Help Us Save Nova Scotia’s Eastern Hemlocks

 
 

What are Hemlock Heroes?

Hemlock Heroes are trained citizens who volunteer to help save tall, dark hemlock forest ecosystems. Becoming a Hemlock Hero enables you to participate in a great cause to conserve some of the finest old growth forests in the province. You will help to ensure that eastern hemlocks continue to provide the many essential ecosystem services required to sustain life and the health of many other forest species, as well preserve the extraordinary beauty of hemlocks.

How do I become a Hemlock Hero?

To become a Hemlock Hero, everyone first must undergo training so you can learn how to properly take care of hemlocks and yourself (we promise it’ll be fun). After which you will join the Hemlock Hero Team!

Training will review:

  1. Pesticide safety requirements and product labels

  2. First Aid practices and contingency plans for working in remote areas with pesticides

  3. Safe Work Practices

  4. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

  5. Non-target risks associated with using pesticides

“Marked trees = Protected trees”

What you can expect

Hemlock Heroes venture into some of the most beautiful forests in Nova Scotia; featuring grand evergreen woods with moss-covered tapestries. You may visit areas that have rarely seen by other people.

‘Tree doctors’ is another way to think of Hemlock Heroes. On Treatment Marking days, you help assess the health of each tree and whether they are sufficiently healthy to receive viable treatments. Tree diameter is measured, and the trunk is marked with a small tag or a paint dot to prepare hemlocks for treatment using life-saving chemicals.

‘Treatment Days’ use two strategies.

1) Injection days: We inject trees next to watercourses. Those days we can integrate the largest numbers of Hemlock Heroes to speed up efficiencies of treatments.

2) Basal Bark days: Other days we wet the tree bark with a handpump backpack sprayer. Those a great days because we save a lot of trees and do not need to drill holes

Hemlock Heroes Events Schedule

REGISTER FOR TREE-MARKING AND TREATMENT DAYS​

Note: A Hemlock Hero must have either completed Hemlock Hero training in fall 2022 (Pollard’s Falls) or taken Hemlock Heroes training during June-July 2023, or volunteered with Sporting Lake hemlock treatments. ​

Tree Marking Days: Tree Marking Days require preparing hemlock forests for treatments. Tasks involve measuring tree diameters, flagging trees, and evaluating trees suitable for treatment in 1 ha treatment blocks.​​

Treatment Days: Treatment Days consist of Tree Injection treatments, requiring a large team, or Basal Bark treatments that require smaller groups.