“Welcome to the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. This trail holds many stories, legends, and interpretive signs explaining the ecology of the area.” — Gregory Nix —
Merging of Canfield Creek and Pugwash River.
woods, but we will have lovely vistas along the water for the entire way. The ideal hike.” At the bottom of the sign, my eye catches a quote by Henry David Thoreau, “Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better.” With Thoreau’s advice tucked into my proverbial back pocket, we set out, hiking poles in hand, through the woods to Canfield Creek. The light streams through the tall pines, fir, and spruce trees, casting shadows on the needle-covered slopes making our walk through the forest magical. “We have old-growth pine trees, some more than 150 years old, Acadian forest, and Nova Scotia’s provincial tree, the Red Spruce, along this trail,” says Gregory, stopping to point out something on a trunk. “Look. See this lichen here?” We move closer for a better look. “We are lucky to see this. It’s a sign of air purity and the health of our forest.”
At Home on the North Shore
Majestic old-growth trees on the trail.
Walking in this wholesome environment invigorates me. I want to breathe deeply to savour the spicy aroma of evergreen trees around me. Gregory stops and points across Canfield Creek. “Can you see it?” he asks, pointing to a cluster of trees on the opposite side of the creek. “What are we looking at?” I ask. “An eagle’s nest.” Sitting atop of the tallest red pine on the shoreline is a massive, twigged sphere resembling a jewelled crown in the forest. “It sure has a commanding view over the water,” I say as I zoom in with my camera to capture its magnificence. “I’ve seen eaglets peeking their heads over the top of that nest in spring,” says Gregory proudly. The red triangle markers nailed to the trees mark our way through the woods. We pause while Gregory takes out his small handsaw to cut through a log that has recently fallen over the path.
ah! Spring 2022
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