Where The Catbirds Sing

I haven’t used my blog in a while. When I tried to write a post a few minutes ago, I wasn’t able to access the edit function. Took me a few minutes to figure out what was going on. Hopefully that problem is resolved.

In any case, I’m going to try to start using this blog again. I keep saying that and then I don’t get around to it. Well, maybe this time!

Just a quick post to say that I started to do quite a bit of painting in late winter – mostly in watercolours. I’ve cut back on that over the springtime as I’m busy outdoors, but I did manage to pull myself together enough to do an acrylic painting that I’m submitting for the ARCAC members’ exhibit, “Wild Nature” that runs from the end of July through til some time in late August. I’m posting a photo of the painting here today. It’s entitled, “Where The Catbirds Sing”. It was inspired by some Gray Catbird activity in the lilac trees in the front yard. Two Catbirds were vigorously singing – I assume it was two males trying to out-sing each other. It was a sunny day. The lilac leaves were glowing in a certain way. I’m going to post two photos that I took on that day and used to work from in making this painting. I also incorporated a spectrogram of a recording that the BirdWeather PUC station made of the Catbirds that have been singing around the yard recently. I thought that would help to symbolically convey more of a sense of the birdsong that took place that day.

Anyhow, enough about that. Here’s the painting (above) and the 2 photos that I worked from (below).

Geographies of Solitude – documentary

Last night, I watched the 2022 documentary, Geographies of Solitude, directed by Jacquelyn Mills, available for streaming online on CBC Gem. In the listing, it is described as: An immersion into the rich landscapes of Sable Island and the life of Zoe Lucas, a naturalist and environmentalist who has lived over 40 years on this remote strip of sand.

I’ve known about Zoe Lucas and her connection to Sable Island for many years. I first read about her in an article – I believe it was probably in Harrowsmith Magazine in the 1970s. I’d already possessed something of a fascination with the remote island. A “Sable Island – Graveyard of the Atlantic” map, annotated with many shipwrecks, hung on the wall at our family cottage back in the 1960s. Then I learned about the dozens of horses that lived on the sliver of sand dunes which lies far off the southeast shore of Nova Scotia. As a teenager, I longed to go there — to see the horses, of course! According to Lucas, it was the horses that attracted her to visit the island for the first time in 1971.

There’s much more to this film than geography and the horses. Lucas has spent her lifetime there, studying the ecology, collecting specimens, recording her observations, picking up beach trash to be analyzed, and many other tasks. It’s been a life of extreme solitude. Dustin Chang has written a very good review of the film for Screen Anarchy. It provides a good overview. Here’s a link to his review.

Runtime is about 104 minutes. Here is a link to watch the film on CBC Gem.. Unfortunately, most CBC Gem media is region restricted, so this probably can’t be viewed online from outside of Canada.

In The Quiet and The Dark – documentary

As I’ve been busy painting the exterior of my house for the past couple of weeks, my blog posts have sadly suffered. I’ll try to get back on track now that I’m almost finished painting the front and most challenging wall of the house. More about that in another post. Today, I wanted to write something about the new documentary, “In The Quiet and The Dark” which has just been made available for online streaming on the CBC Gem website. I’ve been waiting to see it for a few weeks. The documentary is about the effort being made to save at least a few stands of Eastern Hemlock here in Nova Scotia, from the very lethal, invasive insect known as the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid or HWA. Good friend and neighbour, Donna Crossland, a forest ecologist and former park ecologist at Kejimkujik National Park, has been spearheading the response, both doing the important work of raising awareness and communicating with government on the need to act quickly, and also in the field, training “Hemlock Heroes” to administer the only effective weapon against HWA – a pesticide which must be injected into each individual tree.

The documentary, directed by Nance Ackerman, and produced by Teresa MacInnes, of Sea To Sea Productions, takes us into cathedral-like, centuries-old Eastern Hemlock forests — both healthy and dying — to let us see what is at stake if we do not move quickly to control HWA infestations. Even with heroic efforts, most of the Hemlock in Nova Scotia are doomed. However, some can be effectively protected and hopefully prove instrumental in re-establishing Hemlock when biocontrols currently in development and approval, can take over. There have been a number of hurdles that had to be dealt with in order to begin treating trees. These are discussed in the documentary.

As HWA spreads into more of eastern Canadian forests, this film should be of interest to everyone who cares about native forest ecology. Watch it to find out more.

As mentioned, view this documentary online on CBC Gem.

not such a hot idea

I’m sharing something posted on my old “Burning Silo” blog in September 2006. I hadn’t thought of it in a while but had occasion to look it up. This is Sabrina in the post. She was such a great dog. Well, all of the Collies are wonderful dogs. Gentle with even the tiniest creatures. Enjoy.

As proven by yesterday’s events, sometimes things don’t work out quite as planned.
(click on images for larger views)

What do you think she’s up to?

Uh-oh. That doesn’t look like such a hot idea.
~ or ~
Aren’t we feeling a little too ambitious today?

Mountains always look much larger up close.

It would appear that discretion truly is the better part of valor.

As the saying goes, “He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.”

Healing The Hemlocks – Saving Ancient Trees from Invasive Insect in Nova Scotia’s Asitu’lɨsk Forest

Today’s Halifax Examiner has a good article about the current effort to protect the many ancient Hemlock trees at the Asitu’lɨsk Forest threatened by the invasive Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) insect. Although it’s a very small insect, it’s been having a terrible impact on Hemlock as it has swept across southwest Nova Scotia since its detection in 2017. Once infected with HWA insects, trees begin to die within a year or two. However, there is a treatment that can save them, but it’s expensive and not easy to administer.

This autumn, teams of volunteers will be working at the Asitu’lɨsk Forest (formerly Windhorse Farm), innoculating Hemlock trees in order to make them resistant to HWA. The plan is to innoculate 7,000 trees — a major undertaking. They are looking for volunteers to help with everything from flagging and measuring trees, to treating trees, to carrying supplies, to helping with food preparation for the volunteers.

Here’s a link to the article on the Halifax Examiner website. Unfortunately, it’s behind the paywall so you won’t be able to access it without an account with Halifax Examiner (a very worthy investigative journalism website which deserves our support — just a little plug there for them!!).
HOWEVER!!! IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING TO HELP OUT AT THE ASITU’LɨSK FOREST!!! Here’s a page where you can find out ALL about it! It sounds like a very meaningful experience. Quoting from the page::

With opportunities for various involvement levels, this week presents a chance for everyone to play a critical role in safeguarding the magnificent Hemlock forest. Don’t worry about tools; we’ve got you covered. Your safety and comfort are of utmost importance, and we ensure that you have all necessary equipment and guidance.

? Accommodations and Amenities: If you need a place to stay, we offer cozy lodgings for your convenience. Choose between our comfortable farmhouse and lodge, complete with power, linens, Wi-Fi, and fully-equipped kitchens, or experience rustic charm in our off-grid cabins featuring limited solar power, propane stoves for cooking, and wood stoves for warmth.

? Embrace the Journey: Your participation goes beyond saving trees; it’s about being part of a remarkable team effort, making a difference in the lives of these ancient giants. Join us, and together, we’ll leave a legacy of conservation and harmony with nature.