Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) benefits from the whole spectrum of open spaces, ranging from tiny neighbourhood parks to regional parks and wilderness regions. These open areas serve as the cornerstone of a sustainable Green Network, a structure that directs habitation, guards crucial ecological processes, preserves lands for farming and forestry, and offers recreational opportunities. These outstanding natural resources are the foundation of the Halifax Green Network Plan (HGNP), which builds on them to support the region’s long-term sustainability.
HGNP describes management techniques for open space, identifies ecological services and benefits, and defines an integrated open space system for the municipality. This plan provides land management and community design direction to maintain ecologically and culturally important land and aquatic systems; to promote the sustainable use of natural resources and economically important open spaces; and to identify, define and plan land suited for parks and corridors.
On August 14, 2018, Halifax Regional Council gave its approval to the HGNP and instructed staff to utilize the Plan as a guide for revising the Regional Plan and Secondary Planning Strategies. Through the municipality’s multi-year budgeting and business planning processes, Council also gave instructions on how to implement the HGNP’s recommendations.
In support to this, the Ecology Action Centre (ECA) will be hosting Halifax Green Network Hikes 2022. It is a hiking activity on the greenbelt of Halifax. This pertains to areas that should stay undeveloped. The greenbelt in urban Halifax is still in its infancy, but it should be preserved for all the advantages it offers, including contributing to a thriving, healthy city. This fall, ECA will be holding hikes at three significant locations in the greenbelt: the Purcells Cove Backlands, Sandy Lake, and Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes.
The first scheduled hike is on Saturyday, October 15 at Purcells Cove Backlands. You will be led through the Backlands’ intriguing, unique Jack Pine barren ecology on this relatively short and easy trip. Because of the uneven route surface, proper footwear is required. There are numerous little hills up and down on exposed bedrock throughout the trek.
The next day you can also hike at the Sandy Lake Regional Park and Marsh Lake. This moderately difficult trip includes a stop at Marsh Lake and features HRM’s Sandy Lake Regional Park. Because to the uneven route surface, proper footwear is required. To reach Marsh Lake, you must make a protracted, steady ascent.
On November 5, you can have your adventure in a more challenging hike at the Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes. This is one of the most well-known lookouts in the region at Fox Lake after this somewhat difficult climb.
Are you ready to gear up and hike? Read more about this story at https://ecologyaction.ca/get-involved/events/halifax-green-network-hikes-2022
References:
https://www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/regional-community-planning/regional-plan/halifax-green-network-plan
https://ecologyaction.ca/get-involved/events/halifax-green-network-hikes-2022
Photo by Austin Ban on Unsplash
