With the village of Memramcook and Abbey-Landry School CFI planted another 560 native trees in the Maritimes. What a hardworking bunch!
Latest news from Community Forests Canada
September – October Workshops
by nicholas on September 2, 2011
Daimen, on right, leading our timber framing workshop
I hate to be the one that says it, but we’ve broken the threshold. Yep. We’re into Septober territory now. In our last meeting we began laying out plans for CFI’s September-October programming. We’ve got some pretty interesting sessions in store, so be sure to keep an eye on this space (you can also follow us on facebook).
First up, on September 10th, is wildlife biologist and frequent radio commentator Bob Bancroft‘s session on wildlife structures. In this free session, Bob will explore the value of maintaining a variety of wildlife structures on your land. As human-caused disturbances make viable natural wildlife habitats increasingly sparse, it has become important to create habitats to shelter at-risk and vulnerable species. Bob will discuss these issues and lead participants on a walk through a forest in which we have stationed a number of different wildlife structures. Bob’s talk will take place in the Baie Verte Community Hall in Port Elgin (map). To arrange a carpool from Sackville, email info@forestsinternational.org. For more info, click here.
Second on the CFI calendar is the annual New Brunswick Woodlot Field Day. CFI is a major sponsor of this free field day at Thulium Farm in Little Shemogue, NB (map). Starting at 10am, the day will touch on everything from tree thinning to mixed species planting to selective harvesting. If you’ve got a woodlot, this one day field trip will introduce you to many techniques and place you in contact with the people who can assist you through your journey as a forest steward. Check out the poster here (français). Please register in advance by calling 1-800-546-4838 or by emailing info@fundymodelforest.net.
Third, we’ve got our second timber framing course coming up on October 1st. Our first instalment of this workshop filled up so quickly we decided to offer a second course. To see some pictures from the first go-around click here. Last time the group worked together on the construction of a composting toilet structure for the wedding of one of our instructors. This time we plan to work on timbers that will be used in the construction of a home. That means more (and larger) beams and posts… and better preparation for anyone thinking of undertaking a similar project. Space is limited, and pre-registration is necessary. To sign-up, click here.
Following the Timber Framing workshop, we’ll switch gears and prepare ourselves for a public lecture presented by Dr. Marilyn Walker that will take place on October 15th. An anthropology professor at Mount Allison University, Marilyn has an interest in the way that nature affects culture and vice versa. In this public talk, Marilyn will explore how ecology affects and informs the way cultures and social mores have developed in various parts of the world. This lecture is free and is open to the public. For details click here.
That’s it for now. Enjoy the sun…its presence has been fleeting this summer.
ps. Community Forests Pemba is starting some exciting new projects. Stay tuned for an update from Tanzania.
pps. If you’d like to get on our mailing list, click here.
Timber Framing: Sold-out!
by nicholas on August 17, 2011
Miss the workshop? Put your name on the wait-list for the second offering of the course in September
CFI is pleased to announce that the Timber Framing workshop has been sold-out! Thank you all for your interest. Everyone here is looking forward to the course.
Due to the overwhelming response, we’ve decided to hold a second course provided there is sufficient interest. If you would like to attend a timber framing workshop in the month of September (a weekend date will be posted as soon as possible), please email your contact details to info@forestsinternational.org or catch us at the office by calling (506) 536-3738.
If timber framing isn’t your thing, remember that we’ve got an interesting set of talks coming up in September (a month that has come to inhabit the alarmingly near future). On the 10th, Bob Bancroft, wildlife biologist and frequent CBC Radio contributor, will be in Sackville for a full-day talk-and-walk session that will explore the topic of creating wildlife habitats in our backyards. By building such structures and keeping them on our yards, farms, and woodlots, land-owners are able to delegate the tasks of pest-control, fertilization, and seed dispersal to the natural inhabitants of our forests. Click here for more details.
Next post’ll be centred on what’s been happening in Pemba. Keep your eyes open.
Enjoy this stretch of sun while it lasts!
August in Sackville
by nicholas on August 10, 2011
Click the image to register for CFI's Timber Framing workshop
Considering the weather we’ve been having, this summer has been all about maximizing the few sunny day’s we’ve been afforded. We’re trying to make it easy for you by offering plenty of workshops all through the summer.
Last weekend John and Sarah from the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre (ACCDC) led a workshop on gardening for biodiversity. Focusing on knowing and nurturing native pollinators, John and Sarah introduced the group to a wide range of native pollinators, a group of insects whose important work in our gardens often goes unacknowledged.
Coming up in just a few weeks is Mount Allison’s Wonders of Nature kids camp. CFI is teaming up with Mount Allison to teach 5-12 year-olds about the forests around them, and about how plants transform into food.
Immediately after the kids camp, we’ll be switching gears into timber framing. On the 27th of August, Daimen and Gavin Hardie will lead CFI’s Timber Framing workshop. Participants will learn the history and theory of timber framing before dividing into groups and planning out joinery. Once the designs are complete, Daimen and Gavin will introduce the group to the tools and the techniques of timber framing, run some demonstrations, then allow the group to work together on a timber frame structure.
Because of the hands-on nature of this course, space is limited to 8 participants. If time and interest permit, CFI may offer another Timber Framing workshop in the fall.
Keep your eyes open this weekend. You might just spot some sunshine.
Mid-July Update
by nicholas on July 14, 2011
Park and Plant: Jeff and Daimen Bagging-up at Port Elgin Regional School
Ever wish you could work your woodlot in a sustainable way? We’ve got a workshop on that. Always wanted to set-up your own honey operation? Want to increase pollination in and around your garden? We’ve got a workshop on that. Are you kicking yourself for not paying attention back in shop class? Want to learn the techniques required to build your own timber frame structures? We’ve got a workshop on that coming up in August. Check back soon for more info.
All this to say that summer programming here at CFI is well underway. We’ve already hosted two workshops this summer and both were great successes. Keep an eye on this space and check our facebook page regularly to stay in the know about all our upcoming workshops. If you’ve got a question or would like to register, click here and follow the links, give us a call, or drop by the office. We love a good visit!
This Monday, the 18th of July, we’re excited to be hosting our Eco-Forestry workshop. Ecological Forestry is the practice of managing and working a forest in a way that mimics nature. By developing an understanding and an appreciation of the forest, and through the practice of selective cutting, woodlot owners can make more informed decisions, enabling you to work, restore, and profit from the land all in a sustainable manner.
Eco-Forestry 2010: Learning in and from the Forest
This year’s Eco-Forestry Short-course is loaded with classroom learning and outdoor, hands-on activities, all designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills required to better work a woodlot. There’s still room and time to sign-up. Check out this page to register or give us a call at 1 506 536-3738. Register with a friend and save $100!
Beyond being busy with our Summer Workshop Series, we’ve also carried on with our Community Trees Program. Estelle, Daimen, and Jeff planted a total of 1500 trees, all of which were native species, in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia along the Chignecto Isthmus. Wander over to our facebook page to see more photos from the Community Trees Program. (Could your community use some greening? Contact us or contact our landscaping friends by clicking here.)
That’s all for now. See you at the workshops!
Food Forest Workshop Coming Up
by nicholas on June 7, 2011
June 18: Food Forest Workshop
In just a few Saturdays, CFI will be hosting its Food Forest workshop. CFI’s own resident food forest guru, Estelle Drisdelle, has been working hard to sharpen and tighten this workshop. Now into its second year, this summer’s Food Forest workshop is shaping up to be better than ever.
Come down to our outdoor classroom at the Sackville Community Garden and get immersed in food forests. “But what the heck is a food forest?” you ask. A food forest is simply a style of gardening that involves planting different species in mutually beneficial arrangements. As each plant lends a hand in the growth and health of its neighbour, food forests grow stronger and are often lower-maintenance than conventional row gardens. Healthier, stronger, and less work. What else could you want, right? That’s a food forest!
Click here for more details and to register. Click here to find out about all our upcoming workshops.
Hope to see you all there!
Introduction to Backyard Beekeeping
by Estelle on June 16, 2010
Introduction to Backyard Beekeeping
June 19 – 20 – Sackville, NB
This weekend, Community Forests International will be offering a beginners course in small scale apiculture with an emphasis on “natural” management techniques, hands-on practice, and basic honey bee biology and behaviour. Participants will alternate between classroom instruction and discussion, and actual demonstrations and individual practice working with the bees.
The two day course is designed to give participants sufficient knowledge and confidence to begin their own adventure as keepers of bees. Instructors possess a combined 57 years of experience working with bees, as well as 7 years of instruction and extension experience.
Couples and children welcome and encouraged. The cost of the workshop is by donation (recommended at 135$ for the individual, $200 a couple). Space is extremely limited as this course offers participants a very high degree of hands-on exposure. Contact info(at)forestsinternational.org or call (514) 839-0546 for more details.
Click Here to register Online!
Food Forest Workshop
by Jeff on June 5, 2010
On July 5th, Community Forests International hosted their first in the 2010 Summer Workshop Series. Thanks for everyone that came out – it’s great to see how many people are interested in Food Forest Gardening. Several people left inspired to sculpt their own food forest creation, and we’re happy to be a part of this gardening revolution.
Workshop Participants Working in the Food Forest Guild
Daimen Hardie Demonstrating Mushroom Log Inoculation
Workshop Participant Planting in the Forest Guild
Food Forest Presentation
CFI Member at Whaelghinbran Farm
by Jeff on June 1, 2010
CFI member Colleen Freak recently landed at Whaeghlinbran Farms outside of Sussex, NB for a stint of volunteer work at this revered organic farm. Farm owners Clark Phillips and Susan Tyler have provided a remarkable example of good land stewardship and have restored their woodlot through years of enrichment forestry. This site holds a special place in the CFI heart, demonstrating how humanity and the natural environment can strike a sustainable deal, providing for both without sacrificing the health and integrity of either. In order to maintain our present way of life, we must work to make conservation a consequence of production, and to walk through the Whaelghinbran forest one immediately sees that Clark and Susan have worked to make the dream of conservation forestry a reality.
The picture below shows Colleen outside the trailer in which she’ll be living for her stay at Whaelghinbran Farm. The trailer was restored by the Community Forests Canada gang, with a special thanks to Kevin Pauley and Gavin Hardie, both of which spent countless hours working on this vintage 1955 trailer.
Colleen outside the CFI Trailer
CFI Trailer at Whaelghinbran Farm
Atlantic Canada CFI Tree Plant
by Jeff on May 27, 2010
Sponsored by Canadian Tire, Community Forests International has recently worked in partnership with Brinkman and Associates Reforestation Ltd to plant 7,000 trees in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
Check out this article in The Amherst Citizen in relation to the planting effort.
Planting for the future of the Acadian Forest – Local – News – The Amherst Citizen.
All the trees planted were indigenous to the Acadian Forest. By planting Bur Oak, Butternut, Yellow Birch, Hemlock, Tamarack, Eastern Cedar, Red Pine, White Pine, White Spruce, Sugar Maple and Red Maple, the organization hopes to mainatain the genetic diversity of the unique, Acadian Forest ecoregion.
Upper Miramichi planting in New Brunswick