Nova Scotia and New Brunswick: The Acadian Forest

 Canada‘s Maritime provinces, also known as The Atlantic Provinces, are quite distinct from the rest of Canada, and Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are distinct from one another.  And something both provinces have in common – besides the Atlantic Ocean and Acadian Forest –  is farmers working the land, fisherman working the sea, and lumber jacks working the woods.

Yes, I grew up surrounded by people who worked the land in some way or other.   It meant that instead of structured after-school programs, with specialized instructors, the wide open fields filled with wild flowers, bumble bees and butterflies, and the forest, with all its creepy-crawlies, rodents and, yes, magic – and the sea, with its mysterious tidal pools filled with starfish, mollusks, sea weed – and of course, its awesome power – were my after-school program and play ground.

In my Soundcloud community I’ve come across painter and sound artist Mark Brennan, from Nova Scotia.  Under the name Wild Earth Voices,  Mark puts out videos and field recordings collected in the Acadian Forest.

Here’s a link to a video he narrates, following the forest through the 4 seasons.  He also talks about the endangered ecosystem and disappearing moose – which is hard to imagine as when I was growing up, come hunting season, a moose slung across the back of a car was, although not a common sight, something you’d see.  I like how Mark talks about how his relationship with the forest has shaped him and asks what do we value?  I can relate to that.  Have a look.  This is where I grew up.  Sit back and relax, it’s a slow-moving video, just like the pace of life in that part of the planet!

The Acadian Forest, the story so far from Mark Brennan on Vimeo.

I’ll leave you with another recording from Mark.

I’ve also written a little about growing up in the Maritimes under The Miramichi and I am a Citizen of Planet Earth (I added a bit about Elderbank, Nova Scotia at the end of that post.)

Related articles

• May in Nova Scotia. Cold? Buggy? (ask.metafilter.com)
• Farewell to Nova Scotia’s bucolic community schools (theglobeandmail.com)
• Peggys Cove lighthouse needs new owner (cbc.ca)
• Spring snowfall hits Maritimes, causes power outages (theglobeandmail.com)
• Acadians concerned by cut in representation (cbc.ca)