First Trail Users' Calendar Launched

The first calendar featuring photographs of beautiful trails throughout Nova Scotia was launched by the Trans-Canada Trail Nova Scotia Council last week. The calendar, developed to support volunteer community trail associations, sells for $10, with $8 going to trails.

"Many of the impressive images are prize-winning photographs submitted for the Trans-Canada Trail inauguration photo contest in September," said Vera Stone, chair of the council. "Those who have seen the calendar are delighted with the quality and the useful information provided."

The top three contest winners were presented with mounted, poster-sized reproductions of their images donated by Carsand Mosher Photographic Ltd. Prize winners were Dino Nardini, Gary Thorne, Brian Buchanan, Rachel MacGillvary and Gary M. Grant.

In addition to the photographs, the calendar includes useful information for trail users--a map of the Nova Scotia Trans- Canada Trail route, basic trail etiquette, trail-related Web sites, community trail group contact information, physical activity reminders and a description of the Museum of Natural History's Thousand Eyes project for students.

With trails providing the perfect setting to track seasonal events, the Thousand Eyes project asks schools, individuals and community groups to participate in phenology--the study of naturally occurring events and their seasonal timing. The project is set to begin in January on the Internet at www.thousandeyes.ca.

Trail users will find trail project information on the Web site at www.trails.gov.ns.ca/ . The site has detailed information and maps of Nova Scotia trails that are extremely useful.

The calendar was developed jointly by the council, the Museum of Natural History, the Nova Scotia Trails Federation and the Nova Scotia Sport and Recreation Commission.