Snowshoeing with Trilobites and Tall Trees
When I was asked to organize an event with Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark, I jumped at the chance. My first introduction to environmental education and outreach came through working with the geopark as a teenager, so the opportunity to collaborate again felt like coming full circle. At ACAP Saint John, we have been looking forward to getting the community more involved with the Loch Lomond Watershed (home to Saint John’s Source Drinking Water), and what better way than to tie in some of the extensive geological history that lies under our feet? When we were trying to decide on an event, one thing seemed obvious. With a long, snowy winter keeping many of us indoors, a sunny snowshoe hike seemed like the perfect way to shake off the winter blues.
Of course, Saint John’s ever-changing weather had other plans, and a last-minute date change was necessary. But when the day finally arrived, we welcomed a group of community members, some from within the watershed and others from central Saint John for an adventure through one of our current forest harvesting sites. ACAP Saint John, along with Saint John Water and Boreal Environmental, has created a forest management plan for sites within the watershed, including our chosen site for this event. The site lies in the Saint John Group of sedimentary rocks, with a long history of trilobite fossil finds. Stonehammer led our group across a recent clear cut, to highlight evidence of glacial erratic rocks (large boulders left behind by glaciers), as well as explain how the original “Steinhammer” club actually conducted field work where we were standing! Having been a long time fan of trilobites (I mean, they’re adorable how could you not love them?), I loved being able to learn about some of the work that has taken place over hundreds of years, and some of the cool geological finds that have placed New Brunswick on the map.
In addition to geology, sustainable forest management practices was a hot topic for the day. After chatting with our forest tech, I was eager to share what I knew with our group members. I think the biggest point that came out of the chat was that clear cutting is not always a negative thing! Most of the time when people hear clear cutting, we associate it with the negative news stories that hit the front page. Although that is a fair assumption, clear cutting can be done in a sustainable way. The site we toured posed a fire hazard due to the age and density of balsam firs. Although periodically thinned over the years, clear cutting this site was the best option to allow the forest to regenerate with more desired tree species. I am eager to see some planting events take place here over the coming year. “Retention islands” were also included for this site, meaning that groups of trees and shrubs were left alone, to help with animal habitat, and to ensure they can spread their seeds for a more natural regrowth.
After about an hour of touring the site and surrounding woods, our group made its way back to our starting point, but not before taking a trilobite selfie at our Trail Cam Photo Booth. We are eager to host more events in the Loch Lomond Watershed, and spread awareness on Saint John’s Source Drinking Water. If you ever have any ideas, or an interest in partaking - please reach out!
Check out the full photo gallery from our adventure here (By the way, you might see yourself or someone you know!):
