[NatureNS] the "Spryfield" (Halifax, HRM) burn

From: "Dusan Soudek" <soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: "NatureNS" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Sat, 16 May 2009 19:53:27 -0300
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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   Today my son and I had a chance to check a few interesting localities =
effected by the recent 800 ha "Spryfield" fire just outside of Halifax. =
We parked our car at the end of Princeton Ave. near Roachs Pond, where =
the fire may have started, off Herring Cove Road.=20
   Then we hiked up the "Old Military Road" towards Fergusons Cove =
through the heart of the burn. Here the fire was very intense, killing =
all trees and all shrubs in its path and scorching the ground. But here =
and there we could see new blades of grasses, fern fronds, and possible =
Trout Lily and False Lilly of the Valley shoots poking through the black =
ground. Only some patches of wet ground along McIntosh Run were spared.=20
   The rickety footbridge across McIntosh Run at the site of the =
late-eighteenth century Princes' Bridge survived, but both its ends are =
blackened. It is still possible to cross McIntosh Run here.
   Our next stop was at the York Redoubt National Historic Site off =
Purcells Cove Road. The fire didn't get inside the walled redoubt =
itself, but scorched a considerable area of mixed and hardwood forest at =
the SE corner of the property. However, this burned area is quite =
patchy, and most of the trees and shrubs seem to have survived the =
ground blaze. Ironically, the neighbouring DND firefighting school =
property was also burned.
   N.S. Nature Trust's Captain Arnell Conservation Lands was our final =
stop. We hiked from Purcells Cove Road to Purcells Pond, and could see =
the edge of the burn maybe 100 m east of the head of the pond. There are =
quite a few downed trees blocking the around-the-pond trail, and we =
didn't continue. But it looks like the Trust's property is untouched.
   Dusan Soudek
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<DIV><FONT size=3D4>&nbsp;&nbsp; Today&nbsp;my son and I had a chance to =
check a=20
few interesting localities effected by the recent 800 ha "Spryfield" =
fire just=20
outside of Halifax. We parked our car at the end of Princeton Ave. near =
Roachs=20
Pond, where the fire may have started, off Herring Cove Road. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>&nbsp;&nbsp; Then we hiked up the "Old Military =
Road" towards=20
Fergusons Cove through the heart of the burn. Here the fire was very =
intense,=20
killing all trees and all shrubs in its path and scorching the ground. =
But here=20
and there we could see new blades of grasses, fern fronds, and possible =
Trout=20
Lily and False Lilly of the Valley shoots poking through the black=20
ground.&nbsp;Only some patches of wet ground along McIntosh Run were =
spared.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>&nbsp;&nbsp; The rickety footbridge across McIntosh =
Run at the=20
site of the late-eighteenth century Princes' Bridge survived, but both =
its ends=20
are blackened. It is still possible to cross McIntosh Run =
here.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>&nbsp;&nbsp; Our next stop was at the York Redoubt =
National=20
Historic Site off Purcells Cove Road. The fire didn't get inside the =
walled=20
redoubt itself, but scorched a considerable area of mixed and hardwood =
forest at=20
the SE corner of the property. However, this burned area is quite =
patchy, and=20
most of the trees and shrubs seem to have survived the ground blaze. =
Ironically,=20
the neighbouring DND firefighting school property was also =
burned.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>&nbsp;&nbsp; N.S. Nature Trust's Captain Arnell =
Conservation=20
Lands was our final stop. We hiked from Purcells Cove Road to Purcells =
Pond, and=20
could see the edge of the burn maybe 100 m&nbsp;east of&nbsp;the head of =
the=20
pond. There are quite a few downed trees blocking the around-the-pond =
trail, and=20
we didn't continue. But it looks like the Trust's property is=20
untouched.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>&nbsp;&nbsp; Dusan Soudek</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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