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Joint
Field Trip with Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society and the Newfoundland
and Labrador Wildflower Society Day 1, Monday August 6/12: Meet 5:00pm Bridgewater, in parking lot across from the New Bridgewater Hotel, 35 High Street. There is a Tim Horton’s within the same parking lot opposite this hotel. Registration will be done at that site; all participants will be required to sign the consent form to cover the entire trip. We will then travel a short distance to Fancy Lake to view Lophiola which should be in full bloom at that time. The entrance is from a small dirt road, just prior to the Blarney Stone restaurant. Follow the dirt road, to where it crosses the old railroad track, marked with large yellow posts. The old track is used as a provincial park, and forms a multi use trail. Walk west on the track, past the back of the Blarney Stone restaurant, and a large fen will appear on the left hand side, where the Lophiola should be quite obvious and impressive. There is poison ivy, along the trail. We will then return to Bridgewater area for supper at a local restaurant. (to be determined). Day 2, Tuesday August 7/12: Day trip to Mersey-Tobeatic Research Institute, Ponhook and Molega Lake. We will meet in the parking lot across from the Bridgewater Hotel 35 High Street, near the Tim Horton’s at 8:00 am. Bring lunch, water, cameras, etc. We will then drive to Charleston, and travel up the Medway river, to Greenfield Community School. There will be some stops along the way. At Greenfield we will meet Brad Toms, Allain Belliveau, and Megan Crawley who will lead us to a site off Judd Freeman Road. We will carpool as necessary from the school parking lot. We may need to split into groups to minimize trampling on some of these sensitive areas. On return we will travel to the MTRI site for a site visit, which should be most interesting to all. This is a building that is very energy efficient, with a most impressive heating system. There is a small local restaurant, which may be able to accommodate us or we may travel back to Bridgewater for dinner. Details may be decided later by consensus. Day 3, Wednesday August 8/12: Travel day to Yarmouth with stops. Meet parking lot Bridgewater Hotel 35 High Street 8:00 am. Drive to Shelburne, at Exit 26 turn left, there is a Tim Horton’s on the right. We will stop there to regroup, refresh, have a snack if desired, or purchase a lunch, as there are no facilities along highway 203. Highway 203 is extremely rough with deep ruts in the pavement. Drive with caution. We will then take route 203, to Indian fields, about 31.7 km from the intersection at highway 103. We will stop there for 20 to 30 minutes. There is no cell phone service, from Middle Ohio, until we reach the Yarmouth area. We will make several short stops along the way. Parking is limited, and we should not obstruct traffic. Pearl Lake is on the Tusket river system and we’ll make a short stop at Kemptville. There is a small private property at which the lakeshore is accessible, and we may be able to take small groups to that site. (Time permitting.) Shelburne to Yarmouth is usually about 1 hour (98km). From Kemptville we will drive about 15 km and then turn left to Canaan road, a dirt road, which will lead down to Wilson’s road and the DNR site at Wilsons Lake. (About 15 km). Wilsons Lake is at N 43. 56. 456, W 063.53.566. We will stop there and explore the shoreline. There is a large parking lot. The entrance is not marked, and the parking lot is overgrown with a lot of sedges. We will spend most of the afternoon here, and then travel to Yarmouth hotels and a restaurant for supper. The evening is free for exploration. I would suggest a visit to Cape Forchu Lighthouse. Follow the signs to the Yarmouth Hospital, turn left at the hospital, and follow the road to Cape Forchu. Day 4, Thursday August 9/12: Meet at Vaughan Lake Bed and Breakfast, Gavelton. (9:00 am) From Yarmouth drive to Tusket, about 15 minutes, take exit 33 to Quinnan. Drive along the road to Quinnan for 1 to 2 kilometres, where the road takes a sharp turn to the right. Keep going straight, to Gavelton. Do not follow the road to Quinnan. You will be familiar with this sharp turn in the road, as we will enter Yarmouth on the same road, on day three. We will carpool as necessary from Vaughan Lake. From the B and B, we will travel to Raynardton, then towards South Deerfield, and follow the signs to Ellenwood Provincial Park. There is a large parking lot in the park for day use. We will explore the shoreline of Ellenwood Lake, and some of the surrounding trails. We will leave the park around noon and retrace our steps back to exit 33 at Tusket. From there, we will take the old route three, to Egypt Road, and down to Maple Island. We can park along the roadside, so as not to block traffic, and then walk out to the salt marsh, and Maple Island. We will travel to Lower West Pubnico, along highway 103. Take exit 31 to route 335 and follow the signs to Lower West Pubnico, Dennis Point Café. The road is well marked with signs to the Dennis Point Café where we will have a lobster supper at 7:30 pm.(About 35 minutes from Yarmouth).
Day 5, Friday August 10/12: Wilsons Lake: Jack and Darlene Stone Conservation Lands. With Nova Scotia Nature Trust. Meet 9:00 am Vaughan Lake Bed and Breakfast. From Yarmouth take the 103 East to Tusket exit 33, then rte 308 to Quinan. Do not take the sharp right to the west on 308, bear straight north to Vaughan Lake B&B at Gavelton, to car pool. We will travel North to Wilson Lake Rd., then South East to the 308, then turn right (South East) to Trefry Rd. on the right, (1-2 km). Take the gravel road to the end where it is roped off. Private road, visitors not usually welcome, Nature Trust Visitors are tolerated. NT will notify residents of the trip. The trail is an old logging road roped off with a sign NO ATVs. (We have GPS coordinates. for the Maleberry.). May take some searching. In the afternoon we will visit Gilfillan Lake TREPA Conservation site. Turn left from the gravel road (Trefry Rd) and go North West to East Quinan where the pavement ends, bear slightly left to a gravel road, and follow to a wooden bridge over a small river flowing from Bennet’s Lake on the right to Wilsons Lake on the left. Park in the grassy field, just up hill to the right from the bridge. The entrance is on the left of the road. Walk down to the lake along a logging road. Return to Yarmouth for supper and hotels. Day 6, Saturday August 11/12: Barrington Passage, Sand Hills Beach Provincial Park, Port La Tour and Baccaro. 9:00am Meet at Tusket exit 33. From Yarmouth take highway 103 east to Tusket. We will meet in the parking lot adjacent to the gas station on the right hand side of the exit, coming from Yarmouth. If we have not seen Lilliopsis, we will go down to the site of the old bridge across the Tusket River on the old number three highway, just a short distance in behind the gas station. This will be dependent on the tides. Travel from exit 33 to Barrington Passage, about 1 hour. From there we will go to Barrington passage, to purchase a lunch, visit a Tim Horton’s or other facility. Then, to Sand Hills Beach Provincial Park, (last facilities). From Sand Hills turn right towards Coffinscroft and Villagedale. As you pass the last house at Villagedale, the Port La Tour, section of Swains Bog will appear on the left, as a wooded area disappears. There is a small parking area on the right. We will try to park as many cars along the roadside as we can. If necessary, car pooling can be arranged from Sand Hills. We will then visit the Port La Tour Bog for the thread leaved sundew, and other bog plants. We will then drive further south, to the Baccaro Peninsula lighthouse, to search for orchids and beach plants. (Wilsons, sharp tailed sparrow also is found in this area). We will then return to the highway 103, and travel to Liverpool, for supper, hotels etc. This will complete the southwest Nova Scotia portion of the trip. Sunday August 12 will be a travel day for return to Cape Breton. The Cape Breton portion of the trip will start from Port Hastings on August 13.
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