Trip Report by Lona Lonergan 

Trout Lake was the destination for our October 23, 2023 Nature Vancouver Walk. 20 people, 22 gorgeous trees, 9 degrees with blazing fall colours. Nina Shoroplova, Author of Legacy of Trees – Purposeful Wandering in Vancouver’s Stanley Park, led the trip. Caroline Penn organized the details. Elizabeth Barthel reflected on growing up in the Trout Lake area: the freedom of playing in the bushes. Knowing all the trees like they were friends. She recalls swimming in the lake and coming out covered in slime. Nobody cared. She remembered many peat fires that had to be extinguished by the fire department. The bog and many of the trees are long gone. Nina is like Sherlock Holmes: always looking for clues. “Trees are very clever” “It’s always nice to go under a tree” “Come and look closely” “Let’s go and look” It’s always “Happy Wandering” on Nina’s trips.

A little surprise “bonus” on this trip: Harvey Dueck and Michelle Baudais heard from eBird Rare Bird Alert that there was a Green Heron in the area. They found it in about 2 minutes! Spectacular! They said it was a shy bird that probably liked Trout Lake and Hastings Park for the fish in the lake.