Communities in Bloom – Prescott Street Trees

Yarmouth is a participant in the Communities in Bloom (http://www.communitiesinbloom.ca) program and will have an evaluation team in town on July 17th. This is a commendable step towards the much needed greening of our community. The CIB program includes nine components: floral displays, turf and groundcover, landscaped areas, natural and cultural heritage conservation, tidiness, environmental awareness, tree/urban foresty management, and community involvement.

This particular article deals with the tree/urban foresty management component, described in the CIB website as: “Urban Forestry includes the efforts made by municipal, corporate… and private citizens in regards to urban forestry. It includes any written policies, by-laws and regulations, short and long-term plans, maintenance …, new plantings, heritage trees and woodlots, preservation of trees and succession planting. An effort in developing concepts and designs around existing trees or to include new plantings.”

This is a very important component. Urban trees are carbon sinks and work to reduce global warming carbon dioxide and contribute oxygen to the environment. It was with great distress that I learned of the destruction of the mature trees on Prescott Street because our town did not develop a creative solution to put in curbs, place a sidewalk and save the trees. The explanation I received was that the town followed a rational and practical solution – it cut down the trees, and the CIB committee and Council member on the committee did not even know it was going to happen.

If this is the result of out community’s leadership following a rational and pratical approach to govenment, I think it is time they begin to follow an innovative and creative approach. If CIB is important why is public works and engineering working counter to the goal? In one decision they wiped out any CIB credit for urban foresty for this year, devalued the property value of homes on Prescott Street by removal of trees, and ignored community involvement of the residents on the street who wanted to save their trees.

Floral displays, turf and groundcover, tidiness, and landscaped areas are nice. But, the big environmental issues are natural and cultural heritage conservation, environmental awareness, tree/urban foresty management, and community involvement. I hope that Prescott Street will serve as a reminder and that we can do better in the future in addressing the significant issues of the Communities in Bloom program.

Gulf of Maine Institute

I just spent an exciting week involved with the Gulf of Maine Institute’s Community Based Initiative Summer Workshop. This workshop, held at the Annapolis Basin Conference Centre, brought over 60 youth and adults from around the Gulf of Maine together to work on environmental projects. Teams of youth and adults from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Brunswick and Nova Scota attended.

Teams reported on projects they have been working on during the school year, learned techniques of project planning, engaged in a theme project during the week, and honed their presentation skills before a community panel of experts. In addition they participated in instant theater, talent night, and learned about the natural and cultural geography of the Annapolis Basin region.

The core element of the week’s activity is theme projects. Students formed teams to examine traditional Mi’kmaw uses of watersheds, marshland conversion in St. Mary’s Bay, potential for interpretation of a wetland wildlife reserve, and use of bioindicators to assess water quality.

The Gulf of Maine Intitute’s program is open to teams of students and adults living in the Gulf of Maine watershed. The goal of the program is to touch, move and inspire students to become stewards of the Gulf of Maine resource. The 2007 summer institute will be held in New Hampshire. Our goal is to have participation from at least three Nova Scotia teams.

Yarmouth’s Coastal Resource – Your Help Requested

The Tourist Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANS) has released a document, “ Nova Scotia Strategy for Sustainable Coastal Tourism Development” for comment. It can be found at www.nstourismvision.com.

The release of this document got me thinking, once again, about the fantastic coastal edge of Yarmouth County, and how under appreciated it is. After all, we see it every day; it is the way life is. But, look at it from the perspective of a person from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or southern Maine where the coastline is side-by-side development and public access is highly limited. Those people visit us and marvel at the beauty and availability of our coast to all.

Guess what! It isn’t going to last. Sorry to bring bad news. We are losing our coastal seascape view and access to various forms of private development. But, we can make sure that the future holds key areas and access points for public use through sound municipal and provincial planning, land acquisition, and park development. However, current policy is good about talking about our coastal heritage and not doing much to back up the commitment. Less talk, more action would be fine.

Let me bring this home to Yarmouth. Our big ticket item is the Cape Forchu Light. One gets the impression that once a tourist has seen that they can get on up the road to Mavillette Beach if they want “the coastal experience”. Yarmouth has nothing else?

Does “the churn” ring a bell? What a great spot and it is even on the way to the light. Turn right on Churn Road. Of course, it is kind of a mess, and not very inviting, but if one gets past the conditions at the end of the road the walk and water crashing are great. Why isn’t there a developed parking area and walk? It is worth an hour of tourism time to sit and enjoy – if we made it enjoyable.

Does “the beach at Kellys Cove” ring bell? No, we tell people to go to Mavillette. Well, sure, it is big and beautiful, and a Provincial Park. But, if I just want to go for a beach walk in the evening, close by, then the Kellys Cove beach is just great. It is small and intimate and just a nice place to be. Sunday Point, just past the beach, should have been in public ownership years ago. It is too late now. The False Harbour beach has the same things going for it. Does it have signs, good parking, a restroom facility? No; find it if you can.

Since I am on the route south of town. Have you been to Hilton Head to see the sunset? Have you been to the end of Chebogue Point Road to walk on the beach? Have you been to Anthony Park to see the Chebogue River in the evening? These are just spots in my part of the county that could be “highlights” of a coastal tourism experience in Yarmouth. We take them for granted – they don’t. We need to bring these places alive, provide good parking, maps, interpretation, and publicity.

Help me out. What are your favorite, undiscovered coastal spots that you would like to see maintained for access by your kids, grandchildren, and tourist access into the future? We can start a map, take pictures, let our elected representatives know that these places are important to us. If we sit back, they will be gone in just a few years.

Oh! Where did this get started? Visit the TIANS site and give them ideas. Remember, tourists come to nice places – we want to live in nice places. What we do for ourselves, to make our environment the best it can be, serves us first. If we do that, visitors will come to share our home and our experience.

Yarmouth’s Broad Brook Asset

Broad Brook is the only fresh water stream running through the Town of Yarmouth. It starts in a wooded area behind Meadowfields School eventually emptying into Kelly’s Cove, south of town. What was once a wild bubbling brook has been greatly modified over time to the detriment of its natural course of flow and function. It is time to bring it back, practice restoration and conservation, protect it, and make it a positive community asset as a greenway. It can become Yarmouth’s “Central Park”.

A trip down the brook will highlight thoughts and considerations on each section.

Above Wal-Mart the brook runs through drained agricultural lands before entering big pipes at that location, buried but not forgotton. The land above Wal-Mart is zoned for future development and a road system has been proposed. The fact that this area is still the headwaters of the brook has played little part in planning. However, it is essential that a greenbelt zone be left along each side of the brook to deal with water quality and volume from future development. The greenbelt would be an amenity to any development that takes place.

Below Wal-Mart the brook runs between Kent Building Supply and Highway 101 to pass under Starr’s Road. There is residual wetland in this area and the large wetland behind Canadian Tire drains into the brook here.

Below Starr’s Road the wetland zone along the brook has recently been zoned to “sensitive environment” status as far as Forest Street which effectively protects the brook and wetlands from development. Thanks to the Town for taking this progressive zoning step. A portion of the brook itself is being restored by a Salmon River Association project and its condition will be monitored in the future.

After passing under Parade Street the brook runs through a narrow wetland and is fringed on the east by properties belonging to churches. The town owns both bordering properties north of Forest Street. This is quite an attractive section and is well protected.

The Forest Street to Southeast Street section is a story in itself. The bordering land south of Forest Street is privately held, but the Town owns a large portion adjacent to the ball fields over to the cemetery. The brook was realigned and bordering wetlands filled in the 1980’s. This area has high priority for consolidation of public ownership along the brook and its restoration to an area we can be proud of, instead of the wasteland appearance it now has.

Between Southeast Street and Argyle Street there is a well used bicycle/pedestrian path along the very obviously straightened channel. Use of this area gives an indication of how popular a longer and more connected pathway would be for neighborhood kids and parents.

The section from Argyle Street to the railroad trail bed shows a straightened and modified brook with protected wetlands along it. However, ATV damage is quite extensive in this section and has altered drainage and destroyed wetland areas. This is one of the “sensitive environmental areas” that is supposed to be protected by the new off-road vehicle legislation. Modifications at the lower trail end may help in this. Town jursidiction ends at this point.

The lower section of Broad Brook, from the railroad trail bed to Kellys Cove is in Municiple jurisdiction. It is mostly a free running stream with some past modifications apparent. It is the most “natural” segment of the brook, is wild, and quite attractive. There is one area of disruption, dredging and illegal dumping at a dirt pit just above Kellys Cove. This spot needs to be addressed.

Overall, we are fortunate to have an asset like Broad Brook. Yes, it is under appreciated, in some spots it looks like a drainage ditch because of past modifications, but it is still a functioning brook and wetland system. Brooks in much worse shape than ours have been brought back to life and are a focus of community pride. We have not lost the resource, we just need to bring it back to the health and beauty it once had and give it a chance to be a place of life in our community.

Community Gardens

Yarmouth, NS, has a Community Garden initiative. A cooperative effort of Parents’ Place, Tri-County Womens’ Centre, and the Tusket River Environmental Protection Association, along with support from many others, has provided two sites that are fully functioning as community gardens. The Parents Place site is located at Prince and Barnard Streets in Yarmouth South and the Tri-County Womens’s Centre site is at Elm and Brunswick streets in Yarmouth North. Each site has free planting beds for its members, near-by community residents, and others from the wider community if beds are available. The gardens are organic so no chemical fertilizers or biocides are allowed. The gardens are maintained by the sponsor organizations and planting bed members. People interested in a garden plot in the gardens may contact Parents’ Place or the Tri-County Womens’s Centre. If you are interested in building a Community Garden in your neighborhood contact Dan Earle at dearle@auracom.com. We would love to have more gardens and we think we have most of the issues in developing them worked out so can, at least, get you off to a good start. It’s about “community”, it’s about “garden”. We want both – people doing gardening together as an extended family, helping and sharing, and having a great time doing it.

A Greenway for Yarmouth, NS

Imagine walking out of your home or business and having access to walking and biking trails that would connect you to paths throughout the rest of our beautiful Yarmouth County. Think about walking or riding your bike to parks, libraries and local shops. Consider being able able to walk or bike in an area of natural wildlife and flowers without leaving town. Such thoughts are not impossible dreams. In many communities people are making these things come true; we can too.

The developed area in Yarmouth is growing. A long term plan is required so that natural features are preserved, and natural disasters are prevented. It is important to consider existing environmental assets when planning so that development can take place with a minimal amount of environmental impact. Without adequate planning and research, habitat may be unwittingly destroyed, and valuable environmental assets may be lost forever.

Greenways are one way to protect natural habitat and prevent flooding, as well as to provide access to recreational opportunities. In today’s world of expanding business and residential developments, we must do our best to conserve the natural features of the land. Without action to protect habitat, important resources like brooks, fish, trees and plants can quickly be replaced by parking lots and other development.

The area around Broad Brook, a protected green corridor through our town, would make an ideal Greenway. Trees would be allowed to grow along the banks of the brook preventing erosion and creating habitat for plants and animals. Vegetation would line the shores and would shade the brook allowing fish to feel at home. Marsh lands would be preserved to prevent flooding, protect the flood plain, and promote habitat for yellow irises, blue eyed grass, swamp candles, and other flowers. Deer already make much use of the Broad Brook area and their foraging and water source would be ensured. Walkers would be able to stop and listen to the sound of flowing water, hear singing birds, and appreciate a quiet spot to observe nature. The best part is that all of these resources would be right in the heart of Yarmouth. Broad Brook would be an area residents could be proud of.

A report by the Tusket River Environmental Protection Association shows that creation of a Broad Brook Greenway is a goal that can be achieved in our community. All of the components needed are available; they need to be connected and improved. We hope that the idea will gain your support so that, in a few years, we will have a Broad Brook Greenway, providing recreational opportunities for all of our citizens and our visiting tourist friends in a beautiful natural setting. For more details, photos and plans, please visit www.trepa.com, Projects, Broad Brook Greenway.

Heritage – A Geographic Approach

Geographers typically define their field as consisting of physical, cultural and economic components and study the interrelationships among these. Heritage might be defined by the same terms of reference.

In the past, people discovered, explored and moved to new areas. The natural physical features of the land provided the stage and, usually, the economic base for the culture to develop and evolve. Settlers took food from their farms, wood and game from their forests, and fish from the seas. There are no cultures that are disembodied from their natural environment. However, people do import cultural artifacts and ideas from their experience and travels. These may temper how they relate to the natural environment of home.

The interpretation and story of our heritage must look first at the natural components and forces of our region, the origins of people and what they brought from their previous cultures, and the manner in which the economic system functions. Only then will we begin to be able to look at how we are using the country side, the buildings we see around us on the streets, and the artifacts in the museums with any sense of understanding.

With a geographic approach to heritage we look first at the big picture of regions, people and livelihood, and then work our way down to the materials and forms of the things we build, how we govern ourselves and use the land, and examination of the things we collect around us to make our lives comfortable.

Today, we are no less concerned for our natural environment and its features than we were in the past. We still interact with our surroundings, we each have special places we love, we protect beaches and special places, we create wilderness reserves, and we use the environment and interact with the weather and natural setting we have inherited. That is, the building of our heritage continues now as it has in the past – natural and cultural elements going hand-in-hand.

In practical terms, heritage now connects into the realm of “geo-tourism” in which the the natural, cultural and social ambiance of a place is designed or interpreted to become an integral part of the tourist experience. Human artifacts and cultural experience can only be fully understood in the context of the larger natural setting which was here first, will be here last, and may be appreciated while we pass through it.