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General News
Up to mid August the skies were mostly clear and the sun hot over the Plateau. The views from the Augerpoint Traverse below reveal the Strathcona alpine at its very best, with 360 degree panoramas and a spectacular final view to the west towards the Golden Hinde from the ridge before the descent to Buttle Lake. [photos courtesy Janet Beggs].
It is now the beginning of September and the air up on the Plateau smells of autumn. There is a cool freshness in the morning, with the lingering smoke in the air from the fires in the Buttle area of the Park. The views from the Plateau have been swathed in a light haze since mid August as the lightning strikes in the Wolf River area and on Mt Con Reid have grown into a major fire. These fires continue to be monitored, along with other lightning strikes on either side of the Elk River, Mt Myra and Phillips Ridge. BC Parks did close the Wolf River Marine Campsite out of due caution on August 17th. The photo below was taken on August 24th from above Aston Pond on the Plateau Traverse ,looking west over the Cruikshank canyon towards Castlecrag through a fine film of smoke.
Our summer students have now reached the end of their Canada Summer Jobs contracts with us for another season. We are grateful for all the time and effort they have devoted to supporting SWI’s mission. We thank Jesse for his enthusiasm and initiative as a staffer at the Centre, making use of his extensive knowledge of the Park. By serendipity, he literally appeared on the doorstep of the Centre just as we were about to open at the end of June. Inza, as Naturalist Interpreter/Research Assistant, guided many of our Interpretive walks around the Meadows and contributed to the SWI Data Collection Project on iNaturalist from the assigned weekly hikes on major trails on the Plateau and in the Buttle area. She will give a presentation on her own special project on Arachnids in the Park on September 14th. And Mateo, for his third year with us, coordinated our Summer Programme of Walks, Hikes and Workshops, as well as contributing to our iNaturalist project from weekly hikes in the Park with Inza. He will give a presentation on September 11th on the potential impact of Climate Change on Insectivorous birds in the subalpine. (Full details on both presentations are below, and on our website, including the links to register – https://strathconapark.org/swi-events.)
The Wilderness Centre at Paradise Meadows will be open through September until Thanksgiving, but we are now reliant on our trusty cohort of Volunteers to greet and inform visitors. September can be a busy month with visitors to the Park wanting to avoid the heat of summer or the crowds, so please consider volunteering for a day up in Paradise Meadows as the Fall colours begin to appear. The Buttle Hut will also be occasionally open, again depending on volunteer staffers.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Below is our September Schedule with one or two gaps we yet hope to fill.
A FEW DATES OF NOTE
September 9th: 10am – 4:00 pm
The Magic of Watercolour (Workshop)
SPWC, Paradise Meadows ( Ruth Masters Nature Hall)
There are still spots available for the Magic of Watercolour. This workshop, led by artist James McBeath, will focus on the use of watercolour to explore and experience the natural world. The day will be divided into a demo session in the morning and a hands-on workshop in the afternoon. This course is tailored for the beginner, with little or no experience, but includes some intermediate to advanced techniques as well.
Preregistration required (Cost $25). Refreshments and cookies will be provided, but participants are responsible for their own lunch. Participants are responsible for bringing their own materials/equipment – a list of recommended supplies will be provided upon registration.
James, a native Vancouver islander, is a professional artist and instructor, whose work is internationally recognized. He is passionate about wilderness, whether paddling or hiking, and from his extensive experience will demonstrate ways of capturing the essence of what we see in our environment through the magic of Watercolour. He also joined our team of volunteers at the Buttle Hut last year, and is to be found over there for most of August. To find out more about James, go to his Website: https://jamesamcbeath.tripod.com .
FMI and to register please email strathconawilderness@gmail.com.
September 16 and 17 The 5th Annual SWI Subalpine Mycology Workshop.
This workshop is now full. So for those of you who have missed it there is always next year!
September 30 : Chris Carter Memorial Hike & Tea
We were all saddened by the passing of one of Strathcona Park’s great supporters, Chris Carter. From his involvement with the Friends of Strathcona Park in the late 1980s to protest the BC government’s lifting of a logging and mining moratorium in the Park and the plans for a Silver Mine at Cream Lake south of Buttle, or the decades of hiking, snowshoeing and volunteering with CDMC and finally 15 or so years of volunteering and supporting SWI, not to mention hundreds of photographs in every season, it is clear that Strathcona Park was never far from his thoughts for over half a century.
Hence. our plan to host a Memorial Hike and Tea on September 30th. There will be a day-hike for the more energetic to Croteau Lake and a spot unofficially called “Chris Carter Lookout” and a more leisurely afternoon walk in Paradise Meadows amid the glorious fall colours so eloquently captured in many of the photographs taken by Chris over the years. The afternoon will culminate in tea and cookies at the Wilderness Centre. More details, including specific times, will be circulated closer to the date, but please make a note in your calendars for this very special event.
FREE WEBINAR PRESENTATIONS
September 11th: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Climate Change and its Potential Impact on Insectivorous Bird Populations of Strathcona Provincial Park
Details:
In this presentation, SWI summer student Mateo Jaeckel will discuss how different aspects and trends of climate change may be impacting insectivorous bird populations that rely on productive fens found throughout Paradise Meadows, Strathcona Provincial Park. Using citizen science data from iNaturalist as well as on-site observations, Mateo will seek to determine whether shifts in precipitation and hydric conditions could affect the ecology of the park.
September 14th: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
An Exploration of Arachnids Found in
Strathcona Provincial Park
Details:
In this presentation by SWI summer student Inza Maki will demontrate that Strathcona Provincial Park is an area of incredible biodiversity, but the smallest of these creatures are often left unnoticed. Inza aims to explore the diversity of Arachnids found within the park and help explain why they might be more important than one thinks.
The link to register for each of these presentations is to be found on our Website’s Event’s page: https://strathconapark.org/swi-events/.
Looking forward to Fall and the season of Fungi….
The occasional showers up on the Plateau have encouraged some mushrooms to raise their heads above ground. Below is a row of violet Corts and a golden Coral fungus found in damp gulleys on the north facing slope of Mt Elma.
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