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This Saturday Dec. 6th our Botany outing will take us to Kitty Coleman Provincial Park. (from 12:30 to 3:30)Our focus will be on identifying lush mosses. We’ll also look at ways to identify trees without their leaves. There may be a few fungi still to be found. At this time of year we can see signs of winter dormancy and buds setting on some trees.
Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes.
Bring a hand lens if you have one, since mosses and many small plants look much better when enlarged.
The trail is gently sloping with a few slippery spots.
There is a campground washroom facility at the beginning of the trail.
This walk is free. Register at .
Donations are welcome as they allow us to continue our programming.
(Please do not come if you are ill. Thank you for your consideration.)
Directions:
From the intersection of Highway 19A and Vanier Drive in Courtenay, head north for 8.3 km until you reach Coleman Rd. Turn right onto Coleman Rd and drive for 1.6 km to Left Road. Turn left onto Left Road. Drive for 1.3 km to Whitaker Rd. Turn right onto Whitaker Road and follow it for 1.3 km to the end. This will take you to the parking lot for Kitty Coleman Park.
Hakai researchers, working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, are investigating which sunflower stars can resist Vibrio pectenicida, the bacterium behind sea star wasting disease, and whether warmer waters give the pathogen an advantage.The team collected sunflower stars from the densely populated waters around Calvert Island. These stars have been sent to the Pacific Biological Station for controlled experiments.
By identifying resilient individuals, this research could inform strategies to protect these vital marine predators and support healthier ocean ecosystems.
There is also a project on iNaturalist to document and track the occurrence, spread and recovery of starfish wasting along the west coast of North America. They are looking for observations of ANY starfish (with disease evidence or not) observed along the Pacific Coast, from Alaska to Baja California.
hakai.org/
marine.ucsc.edu/research/sea-star-wasting/
www.inaturalist.org/projects/pisaster-disaster-tracking-starfish-wasting-disease
On Tuesday November 18th SOFT (Save Our Forests Team) and other old growth defenders will be demanding an immediate halt to old-growth destruction and biodiversity loss. The BC government should keep the promises it has made to the public.BC communities are joining forces to call for transparency, ecological integrity, and a real shift toward sustainable forest stewardship. Events are being held in multiple towns and cities including Courtenay, Smithers, Revelstoke, Vernon, Nelson, Victoria, Parksville, Powell River and Vancouver, uniting citizens, scientists, and advocates in defense of BC’s last standing primary and old growth forests.
“Old growth forests across B.C. continue to fall despite years of promises to protect them. The failure to fully deliver on old growth commitments is a profound betrayal of trust in First Nations, the public, and future generations. As the climate crisis deepens, allowing these irreplaceable forests to be logged is reckless and short-sighted. We will not stand by while short-term profits are placed above the sacred duty to protect the living systems that sustain us all, and we want to see protections for old growth put in place,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs.
In Courtenay please meet on the Courthouse lawn at 6th and England at 3:30 to hear speakers before the march begins at 4:30. Royann Petrell will be talking about monitoring birds in Fairy Creek, including the endangered Marbled Murrelet.
#oldgrowth #marbledmurrelet #climatechange #saveourtrees
Category Archives: Articles
New article: Hybrid swans
In the last couple of decades you might have seen reports of some hybrid swans (Mute Swan x Trumpter Swan) in our region. In her latest long-form article, CVN member Véronique McIntyre collects those reports and delves into the behaviour … Continue reading
New article: Life cycle of mosses
CVN member Véronique M. explains in her latest long-form article what the gametophyte and sporophyte forms of a moss are and the roles they play in the sexual reproduction of mosses. As always, she provides her own field photos to … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Plants and fungi
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New Article: New microorganism and biodiversity in Strathcona Park
A new addition by Loys Maingon to our occasional series of long-form articles examines the implications of the discovery of a microorganism in Strathcona Provincial Park that appears to be new to science. Read this important article here: “Biodiversity and … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Conservation and Restoration, Ecology, Microorganisms
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New article: All about bunchberries
In the latest in our occasional series of long-form articles, Véronique McIntyre dug deep into the life histories and origins of the herbaceous members of the dogwood genus (Cornus) to find some lessons in anatomy, ecology and evolution. Learn all … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Ecology, Evolution, Plants and fungi
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New article: A dwarf mistletoe’s story
If you’ve ever wondered about the dwarf mistletoe that you can see parasitizing coniferous trees in our forests, you can find out all about it in the latest addition to our occasional series of long-form articles, as Véronique McIntyre listens … Continue reading
Posted in Articles, Ecology, Evolution, Plants and fungi
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New article: Thermoregulation in sea lions
In a second fascinating long-form article by CVN member Véronique McIntyre, we learn about the why’s and how’s of sea-lion behaviour like that in this photo. Read the article here: “Some Like It Hot: Thermoregulation in Sea Lions“. If you … Continue reading
Article: Taildropper slugs
In a fascinating and amusing article titled “Life Over Limb: Conversation with a Taildropper Slug“, CVN member Véronique McIntyre describes this unusual creature and how and why it manages to sever its own tail section and still survive. Read the … Continue reading
