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<a href="../201408/38188.html">next message in --f46d04428e563d5f600500ae1197 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Hi David, I appreciate your comments about Conrads beach and the issue of dog walkers ignoring leash regulations. You are not alone in your frustration! Dogs running at-large is not just a threat to wildlife, it's a serious safety concern for all beach and park visitors. During our beach surveys for Piping Plover across NS, our team of staff and volunteers collect data on threats to birds and habitats, including numbers of dogs on and off-leash. Last year, Conrads and Martinique had the highest rates of off-leash dogs than any other beach in Nova Scotia. Conrads, in particular, seems to have become an extremely popular place to let one's dog run. Wendy MacDonald recently shared with me a letter she wrote in July to the Chronicle Herald Community paper regarding leashing rules for dogs. Among her excellent points, was one that discusses how dog parks in communities could be part of a solution. Having more safe spaces for dogs to run off-leash and socialize could help to take some of the pressure off our parks and beaches. I know that the NS Bird Society has also expressed their concern about this issue through a letter to the province earlier this year. But what can one person do now when you see walkers violating posted leash regulations? Our team has been told to report dogs at-large to the Dept Natural Resources hotline: 1 800-565-2224. We don't report every single dog off-leash we see (we'd be on the phone a lot!), but we do our best to report incidents where we see a dog chasing birds or running at-large (far from owner) and when the dog walker won't put their dog on-leash after a polite request. Regarding lack of signage (sometimes signs are stolen or vandalised), you could try talking to the local DNR office for that area (contacts for each office can be found at http://novascotia.ca/natr/staffdir/offices.asp). Kind regards, Sue Abbott Bird Studies Canada Piping Plover Conservation Program On Thu, Aug 14, 2014 at 12:03 PM, David Patriquin <David.Patriquin@dal.ca> wrote: > I was on the Saltmarsh Trail yesterday, just past the bridge before > Lawrencetown beach. There is a good crop of what I assume is winter rye by > the trail, quite munchable at this stage. I wondered-- does anyone know why > it is planted there? Stabilization? For wildlife? (I assume not as snacks > for humans!) It probably reseeds itself. Anyway, quite impressive. > > There was a group of 51 semipalmated plovers frequenting the tidal flats, > day before as well, and two American golden plovers; and in the inlet > behind Conrad's Beach, one lonely Bonaparte's Gull; several lesser yellow > legs; only a half dozen semipalmated sandpipers on the beach at extreme low > tide but lots of dogs. > > Speaking of which, DNR Conservation officeres came to Conrad when we were > leaving to check out parking by the gate. I talked to them about dogs. > There had been 4 or 5 dogs on the beach in the previous couple of hours. > They said that they give $175 tickets but they dont do any good. It seems > to me that if they posted "$175 fines" on the No Dogs Off-leash sign, it > might be more effective. (How about increasing the fines?) Also.. > kite-whatever-it-is-with-wheels when they do it along the beach should be > specifically banned. > > The officers talked only about Piping Plover as being threatened by dogs, > as do the signs, but surely, the stress on all shorebirds should be > highlighted, e.g., as for semipalmated sandpipers at Evangeline Beach. As > it stands, Martinique and Conrad have ever-growing reputations (Googled) as > dog-friendly beaches. > > A few pics at http://versicolor.ca/conrad to illustrate these points. > -- Bird Studies Canada NS Piping Plover Conservation Program www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/nsplover/ --f46d04428e563d5f600500ae1197 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div><div>Hi David,<br><br></div>I appreciate your co= mments about Conrads beach and the issue of dog walkers ignoring leash regu= lations.=C2=A0 You are not alone in your frustration!=C2=A0 Dogs running at= -large is not just a threat to wildlife, it's a serious safety concern for all beach and park visitors.<br><br>During ou= r beach surveys for Piping Plover across NS, our team of staff and voluntee= rs collect data on threats to birds and habitats, including numbers of dogs= on and off-leash.=C2=A0=C2=A0 Last year, Conrads and Martinique had the hi= ghest rates of off-leash dogs than any other beach in Nova Scotia.=C2=A0 Co= nrads, in particular, seems to have become an extremely popular place to le= t one's dog run.<br> <br></div><div>Wendy MacDonald recently shared with me a letter she wrote i= n July to the Chronicle Herald Community paper regarding leashing rules for= dogs.=C2=A0 Among her excellent points, was one that discusses how dog par= ks in communities could be part of a solution.=C2=A0 Having more safe space= s for dogs to run off-leash and socialize could help to take some of the pr= essure off our parks and beaches.=C2=A0 I know that the NS Bird Society has= also expressed their concern about this issue through a letter to the prov= ince earlier this year.<br> <br>But what can one person do now when you see walkers violating posted le= ash regulations?=C2=A0 Our team has been told to report dogs at-large to th= e Dept Natural Resources hotline: <a href=3D"tel:1%20800-565-2224" value=3D= "+18005652224" target=3D"_blank">1 800-565-2224</a>.=C2=A0 We don't rep= ort every single dog off-leash we see (we'd be on the phone a lot!), bu= t we do our best to report incidents where we see a dog chasing birds or ru= nning at-large (far from owner) and when the dog walker won't put their= dog on-leash after a polite request.=C2=A0 Regarding lack of signage (some= times signs are stolen or vandalised), you could try talking to the local D= NR office for that area (contacts for each office can be found at <a href= =3D"http://novascotia.ca/natr/staffdir/offices.asp" target=3D"_blank">http:= //novascotia.ca/natr/staffdir/offices.asp</a>).<br> </div><div></div><div><br></div>Kind regards,<br><br>Sue Abbott<br>Bird Stu= dies Canada<br></div><div>Piping Plover Conservation Program<br></div><div>= <div><br><br></div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"g= mail_quote"> On Thu, Aug 14, 2014 at 12:03 PM, David Patriquin <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a = href=3D"mailto:David.Patriquin@dal.ca" target=3D"_blank">David.Patriquin@da= l.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"ma= rgin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> <div dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"font-size:12pt;color:#000000;background-color:#ff= ffff;font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <p>I was on the Saltmarsh Trail yesterday, just past the bridge before Lawr= encetown beach. There is a good crop of what I assume is winter rye by the = trail, quite munchable at this stage. I wondered-- does anyone know why it = is planted there?=C2=A0 Stabilization? For wildlife? (I assume not as snacks for humans!) It probably reseeds its= elf. Anyway, quite impressive.<br> =C2=A0<br> There was a group of 51 semipalmated plovers frequenting the tidal flats, d= ay before as well, and two American golden plovers; and in the inlet behind= Conrad's Beach, one lonely=C2=A0 Bonaparte's Gull; several lesser = yellow legs; only a half dozen semipalmated sandpipers on the beach at extreme low tide but lots of dogs.<br> <br> Speaking of which, DNR Conservation officeres came to Conrad when we were l= eaving to check out parking by the gate. I talked to them about dogs. There= had been 4 or 5 dogs on the beach in the previous couple of hours. They sa= id that they give $175 tickets but they dont do any good. It seems to me that if they posted "$175 fines= " on the No Dogs Off-leash sign, it might be more effective. (How abou= t increasing the fines?) Also.. kite-whatever-it-is-with-wheels when they d= o it along the beach should be specifically banned.<br> <br> The officers talked only about Piping Plover as being threatened by dogs, a= s do the signs, but surely, the stress on all shorebirds should be highligh= ted, e.g., as for semipalmated sandpipers at Evangeline Beach.=C2=A0 As it = stands, Martinique and Conrad have ever-growing reputations (Googled) as dog-friendly beaches.<br> <br> A few pics at <a href=3D"http://versicolor.ca/conrad" target=3D"_blank">htt= p://versicolor.ca/conrad</a> to illustrate these points.<br> </p> </div> </blockquote></div><br><br clear=3D"all"><br>-- <br><span style=3D"font-fam= ily:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Bird Studies Canada</span><br style=3D"font= -family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style=3D"font-family:arial,helvet= ica,sans-serif">NS Piping Plover Conservation Program</span><br style=3D"fo= nt-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> <a style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" href=3D"http://www.bird= scanada.org/volunteer/nsplover/" target=3D"_blank">www.birdscanada.org/volu= nteer/nsplover/</a><br><br><br> </div></div> --f46d04428e563d5f600500ae1197--
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