most egregious example we have seen this year of the Nova Scotia government showing their disregard for our protected areas in this province,” she says. “Here is a coastal gem on the eastern shore, that has been recognized as a significant conservation site for decades, and the government was all too comfortable secretly delisting the site without consultation.”

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By Save Owls Head, ago

Group calls for government to re-commit to protecting Owls Head Provincial Park

On the Eastern Shore sits a piece of coastal crown land that was — up until last week — on a list to eventually be protected

Victoria Walton
Halifax Today
December 22, 2019

Full Article Here>

“It’s one of about 90 or so sites that have been identified across the province for their conservation value and are awaiting legal designation, or to be made official by the provincial government,” says Caitlin Grady with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

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By Save Owls Head, ago