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Pacific Spirit Park – Interpretative Walk

Pacific Spirit Park – Interpretative Walk

Leader: Ian Clague; Co-leader: Nigel Pack Text by Ian & Nigel; Photos by Nigel Peck After days of record setting rainfalls, wind warnings, and physical disasters around southern British Columbia, we were blessed with gorgeous weather for the November 16th interpretative walk in the Pacific Spirit Park, led by Ian Clague. It was a beautiful day! Starting our walk at Camosun Bog, we noted that the main confers growing there, thriving in the rich organic and wet soil, were shore…

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In Memoriam – Dr. Joan Ford

In Memoriam – Dr. Joan Ford

November 4, 1925 – October 31, 2021 Dr. Joan Ford died peacefully on October 31 in Vancouver. She will be remembered as the first woman on the medical staff of the Royal Columbian Hospital and for her dedicated service to her patients in Burnaby and New Westminster over 40 years. Joan and Sir Edmund Hillary had a long friendship. She was the locus tenens six times in his mountain hospital in Kunde becoming good friends with the people in the…

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Hike along Capilano Pacific Trail

Hike along Capilano Pacific Trail

Text and Photos by Naomi Ross, Janet Snell, & Caroline Penn Sunday, October 31, was a crisp sunny day. Nine members met at 9 am at the Rabbit Lane (W. Vancouver) trailhead which leads to the west side of the Capilano Canyon. Naomi Ross, our trip leader, is very familiar with the trail and pointed out her favourite sights in the forest of towering Douglas firs and red cedars. The lighting at the first viewpoint over the Capilano River gave…

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Snake Spotting on Vancouver Island

Snake Spotting on Vancouver Island

By Isabella Lovett My thirteen-year-old daughter, Chloe, has gone snake-crazy. So far, I’ve managed to side-step the allusions to vivarium shopping, and we’ve been indulging her latest passion by learning more about snakes in their natural habitat. To this end, we went on an impromptu Vancouver Island snake spotting expedition last weekend. We both had a wonderful time, and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who has a passion for nature. The possibility of spotting some snakes is a…

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Blue Gentian Lake hikes

Blue Gentian Lake hikes

Trip Report by Janet Snell Photos by Janet Snell, John Martin & Caroline Penn On 30 August and again on 9 September, 2021, two groups of hikers explored different routes to Blue Gentian Lake on Hollyburn Mountain this past month. The goal of both hikes was first and foremost to see the beautiful Blue Gentian flowers in bloom at the small lake of the same name. The first hike ascended from upper West Vancouver using the network of trails that…

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Hike to Whyte Lake via Arbutus Ridge

Hike to Whyte Lake via Arbutus Ridge

Tuesday, September 14, 2021 – Text and photos by Kate H. Joint Hike with Friends of Cypress Provincial Park led by Anne Leathem (FCPP & NV) Map: North Shore Trail Map (Updated Second Edition) available at MEC We all readily agreed to postpone this hike to Thursday September 16th to avoid stormy weather. Five of us, including the leader, enjoyed a beautiful, calm and sunny day exploring the Arbutus Ridge area before continuing on the trail from the old helicopter pad…

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Hastings Park Sanctuary – Spring and Summer 2021

Hastings Park Sanctuary – Spring and Summer 2021

Text and Photos by Doug Cooper With the coming and going of the PNE reminding me of the fact that summer has now officially departed, I thought it was time to summarize the nature happenings for the spring and summer of 2021 at the sanctuary at Hastings Park.   The trend of more birders visiting the sanctuary has continued.  I now frequently check eBird to see what goodies other folks have spotted.  Since March, postings of note have included Green…

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In Memoriam – Daphne Solecki

In Memoriam – Daphne Solecki

A past President and an Honorary Life Member of Nature Vancouver, Daphne Solecki, joined Vancouver Natural History Society in 1985. Soon after that she volunteered as Membership Secretary and was a member of Conservation Committee and the Board of Directors for many years. Daphne’s family has written an obituary for her and has given us permission to post it here. Daphne was a respected member of Nature Vancouver and a role model for all of us. Daphne Monica Morton Solecki,…

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Echo Lake Field Trip

Echo Lake Field Trip

Trip report and photos by Caroline Penn Fifteen members of Nature Vancouver enjoyed a day hike to Echo Lake near Harrison Mills on 21 August 2021. Access was graciously granted by owners of this privately owned land which is in the traditional territory of the Sts’ailes First Nation.  Echo lake is circled by old forests. On the South side, 60% were protected in a 2012 campaign by the Ancient Forest Alliance group as an Old Growth Management Area (see protectecholake.com), but the West…

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Sugar Mountain Ridge hike

Sugar Mountain Ridge hike

On August 16 2021, six members hiked from Buntzen Lake to Sugar Mountain (South of Diez Vistas trail). It’s a beautiful forest, with most of the trip on easy to follow pleasant trails. After 2 months of hot dry weather, we were delighted to get some much needed rain.

Nature Vancouver