Updated March 2023
Giants of Nova Scotia celebrates Nova Scotia's trees and forest with a bit of information about non-native invasive species that affect our trees.
It is the personal project of Tom Rogers. I started it in 2017 because I wanted to do something to prevent the spread of the recently discovered Hemlock Woolly Adelgid.
I use several tools:
Instagram -- Frequent updates featuring awesome photos from across Nova Scotia by many, very talented photographers who generously let me repost their images. Often in a series. This is a good place to start your day :-)
Facebook -- Often includes the images reposted on Instagram. I also share information from other sources related to trees/forests/invasive species
Email Update -- Not on social media but you'd like to receive an occasional update about invasive species in Nova Scotia? This one is for you. Sorry, you'll miss the gorgeous images of Nova Scotia's trees and forests
Website -- I use this as a non-subscription source of information. Usually the email update gets posted to the blog. There are also some resources about invasive species.
And the message :
- acquire your firewood where you burn it -- the bugs can hide in the bark and get a free ride from your backyard to a new location. And that would suck.
- if you travel in areas known to have invasive species, take precautions to prevent the spread
- if you are a landowner, have a plan for prevention and how to deal with an infestation
Non-native invasive species are something we have to learn to live with. But we don't have to make it easy for them.
Many Many Thanks
To all the photographers who most generously let me share their beautiful images. Invasive species can be a pretty heavy topic and a steady diet would be depressing. Your photos are an inspiration.
To all the folk who help me with the details ... Ron Neville from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Jeff Ogden from Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resource, Colin Gray from the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute, Matt Miller from the Medway Community Forest Coop, Matt Smith from Kejimkujik National Park, the biggest Hemlock Champion in Nova Scotia -- Donna Crossland and everyone else on the HWA Working Group.
To all of the contributors and commenters ... thank you. I look at every one. I appreciate your pictures and stories. Thank you for sharing your special part of the province.
And to my biggest supporter who reads every post, checks out every image and catches my typos and attempts to butcher the English Language ... thank you Jen.
Tom Rogers
Giants of Nova Scotia