Greetings all,
Participants on the trip led by Karin to Gabriola on June 11th reported back on how enjoyable a day they had visiting Berry Point, Gabriola Sands & the Malaspina Galleries at the northwest end of the island, then Drumbeg Park and the petroglyph site on the Southeast end. Sharon kindly sent the photos attached.
They saw a range of Garry oak ecosystem plants that included the Brodiaea coronaria – harvest brodiaea in full bloom and Sedum spathulifolium -broadleafed stonecrop, as well as seashore plants such as Glaux maritima – sea milk-wort, a plant which Helen had hoped to point out on the beach at Little River. In a seep at the Malaspina Galleries there was a huge, stunning green, patch of Sagina maxima – coastal pearlwort.
We should certainly plan on a trip to Gabriola again next spring, perhaps in May rather than June.
For the next Botanical outing we will join forces with SWI ( me under another hat) for the first Nature Walk of the Season in the Subalpine up at Paradise Meadows on Saturday June 23rd at 1.00 pm. The Meadows have been completely clear for over a week now, and on various visits there since the end of May we have seen the appearance of the Caltha leptosepala, Lysichiton americanum, Kalmia microphylla, Trollius laxus to name a few. I managed to photograph the elusive Coptis asplenifolium – fern-leafed goldthread in bloom on May 24th. By last week it was just beginning to form seeds. Last week, too, the first shootingstars were out (Dodecatheon jeffreyii). Some of the vaccinium species are in bloom, some already over. After this weeks heat there should be lots to see.
There will be further Nature Walks in the Meadows and beyond over the summer –do join us up on the mountain. If there is another location which any of you would like to visit, just let me know.
Alison
