Dalhousie Ocean Pond

Hello all,
This is a post created by Grace McCaffrey and group about the Dalhousie ocean pond!

Located at Dalhousie University, in a nook in back of the chemistry building and behind the LSC, is a little conservationist’s haven called the Ocean Pond. Initially set up to provide an alternative to first year biology field trips, the garden boasts nine different ecological communities. Despite its size and central location, few students actually know about the Ocean Pond. It’s a great place to view a marshland-like habitat and to spot squirrels and migratory birds.

Before the creation of the Ocean Pond, the Dalhousie campus was lacking in any distinct natural areas. Dr. Martin Willison published an article in a biology newsletter in April 1993 that painted a picture of a greener campus with ecological gardens spread throughout. The gardens would serve to eliminate the various issues the faculty was encountering in trying to expose first year biology students to relatively pristine environments, including pollution from school buses, direct damage to said environments, high costs and time constraints.

Shortly after the article was published, Dr. Willison, some graduate students and the Facilities Management began to draw up and debate various proposals for the implementation of an ecological garden on campus. Finally, in the summer of 1997, the Pond was dug in the naturally occurring wet area where it remains today. Ocean Ltd. dug the area for free and donated a liner, rocks from their quarry and volunteer labour. The grass in that area was no longer mowed and later, a decomposing organic material pile and both Gypsum and Halifax slate were added to enhance the area. The Pond is of human construction, but is still an excellent example of the purpose of nature conservation: conserving a space for the future.

Unfortunately, the Pond is rarely used by biology professors today. However, it remains as an example of what happens when a plot of land is left to its own devices. It is a beautiful spot to walk by and is incredibly diverse despite its small size. With Dalhousie geared up to start extensive renovations in the near future, does the Ocean Pond have a place on campus? Will we lose one of our relatively untouched green spaces? If so, do the new campus plans include space for other untouched pockets of ‘wilderness’? How do we quantify the value of something as important and as abstract as nature?

Next time you’re walking to class, stop beside the Ocean Pond and take a minute to breathe in the sea air. You won’t regret the clarity and focus that can come from even a moment of immersion in a space untouched.  

(All information from http://biotype.biology.dal.ca/oceanPond/Index.htm)