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. Sandwiched between the Cambie Bridge and Granville Bridge, bike and walking lanes on the False Creek seawall allow spectacular views of the sky and water and the high-rise towers of downtown Vancouver with the North Shore mountains behind. In such an urbanized setting, the natural world continues within the challenges of constricted and managed habitat.  

In this park, I have seen coyote, beaver, eastern squirrels and river otters. Bird life is richer than most passers-by would assume. Of course, Canada Geese and mallard ducks are abundant – but I’ve also seen barred owls, great horned owl, bald eagles, downy woodpeckers, flickers and one time, a trumpeter swan. Yesterday, I saw, briefly, a sandpiper. More birds are arriving every day from white-crowned sparrows to orange-crowned warblers. I carry my camera with me several times every day because there is always a surprise around the tree…

You can see more of my photos on iNaturalist.ca under my username: natvanjan