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Thanks for the report, Dusan.
Unfortunately, the Nature Trust-owned Purcell's Cove Conservation Lands, which includes the Captain Arnell Property, did not escape the fire. Dave Patriquin, Phil Schappert and I walked the Property back to Flat Lake and the "back" one-third of the Property is "toast". Only the wetlands - boggy areas and lakeshore (in part) - escaped the fire. I had never before walked through a burned-over area so soon after the event. It was surreal, with nothing left alive for 100 m around you. In some areas, we did see fern fronds emerging as well as a lily-like leaf which may have been Lady's Slipper.
Keeping in mind that fire, in general, is a natural event (not sure about this one), it will be an interesting study site to monitor natural regeneration, especially for the fire-dependent species like Jack Pine.
Cheers (?),
Bob McDonald
----- Original Message -----
From: Dusan Soudek
To: NatureNS
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2009 7:53 PM
Subject: [NatureNS] the "Spryfield" (Halifax, HRM) burn
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.
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.
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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--Boundary_(ID_I/F2bm/NB5dGNWsoMOzT7w)
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<DIV><FONT size=2>Thanks for the report, Dusan.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Unfortunately, the Nature Trust-owned Purcell's Cove
Conservation Lands, which includes the Captain Arnell Property, did not escape
the fire. Dave Patriquin, Phil Schappert and I walked the Property back to
Flat Lake and the "back" one-third of the Property is "toast". Only the
wetlands - boggy areas and lakeshore (in part) - escaped the fire. I had
never before walked through a burned-over area so soon after the event. It
was surreal, with nothing left alive for 100 m around you. In some areas,
we did see fern fronds emerging as well as a lily-like leaf which may have been
Lady's Slipper.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Keeping in mind that fire, in general, is a natural event (not
sure about this one), it will be an interesting study site to monitor natural
regeneration, especially for the fire-dependent species like Jack
Pine.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Cheers (?), </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Bob McDonald</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca href="mailto:soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca">Dusan
Soudek</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
href="mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">NatureNS</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, May 16, 2009 7:53
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] the "Spryfield"
(Halifax, HRM) burn</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4> 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. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4> 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. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4> 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.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4> 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.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4> 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.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4> Dusan Soudek</FONT></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P><BR>No virus found in this incoming message.<BR>Checked by AVG -
www.avg.com <BR>Version: 8.5.329 / Virus Database: 270.12.32/2118 - Release
Date: 05/16/09 17:05:00<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
--Boundary_(ID_I/F2bm/NB5dGNWsoMOzT7w)--
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