A picture is [sometimes] worth a thousand words; this is one of those times
Scott Leslie, a renowned Nova Scotia author and nature/wildlife photographer, was the guest speaker at the Thursday Dec 7, 2017 meeting of the Halifax Field Naturalists (HFN) which I attended; his topic: Untamed Atlantic Canada.
Scott’s photographs and reading from his latest book (Untamed Atlantic Canada) held us spellbound.
After the final questions about his presentation he asked if we would be interested in seeing some of his aerial views of clearcuts in Annapolis Co. and Cape Breton. HFN members and generally most of the visitors attending their meetings (which are open to the public) have a keen interest in forests and forestry, so there was little hesitation. We again sat spellbound, this time by some much less comforting pictures than those we had just seen.
Scott gave HFN a selection of the aerial photos to post on their website. The photos “speak volumes” as they say, in this case the volumes of wood that have been scraped wholesale off of our landscapes, leaving wildlife without homes, burning up carbon in the soil and who knows what else – even though the regulations, and in some cases even FSC standards, are being followed.
View Scott Leslie’s clearcut photos
As suggested on the HFN webpage, if you are unhappy about what the photos reveal, spread the word, write your MLA, join/support the Healthy Forest Coalition, make a submission to the Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia.
Finally I hope everyone can learn more about forests and forestry in Nova Scotia – from all sides of the current debate, from the Mi’kmaq and from the fishers and hunters and trappers and hikers and woods workers and artists who know our woods in different ways – so we can figure out an inclusive way forward for all Nova Scotians and for all of Nova Scotia’s species.
I guess that’s my New Year’s wish.
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More clearcut pics etc can be accessed via Current Issues>CLEARCUTTING>What’s wrong with clearcutting?>Photos, Videos