News release

Autumn Leaf Watch, Weekly Report

Tourism and Culture (Aug. 1999 - Dec. 2003)

REGION 1: Evangeline Trail

Autumn is at different stages along the Evangeline Trail. In places, more than 25 per cent of leaves have changed creating pockets of radiant reds and yellows in the hardwoods. Elsewhere, there are still only tinges of colour hinting of the change to come.

  • Site 5, Digby: Patches of red, yellow and orange dot the hillside overlooking Digby Gut where about 15 per cent of the leaves have changed. Sugar maples and birch in autumn foliage are especially colourful against the dark green of the fir and spruce.

  • Site 7, Bridgetown: As you drive up North Mountain en route to Hampton, stop at the roadside look-off for a panoramic vista of harvest fields, apple orchards, the winding Annapolis River and the wooded slopes of South Mountain. Touches of red in the maple and yellow in the beech are the first hints of autumn in this lovely scene.

  • Site 8, Aylesford: The spreading patches of red and yellow in the hardwoods along North Mountain near Aylesford make for a pleasant drive. Take a self-guided tour through the apple orchards of the Berwick area and experience harvest time in apple country. To obtain a Harvest Tour Map, call 902-538-9229.

  • Site 10, Halls Harbour: The picturesque village of Halls Harbour is enhanced by the colourful shades of red, orange and yellow flecked through the green forest, now that more than 25 per cent of leaves have changed. Bright red mountain-ash and rose hips add to the beauty of a stroll along Echo Trail.

  • Site 11, The look-off (North of Canning): With 10-25 per cent of leaves in autumn tones, the look-off offers a stunning view of valley farms and fields as the cooler fall weather enriches the fall display.

Have you ever seen a 400-kilogram pumpkin? Come to one of the world's oldest and biggest pumpkin contests at Windsor Pumpkin Festival, Saturday, Oct. 2, at 10 a.m.

Wagon rides, pumpkin painting, ghost stories and much more -- bring the family to the Oktoberfest for Kids at Prescott House Museum, Starrs Point, near Wolfville, on Saturday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Grape stomping is just part of the fun at the Harvest Wine Fest being held at Sainte Famille Wines, Falmouth on Saturday, Oct. 2.


REGION 2: Glooscap and Sunrise trails

Autumn is advancing unevenly along both the Glooscap and Sunrise trails with most leaf watchers reporting a 10 per cent change. However, there are sites that boast a 25 per cent increase in autumn colour, mostly yellow with splashes of orange and red.

  • Site 15, Burntcoat Head Park: The copper-coloured grasses and bright red apples lead you to Burntcoat Head's lighthouse, a reconstructed replica of the beacon that alerted ships to the hazards of sailing the Fundy Shore. Visit the interpretive centre and enrich your enjoyment of Lighthouse Day, Saturday, Oct. 2.

  • Site 23, Wentworth: The Wentworth Valley is diffused in rusted hues, highlighted by pockets of yellow-orange from the maples and pin-cherry. How best to enjoy it? Take in Wentworth's Fall Festival of Colours with hayrides to the top of Ski Wentworth, a guided hike to High Head, and barbecues. For those who want to follow their own path, meet at Wentworth Provincial Park at 10 a.m. when the Orienteering Association of Nova Scotia will show you how to read a map and compass. Both events take place Saturday, Oct. 2.

  • Site 24, Wallace: Surrounded by yellowing marsh grass, a large flock of migratory Canada Geese feed in the shelter of Wallace Harbour as they prepare for their long journey south, a sure sign of autumn's advance.

  • Site 27, Greenhill: Greenhill's leaf watcher reports a surge of colour this week where 25-50 per cent of the hardwoods of Mount Thom are glowing yellow.

  • Site 28, Marsh Hope: The lime-green undertones in the sugar maples are giving way to warm yellow and orange, now that 25 per cent of the leaves have turned. Red maples give a scattering of rich reds throughout the site.


REGION 3: Cape Breton Island

Autumn is cautiously advancing in Cape Breton where most of the leaf watchers are reporting a slight increase in colour from last week. You'll find the most dramatic change in the marsh grasses where their rusty tones have transformed the salt marshes.

  • Site 32, Margaree Valley: More hints of orange and red can be seen in the hardwoods this week while the larch is lending various shades of pale green and yellow to the low lying areas of the Margaree Valley.

  • Site 36, Cape North: Bands of soft yellow from the maple, gold from the aspen and birch, and yellow from the beech make a gentle contrast against the green hillsides of Cape North. Here and there, a burgundy-red tree strikes a bright note.

  • Site 38, Kellys Mountain: Scattered red from the maples and yellow from the birch are signs that fall is still in its early stages on Kellys Mountain. The leaf watcher predicts that the cold nights will soon bring out the full drama of fall.

  • Site 45, Marble Mountain: Autumn is advancing slowly on Marble Mountain where most of the hardwood canopy has undergone a slight shift from its summer green. Yellow, brownish-orange and subdued red are subtly visible on the crown tips.

  • Site 46, Salt Mountain: Enjoy a fall outing along French Mountain's wheelchair-accessible Bog Trail where the larch is just beginning to yellow. More orange and red has crept into the slopes as 20 per cent of the sugar maples have turned.

Trade in your walking shoes for your dancing shoes on Friday, Oct. 1, at 8 p.m. at the Barn in Margaree. It's time to kick up your heels at the fiddle concert and ceilidh.


REGION 4: Marine Drive and Halifax-Dartmouth

In the past week, autumn has made definite inroads into the hardwoods, marshes and coastal regions of the Marine Drive and Halifax-Dartmouth with most leaf watchers reporting a colour change of 10-25 per cent. Look for spreading patches of red, orange and gold in the maples and birch, and rich russet tones in the salt marsh grasses.

  • Site 47, Boylston Provincial Park: A sprinkling of red in the maple and pin-cherry, orange in the choke-cherry and yellow in the birch enrich the hills around Boylston Provincial Park. Look for the reflections in the blue waters of Chedabucto Bay while enjoying a fall picnic.

  • Site 49, Stillwater: Reds and golds are scattered through the maples which cover the hillsides and line the St. Mary's River at Stillwater, where 10-25 per cent of colour change has occurred. A lovely time for the scenic drive along the river to Sherbrooke.

  • Site 50, Liscomb Mills: As you stroll along the woodland trails at Liscomb Lodge, early autumn greets you with flashes of red and yellow amid the deep green canopy of the hardwoods and evergreens. Be sure to cross the hanging bridge for a spectacular view of a 20-metre waterfall.

  • Site 51, Liscomb Game Sanctuary: As the red maples turn, patches of scarlet are appearing throughout the mixed wood forest along Fifteen Mile Stream in the Liscomb Game Sanctuary. There are also hints of yellow in the birch, bronze in the ferns and russet in the grasses where 10-25 per cent of leaves are in autumn tones.

  • Site 54, Clam Harbour: The salt marsh at Clam Harbour has a sheen of bronze now that 25 per cent of the marsh grasses have turned. There is a tinge of red in the maples and sumac, rich brown in the alders and silver in the beach grass. Powdery-grey bayberries and fox prints on the dark sand -- it's a place of great beauty.

Learn about the rocks, minerals and landforms of Taylor Head with a walking tour at Taylor Head Provincial Park, Sunday, Oct. 3, from 1-3 p.m.

Anyone interested in a mushroom hunt? Join a botanist from the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History for a fungi foray in Flemming Park on Saturday, Oct. 2, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To pre-register, call 902-424-3563.

Join one of our leaf watchers, Charlotte Wilson Hammond, at her gallery in Clam Harbour. She is one of 103 artists who are welcoming visitors to their studios during Studio Rally Weekend, Oct. 2-3. Grab a studio map and start your engines.


REGION 5: Lighthouse Route

Salt marshes aglow with bronze, patches of red and yellow in the hardwoods, deep red huckleberries, purple asters and goldenrod -- early autumn is painting an attractive picture along the Lighthouse Route. While some areas have only tinges of colour, others are quite advanced with leaf watchers reporting colour changes of 25-50 per cent.

  • Site 61, Prospect: A tapestry of subtle tones greets the eye around the picturesque village of Prospect where more than 25 per cent of leaves have turned. Russet ferns, blond grasses and rich brown shrubs contrast with the deep green conifers. Purple asters, yellow goldenrod and red rose hips provide bonus bursts of colour.

  • Near Site 64, First Peninsula: The first dabs of autumn on First Peninsula can be seen in the lemon yellow of the striped maple and bright orange of the choke-cherry. It's a wonderful site for viewing the Lunenburg Academy reflected in the waters of the harbour. While you're in this area, celebrate Lunenburg's annual Oktoberfest at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, Sept. 30 to Oct. 3.

  • Site 66, Falkland Ridge: Colour has taken a big leap forward at Falkland Ridge this week. With 25-50 per cent of leaves now turned (mainly the maple and ash) this is good time to enjoy a beautiful vista of hardwood hills.

  • Site 70, Port Joli: Grab your binoculars and head to Port Joli where a large flock of Canada Geese are feeding in the harbour on their migration south. The first hints of fall are in the bronzing of the salt marsh grasses and tinges of colour in the hardwoods along the ridge top.

  • Site 71, Sable River: As you drive along Highway 103 to Sable River, stop at Port L'Hebert Pocket Wilderness for a stroll along a three-kilometre trail beneath a canopy of birch and maple flecked in red and yellow. Dark golden ferns, deep red huckleberries and blond grasses lead the way to a panoramic view of Port L'Hebert Harbour, famous for its migrating birds.

It's the weekend for fall ploughing at Ross Farm, Oct. 2-3. Watch the horse and oxen pull the plough, or be a pioneer and try your hand on the plough.

Scarecrows are popping up all over the town of Mahone Bay for the Great Scarecrow Festival and Antique Fair in Mahone Bay, Oct. 1-3. A fun time for fiddling, graveyard tours, children's activities and much more.