Trip report by Vicky Earle

Seven nature journalers joined trip leaders Vicky and Noriko at Terra Nova Nature Park in Richmond. Gusty winds greeted us at the meeting spot beside the Fraser River, but once we headed onto the trails, we found several sheltered areas to explore. After an introduction and land acknowledgement, Vicky took a quick moment to share journaling prompts and discussed how using three different “languages” on the page (i.e. words, pictures and numbers) is beneficial because they engage different areas of our brain and make discoveries more memorable. We then ventured to the wooden bridge to see and talk about the unique qualities of duckweed and Azolla ferns—two tiny, floating plants commonly found in the pond.

Duckweed is one of the smallest flowering plants in the world. It plays a crucial role in water purification by absorbing pollutants and excess nutrients while providing habitat and food for various wildlife, including fish, amphibians, and waterfowl. Duckweed is being studied for its applications in bioremediation, biofuel and as a sustainable food source for space missions (!) because of its high nutrient value. The Azolla fern is considered one of the smallest ferns in the world, with leaves measuring only 1 to 2 millimeters long. It is sometimes called the mosquito fern or fairy moss due to its tiny size and floating nature. Azolla can double its biomass in as little as 1.9 days, making it one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth. It is also highly nutritious, containing 25-30% protein by dry weight, along with vitamins and minerals, making it suitable for livestock and even human consumption. We dipped a few out of the pond for closer examination with hand magnifiers.

Thanks to two excellent birders in the group, Ly and Neill, we identified 28 species of birds throughout the morning. These included two Virginia rails, cedar waxwings, three species of swallows (violet-green, tree and barn), willow flycatchers, a purple martin, common yellowthroats, a goldfinch, a turkey vulture, a Cooper’s hawk, five gadwalls and mallards with nine ducklings in tow. Dragon and damselflies were out in force as well, including tule bluet damselflies, eight-spotted skimmers and blue dasher dragonflies.

As we made our way around the pond to the next platform, we were happy to discover a green frog resting idly by the water and a muskrat on the search for lunch – likely dining on the roots and stems of cattails and rushes. But because muskrats also eat fish and frogs when available, mister green frog may have been waiting for his dining companion to leave the area.

Our next stop was a brief visit to the community gardens where flowers and vegetables were in their glory. The Seek app ID’ed a Narcissus bulb fly, a type of hover fly that mimics a bee for protection against predators. However, these insects are considered pests due to their ability to cause significant damage to flowering bulbs, particularly those in the Narcissus family like daffodils.

Before we took to our sketchbooks and journals, our tour of the park wrapped up with the discovery of a large turtle: a red-eared slider, that seemed to be in the process of laying eggs. Red-eared sliders are considered invasive in B.C. With no natural predators their populations can grow out of control, allowing them to outcompete our native and endangered Western painted turtles. They compete for food, habitat, and basking and nesting sites. Checking back one hour later, if this turtle was trying to lay eggs, it was unsuccessful as there was no sign of digging or freshly disturbed soil.

A most enjoyable outing all around! Thanks to all that joined the group today!