Report & Photos Submitted by Doug Cooper This is a summary of my observations of the happenings in the green spaces of Hastings Park since early last fall. Access to the infield of the Hastings racecourse was again made possible for a few months during the latter part of 2021, after the pandemic closure of the racetrack grounds was lifted and the horse racing season had ended. The training and racing season has started again, and access to the racecourse infield…
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…
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…
This short film by Liron Gertsman, was sponsored by Nature Vancouver for the exhibition Wild Things – The Power of Nature in Our Lives. The exhibition was co-produced by Nature Vancouver and the Museum of Vancouver as a part of our Centennial Celebration. It was open to the public from June 2018 to January 2020.
Text and Photos by Doug Cooper It was a great May for birding and nature in general at the Hastings Park sanctuary. As May came to a close, the sanctuary was much quieter than earlier in the month, both in volume and variety of bird song as well as in numbers and species of birds. Eight types of warblers were reported during the month: Yellow, Yellow-rumped (of both subspecies types), MacGillivray’s, Wilson’s, Orange-crowned, Black-throated Grey, Townsend’s and Common Yellowthroat. At…
Text by Isabella Lovett Depression and anxiety are two of the most common illnesses in the world, and according to the World Health Organization, there are over 260 million individuals worldwide who are coping with depression, while more than 280 million people are struggling with anxiety disorders. The rise in the number of people with mental health disorders is the result of a combination of factors, including having toxic relationships as well as having to deal with pressure on a regular basis….
Text and Photo submitted by Bengül Kurtar Janet and I bicycled this time to Camosun Bog to see the Bog Laurels (Kalmia polifolia), and other bog plants, and birds and the bees. We came across a field of the Bog Laurels. I had visited the park last year at the end of April, they weren’t blooming like this year. You can see more of my photos from last Thursday HERE Bog Laurel is one of my favourite wild flowers in BC. First time…
Charleson Park to Granville Island Text and Photos submitted by Janet Snell Charleson Park didn’t exist before the late 1970s when it was constructed out of excavated soils from the False Creek industrial site turned residential neighbourhood. In such a small park (7.14 hectares), many different environments have been constructed; coniferous forest, waterfall & fresh-water ponds, open turfgrass with deciduous trees and rocky seashore. A forest, mostly coniferous, was planted along a berm to reduce street noise from Sixth Avenue….
Submitted by Cathy Walker A Mud Bay / Boundary Bay excursion turned out to be a bit mixed. On Sunday, April 26, a fellow hiker and I met at the Mud Bay parking lot at 9:30 am and the parking lot was about half full of cars. On Colebrook Road there had been a sign that the Mud Bay parking lot had limited parking so we were pleased we had no problem getting in. The walk along Mud Bay / Boundary…
Harbourview and Lynmouth Park North Vancouver Text and Photos Submitted by Daryl Sturdy Last weekend (April 25-26) I went for a delightful, easy walk along the lower reaches of Lynn Creek to where it flows into the sea. The path is mostly wide enough to pass the 2 meter test, although at times you might have to stand off to one side or wait for people coming toward you to pass. Lynn Creek rushes over shallow bars which are subject to…