Lakeshore

This two-panel lakeshore scene depicts the shores of the Tusket River in Yarmouth County, home to a nationally significant plant community known as the Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora (ACPF). This group of plants includes rare and endangered species such as Plymouth gentian and pink coreopsis, which in Canada are found only along the shores of a few lakes in Nova Scotia. The illustration also serves as a field guide to butterflies commonly found in the province, including the iconic monarch. Monarch populations have declined sharply in recent years, prompting conservation efforts to protect the species and its remarkable annual migration.

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Yarmouth County is home to some of Canada’s rarest plant species. Members of the Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora, such as sweet pepperbush, tubercled spikerush, and water pennywort, are found nowhere else in the country except along the seasonally flooded lakeshores of southwestern Nova Scotia.

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The scene also depicts 32 species of butterflies visiting flowers along the lakeshore. Nova Scotia’s butterflies include a mix of widespread species common across North America and others that are more localized. Among the larger and more familiar species are the black swallowtail, Canadian tiger swallowtail, eastern tiger swallowtail, monarch, viceroy, great spangled fritillary, and Atlantis fritillary. They are joined by smaller species such as American copper, bronze copper, northern crescent, pearl crescent, northern azure, silvery blue, eastern tailed-blue, and several hairstreaks and skippers. White admiral, red admiral, mourning cloak, question mark, comma, sulphurs, whites, and common ringlet further demonstrate the remarkable diversity of butterflies that can be encountered across the province.