Read

The Grapevine > Read

Dispatches from Acadia’s Walker Mycology Lab

Author: October 7, 2019

Dispatches from Acadia’s Walker Mycology Lab By Bruce Malloch When most people think of fungi, it is usually mushrooms and mouldy bread that come to mind, however an incredible diversity of fungi exist all around us. Many species go without being noticed because the body of a fungus is essentially a network of microscopic filaments. These filaments snake through all manner of habitats where they are not easily seen, such as in the roots and shoots of plants, or the dust in our homes. This growth form is so successful that they are virtually ubiquitous in the world, growing in…
Read more

Articles, Read

A Mushroom Foray at The Booker School

Author: October 7, 2019

A Mushroom Foray at The Booker School By Jen Wheeldon On Friday September 13, the ‘early years,’ primary, and grade one classes at The Booker School in Port Williams spent the afternoon exploring the school forest with Jocelyn Hatt and myself, Jen Wheeldon. As amateur naturalists and mycologists, Joss and I frequently spend time in the woods with our respective children. My daughter Norah attends The Booker School, and they spend time outdoors and use the natural environments at the school, such as the forest on campus, to enhance learning opportunities. The students at The Booker School often go on…
Read more

Articles, Events, Read

The Grapevine’s Federal Election Candidate Special

Author: October 4, 2019

The Grapevine‘s Federal Election Candidate Special In anticipation of the fast-approaching federal election later this month, The Grapevine contacted local candidates with questions reflecting issues of particular interest to the Valley and to our readers. While we have made every effort to include all candidates on the ballot in Kings-Hants and West Nova, we are only able to publish those that contacted us by press time. All answers are printed here in full, unedited and as the candidates sent them. Responses have been included in the order they were received. The Grapevine: What do you plan to do to improve…
Read more

Articles, Events, Read

Marie’s Report: Newcomers Gentle Yoga Interest Group

Author: September 20, 2019

Marie’s Report: Newcomers Gentle Yoga Interest Group My Marie Mossman Ever wish you could join a yoga class without buying a wardrobe of tight bottoms and tops, or mysterious belts, blocks, and bolsters? Do you prefer gentle exercise? The coordinator of the Newcomers gentle yoga interest group has organized a new series of ten lessons on Tuesday mornings at a ground-level yoga studio in Wolfville. A member who plans to return for the new series of classes says, “I found the class non-judgemental and inclusive for people of all abilities, and I hope to improve my range of motion through…
Read more

Articles, Events, Read

Newest Jan Coates Novel to Benefit Feed Nova Scotia

Author: September 20, 2019

Newest Jan Coates Novel to Benefit Feed Nova Scotia Submitted With the release of Jan L. Coates’ new children’s book, Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say, Nevermore Press in Lunenburg will be donating one dollar from the sale of each book to Feed Nova Scotia from now through October 14, Thanksgiving Day. Say What You Mean is the second middle-grade novel published under Nevermore’s Trap Door Books imprint. In Say What You Mean, twelve-year-old Jake MacKinnon rescues an old hound dog from the pound. Sandy turns out to be a fairy dogmother, who grants Jake’s greatest wish—to be…
Read more

Articles, Buy, Events, Give, Read

Last words

Author: August 26, 2019

Last words By Jennifer Graham “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on,” says Robert Frost. Like the beaters on the Mixmaster that woke me up Saturday mornings The sound of mom making chocolate chip cookies. She always made a double batch One to bake. One for my brother and I to eat raw at the kitchen table before breakfast. Mom had a rule about cookies: you need two; One for each hand. It kept our little hands busy and her head peaceful. There was only one other rule my mother insisted upon…
Read more

Articles, Read

What’s Growing at the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens: Experiential Learning

Author: August 26, 2019

What’s Growing at the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens: Experiential Learning By Melanie Priesnitz After a summer filled with hard work and a great deal of learning, the students who worked on our team at the K.C. Irving Environment Science Centre and Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens are heading back to the classroom. We had the pleasure of having Acadia student Ted Morris and Nova Scotia Community College student April Mason work with us as student native plant conservationists and interpreters. Ted is studying environmental and sustainability studies in the community development department at Acadia and April is a student of horticulture…
Read more

Articles, Look, Read

2019

Author: August 9, 2019

2019 Spring, that year, was late to the game, The smelt-snow a blizzard and then freezing rain. The full moon in May was no day for planting, Wet fields in June and farmers were ranting. But through the good valley swam gaspereaux, The fiddleheads green, the fish fat with roe. Summer, that year, flew in fast and high, Hot as Jamaica, new moon in July. Hay fields checkered with great golden bales, Larks in the meadow, frogs in the swale. And down the good river tubes waltzed along, Sunburnt bellies and bop-a-long songs. …to be continued –Bernard Irvin

Articles, Read

Songs of Bread, Wine and Salt: Composer Explores Poems of Alden Nowlan

Author: August 9, 2019

Songs of Bread, Wine and Salt: Composer Explores Poems of Alden Nowlan By Kim Barlow Composer Pete Johnston has brought his two worlds together in the album Songs of Bread, Wine and Salt. Johnston spends summers in the Valley, but his work is in Toronto, where he and many colleagues converge to create innovative jazz and improvised music, and where Johnston is a bassist, composer, and educator. Last year he assembled a group called Stranger Still, with vocalists Mim Adams and Randi Helmers, Johnston on guitar, and Rob Clutton on bass, to perform Johnston’s musical settings of the poetry of…
Read more

Articles, Listen, Read

Mike Butler Recommends: Summer Reading 2019

Author: August 9, 2019

Mike Butler Recommends: Summer Reading 2019 By Mike Butler It’s the summer (finally)! I look forward to my seasonal reading articles and here is the summer 2019 edition of literature that I recommend you sit back and absorb. We’ve all heard of binge-watching right? When you sit back and take in LOTS of TV at one time, usually polishing off a season of your favourite show or a bunch of shows. Well, there’s also binge-reading! I love binge-reading: when you pick an author and read through a chunk of their books. Two authors I am loving right now are an…
Read more

Articles, Read