Invasive plant: Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Posted on April 27, 2020 by web_admin

This post is by Jocie Brooks, leader of the Botany Group, from an email to members of the group on April 27.

I was out walking along the Puntledge River recently (downstream from the Condensory Bridge on the Courtenay side), and I came across some large patches of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) at the bend in the river. The plants are over knee high and just coming into flower (white flowers). I recall seeing this terrible invasive a few years ago in Victoria. From the looks of things…it’s been at this location for at least a few years.

I have notified Jim [President] and Karen Cummins [Wetlands Restoration Director] about it. Karen is looking into what might be possible for removal. It is somewhat complicated as the ownership of the land overlaps with the City, CVRD and KFN.

I’m attaching some photos here. As well, download this information pamphlet from the City of Victoria which has everything you need to know about it. One thing I’d like to add, however, is that this plant is edible. Yes, you can make pesto with it, toss it into salads and soups etc. Being in the mustard family, it has a bit of a spicy “kick” but by all reports it is a favourable edible.

If any of you have seen garlic mustard anywhere else in the Comox Valley let me know…hopefully it is only at this one location!

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Featured plant: Gnome plant

Posted on April 24, 2020 by web_admin

This post is by Jocie Brooks, leader of the Botany Group, from an email to members of the group on April 20.

Joy recently sent in a photo of a gnome plant from the Maple Lake area near Cumberland. This unusual and exotic looking plant is one we should look out for, and is a great topic for this week’s feature! In addition to Joy’s photo I’m including a photo of gnomes that I saw with Mandy Vaughan a few years ago on a hike up Crest Mountain (Strathcona Park) in July.

Gnome Plant (Hemitomes congestum)

General Notes:

Gnome plant has a cone-like head of shrimp-pink or whitish flowers that grow close to the ground. It looks strangely alien as it erupts from the forest duff, sometimes looking like a blackened cauliflower when it first emerges. Clark describes it as a “gnome-like dweller of the shaded woods.”

Taxonomic Details:

In the Heather Family, or Ericaceae, gnome plant is monotypic, the only member of its genus in the world. The genus name Hemitomes comes from the Greek words “hemi,” half, and “tomes,” sterile or eunuch, in reference to the fact that often half of the anther (male) cells are sterile. The species name congestum refers to the tightly packed head of flowers.

What the heck is a mycoheterotroph?

Like Indian pipe, pine sap, pinedrops, candy stick and coralroot orchids, gnome plant lacks chlorophyll, and can therefore not carry out photosynthesis.

It was originally thought that such plants fed off dead and decomposing plant matter (saprophytes). Further study revealed that they get nutrients directly from fungi. “Mycoheterotroph” means “fungus-feeding” referring to the fact that these plants depend on fungi. These fungi in turn get their food from mycorrhizal connections with tree roots.

Gnome plant has a special association with the blood fungus, Hydnellum peckii. Blood fungus has mycorrhizal associations with conifers.

Where to find it/range:

Gnome plant is typically found in coniferous forests at mid-elevation and blooms in the late spring and summer. It is limited to the Pacific Northwest and is not found outside of North America. In BC, there is a disjunct population near Terrace.

References: Plants of Coastal BC (Pojar & MacKinnon), Flowers of the Pacific Northwest (Lewis Clark), Botany Photo of the Day (UBC, Daniel Mosquin), Ericaceae of the PNW Park V (Wilbur Bluhm).

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Featured plant: Coltsfoot

Posted on April 20, 2020 by web_admin

This post is by Jocie Brooks, leader of the Botany Group, from an email to members of the group on April 15.

I recently came across a nice patch of coltsfoot at the entrance to the Nile Creek trail (inland highway), which inspired me put together a few words on this interesting plant. 

Western Sweet Coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus var. palmatus)

In early spring, when I peer into muddy ditches (as the botanist tends to do) a patch of coltsfoot is always a nice surprise. This is one of the earliest blooms of the year from the Aster family.

General Notes: Thick stems (which emerge before the leaves) are topped with an attractive dome of white and pinkish blooms. The broad leaves fan out like the footprint of a colt and are woolly-white beneath. The genus name Petasites comes from the Greek word “petasos” a broad-brimmed hat, which refers to the broad basal leaf. According to Lewis and Clark, when coltsfoot goes to seed, “the radiating pappus recalls a very large, but flattened Dandelion puff.”

Taxonomy Details: The most common variety in our area is Petasites frigidus var. palmatus, which has deeply divided leaves (leaves with deep indentations between lobes). Look out for sweet coltsfoot Petasites frigidus var nivalis, which is common in the subalpine of our area. The leaves of this variety are not as deeply divided. 

Medicinal Use: Alaska natives chewed the root or soaked it in hot water and drank the tea for TB, chest problems, sore throat and stomach ulcers (Pojar & MacKinnon). 

Where to look for it: Muddy spots, wet seepage, river banks, lakeshores, roadside ditches. 

Other Trivia: A relative of this plant is Japanese butterbur, Petasites japonicus, a common garden plant with large, kidney shaped leaves.

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CVN COVID-19 response (April 19)

Posted on April 19, 2020 by web_admin

Notice to CVN Members, Group Chairs, Walk Leaders, and Work Parties

The CVN Board encourages all members to follow the current provincial guidelines regarding physical distancing, hand washing, and avoiding non-essential trips to public places. A full list of BC guidelines is available via https://www2.gov.bc.ca/. Please follow all the recommendations from the BC public health officials to help protect our members, families, and the general public.

No CVN activities requiring your physical presence are permitted at this time , and all meetings and other events are cancelled, pending the lifting of pandemic restrictions.  Individuals may still continue CVN work in the parks, but maintain your distances, and do not share tools or other items.

While outdoor activities are important to CVN and are still possible to individuals, please note the following items, and keep safe:

  1. No group activities are planned or encouraged at this time. 
  2. Members who are sick or displaying any flu-like signs should self-isolate at home. Call Health Link BC at 811 if you have any concerns about your health.
  3. A minimum physical distancing of 2 metres between participants is suggested.
  4. Carpooling with non-family members is not recommended.  
  5. Work groups should distance themselves and not share tools.

Thank you for thinking of others. We are all in this together.

Jim Boulter, President, Comox Valley Nature

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Interesting tides and reads

Posted on April 17, 2020 by web_admin

This post is by Randal Mindell, leader of the CVN Shoreline Group, from an email to members of the group on April 15.

Hope this finds you all well. We just passed through a great set of spring tides over the weekend.  I know some of you got out there to enjoy them. This email will recount some of the interesting things out at this time of year as well as some recent literature that might be of interest. Remember you can always stop by (and contribute to) the group’s iNaturalist page to check on more than 1000 local observations and almost 270 shoreline species.

Intertidal Spring

Group members Roxanne and Mary-Lynn were keeping an eye on all sorts of echinoderms in the Willow Point area. In addition to watching as giant leather stars loitered and purple sea stars consumed limpets, they caught sight of the giant pink sea star, Pisaster brevispinus. These can grow up to 65 cm in diameter. I’m pretty sure the one at Willow Point on Friday was close to that boundary. Apparently it bulks up on sand dollars, geoducks and giant acorn barnacles. In the picture below, note the boots and purple sea stars for scale:

Giant pink sea star (Pisaster brevispinus)

Mystery Eggs and Shorebirds

If you look around sand bars at this time of year, you might catch these 1-2 cm gelatinous sacs of spirally arranged eggs. For years these had baffled me. I assumed they belonged to a type of polychaete worm because I had seen something similar around Boundary Bay that was found in association with the Pacific Lugworm. However, a scientist from California who specialized in marine gastropods pointed out that these in fact belong to the Albatross aglaja, Melanochlamys diomedia. The organism that lays them is a little black peanut-shaped marine slug. He is particularly interested in any observations people might have about birds that might feed on these egg sacs. If you are at Kye Bay, Seal Bay, Williams Beach or elsewhere and you see these and any birds feeding on them, you should record your observation.

Recent Publications

Like some other group members, I love the field guide called Between Pacific Tides. The original edition was written by Ed Ricketts and coauthors. Ricketts was the inspiration for the “Doc” character in Steinbeck’s Cannery Row. Earlier editions of Between Pacific Tides have a forward by Steinbeck which draws on shared experiences of the two from past marine biology expeditions (see Log from the Sea of Cortez). Anyways, Ricketts travelled to Comox and other locales in the 1930s. These natural history expeditions were recently reviewed in the Archive of Natural History journal. You can find an accessible preprint here.

Plainfin Midshipman

If you head out to cobbly, bouldery shores at this time of year, you might hear the mysterious sounds of the plainfin midshipman. This is an intertidal fish which can survive quite a long time without air. Like the penguin, this species finds males often responsible for the care of developing eggs. This recent paper (abstract only) shows how males in the species deal with the respiratory stresses of the intertidal.

History and Significance of Mariculture on the West Coast

We hear often about the Garry Oak ecosystems as an example of the historical landscape management for indigenous food systems. Along the shorelines of British Columbia is a record for food production systems stretching back just short of 12,000 years. This paper uses an example from Quadra Island to show changes in productivity and size of the giant butter clam over this large expanse of time. The authors point out that this method of mariculture was sustained over millenia at high levels of productivity and posit it as an example of the technology required for sustainable food systems going forward.

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Citizen Science in BC Parks

Posted on April 13, 2020 by web_admin

CVN members may be interested in the following information that we received from Kelly Fretwell of the BC Parks Foundation. The text has been lightly edited for use on the website.

If you’re receiving this email I’ve likely contacted you previously about getting your outdoors/naturalist group involved with the BC Parks iNaturalist Project, a citizen science initiative of BC Parks, the BC Parks Foundation, the University of Victoria, and Simon Fraser University to collect nature observations using the free app and website iNaturalist. If this is new to you, you can find more information on the project at bcparksfoundation.ca/inaturalist.

I’m writing with a couple of project updates, a few resources to get started with iNaturalist and the BC Parks Project, and tips for staying involved and busy with iNaturalist and the BC Parks project during this current time of social/physical distancing. I’m also introducing Emma Griggs, who is taking over from me for the BC Parks Foundation’s citizen science projects as I move into a new science communications role with the Hakai Institute. Emma will be the BCPF contact for citizen science engagement going forward.

The BC Parks iNaturalist Project: 2020

We had big plans to expand the project this year and connect in-person with as many community groups across the province as we could, but those plans have of course been impacted by the pandemic in a number of ways, not least of which is the necessary closures of BC Parks trails and facilities.

In these difficult times I’m sure we would all like to lean on our shared love for the outdoors and nature, however doing so while maintaining the physical distancing needed to flatten the curve may not be possible, especially in the more densely populated areas of the province. With that in mind, here are some ideas to remain connected with nature and the BC Parks iNaturalist Project during the pandemic by becoming an “Armchair Naturalist”:

  • Check out the BC Parks iNaturalist Project page to browse all the observations that have been made so far in the different parks. Send us any crazy cool ones you come across!
  • Browse through the BC Parks observations and help identify observations of your favourite species groups.
  • Do you have old nature photos languishing on your hard drive, unseen by anyone but you? Upload those to iNaturalist!
  • Download the BC Parks Foundation’s themed PARKS bingo cards and scour your photo library for matching observations.
  • If you’re lucky enough to have a backyard or live in a more remote place where it’s easy and safe to get out into nature while maintaining the necessary 2m/6ft distance from others, go test out your new iNaturalist skills to be ready for when parks re-open.

New to iNaturalist? Resources to get started

And finally, subscribe to the BC Parks Foundation’s newsletter to stay up-to-date with any news or changes regarding this project and other BCPF work.

Posted in Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Citizen Science in BC Parks

“The Whales in Our Waters” recording available

Posted on April 1, 2020 by web_admin

If you missed the successful presentation by our March speaker via webinar, or you would like to view parts of it again, the recording of the presentation is now available here:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/3257295906601688834

You just need to provide your name and email address to gain access.

For information about this talk, “The Whales in our Waters,” and the speaker, Aaron Purdy, see the original post.

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“The Whales in Our Waters” Talk Rescheduled

Posted on March 28, 2020 by web_admin

After our first attempt to host a monthly talk as a webinar had technical problems and had to be abandoned, our speaker Aaron Purdy has kindly agreed to a new date. He will now present his talk, “The Whales in Our Waters: Conservation Through Citizen Science” on Sunday March 29, 2020 at 7:00 pm.

You need to register for the webinar using the following link:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8515098937888047373

A personalized email “ticket” will be sent to you with a link to the actual webinar and instructions for ensuring (in advance) that your computer is set up appropriately.

For more information about this talk and the speaker, see the original post.

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BCWF Workshop “Map Our Marshes” in June

Posted on March 19, 2020 by web_admin
BCWF Map Our Marshes workshop poster

CVN members may be interested in this free two-day workshop to be held in June by the BC Wildlife Federation. Here is their description:

“Wetlands can filter water, mitigate flooding, and provide critical habitat to hundreds of species. Unfortunately, wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate and need our protection.”

“Come join us to learn about the different types of wetlands around Cumberland and how to map and protect them using technology such as GPS, Google Earth, and BC’s Community Mapping Network. No previous experience is necessary.”

For more information and to register, see .

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CVN invites the public to learn about the whales in our waters

Posted on March 17, 2020 by web_admin
The Whales in Our Waters

Comox Valley Nature is pleased to host an online lecture by Aaron Purdy from the Ocean Wise Research Institute. The lecture entitled “The Whales in Our Waters: Conservation Through Citizen Science” is on Sunday March 22, 2020, 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

Given the current situation with the CoVid-19 virus, Comox Valley Nature has made arrangements to have a live, online webinar for Aaron’s presentation. To register, go to:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7522842470023567873

Computer requirements can be checked at:   

https://link.gotowebinar.com/help-system-requirements-attendees

Priority will be given to CVN members. Free available seats will be allocated to non-members.  If you cannot get in, the session will be recorded and will be available later free of charge to the public on the CVN website.

Join Aaron Purdy to learn all about the whales in our waters. Aaron will discuss BC’s common cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), the threats they face, and how Ocean Wise helps to mitigate these threats through research and conservation efforts. He will also describe how you can become a citizen scientist by acting as an observer for the BC Cetacean Sightings Network while out on your next coastal adventure. After this talk, you will have all the tools you need to jump in and do your part to protect BC’s cetaceans.

Aaron joined the Ocean Wise Marine Mammal Research team in 2019 as the Coordinator of the Southern Vancouver Island Cetacean Research Initiative (SVICRI). Through community outreach, research, and education, Aaron engages communities around Vancouver Island to increase awareness of cetaceans in our local waters, talk about the conservation issues they face, and what community members can do to help protect these iconic creatures. Aaron spent several years performing marine mammal and other charismatic megafauna research and is a skilled and experienced marine educator.

This is an excellent opportunity for the public to learn more about conservation efforts to protect the whales is our waters.

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