They want to choose a provincial lichen. Who? What?
Believe it not, there are actually people who call themselves lichen enthusiasts – people who search and study and get excited about lichens – and they want to choose a provincial lichen for Nova Scotia. Like the Mayflower is our provincial flower, the osprey is our provincial bird and the wild blueberry is our provincial berry.

These lichen enthusiasts have to choose their recommendation before Tuesday, Jan. 23 but they are hoping for some public input – and rightly so; this lichen is going to represent all of us in Nova Scotia.
To make it easier for those of us with little knowledge about lichens, the enthusiasts have put together a shortlist, with photos, and an online poll over at www.lichensns.com/poll .

If you’re at all interested, you can mull over their list, maybe google up some photos and information, and then make a choice.
Ideally if we had more time, (and there wasn’t a storm barreling down on us this weekend), we’d all go for a little walk and see if we can actually find some of these lichens in the woods around us – we could treat the lichen list as a sort of scavenger hunt, go out and try to see the lichens in the real world.
Cause here’s the thing: lichens are all around us and most of us hardly notice them.

Have you ever seen a gathering of little pale green sprouts with pretty red tips on a rotting log, the little sprouts appearing almost lined up like soldiers on parade? That’s the British Soldier Lichen with a latin name of Cladonia cristatella – Cladonia comes from Greek through Latin and means sprout; cristatella, means it has a little tuft on top.
Cladonia are a very common lichen although most are a plain pale green or yellow without the red splash of the British Soldier Lichen – in the harsh environment up North, these “reindeer lichen” carpet the ground for miles and miles and are the main source of food for caribou and reindeer for example. Here in Nova Scotia, you will see reindeer lichens carpeting boulders or open bogs, paler generally and finer than moss.
Another lichen you might have seen hanging on boulders of Nova Scotia like ragged bits of brown lettuce is called rock tripe or Umbilicaria mammulata.

How about Old Man’s Beard? A yellowy green lacy thing hanging in the branches of trees that birds love for their nests – that’s a lichen. Another you’ve probably seen a million times and never noticed is the Crumpled Rag Lichen – again hanging in the branches of trees like a crumpled rag.
Lichens have some great names don’t they?
On the enthusiasts’ lists is the Yellow Specklebelly – now there’s a name! They also listed Acadia Bearded Jellyskin Lichen and Blue Felt Lichen.
A few of us headed out last week when we heard about the poll to do some lichen hikin’ and we found a few Yellow Specklebellys on the Acacia Valley Trails. Other lichens from the list, you can see at the Acacia Valley Trails include Old Man’s Beard and Crumpled Rag Lichen. You will definitely see Tree Lung Wort and if it weren’t for the snow, you’d see some great clumps of several kinds of reindeer lichens.
 
So what are lichens? It’s complicated and that is probably my favourite thing about them – even scientists are still getting their heads around how much we still have to learn about lichens.
 
Basically a lichen is a partnership between a fungus and a plant-like thing called an algae (best known as the scummy stuff on ponds) – although sometimes, instead of algae, the fungus teams up with a thing called cyanobacteria (a type of single celled organism that can create energy from sunshine – again like plants but not like plants).
Anyway the deal is, both partners bring something to the table – the fungus protects and gives structure to the algae (kind of like the skin and bones of the lichen) and the algae create energy. The fungus seeks out water, breaks down minerals in rock, and the algae makes food. The deal is different for every lichen as different fungus team up with different algae in different ways.
But let’s get back to what you and I see when we look at lichens: for starters, some lichens, like some mushrooms are a little icky but some lichens, and some mushrooms, are startlingly beautiful when you stop and look at them.
And that’s the fun part about lichen hikin: you can go out today, even on a trail you know extremely well and find a whole new world with beautiful landscapes to explore.
Speaking of which, I gotta go and see some lichens before the storm hits so I can vote before Tuesday.
Which is your favourite and why?

P.S. The Balancing Rock Trail has an interpretative panel with photos of some of the lichens you might see out there including Old Man's Beard, Tree Lung Wort, and Star-tipped Reindeer Lichen which are on the enthusiast's list.

The leaves are spectacular RIGHT NOW in Digby County!
I know it can be tough to leave a warm cozy house these days and tromp around in the wet but it's so worth it - the leaves are all washed and shiny and, as painter Poppy Balser says, the grey skies gives the fall colours a lovely backdrop to glow against.
Another bonus of this weather is bright raincoats and rubber boots look awesome in fall photos!
I'm going to be out of the area for a few days so I'm hoping you can all help me out and share your photos of fall colours in Digby County for me and everyone to see.
Simply post them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #fallingfordigby, or send me the photos in a private message or email (jriley@municipality.digby.ns.ca).
I'll be collecting, like I did last year, on the #fallingfordigby webpage: Falling for Digby photo gallery.
Now get out there and enjoy those fall colours while they last!

The volunteers behind the Van Tassel Lake Trails want your feedback and ideas.
The Van Tassel Lake Trails Association is working with Trailflow (trail designers from Wolfville) on a master plan to help focus their efforts in the Town of Digby's watershed area.
The goal of the plan is to make sure they are creating a trail system that serves the needs and wants of the community and therefore, the first step is to ask the community what they want.
Trailflow has created a short easy survey with questions about your current trail use and how you would like to see the trails used in the future.
The survey has 15 quick easy questions and should take less than 5 minutes to complete.
The VTLTA is hoping to hear from as many people as possible - PLEASE: help us create a trail system that you will love and use often!

Click on the link below to answer the survey questions:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VanTasselLake

Thank you in advanced for your input and contribution to this project.

Trail enthusiasts are invited to join in a celebration of the new trail bridge over Hwy 101 near Exit 26 in Conway just outside Digby.
The grand opening is scheduled for Sept. 29 at 11 a.m. on the north side of the bridge (the Digby side).
South West Nova MP Colin Fraser, Clare Digby MLA Gordon Wilson and Warden of the Municipality of the District of Digby, Jimmy MacAlpine will cut an alder branch to mark the official opening before crossing the bridge with those in attendance.
Greg Turner, chair of the Digby Area Tourism Association is looking forward to the bridge celebration.
“We are inviting cyclists, horse riders, walkers, ATVers, all the various users of this bridge to celebrate together,” says Turner.
Please meet on the Digby side - for those driving to the bridge opening, easiest access is via a highway access road from the far end of the Flat Iron Road.
Park on the shoulder and well off the road near the electrical substation. Please take care to keep the road clear for any traffic needing access to the highway construction site. The contractor is working on Saturday and has been made aware of the ceremony.
Rubber boots are recommended as the access road is still under construction and could be muddy after all this recent rain.
The Digby County ATV Club will be hosting a BBQ afterwards with hotdogs, sausages water and pop.

Here's some results from some of the many community clean ups around Digby County this spring.
Thanks to everyone who helps make their community that much tidier.
Especially those who quietly clean the ditch on their local stretch of highway or street, those who take a garbage bag with them for their daily walk, and especially especially those who put their trash where it belongs in the first place.
Thanks to those who believe and act on the rule "If I don't pick this up, who will."

April 24 – Fort Point: 350 kg
May 14 – Culloden Wharf Road, DRHS students and Waste Check: 1.12 Metric Tons
June 2 – final push on Sandy Cove beach: 2.84 MT
June 8 – Boar’s Head clean up with NCC and ICS O2 students: 380 kg
June 4 – Gulliver’s Cove beach, with Gulliver’s Cove Trails and DRHS students: 2.24 MT
June 9 – Pond Cove beach on Brier Island: 2.58 MT
June 12 – Marshalltown – Middle Cross Road (4.3km) – 409 kg

P.S. Ever heard of plogging? (group jogging events where participants fill trash bags as they go)
I wonder where a good plogging run would be most beneficial? let me know if you know of a trail or roadside that could really use a big group of ploggers to give it a go.

jriley@municipality.digby.ns.ca

This is a great time to enjoy the wildflowers in the Nova Scotia woods!
There is something blooming along every inch of the Balancing Rock Trail - many of the blossoms are quite small and you'll have to get up close (and/or use a magnifying glass) to really appreciate these intricate little splashes of colour.
The trail was very busy with hikers yesterday, especially in the afternoon when the sun came out. Many of the hikers were hurrying out to see the rock and hurrying back to their cars. But one couple from Germany was there in the drizzle with me in the morning and like me they were walking slowly and enjoying the shiny drizzle-washed greenery.
"It's like a rain forest, so lush," they said. Their favourite thing about the trail was how it cuts right through the wilderness - how it would be tough slogging without the trail to walk through bog and brush - but with the trail you get to see all the plants without the slogging.
It might be a fun game with the family to head out the trail and see how many different flowers or interesting plants you can find... I have put together a slideshow and a printable list of 15 wildflowers and interesting plants i saw at Balancing Rock yesterday. I'd love it if people would share with me what they are seeing out there. (Email: jriley@municipality.digby.ns.ca)
For more info and more fun like this, check out iNaturalist.

The Gulliver's Cove Trails Association, led by Wanda Van Tassell, is organizing a beach clean up at Gulliver’s Cove for June 4.
A class of Options and Opportunities students from DRHS are coming to help, plus and Wanda and I are hoping a good number of local people can also make it for some of the day.
“It’s going to be a big job,” says Van Tassell. “It must be five years since we’ve done a clean up here and this beach, the way it is structured, we’re one of those beaches that gets a lot of debris washing in.”
Wanda has seen a day of cleaning makes a big difference in the past.
“When it’s cleaned up, it’s pretty nice,” she says. “People come from all over to enjoy the shore here. They come looking for agates, for walks on the trails, they have picnics and lobster boils.”
The Gulliver’s Cove clean up is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 4 - but as far as that goes, anytime you want to go the beach and start gathering it up, your help would be welcome.
Digby Salvage and Disposal is donating a dumpster and the Municipality of the District of Digby has waived the tipped fees. Clean Foundation will be providing gloves and garbage bags and the Municipality is hosting a BBQ to thank and fuel the volunteers.

Public invited to discuss plan for recreation at Haines Lake
Public information session at Digby East Fish and Game about the former DNR base in Hillgrove
Thursday, Feb. 8, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

NORTH RANGE, N.S. - The Municipality of the District of Digby is inviting the public to discuss a proposed plan for their new recreation property on Haines Lake.
Municipal staff are hosting a public information session Thursday, Feb. 8 at the Digby East Fish and Game. Staff will be providing information about, and hoping to gather some feedback on, their ideas for the site of the former Natural Resources base in Hillgrove, which is a few hundred metres down the shore from the Fish and Game.
The plan for the Haines Lake recreation area is based for the most part part on feedback the municipality received at their open house in September.
More than 75 people attended the event Sept. 23, 2017. Staff offered tours of the property, answered questions about the site, listened to suggestions and feedback and collected 27 surveys about how people would like to see the property used.
“People at the open house told us clearly they wanted this to be a place for picnicking, enjoying nature, and accessing the water, whether that is swimming, canoeing or kayaking,” says Jimmy MacAlpine, Warden of the Municipality of the District of Digby. “Staff have been looking at ways to make some small improvements at the site to enable and enhance these activities.”
FOR MORE INFO: www.digbytrails.ca/haines-lake.html
Municipal staff have been looking at options for fixing up the waterfront and the buildings on site including using part of the former DNR offices for use as washrooms, change rooms and activity shelter.
The Digby Area Recreation Commission used the site last summer for kayak camps for youth and opened the site three evenings for anyone, young or old, to try kayaking.
The plan for 2018 is to continue with the same sort of programming with possible additions of other water-based or nature-oriented programs.
“We’re open to partnering with local groups or organizations who want to host or hold outdoor recreation or education programs,” says Bob Powell, recreation manager of DARC. “A public session like this is a great way for us to learn what kind of programming the public wants, and people can contact us anytime with suggestions.”
The Municipality bought the 20 acres on Haines Lake from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for $1,000 in early 2016. The property is about 15 minutes from town on the Ridge Road and has about 120 metres of lakefront.
 
A plan for Haines lake recreation area
Date: Thursday, Feb. 8
Time: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Digby East Fish and Game
For more info: www.digbytrails.ca/haines-lake.html

For information or questions, concerns or comments,
please contact:
Jonathan Riley
Trails and Open Space Coordinator
902-245-2861
jriley@municipality.digby.ns.ca

Bob Powell
Recreation Manager
902-245-1884
bobp@ns.aliantzinc.ca

Fabulous Fundy flakes favour southwest Nova

Digby is the snow capital of the province right now and aren't we lucky.
Judging by the tracks at the Digby Pines golf course, the Acacia Valley Trails, at Van Tassel Lake, and on the railbed, a lot of people have been out and enjoying the wonderful wintry weather.
It has been snowing in Digby for a week and the light and fluffy flurries have really piled up. The snow has been a little wispy letting skis and snowshoes sink through to the ground underneath but the last few days it has started to thicken up and get some real base to it.
If you’ve never tried snowshoeing, this is a great time to borrow a pair from Digby Area Recreation and head out to the Pines to play in the snow. Snowshoeing is super easy to learn – it is just walking with extra big shoes.
Snowshoeing isn’t necessarily faster than walking in boots but if you take your time, it saves you sinking to your knees or waist, and gives you a little more traction and stability.
Snowshoe hikes and trails
A group of people on Digby Neck have an easy hike to a winter waterfall planned for Wednesday, Jan. 3. They are meeting at 1 p.m. on the Wharf Road in Sandy Cove, parking there and then hiking to TR Falls. The route is mostly along a snow-covered gravel road with just a short scamper through the woods to the falls at the end.
Other local options include the Acacia Valley Trails on Mill Road in Hillgrove. The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal keeps this gravel road well plowed but the steep section near the bottom can be slippery depending on snowfall and ice.
Beginners can stick to the wide, level trail and the adventurous can roam off on the single track trails to the Hardwood Ridge, Picnic Rock, and Tupper’s Deadwater or even connect into the miles and miles of logging road on the neighbouring Crown lands.
The Van Tassel Lake Trails are also a great place to snowshoe with easy walks to the lake, a rougher but beautiful loop around the lake or the demanding hike to the look off with a stunning view of the snow-covered uplands.
For more information on the trails in the Municipality of the District of Digby go to digbytrails.ca.
#FUNDYFLAKES
As trail coordinator for the Municipality of the District of Digby, I want to share with everyone just how beautiful and fun it is here right now.
I’d really appreciate it if Digby County folk could share their best fun-in-the-snow photos of sledding, skiing, snow sculptures, forts and snowmobiling.
You can email me the photos at jriley@municipality.digby.ns.ca or message me on Facebook or just post them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #fundyflakes
FUNDY ERRATICS WINTER HIKES
The Fundy Erratics also have a series of winter snowshoe hikes planned Jan. 20, Feb. 17 and March 24.
Jan. 20 - Railbed
The first hike will be relatively easy. The plan is to snowshoe 7.5 km on the railbed from Jordantown to the airport. This hike is intended to introduce people to the fun of snowshoeing on relatively even and level terrain but also to show you some of the winter beauty out there along our railbed.
Feb. 17 – Acacia Valley
In February we will try something a little more aerobically demanding on the Acacia Valley Trail on the Mill Road in Hillgrove. The plan is again 7 or 8 km but the terrain, while not hilly, is a uneven and wild. We’ll plan on following Aunt Sarah’s Brook by several frozen pools to Tuppers Deadwater and then over to Picnic Rock for a little bonfire.
March 24 – Gulliver’s Cove
And in March, we’re planning a strenuous climb to a couple of spectacular lookoffs above Gulliver’s Cove. The hike is only 5 or 6 km but parts are very steep. We’ve scheduled this one for late in the season so you have lots of time to get in snowshoe shape.