From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on Aug 27.
Mandy and Krista recently found this out-of-place looking iris blooming along the trail that runs alongside Croteau Lake.
Loys reports that the iris was there last year also, and on iNaturalist a Russian expert has identified it as a native species, the beach head iris, Iris setosa. On iNaturalist it looks like there are some records from Yukon.
Look out for it if you are hiking up that way.
[Click the image to enlarge it.]
Comox Valley Nature members and the general public are invited to attend the following free online lecture presented by the Strathcona Wilderness Institute:
Title: Investigating White Pine Blister Rust in Strathcona Park
Speaker: Kaitlyn Kuzma-Wells
Date: Sunday, September 5, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. PDT
This webinar is facilitated by the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists (see the registration link below).
Cronatium ribicola or white pine blister rust, is an invasive, and often deadly fungus present throughout British Columbia. Here, Kaitlyn Kuzma-Wells will delve into its history, life cycle and impact on the western white pines of Strathcona Provincial Park.
Kaitlyn Kuzma-Wells is one of the summer students engaged as research assistants by Strathcona Wilderness Institute through the Canada Summer Jobs program this year. They have now completed their work out on the trails in the Park documenting flora and fauna for the SWI Data Collection project on iNaturalist. Their last assignment is to deliver a webinar to the public on a project of their choice.
“Seating capacity” for the talk is limited, and you will need to register in advance. You can check the computer requirements for attendees here.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions for joining the webinar.
For information about SWI, see their website here. If you are new to Comox Valley Nature, find out more about us here.
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on August 26.
There are many beautiful, intriguing aquatic plants that often escape our notice, especially since some are totally submerged (maybe botanical snorkeling would be fun?). Here are a few aquatic plants [click a photo to enlarge it]. If any of you have seen/photographed any more aquatics lately send them on to me to share with the group.
Aquatic plants are part of unique freshwater ecosystems, and I have the feeling that botanically speaking, there is a lot more to explore and document in the ponds and lakes in our area.
Photos and notes by Alison M., distributed to the Botany Group on August 22. Click a photo to enlarge it.
King gentians (Gentiana sceptrum) are now in full bloom in the Meadows (photos 1 and 2) – though remember that they will only be open fully in the later afternoon.
Ladies tresses (Spiranthes romanzoffiana), distinctive with the flowers in a spiral around the stem (photo 3). Found in boggy areas especially on the south side of the Centennial loop, a bit east of the Lake Helen MacKenzie junction.
Most spectacular earlier in August was the Northern bedstraw (Galium boreale) both for the profusion of blooms and the perfume, particularly in the evening (photos 4 and 5). Worth braving the voracious mosquitoes! There is an ever-expanding large patch on the north side of the Centennial loop, about 150 or so metres after you turn left at the junction coming from the trailhead. The plants are spreading down from a draw to the left of the boardwalk, but are extending to the other side. Unfortunately by now their blooms will have come to an end
Other flowers in bloom include the three burnets:
Sitka burnet (Sanguisorba stipulata) (formerly canadensis) is yellowish-white and shaggy looking with filaments at least 3 times as long as the calyx-lobes which are 2.5–3 mm long (photo 6).
Menzies’ burnet (Sanguisorba menziesii) is reddish-purple to bright pink, shaggy looking with filaments 2–2.5 times as long as the calyx-lobes which are 2-3 mm long (photo 7).
Great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis) is reddish-purple to maroon, differing from the other two by its lack of shagginess, the filaments being about the same length as the calyx-lobes which are 2-3 mm long (photo 8).
The CVN Bursary Committee is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2021 CVN Bursary is Charlotte Kimmins of G.P. Vanier Secondary. Charlotte is planning to pursue a double undergraduate Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences and Engineering at Queen’s University. She has a particular interest in reducing plastic pollution and founded a youth non-profit organization dedicated to reducing plastic pollution in our environment. Ultimately she hopes to conduct research to create biodegradable, water soluble alternatives to plastics using marine bio-polymers.
Charlotte’s environmental background also includes:
An excellent student, Charlotte was Biology Student of the Year in 2020 at G.P. Vanier Secondary and maintained a straight A average throughout high school. Her references describe her as an excellent team member with outstanding motivation, work ethic, and ability to inspire. Outside of school she enjoys hiking, mountaineering, skiing, and competing in equestrian sports.
Congratulations Charlotte, and we wish you much success in your studies and future endeavours!
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on July 14.
In early July I did some exploring around the Whymper Lake area (across the Strathcona dam, west of Campbell River). Here are a few photos (mostly botany…and other things of interest. [Click a photo to enlarge it.]
The first 5 photos are from the lakeshore habitat. Some stunning miniature forests of glistening red sundews etc.
…provides nice landing pads for dragonflies such as…
The next 3 are flowers of the dry gravel roadside habitat. Amazing that anything can grow there!
Finally, a bit of relic hunting around some old settlements from logging camp days. Nature reclaiming short-lived boomtowns.
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on July 12, with photos from Alison M.
Despite being laid up with a broken wrist and having to type with one hand, Alison has come through with some colourful photos for us of a succession of blooms from Paradise Meadows and area. The hot weather has accelerated the transition from winter to summer, in just a few short weeks!
[Click a photo to enlarge it.]
In March, our Board of Directors approved a CVN proposal for a restoration and stewardship pilot project to protect and enhance Garry oaks in Vanier Forest. Much research and planning work has already been done by a dedicated team of CVN members. Now the team has been accepted as a delegation to Courtenay City Council to present CVN’s requests for access to the property to undertake the project and for some funding for the project. Bill Henderson and Karen Cummins will present these requests by videoconference to Council at their meeting on July 19.
To learn more about the project, visit our new web page for the project here. You can also find the page any time in the Activities menu.
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on June 14.
Last weekend I was up in Strathcona Park for the annual Strathcona Bird Search, which is always very enjoyable even if the weather was cool and showery.
Though I was busy counting birds, there was the usual distraction of so many beautiful plants to look at, and waterfalls to admire! Here are a few highlights [click a photo to enlarge it]:
By Kerri Scott
For the first time, the annual “CVN Tree of the Year” has been chosen by public vote instead of by committee. The contest, inspired by European tradition and now in its fourth year, fosters a strong connection with nature by highlighting local trees that are cherished by the residents of the Comox Valley.
This year’s winning tree, nominated by Ted Grainger, is a western yew, located in the Cumberland Community Forest. Coming in a close second is a bigleaf maple found in Morrison Creek Park. Praised for its size and the swing in its branches, the maple was put forward for nomination by Marion Dulude’s Grade 6 class at École Puntledge Park. “Both are iconic trees for this area and have great but different stories attached to them,” says Karen Cummins, one of the organizers of the event.
The western yew (scientific name, Taxus brevifolia, or Nuxalk name, kuts’ulhkwis) is a species of tree in the yew family, Taxaceae, and is native to the Pacific Northwest. “Taxus” is the Latin word for “bow”. Because yew wood is strong and stiff, it has been an important resource for coastal First Nations for millennia.
Nominated for its poetic beauty, this western yew symbolizes how community efforts, like fundraising and raising awareness, can protect and preserve threatened forests. Growing on a northwest-facing slope, just past the information kiosk, it is surrounded by artifacts from the former inhabitants of the historic Cumberland Chinatown.
“When you first see this tree, the smooth bark looks like a gnarly, twisted arbutus, but the outer foliage reveals it to be a yew tree. Its shape suggests a life of struggle and tenacity, but it is beautiful nonetheless,” says Ted Grainger, winner of this year’s gift basket and a painting by Sharon Niscak.
As conifers that produce berries, yew trees are unusual. This year’s winning yew is even more unique because of its expanse of exposed roots and wide branches. Approximately 9 metres wide and almost as tall, the squat and multiple-leader form indicates that the yew has grown in the shady understory and been shaped by the succession of the 80–100-year-old forest. This spectacular tree has grown with and around a cherry tree and is extremely slow growing. The papery, red bark—peeling and shredding on the tree’s many stems—while typical of this medicinal tree when it is not covered in moss, nonetheless sets it apart from the neighbouring trees.
Thanks to the passion and perseverance of Cumberland Community Forest Society, this western yew is one of the thousands of trees in over 500 acres of mature forests that have been protected.
CVN encourages everybody to go out and experience the beautiful and important nominated trees firsthand. According to Suzanne Gravelle “The list and location map will remain on the CVN website so the community can still tour and honour all the trees.”
The 2021 contest is dedicated to Cathy Storey. Her legacy is a testament to the CVN motto “to know nature and keep it worth knowing.”
For more information:
