Paradise Creek flows out of the Ponds in the Meadows into the Browns River over the spectacular Falls (as seen in the photo above) and so ultimately reaches the Puntledge River -the focus of our presentation on Saturday 18 (see below).
IN THIS ISSUE
- REPEAT OVERVIEW OF UPCOMING SWI EVENTS
- VOLUNTEER AT THE BUTTLE HUT
REPEAT OVERVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS
Sunday July 19
Interpretive Walk for Families : Nature’s Wonders in Paradise Meadows
Time : 9:30 AM- noon
Place: Meet at the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre, Paradise
Meadows Trailhead
Leaders: SWI summer students Kiane and Zeke
Pre-registration would be appreciated.
Join SWI’s Kiane and Zeke, naturalist interpreters as they lead this easy family-oriented walk on the boardwalks in the Meadows, teaching your kids about many of the amazing plants and animals around the ponds or in the woods, and how to spot and identify them.
What exactly is this bright yellow mass to be seen moving imperceptibly across logs or mossy surfaces or debris on the ground? The common name given in iNaturalist is the somewhat revolting“Dog’s Vomit Slime Mould”. Another common name is “Troll’s Puke”. But don’t let names put you off. Zeke is our resident expert in slime moulds and will explain exactly what these fascinating brightly coloured organisms are.
Saturday July 25
Interpretive Walk: "Plants that Heal or Harm”
Time : 9:30 AM- noon
Place: Meet at the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre,
Paradise Meadows Trailhead
Leader: Plant Ecologist Glenn Gustafson
Pre-registration would be appreciated.
Join Plant Ecologist and long-time SWI volunteer, Glenn Gustafson, guiding you on his popular walk around the Paradise Meadows Loop Trail (2.8km), as you learn about the properties of the sub-alpine plants that are good for you and those that are quite the opposite.
Discover the healing benefits of plants such as Mountain Arnica (above left) and the toxic constituents of beautiful but deadly plants such a False Hellebore (above right).
Sunday July 26
Guided Hike - Mt. Becher (Forbidden Plateau)
Time : 9:00 AM- 3:00 PM
Place: Meet at the parking area at the top end of Forbidden
Plateau Road
Leader: SWI Summer student Mateo Jaeckel
Pre-registration would be appreciated.
SWI Summer Student and Environmental Program Coordinator Mateo Jaeckel will lead this intermediate Hike (11 km round trip, 700m elevation gain with some steep sections) up Mt. Becher, featuring superb views of the Comox Valley and the mountains of Strathcona Provincial Park including the Glacier depicted in the photo below ( or the closeup view near the top of the newsletter).
Note that this hike does NOT start from the Paradise Meadows Trailhead, but from the parking area at the end of Forbidden Plateau Road (the road that passes Nymph Falls, accessed off Piercy Road) approximately a 30 minute drive from Courtenay. The drive up the mountain is on a gravel road with some steep sections.
Advice for all our walks and hikes – Sturdy shoes are a must; always be prepared for sudden changes in the weather in the mountains; Always carry lots of water, and sun protection. Though we prefer that you not bring your dog on our hikes, if you do you are required in the Park to keep dogs on leash at all times.
VOLUNTEER AT THE BUTTLE HUT!
If you long to escape into the Park far from your cell-phone or computer, consider a weekend at the Buttle Hut, spending a few hours during the day greeting visitors to the Buttle area of Strathcona Park and providing information about its trails and natural history, but for the rest of your sojourn enjoy the peace and tranquility of a spot by the lake, with mountains towering on either side of it.
We are looking for volunteers to fill weekend slots in our summer schedule at the Hut, July to the end of September. We have a summer student employed through the Canada Summer Jobs program to staff the Hut from Monday to Friday in July and August, but for weekends from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, or through out Septemberr, we have vacancies. The photos below show the exterior (volunteers with visitors) and the interior of the Hut.
For overnight stays, volunteers have access to a cabin down in the Park HQ where Park Operators 43K Wilderness Solutions are located, as well as the various facilities in the compound there. Or else bring your own tent, and camp in the HQ area beside the Lake.
If you are interested & want to learn more, please email strathconawilderness@gmail.com