50Things
Finding Harmony, a Mi’Kmaw Perspective
Clam Harbour Beach Provincial Park
Emma Gabriel
Clam Harbour Beach Provincial Park is near to the yet-to-be designated Owls Head Provincial Park, for which this work was created.
Follow the boardwalk out to the beach or walk the trail on the other side of Beach Road. While you take in all that Clam Harbour has to offer, peruse Emma’s nature guide.
Owl’s Head is a coastal headland on the Eastern Shore. In 2019 the provincial government made a secret deal to sell Owls Head Provincial Park to a private developer to build 3 golf courses and a housing development. The EAC, other environmental groups, and concerned citizens caught wind of the plan and have been working to prevent the dismantling of this precious coastal land, home to endangered species (like the Piping Plover) and ecosystems (like the Broom Crowberry ecosystem).
Finding Harmony, a Mi’Kmaw Perspective
Emma illustrates a nature guide to Owls Head Park.
Wetlands provide some of the most diverse ecosystems, Owls Head Park being one of them. Growing many species of plants, these areas are able to support a greater variety of animals and fish. Owls Head is home to many endangered birds (over 75 species), while the surrounding shoreline flourishes with important eelgrass beds. These beds are nearly impossible to reconstruct and provide protection and biodiversity, supporting a range of life from smaller crustaceans to larger fish.
The more biodiverse our planet is, the more resilient we are to climate change and illnesses. Lose of biodiversity has brought on a rise in zoonotic diseases, which have been passed from animals and insects to humans. Evidence supports that Covid- 19 is zoonotic… so by protecting and supporting conservation efforts, we benefit directly.
Gratitude for nature’s gifts helps us to connect with the Mi’kmaw ethical code of Netukulimk. This concept fosters harmony between all things by teaching us to achieve “adequate standards of community nutrition and economic well-being without jeopardizing the integrity, diversity, or productivity of our environment”(https://www.uinr.ca/programs/netukulimk/).
Take an in-depth look at the endangered birds of globally rare and extremely biodiverse ecosystems found in the park that are at risk of disappearing for the sake of golf courses. Discover the native plants and how these species have been used as medicine by Mi’kmaq ancestors.
Emma Gabriel started her exploration in visual art while doing a minor in studio art during her undergrad. Using her time to experiment with different media, she discovered a passion for getting lost in the process of creating. She became a TA for mentor Janette Fecteau and assisted with her Batik and Stained Glass courses (flat panel and lamp making).
This experience led her to volunteer for an international art outreach program in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She later became the Artistic Director of the NGO Art Relief International and learned the therapeutic benefits of art.
Since living in Halifax, she has been focusing on drawing as her medium, taking much inspiration from the natural world around her. Now she creates digital pen-and-ink-style illustrations that are detailed and technical. She aspires to a career as a tattooist.
The EAC has been fighting for the protection and preservation of our working forests, sometimes working with unlikely allies.
EAC's Wilderness Team worked together with representatives of the forestry industry through the Colin Stewart Forest Forum to secure government commitments to protect 12% of Nova Scotia's Crown land from industrial activity - at the time, the highest percentage in Canada outside of BC. Government was shocked to see environmental activists and forestry industry representatives aligned on protecting forest habitat at specific sites. The Colin Stewart Forest Forum resulted in almost 29,000 acres of land protected under legislation, and compensation for forestry companies that gave up lands forecasted to be harvested in favor of conservation.
Piping Plover
This cute little migratory shorebird is on the endangered list both nationally and provincially! Why? They migrate to Nova Scotia in the spring for nesting season and lay their eggs directly on the sand just above the waterline. You can imagine that coastal development and more recreational use of beaches could impact their fragile ways of nesting and breeding. Reports by locals as well as the Nova Scotia Dept. of Environment (Protected areas Branch) reported piping plovers nesting on the beaches of Owls Head Crown Land. With only 45 breeding pairs in our province, how can we help? While nesting birds will most often steer clear of bustling beaches, it’s a good idea to look for signs, stay nearer to the water and keep vehicles off the beach. For more info about what you can do, check out the Volunteer Training Guide created by Biologist Karen Potter.
Broom Crowberry (Corema conradii) - Male Aspect
These curious low lying heathland shrubs are the dominant species on the coastal barrens of Owls Head. They grow between 15- 50 cm high and have wind pollinated flowers. This means that there is a male and a female aspect. Flowers appear in late April/early May in specific habitats along the coast from Nova Scotia to New Jersey and nowhere else in the world!
Broom Crowberry (Corema conradii) - Female Aspect
The specific environmental conditions include thin layers of acidic and nutrient poor soil on top of exposed bedrock, along the coast but away from the salty spray of the ocean.
This ecosystem is highly biodiverse and extremely rare (I mean, globally rare).
Think about what it would take to create a golf course here, adding soils, stabilizers, nutrients and fertilizers.
Teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens)
Aka: American wintergreen, boxberry
A low lying shrub that is native to northeastern North America. Growing 10- 15 cm tall and smelling something like spearmint, the white flowers transform into red berries which hang under the evergreen coloured leaves.
Mi’Kmaw Medicine
Teaberry has been used in traditional medicine as a tea to aid matters of the heart. Thinning and regulating the blood, Teaberry tea aids in the recovery of heart attack and stroke and can also be used preventatively.
Barn Swallow
Much like the Piping Plover, this small bird makes its way to NS in the summer months for nesting. Traditionally building their nests with mud, sticks and feathers, they chose their homes in pockets and crevices along cliff walls as well as on cave walls. A growing number of barns, brought on by industrial agriculture, created a shift in the nesting habits of the swallow as they began to prefer barns and other more protected structures. Now that these barns are disappearing, the barn swallows are too. Protecting Owls Head means protecting their feeding grounds and sanctuary and has the potential to provide them with a safe nesting habitat.
Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)
Growing 5- 60cm tall, the wild blueberry bush produces glossy blue-green leaves in summer, which turn red in autumn. The berries provide food for animals big and small including white tailed deer, black bears, coyotes, foxes, porcupines and birds. Find these berries in season around the end of July.
Mi’Kmaw Medicine
The entire plant (specifically the roots and leaves) is highly astringent and chocked full of antioxidants. It is traditionally taken as a tonic to heal a variety of ailments including sores of the mouth and throat, stomach upset and diarrhea.
Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Aka kinnikinnick
A low lying ground cover in the heath family that has deep roots up to 2 metres long, it typically grows in open and forested areas in sandy soil. The flowers are bell shaped and look much like the teaberry flower. The berries are also red but they grow closer to the short leaves, rather than hanging underneath.
Mi’Kmaw Medicine Used as a general tonic and to promote health of the urinary system.
Common Juniper (Juniperus communis)
Able to grow as a tree or ground cover shrub in open areas, it is a member of the cypress family and can be found in the Arctic, North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Unlike other junipers, the common juniper (like the crowberry) has male and female parts and is wind-pollinated. Berries emerge green and ripen to a dark blue-purple.
Mi’Kmaw Medicine
Juniper has been used as a topical treatment for burns, cuts and sprains and can be ingested to treat a range of ailments including colds, influenza, stomach ulcers, kidney and urinary tract issues. Different parts of the plant are used, depending on the ailment.