This newsletter is the primary communications vehicle for the NFA Partnership and interested parties.  We hope you will read it and find it useful.  More information about this new feature is contained on the first page.  We hope this will provide an opportunity to create a more interactive and interesting communications piece.  Any feedback regarding the newsletter is much appreciated.

Please click here to access the newsletter:  NFA_NEWSLETTER_16_FEB_2010 

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First Nations Woodlot at St. Croix Nova Scotia - CS MacArthur Photo

The St. Croix woodlot, managed by the Annapolis Valley First Nation, is home to one of the oldest forests in Nova Scotia.  This remarkable 118 hectare (300 acre) woodlot borders Lake Panuke near St. Croix, Nova Scotia.  On October 21, 2009, the woodlot was the site of the field trip component of the Forest Forum, a two-day event hosted by the Nova Forest Alliance (NFA). (more…)

On January 21, 2010, a crew of 30 people assembled in Stewiacke to reflect on the past and consider the future of the Nova Forest Alliance and the model forests of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. 

The workshop, themed “Charting the Course II”, was modeled on a 2000 event of similar purpose and did not disappoint organizers as a room full of partners pulled together to engage in collaborative and creative discussion around broad issues surrounding forest management and sustainability in the provinces.   (more…)

What are non-timber forest products (NTFPs)? Mushrooms, berries, plant and animal products, nuts, seeds, medicinal plants – these products and more may be harvested from the forest to produce a wide range of goods, including food and food additives, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, gardening and landscaping material, and to develop craft industries and ecotourism services.

Cultivating economic opportunities from non-timber forest resources requires the careful harvesting and marketing of products, and includes the integration of other values, including wildlife habitat and water and air purification.

On February 18-19, 2010, the Atlantic Model Forest Network, consisting of Nova Forest Alliance, Fundy Model Forest, Model Forest of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the PEI Model Forest Network Partnership, will co-host a workshop on non-timber forest products and forest certification at the Truro Best Western Glengarry. Other partners include the Federation of Nova Scotia Woodland Owners and Infor Inc.

The workshop will feature experts from across Canada who are familiar with business opportunities in the NTFP sector. Non-timber forest product development has the potential to generate sustainable, renewable economic opportunities in Atlantic Canada’s forest-based communities.

Forest certification is a topic of increasing interest to private woodland owners in the Atlantic Provinces. The workshop will look at the impacts that forest certification is having on woodlot management, and review the standards that are currently in place.

Please pre-register for the workshop by visiting http://www.novaforestalliance.com, or by calling (902) 639-2921.

See the poster at:

http://novaforestalliance.com/media/documents/NTFP_Poster.pdf

On Saturday, December 5 from 5-9pm, volunteers from throughout the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve gathered in Caledonia, Nova Scotia at the legion to celebrate their efforts in the Greater Kejimkujik Ecosystem. Individuals who contributed to programs such as Blanding’s turtle monitoring, Loon Watch, Piping Plover Guardian Program, Friends of Keji, Trout Monitoring, and so much more were honoured for their contribution to conservation in Atlantic Canada. Tom Herman was awarded the highest achievement for his lifelong contribution to research and conservation in Keji, while many more received kudos for their hard work and dedication. Thanks to the entire team!  The Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve is a partner organization of the Nova Forest Alliance and the Forest Communities Program.

Volunteers give a thumbs up for their work in conservation in the biosphere reserve

The Beautiful St. Mary's

Babe Ruth fell into the St. Mary’s River.  It was 1936 and there’s an oft-told story about how local guide, Dan MacIntosh, pulled the newly-retired Baseball Hall-of Famer out of the Stewart Pool that spring.  There were a few tense moments, but it all ended well.  On July 9th of that year, The New Glasgow Eastern Chronicle reported that the “Babe Ruth party scored 17 salmon in their brief visit.”  

On the St. Mary’s River in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, there are endless fishing legends, and the area’s history and folklore are inextricably bound to the river, the forests and the famous wild Atlantic Salmon that spends part of its life in the river’s pristine waters. (more…)

EMPOWER Youth Group (Photo by Brennan Caverhill)

The EMPOWER project at MTRI is working to create a network for young environmental leaders in communities in the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve. Together with a team of researchers, teachers, students, and local citizens, MTRI is finding ways to accomplish three major goals: networking youth groups in the biosphere, developing and delivering a conference where these youth can meet and share ideas, and highlighting inspiring individuals in the biosphere who are living model lives of productivity and sustainability.  (more…)

In Nova Scotia, regulation is often not the first tool that policy-makers reach for when facing the diverse and progressive woodland owner sector. Instead, informing and educating landowners has traditionally been an effective way of promoting good stewardship practices. Extension and outreach can be a particular challenge when the audience consists of over 30,000 woodland owners, but through the Community Development Trust Fund, the provincial government has provided woodland owner associations with funding to develop forest certification programs.  (more…)

St. Mary's River, Nova Scotia

The 2009 summer season has been a busy one in the forest communities of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. 

In Southwest Nova Scotia, staff and summer students at Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute advanced the Empower! project which is creating a network of young people who will become the community leaders of tomorrow.  The St. Mary’s River Association made substantial progress on their project to produce a book on the natural history of the river watershed.  In addition, project leaders at Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources have been designing a brand new Junior Rangers program that will create educational opportunities in natural resources for First Nations youth.  The PEI Model Forest Partnership stayed busy as usual delivering forestry field days, fairs and other events to woodland owners and the public.  (more…)

On March 24th the Nova Forest Alliance Partnership greeted a new fiscal year by approving a progressive workplan for 2009-2010. This year the Nova Forest Alliance and Forest Communities Program will support projects that: foster the exchange of ecological knowledge among First Nations youth; maximize the community benefits of the hardwood resource on Cape Breton Island; explore the potential for new hardwood markets; encourage sustainable natural resource management; capitalize on non-timber, value-added and other emerging forest-based opportunities; expand the range of knowledge and options available to woodlot owners; develop an integrated watershed management plan; engage the public, industry and special interest groups; develop and publish a natural history book; develop a plan for demonstrating historical forestry practices; create a network to empower youth leaders; educate landowners about agroforestry opportunities; promote awareness about natural and cultural history; exchange ideas with model forests in Canada and around the world and contribute to the completion of Nova Scotia’s protected areas network. (more…)