In this Issue:
- GENERAL NEWS
- SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE
- UPCOMING EVENTS
GENERAL NEWS:
Conditions: in two words – dry and dusty, in spite of the rain 10 days ago. We have fortunately so far escaped any serious wildfires. The one at Buttle Lake near the Augerpoint Parking area was quickly brought under control and did not spread.
Vegetation is in its late summer mode up in the Meadows – with the blue king gentians and the latest of the orchids, the white hooded ladies tresses, now in bloom.
Earlier blooming plants are now in their seed stage ( the bright red leatherleaf saxifrage above) and of course it is berry time – blueberries and others, including the clasping twisted-stalk in the photo below.
And it is that time of year when we say farewell to our trusty summer students, who have all, for a second year, helped us with energy and dedication to carry out our various summer programmes in the Park. Paige has already flown back to Mt Allison University in Eastern Canada and Mateo will return this week to the Royal Academy of Music in London, England. Sable, Zeke and Jesse will finish their time with us next weekend. However, stay tuned for the announcement of the presentations on their summer research projects. We wish them the very best in the for their studies and projects this Fall and Winter.
SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Below is a copy of the poster with late August and September events. This also appears on the home page of our Website: https://strathconapark.org/ Details of individual events will follow in this and our next Enewsletter.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday August 30th
Presentation : CONNECTED BY WATER
Connecting the complex stories and landscapes of Strathcona ProvinciaL Park and the Comox Lake Watershed.
Time: 9.00 am – noon
Place: Meet at the Ruth Master Nature Hall,
Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre (Paradise Meadows Trailhead at the end of Nordic Way, Mt Washington)
Limit : 25 ; pre-registration would be appreciated.
Presenter : Meaghan Cursons
Join Meaghan Cursons, storyteller, conservationist and community educator for the Comox Valley Watershed Protection Plan to explore the connections between Strathcona Park, the Cruikshank Canyon and the Comox Lake Watershed. From prehistoric landscapes to colonial land grants and from complex land management dynamics, to human impacts – explore the history, current context and possible futures for these interconnected watershed lands.
The Presentation will be followed by a walk around Paradise Meadows, led by SWI Research Director Loys Maingon, focussing on the Meadows as the source of the water that flows into the Browns River, which in turn joins the Puntledge in the Comox Valley.
FMI and to Register, email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
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Sunday August 31st
Interpretive Walk : Tree Growth in the Subalpine
Time: 9.30 am – noon
Place: Meet at the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre, Paradise Meadows Trailhead.
Distance: approx. 6.5 km total , around the Centennial Boardwalk and up to Battleship Lake
Limit : 15 partipants ; pre-registration would be appreciated.
Leader: Fred Newhouse
Forester and Naturalist Fred Newhouse will lead this easy walk around Paradise Meadow and up to Battleship Lake (6.5 km, elevation gain 180m) identifying typical subalpine trees in their habitat, and their survival strategies within a subalpine ecosystem.
As always, have study footwear, and carry plenty water and be prepared for changeable weather in the subalpine.
FMI and to Register, email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
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Saturday September 6th
Guided Hike : Mariwood Lake
Time: 8.30 am – 4:30 pm
Place: Meet at the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre,
Paradise Meadows Trailhead.
Distance: 21 km round trip, accumulated elevation gain 700m.
Limit: 10 participants, pre-registration would be appreciated.
Leader: Janet Beggs
Experienced hike-leader and long-time SWI volunteer, Janet Beggs, will lead this Intermediate day hike by way of Battleship Lake and part of the Plateau Traverse trail to scenic Mariwood Lake, which lies just south of Kwai Lake. The return will pass Kwai Lake the Ranger Cabin and Lake Helen MacKenzie making it a 21k round trip with 700m accumulated elevation gain. Pack a lunch and plenty of water.
FMI and to Register, email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
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Saturday September 13th
Interpretive Walk : Fall in the Subalpine
Time: 9.30 am – noon
Place: Meet at the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre,
Paradise Meadows Trailhead.
Distance: approx. 3 km , around the Centennial and Paradise Meadows Loops.
Limit : 12 participants ; pre-registration would be appreciated.
Leaders: Karen Cummins (CVN) and Alison Maingon (SWI)
For this guided walk around the Meadows, SWI and Comox Valley Nature will join forces, under the guidance of CVN Botany Group’s botany expert Karen Cummins, to examine the seeds and berries of the subalpine vegetation in the Meadows.
FMI and to Register, email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
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Sunday September 14th
Workshop: Smartphone Photography for Nature Walks
Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Place: Ruth Masters Nature Hall, SPWC
Paradise Meadows Trailhead.
Limit: 12 participants ; pre-registration would be appreciated.
Cost : $15
Leader: Darrell Tomkins
In her presentation Darrell will talk about the opportunities that cellphone cameras bring to observing and recording nature. She will provide tips on using a cellphone to capture images that show what interests you on your nature walks. She will talk about resources to bring with you for identification of plants, birds, butterflies, such as iNaturalist and SWI publications. And she will suggest some apps that can expand your ability to create engaging images, applying principles of design and composition.
The workshop starts with a classroom lecture for an hour with some examples of what she has done with an iPhone 12 Max, followed by an hour to do a self-directed nature walk in Paradise Meadows with your cell phone. There will be a follow-up discussion about what people found interesting and what challenges photographing nature with a cell phone were encountered.
Darrell did her Ph.D. thesis in 1975 on the effects of roadside clearing with herbicides on plant communities. She pursued a career in environmental mutagenesis and medical cytogenetics. Always interested in patterns and details, she retired early and earned a Diploma in Fine Arts at North Island College in 2010. She is an active member of the Comox Valley Photographic Society, Pearl Ellis Gallery, the Filberg Lodge and Park Association and the Strathcona Wilderness Institute. Curiosity and love of beauty inspire her photography.
FMI and to Register, email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
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