From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on September 4. Click a photo to enlarge it.
Reflecting back over the summer (as one does, come Labour Day), one of our highlights was a backpack up Mount Albert Edward on August 16-18. We did the usual thing, camping at Circlet Lake and day hiking from there, followed by a second night at Circlet. There are those who hike or trail-run to the summit as a day trip, but it doesn’t look like much fun!
Many lovely subalpine plants, and some higher-elevation alpine plants on the rocky ridge to Albert Edward that I don’t get to see too often. Here are some plants and views, and a few shots of my teenage kids en route. We reached the summit on my son’s 15th birthday!
Notes and photos by Kim D. distributed by Jocie to the Botany Group on September 3. Click a photo to enlarge it.
and 2. Pacific goldenthread. A dodder, likely Cuscuta salina, which parasitizes plants in the Goosefoot family, especially pickleweed (in the genus Salicornia). You can see pickleweed poking through in the photo.
Japanese butterbur, maybe Petasites japonicus. Not native but of historical interest!
Paintbrush (Castilleja sp.).
The first two pictures I believe are Pacific goldenthread/salt marsh dodder. I saw it along the shore on the north side of the road at the Little River Ferry terminal in July. First I thought it was some kind of fish netting. When I read more about it, I learned that it loves pickleweed and it was definitely intertwined with that.
The third picture I saw on a Cumberland Museum tour through No. 1 Japanese Settlement just last week. I was told by the leader Dawn Copeland that it is Japanese butterbur or Japanese sweet coltsfoot. It was looking a little floppy with all the dry weather. Apparently it is only seen near where the Japanese have lived.
The final picture I took on a sea stack at San Josef Bay. I know it is paintbrush but nothing more specific than that. Seemed quite dwarfed and definitely connected with the rock but that is all I know.
Posted inPlants and fungi|Comments Off on More summer botany highlights
A message from Kelly Kline, leader of the CVN Birders Group.
Young Rufous Hummingbird (photo: Charles Brandt)
The CVN Birders Group goes on bird-watching field trips every Thursday morning and on the first Sunday of each month. We skip the Thursday immediately following a Sunday outing.
Currently we are following COVID Protocols which include: current CVN members only may participate; must be fully vaccinated; maintain 2 metres separation; no sharing of scopes, binoculars or devices.
Any Comox Valley Nature member can join the Birders Group by emailing Kelly Kline at: cvnbirds [at] gmail [dot] com.
The following free online lecture presented by the Strathcona Wilderness Institute (SWI) will be of interest to CVN members and others:
Title: Can community science measure vascular plant elevation changes in Strathcona Park? Speaker: Steven Hayward Date: Tuesday September 13, 2022 Time: 7:00 p.m. PDT
This webinar is facilitated by the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists and is open to the public (see the registration link below).
One aspect of climate change and increasing summer temperatures is the prediction that plants will shift their ranges higher in elevation or northward in latitude to remain in their optimal growing conditions. Community science platforms such as iNaturalist can provide large datasets to researchers and have been used to document flora and fauna in Strathcona Park. Can this dataset be used to track vascular plant elevation changes in Strathcona Provincial Park?
Validation of an R package ‘rgbif’ that provides elevation data based on GPS coordinates and evaluating the current flora dataset of Strathcona Park are necessary first steps to see if answering this research question is possible. Further steps include analyzing this dataset and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of using this approach.
About the speaker
Steven Hayward is a university student who worked for SWI during the summer of 2022.
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on August 30.
On July 22-23 I attended Botany BC (along with some of you) and we had a lot of fun looking at subalpine plants. Here are a few highlights from that. Most of these are from the McKenzie Lake area [click a photo to enlarge it]:
Queen’s cup (Clintonia uniflora). These white lilies contrast beautifully with the deep green leaves.
Marsh violet (Viola palustris). A lovely mauve-coloured violet.
Northern comandra or bastard toadflax (Geocaulon lividum). This is not too common in our area, but there is quite a lot along the shores of McKenzie Lake. Note the small yellow-green blooms.
This creamy coloured slime mold (Ceratiomyxa sp.) was found on an old log on the McKenzie Lake trail.
This slime mold (Lindbladia tubulina) looks like a blob of tar! Near Diver’s Lake.
The admirable bolete (Aureoboletus mirabilis) has a reddish suede-like cap.
The following free online lecture presented by the Strathcona Wilderness Institute (SWI) will be of interest to CVN members and others:
Title: Species of Conservation Concern in Strathcona Provincial Park Speaker: Jack Bindernagel Date: Saturday September 3, 2022 Time: 7:00 p.m. PDT
This webinar is facilitated by the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists and is open to the public (see the registration link below).
Common Nighthawk (Photo: Jack Bindernagel)
Strathcona Provincial Park occupies a large part of Central Vancouver Island and encompasses a wide variety of ecosystems ranging from above treeline down to low-lying riparian and coastal areas. This diversity in landscapes and vegetation is responsible for the impressive number of species recorded in the park. Due to the park’s large size, many of the ecosystems found within it are comparatively intact. Given the park’s high diversity of habitats and large areas of relatively unmodified terrain, it is not surprising that many species which are globally or locally of conservation concern are found within the park.
This presentation aims to showcase a few of these imperilled species which utilize the habitats found in the park, and explore the significance of the park as it relates to their conservation. Some species discussed will include Donn’s small limestone moss (Seligeria donniana), Black Swift (Cypseloides niger), Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor), oldgrowth speckleberry lichen (Pseudocyphellaria rainierensis), Sticta weigelii (a foliose lichen), Salish daisy (Erigeron salishii), and cliff dwarf-primrose (Douglasia laevigata).
About the speaker
Jack Bindernagel is a student who worked for SWI during the summer of 2022. After his stint at SWI he resumes his studies at the University of Victoria. Jack has also been very active as a volunteer with CVN’s Wetlands Restoration Group, particularly at Courtenay Airpark.
By Karen Cummins. Updated 2022-07-15 to add link to Kerri Scott’s podcast.
2022 Tree of the Year
Tree #13, a Garry oak located at 3015 Glacier View Rd. in Courtenay, amassed the most votes in the 2022 Tree of the Year event. The nominator was property owner Ruth Barry. It is a beautiful tree that has been lovingly protected and appreciated for a very long time.
The nominator of the winning tree receives a gift bag or basket consisting (mostly) of consumable treats. They also have the privilege of having an original tree painting in their home for the coming year. This year, Ruth will soon be moving to England so she has requested that the loan of the painting go to the nominator of the second place tree. Tree #5 Douglas fir at Kin Beach nominated by Bev Wolsey was second, so Bev will be the custodian of the painting until next year’s contest.
Nominator Ruth Barry and husband Jerry Van (with prize bag) at the winning treeRuth and Jerry with the painting
#20 Douglas fir on the bluffs near Connemara in Comox
#9 Garry oak on Grieve Rd.
In a three-way tie for 6th place were #10 Apple in Courtenay, #32 Lazo Garry oaks, and #27 Garry oak on Ryan Rd.
We have had a lot of positive feedback about the number and diversity of the trees that were nominated this year as well as the pleasure of reading their stories followed by touring to see and appreciate the trees where they live. These are the goals of the event and it is both the people who nominate the trees and the people who tour and vote for their favourite that make it happen.
What we also heard was that it was very difficult to vote in favour of just one tree. All the trees are “winners”! The descriptions of the nominated trees and the tour maps will stay on the CVN website so that the stories can be shared and the trees toured throughout the year.
Our Tree of the Year Committee would be happy to hear any feedback CVN members wish to share to keep improving this event in the future.
Trip report provided by Kathleen W. with photos by Barbara N.
On May 18, despite a dismal weather forecast, 13 Shoreline Group members joined our enthusiastic trip leader Sandra Milligan for a productive low tide outing at Willow Point Reef, south of Campbell River. Sandra is a Biology instructor at North Island College, and a well-known participant in environmental activities in Campbell River. She previously led us on an outing to this location in 2019, and we were keen to revisit the area. This was the first in-person activity of our group in over two years.
We saw no nudibranchs this time, and fewer numbers of sea urchins, sea stars and anemones compared to our previous outing there, but several species of algae, bivalves, and gastropods were abundant. Here are photos of a few of the species seen [click a photo to enlarge it]:
Giant red sea urchinGumboot chitonLeather star
Here is a species list (as a PDF file to download) compiled from observations provided to me by several of the participants.
Many thanks to Sandra, and our knowledgeable facilitators Ian G., Robin H. and John N. for their help with identifications, and to Kelly K. and Judy C. for help with the COVID protocol.
Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii). Photo by Kevin Cole from Pacific Coast, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Many CVN members want their gardens to attract pollinators, and carefully select native plants for this purpose. But how much do we know about the pollinators themselves?
As a joint project, the Environmental Youth Alliance and a project named Border Free Bees prepared a booklet in 2017 to educate the public about insect pollinators. You can download it for free here (PDF, 11.5 MB):
This booklet is a useful introductory guide that you can use to learn about various categories of insect pollinators: honey bee, bumble bee, hairy belly bee, miner bee, hover fly, butterfly, and wasp.
It begins with some general information, including a diagram of basic insect anatomy. Then the section for each of the seven categories includes a description, a diagram, and clear labelled photos of a few examples from the category.
This is not a field guide, but it’s a fun way to enhance your knowledge of the insect pollinators that visit the flowers in gardens and in the wild. For those who want to identify the insects more specifically, this guide can lead beginners to the correct section of their detailed field guides.
(THIS EVENT IS FULL, join the waitlist through our events page) Comox Valley Nature invites you to a special opportunity to learn and connect with K'omoks First Nation storytelling, benefiting the KFN culture department. Pamela Mitchell, Culture Manager for KFN, has created a workshop around the legend of Dzunuk’wa the wild Woman of the Woods. Kwakwak’wakw oral tradition tells of a giantess that lives in dark forests and has thick messy hair, a black face and full red lips.This workshop is a great way to learn about local Indigenous traditions through a hands-on project that creates lasting memories about the K’ómoks First Nation culture. For this project we will be creating a wild woman ornament; you will colour the iconic red lips and face of the wild woman and hand-spin the wool for the crazy wild woman hair. While we work on our ornaments, Pamela will read her version of the wild woman story.This project takes about 1-1.5 hours. Workshop fee is $36 which includes the cost of a supply kit. Proceeds go to the KFN Culture Dept.Register through our CVN events page.https://comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/events/ ...
Drawing on the Salish Sea: A Zoom course in support of the Mitlenatch Island Stewardship Team (MIST)Have you wished that you could keep a nature journal or paint the life around you? During three Zoom sessions you can explore how to quickly capture wildflowers, inter-tidal life and birds You’ll learn how to draw quickly and accurately, starting with simple shapes, then using some refining techniques, which will help you draw with less frustration!You’ll look at materials: papers, pens, and coloured mediums like pencil crayons. Then you’ll jump into watercolours with a simple palette and mixes as well as quick watercolour techniques you can use in the field or at home. All the lessons will be accompanied with downloadable notes.You will finish the course ready to start your own Nature Journal.Zoom recordings will allow you watch the sessions at your convenience during the course and for a month after we wrap up. About Mitlenatch Island:Mitlenatch Island is a small rocky island that sits between Campbell River and Powell River, in the Salish Sea. Cast in the rain shadow of Vancouver Island, its flanks are clad in golden grasses and its meadows host an explosion of spring wildflowers. Anchored where tides rush in from the north and south, rich waters encircling the island teem with fish; intertidal life flourishes and thousands of seabirds nest on cliffs, in rocks, and on open ground. It’s shores provide refuge for mother seals with their pups, and haul out for sea lions in the winter. In recent years Humpbacks have returned to nearby waters, to feed on krill and schooling fish. With so much life, much of it on exposed nesting areas, the island has a special vulnerability. The Mist volunteer wardens are in place for the summer months to welcome people to the island (which is accessible by boat only) and to relate to visitors the natural and human history of the island. For 25 years Alison Watt has spent a week on the island in the summer, as a volunteer warden. Her journals are full of Mitlenatch sketches. She finds it a delight and a privilege to return each year to this jewel of the Salish Sea. MIST is a special organisation which works closely with BC Provincial Parks to ensure that Mitlenatch Island remains a haven for the plants and animals of the Salish Sea.Sign up and donate through www.alisonwatt.ca/drawing-on-the-salish-seaFor more information on Mitlenatch Island visit www.mitlenatch.ca/mitlenatch-island...
Comox Valley Nature invites its members and the public to CVN’s October general meeting, where you can hear the following keynote presentation by our guest speaker: Birdbrains – Smarter than you think- with Sandra Milligan Once dismissed as “birdbrains,” birds are now recognized for their remarkable intelligence. Sandra explores the evolution of our understanding of avian neuroanatomy, focusing on local species. Through engaging stories and videos, Sandra explores how birds solve problems, use tools, express empathy, and communicate with rich vocabulary – inviting you to see these creatures with newfound respect and wonder.Sandra Milligan has been teaching university level biology at North Island College for over twenty years. With graduate degrees in neuroscience, she’s now a generalist, naturalist, and lifelong learner. In Campbell River, she’s a recognized environmental advocate and public educator. Her passion for birding has evolved into a deep interest in avian behaviour and intelligence. Drawing on her neuroanatomy background, Sandra has followed the growing research on bird cognition, confirming what many intuitively felt – birds display an extraordinary range of intelligent behaviours. Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 3 pm in the main hall of Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive, Comox. Members of the public welcome.This will be an in-person only meeting. We will not record the presentation on this occasion [this is a correction to previous information].As always, there will be a break after the presentation with a chance to meet new people and socialize with old friends. Tea, coffee and treats will be available (by donation).A brief meeting follows. Reports from some of our interest groups and projects are an opportunity for guests to learn more about what we do. ...
It's that time of year! A couple of off leash dogs have been seen romping at the confluence of Morrison Creek and the Puntledge River. Dogs get quite excited to see those big chum. The chum do spawn right at the mouth of the creek, salmon eggs are very sensitive to disturbance so paws, or feet, in the creek kill eggs. Keep your dog on a leash, especially if you do not want a smelly dog! Dogs like to roll in dead fish. Salmon spook, be a quiet calm wildlife paparazzi. ...
Fish Walk!!! ( Well, not really...but don't miss this chance to follow their journey!)Join the Morrison Creek Streamkeepers for a walk along Morrison Creek, starting at its confluence with the Puntledge River in Puntledge Park, to watch salmon spawning after their remarkable journey back from the ocean. Register here: form.jotform.com/262924316992264...
