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--Apple-Mail-52-551053600 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; delsp=yes; format=flowed JUNE 12, 2012 - I got up early this morning to drive to Annapolis =20 Royal for a public meeting of Annapolis County's Planning Advisory =20 Committee, on the subject of a proposed by-law for the county to =20 limit the sites for new or expanding mink farms, until the various =20 issues associated with this rapidly growning industry can be examined =20= thoroughly (especially waste management and avoidance of polluting =20 surface or ground waters. A recently proposed new mink farm in =20 Tupperville, near Bridgewater, has been the tipping point for several =20= recent meetings on this. And scientific surveys of several lakes in =20 the Carleton River Watershed, where mink farms are concentrated, have =20= provided circumstantial evidence that heavy nutrient levels, =20 especially phosphorus (possibly from mink feed?), has resulted in =20 revolting and possibly-toxic blooms of blue-green bacteria (formerly =20 called blue-green algae). However, when I got to the Municipal County building, the public =20 turnout for the 9 a.m. meeting was so huge that I was among 30+ =20 people who could not even get into the room! So I will have to read =20 about what the PAC decided to recommend to the Annapolis Co. =20 council. See the Chronicle Herald article that appeared the next day: Mink farming debate heats up | The Chronicle Herald 16 hours ago ... Mink farming advocates and opponents packed council =20 chambers ... =93We realize it has become an emotional issue for many =20 people, Dan Mullen, Nova Scotia Mink Breeders Association president, =20 told the crowd of about 200. thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/106430-mink-farming-debate-heats-up ------------------------ I was very disappointed, but I had a plan B, which was to do a walk =20 at the Annapolis Royal Marsh, alias French Basin Trail (1.2 km. =20 circuit around a productive cattail marsh with lots of open water and =20= several islands). Quite a few people were using the trail, mostly =20 for just a walk, or, in one case, running; I saw only about two =20 people who were probably nature freaks like me; bicycles and ATVs are =20= prohibited. Today was Sunny and warm and calm, but biting flies were =20= absent -- but there were lots of flying insects for swallows, =20 warblers, etc. - One of the first things I noticed was truly delightful: glossy =20 buckthorns are very strongly infected with a conspicuous rust =20 fungus. I hope this fungus will have a noticeable effect on this =20 very invasive weedy tree/shrub. Hopefully Nancy Nickerson can =20 provide a name for said fungus, and maybe she has already since Andy =20 Dean got a photo of presumably the same rust in King's County in west =20= Kentville, "Seven Bridges", on June 8/12. And Nancy did indeed =20 supply the fungus' name,(Puccinia coroOat Crown Rust (Puccinia =20 coronata). - Another botanical note I wrote was that along one end of the loop =20 trail around the wetland is a lot of Phragmites, common names "reed =20 grass" or "elephant grass". This plant is used locally for thatching =20= roofs, and lately the historic public gardens at Annapolis have =20 advertised the finish of this year's new thatching on a building in =20 the garden that goes back to the Acadians? - yellow cow lilies, Nuphar, in bloom. - no frogs seen or heard, and no turtles seen. - BIRD NOTES from my 90-minute walk (Richard Stern probably needs =20 only a half-hour or less for this, but I spent some time on nearly =20 every bench I saw!): - pied-billed grebe: 1 seen, 1 heard. - 1 double-crested cormorant flew over. - Canada goose: lots of poop on one part of the gravel trail; and 3 =20 broods seen, of 1 and 4 and 5 goslings, respectively (from half-grown =20= to about 3/4 grown with a whitish cheek patch. - lots of "brown ducks", mostly mallards. - 20+ black ducks. - 2 male Am. wigeons. - 1 male gadwall. - 2 male n. shovelers. - 1 male wood duck and, separately, a female with 4 ducklings, 1/3 =20 grown. - 2+ male ring-necked ducks. - 2 alder flycatchers heard. - lots of yellow warblers. - 2 common yellowthroats heard. - male red-winged blackbirds were defensively aggressive along the =20 trail and actually scared a youth walker; other red-winged blackbirds =20= plentiful. - grackles also common in the marsh. - signage near the sewage treatment pond: "Natural Wastewater =20 Filtration System": secondary treatment by aerobic bacteria, then UV =20 light treatment, then nutrient-rich treated water fed into the marsh =20 ecosystem (very productive, to say the least). - on my drive back toward Wolfville, I saw a single turkey vulture =20 soaring at low altitude in its characteristic way over Belleisle. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.= --Apple-Mail-52-551053600 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252 <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>JUNE = 12, 2012</b> - I got up early this morning to drive<b> to = Annapolis Royal</b> for a public meeting of Annapolis County's Planning = Advisory Committee, on the subject of a proposed by-law for the county = to limit the sites for new or expanding <b>mink farms</b>, until the = various issues associated with this rapidly growning industry can be = examined thoroughly (especially waste management and avoidance of = polluting surface or ground waters. A recently <b>proposed new = mink farm in Tupperville</b>, near Bridgewater, has been the tipping = point for several recent meetings on this. And scientific surveys = of several lakes in the Carleton River Watershed, where mink farms are = concentrated, have provided circumstantial evidence that heavy nutrient = levels, especially phosphorus (possibly from mink feed?), has resulted = in revolting and possibly-toxic blooms of blue-green bacteria (formerly = called blue-green algae).</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal = normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">However, when I got to the Municipal County building, = the <b>public turnout </b>for the 9 a.m. meeting was <b>so huge that</b> = I was among 30+ people who could not even get into the room! So I = will have to read about what the PAC decided to recommend to the = Annapolis Co. council. See the Chronicle Herald article that = appeared the next day:</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal = normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><p = style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px"><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5"= color=3D"#0f20c5" style=3D"font: 16.0px Arial; color: #0f20c5"><a = href=3D"http://www.google.ca/url?q=3Dhttp://thechronicleherald.ca/novascot= ia/106430-mink-farming-debate-heats-up&sa=3DU&ei=3DCpPYT7HwBIT48gS= RoezVAw&ved=3D0CBEQFjAA&usg=3DAFQjCNFbxeXMQOfuOMV9wotyEYE2YJiF5Q">= <b>Mink farming</b> debate heats up | The Chronicle = Herald</a></font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px"><font = face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial">16 hours ago = <b>...</b> <b>Mink farming</b> advocates and opponents packed = <b>council</b> chambers <b>...</b> =93We realize it has become an = emotional <b>issue</b> for many people, Dan Mullen, Nova Scotia Mink = Breeders Association president, told the <b>crowd</b> of about = 200. </font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px"><font = face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#38744c" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; = color: = #38744c">thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/106430-<b>mink</b>-<b>farming</b= >-debate-heats-up</font></p><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">------------------------</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: = normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; = "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">I was very disappointed, but = I had a plan B, which was to do a walk at the <b>Annapolis Royal Marsh, = alias French Basin Trail</b> (1.2 km. circuit around a productive = cattail marsh with lots of open water and several islands). Quite = a few people were using the trail, mostly for just a walk, or, in one = case, running; I saw only about two people who were probably nature = freaks like me; bicycles and ATVs are prohibited. Today was Sunny = and warm and calm, but biting flies were absent -- but there were lots = of flying insects for swallows, warblers, etc.</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- One of = the first things I noticed was truly delightful: <b>glossy = buckthorns</b> are very strongly<b> infected with a conspicuous rust = fungus</b>. I hope this fungus will have a noticeable effect on = this very invasive weedy tree/shrub. Hopefully Nancy Nickerson can = provide a name for said fungus, and maybe she has already since Andy = Dean got a <b>photo of presumably the same rust in King's County</b> in = west Kentville, "Seven Bridges", on June 8/12. And Nancy did = indeed supply the fungus' name,(Puccinia coro<b>Oat Crown Rust = </b><i>(Puccinia coronata)</i>.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: = normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; = "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- Another botanical note I = wrote was that along one end of the loop trail around the wetland is a = lot of <i>Phragmites,</i> common names "reed grass" or <b>"elephant = grass"</b>. This plant is <b>used locally for thatching roofs</b>, = and lately the historic public gardens at Annapolis have advertised the = finish of this year's new thatching on a building in the garden that = goes back to the Acadians?</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal = normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">- yellow<b> cow lilies</b>, <i>Nuphar</i>, in = bloom.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal = 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">- no frogs seen or heard, and no turtles = seen.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal = 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">- BIRD NOTES from my 90-minute walk (Richard Stern = probably needs only a half-hour or less for this, but I spent some time = on nearly every bench I saw!): </font></div><div style=3D"margin-top:= 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: = normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; = "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- pied-billed grebe: 1 seen, = 1 heard.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- 1 double-crested cormorant = flew over.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- Canada goose: lots of poop = on one part of the gravel trail; and 3 broods seen, of 1 and 4 and 5 = goslings, respectively (from half-grown to about 3/4 grown with a = whitish cheek patch.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- lots of = "brown ducks", mostly mallards.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- 20+ = black ducks.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- 2 male Am. = wigeons.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- 1 male = gadwall.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- 2 male n. = shovelers.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- 1 male wood duck and, = separately, a female with 4 ducklings, 1/3 grown.</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">- 2+ male ring-necked ducks.</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">- 2 alder flycatchers heard.</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">- lots of yellow warblers.</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">- 2 common yellowthroats heard.</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">- male red-winged blackbirds were defensively = aggressive along the trail and actually scared a youth walker; other = red-winged blackbirds plentiful.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- = grackles also common in the marsh.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: = normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; = "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- signage near the <b>sewage = treatment</b> pond: "Natural Wastewater Filtration System": secondary = treatment by aerobic bacteria, then UV light treatment, then = nutrient-rich treated water fed into the marsh ecosystem (very = productive, to say the least).</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: = normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; = "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- on my drive back toward = Wolfville, I saw a single <b>turkey vulture</b> soaring at low altitude = in its characteristic way over Belleisle.</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica"><br></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Cheers = from Jim in Wolfville.</font></div> </body></html>= --Apple-Mail-52-551053600--
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