The always fascinating Paradise Meadows in Strathcona Provincial Park was the destination for the Botany Group’s field trip on August 6.
The focus species for this outing are all found only at elevations above 300 metres: Sitka alder, yellow-cedar, green false-hellebore, kneeling angelica, white mountain-heather, pink mountain-heather, crowberry, bog blueberry, common butterwort, and king gentian. Various other species were also observed.
The group’s co-leader Véronique has created another great photographic identification guide for many of the species observed on this walk using her own photos and additional research. Below is a selection of images from the guide. Download the full guide here (PDF, 7.4 MB, 28 pages). [Click a thumbnail photo to see the full photo.]
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 illustrate the concepts. If you’ve ever wondered what the term “alternation of generations” means, learn all about it in the article Life Cycle of Mosses.
You can always find this and other long-form articles via the Articles category in the sidebar.
Title: Observations on the fish and aquatic ecology of Buttle Lake Speaker: Paige Stuart Date: Tuesday, August 27, 2024 Time: 7:00 p.m. PT
See the registration link below.
Situated at the heart of Strathcona Provincial Park, Buttle Lake, which was once home to large trout populations, has never recovered from the twin impacts of the building of the Upper Campbell Dam (1958) and the mining impacts of the Westmin Mine at Myra Falls. The impacts have drawn attention to short studies, notably by Dr. Tom Northcote from 1962 to 2000. Paige Stuart has reviewed the literature to date and carried out a series of preliminary observations to determine knowledge gaps and understand the situation limiting recovery.
About the speaker
Paige Stuart is a Research Student at SWI during the 2024 season.
CVN members and others are invited to participate in the following two-day workshop organized by the Strathcona Wilderness Institute as part of its “Discovering our Biodiversity” series exploring the natural history of Strathcona Provincial Park.
Title: Subalpine Mycology Workshop (Sep 21) with Mycology Hike to Divers Lake (Sep 22) Presenters: Andy MacKinnon, Thom O’Dell, Erin Feldman and Bryce Kendrick Date: Saturday, September 21, 2024 and Sunday, September 22, 2024 Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, and starting at 9:00 a.m. Sunday, PT Location: Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre, Paradise Meadows. Cost: $70.00 (students: $25.00) Maximum number of participants: 15
See below for registration instructions.
The 6th annual SWI Subalpine Mycology Workshop will take place on September 21 in the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre, Paradise Meadows, followed on September 22 by a hike to Divers Lake. This year the team of talented experts includes Andy MacKinnon, Thom O’Dell, Erin Feldman and Bryce Kendrick, all eminent mycologists with extensive experience in both instruction and guiding field forays.
On Saturday they will have in-class slide presentations and ID sessions, combined with forays out into the Meadows, in both the morning and afternoon, separated by a lunch featuring wild mushroom soup.
On Sunday, SWI Director Loys Maingon will lead a hike through the fungus-rich forested slopes on the trail to Divers Lake, which lies in the valley below and to the west of Paradise Meadows.
About the workshop leaders
Andy MacKinnon is a forest ecologist with research interests in plant-fungal partnerships. He is Past-President of SVIMS, and is a co-author of RBCM’s “Mushrooms of British Columbia”.
Thom O’Dell, Ph.D. has over 35 years experience studying and teaching about mushrooms.
Erin Feldman, MSc, is a research scientist turned mushroom cultivator and educator with more than 10 years sharing fungal facts through classes, forest walks and biodiversity surveys.
Bryce Kendrick, Ph.D, D.Sc., F.R.S.C. has been working with fungi for more than 70 years and has published more than 300 papers and books over that period.
The Botany/Mycology Group’s July field trip was popular with members. On July 2, the group observed a variety of plants and fungi in the lower part of Rosewall Creek Provincial Park, with a particular eye out for these species: eyelash cup fungus, oak fern, spiny wood fern, devil’s club, black gooseberry, clasping twistedstalk, goatsbeard, and enchanter’s nightshade.
Also, co-leader Karen C., who recently completed a course on grasses, helped the group identify a few grasses and sedges along the way. Karen recommends the following field guides for grasses and sedges, both published by Oregon State University Press:
Another highlight was examining an amazing nurse stump with several trees of different species growing from it.
The group’s other co-leader Véronique has created another great photographic identification guide for many of the species observed on this walk using her own photos and additional research. Below is a selection of images from the guide. Download the full guide here (PDF, 6.8 MB).
A small contingent of Botany/Mycology Group members enjoyed the group’s June field trip to the Comox Lake Bluffs Ecological Reserve on June 4. They explored both the forested area adjacent to the reserve and trails inside the reserve leading to the bluffs with their uncommon dry-site plant communities, including some plants rare in this region.
Seaside juniper
The group’s co-leader Véronique has created another very useful photographic identification guide to many of the species observed on this walk using her own photos and additional research. Below is a selection of images from the guide. Download the guide here (PDF, 16.1 MB).
The Strathcona Wilderness Institute is offering a workshop this summer on identifying lichens in Strathcona Provincial Park:
Title: Field Identification of Basic Lichens in Strathcona Provincial Park Date: July 27, 2024 Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Location: Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre, Paradise Meadows Cost: $65 – includes a copy of Field Guide to Basic Lichens of Strathcona Provincial Park Registration: Email Limit: 15 participants Instructor: Loys Maingon
Here is SWI’s description of the workshop:
This event is one in a series of “Discovering our Biodiversity” Workshops held each summer to promote the amazing wealth of flora and fauna in Strathcona Provincial Park. This specific workshop, led by lichen expert Loys Maingon (RPBio), provides an introduction to field identification of lichens found in Strathcona Provincial Park . There will be an in-class slide presentation and discussion in the morning in the Ruth Masters Nature Hall (lower floor of the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre). After lunch the group will go out into the Meadows for on-site observation of lichens in the Paradise Meadows area.
Preregistration is required, with acceptance on a first paid, first served basis.
Please email for further information.
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The identification guide linked here was updated on July 13 with a few minor changes, replacing the version that was posted originally.
Spotted coralroot (Photo: V. McIntyre)
The Botany/Mycology Group held an extra outing in June (on June 12) at the Puntledge forest with the goal of finding mycoheterotrophs. A mycoheterotroph is a plant that gets its nutrients from a fungus during at least part of its lifecycle.
The group’s co-leader Véronique has created another very useful photographic identification guide to the mycoheterotroph species observed on this walk using her own photos and additional research. Below is a small selection of images from the guide. Download the guide here (PDF, 5.4 MB) [click a photo to see the uncropped image].
Beach plain in foreground, estuarine plain on opposite bank, wooded area with pond (not visible) in background. (Photo: V. McIntyre)
The Botany/Mycology Group’s May field trip took place on May 14 at Little River Nature Park and was well-attended.
This CVRD nature park has three special ecosystems which the group explored:
the rare and sensitive beach plain
the sensitive salt marsh estuarine plain
the wetland and pond area.
Many of the spring flowers on the beach plain were showing up on this trip.
The group’s co-leader Véronique has created another very useful photographic identification guide to most of the species observed on this walk using her own photos and additional research. Below is a small selection of images from the guide. Download the guide here (PDF, 10.3 MB).
Botany Group at Little RiverRocky Mountain pond-liliesCalifornia blackberry male flowerCommon forget-me-notMenzies’ larkspurSeashore lupine
(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...
