In this issue:
- SWI 30th Anniversary Celebration
- Conditions in the Park
- August Schedule
- Upcoming Events
SWI 30th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
For our 30th Anniversary celebration we were delighted to welcome a lively group of silver heads, many of whom had participated in the blockades of 1988 when FOSP stood up to protect the Park, including environmental activists Kel Kelly ( the first to be arrested in Canada for protecting a Park) and Marlene Smith, a prominent advocate for the Park, who has stood at the helm of FOSP for decades in the spirit of Melda Buchanan and Ruth Masters. We enjoyed an afternoon of memories from Marlene, Peggy and current SWI directors Judy, Lindsay, Loys and Alison, as they spoke of FOSP and the important foresight of the directors who set up SWI in 1995 as a Society with an educational mandate to ensure that the public would be well-informed about the importance of the Park’s biodiversity and the need to protect it. Kel encouraged out to the younger generations to continue the work FOSP started – yours to preserve.
Of the original 1995 SWI directors, Betty Brooks, Nancy Greene, Steve Smith and Rob Wood were present, while Les Carter, the first President and legal advisor sent his warm greetings from Rossland, with regrets that he could not attend. SWI would not be what it is today without the foundations set down by these individuals in 1995, nor would we have the Wilderness Centre without the hard work of architect Rob Wood and the perseverance of Steve and Marlene Smith in raising the funds for its construction. Our gratitude also extends to another figure from the early days of SWI, Peggy Carswell, who was President of SWI after Les Carter in 1996 and involved in some of the fine-tuning on the operational side of the Society. On the 19th Peggy also leant her invaluable assistance in the organization of this event.
Refreshments and cake were enjoyed by all and to add a fine finishing touch to the afternoon we were entertained with live music by a local folk group consisting of Jocie, Craig, Heather and Jenny, joined by Jean and Matthew and our summer student Mateo.
CONDITIONS IN THE PARK
Now at the end of July, warm temperatures have melted most of the snow en route to the top of Albert Edward – what remains in shaded gullies is covered with a slippery surface and the distinctive “watermelon” coloured algae.
Parks has not updated its Trail Conditions report since June 30th – major trails into the alpine will be largely free of snow except in shaded, north facing areas, where alternating crusty and soft conditions will persist depending on the time of day. Please note that the short trail at Karst Creek remains closed.
AUGUST SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
We have posted our August Schedule, but there is a change to note. Janet Begg’s hike to Mariwood Lake slated for August 16 will be postponed to September 6th. On the 16th, our summer student Mateo will lead a hike either to Allan Brooks or the Cruikshank Canyon Lookout.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday August 2nd – Research Presentation
“Family Drama”, Sociality & Social Dominance
of Canada Jays
Time: 9:00 am to Noon
Place: Ruth Masters Nature Hall, Wilderness Centre,
Paradise Meadows Trailhead.
Presenter: Andie Siemens; Dan Strickland will also be present.
Pre-registration would be appreciated.
In this presentation, Andie Siemens will talk about her PhD research on Canada Jay Family Dynamics in Strathcona Provincial Park. She has been working in the Park for the past couple of years as part of Dan Strickland’s larger multi-year Canada Jay Research Project in Paradise Meadows that he began in 2016. The presentation and question time will last for about an hour and a half, and following a break Andie will take us out into the Meadows to observe the family dynamics of Trailhead group, one of the designated territorial groups in the study.
Since 2016/17 Dan has been recording numbers of nests within what have now expanded to 22 territorial groups in the Meadows area and beyond, and banding the nestlings/fledglings. He recently circulated this graph illustrating the fluctuations in numbers of nestlings/fledglings that have been banded from 2017-2025.
For more information about Dan’s Canada Jay Project, see the Annual reports and articles on our website page under the Research Tab- https://strathconapark.org/swi-research/
Here is a link to the 2024 Fall Report : https://strathconapark.org/w/wp-content/uploads/2024-Fall-Report.pdf
FMI and to Register, email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
Monday August 4th
Guided hike – Croteau Lake
Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Place: Meet at the Wilderness Centre, Paradise Meadows Trailhead, Strathcona Provincial Park.
Distance: 12 k round trip; elevation gain approx. 270 m.
Pre-registration would be appreciated.
Leader: Sarah Thornton.
Experienced hiker, Sarah Thornton, will lead this moderate hike past Battleship Lake and Mt Elma to scenic Croteau Lake, which offers splendid views of Mt Albert Edward across the water. Pack water, lunch and a swimsuit; have sturdy footwear and be prepared for changeable weather in a mountain environment.
FMI and to Register, email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
Saturday August 9th
Guided hike – Elk River Trail (Buttle area)
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Place: Meet at the Trailhead on Highway 28
(approx. 25 k west of the Buttle Narrows Bridge)
Distance: 11k round trip; elevation gain ~ 200 m.
Pre-registration would be appreciated.
Leaders: Mandy Vaughan and Kathryn Landry
Experienced naturalists Mandy and Kathryn will lead this easy-moderate hike 5.5 k along the Elk River valley as far as Volcano Creek, following the river through a magnificent lower elevation old growth forest, with its lush summer vegetation.
Meet at 10 am at the Trailhead on Highway 28 which lies approx. 25 k west of the junction at Buttle Narrows Bridge. Pack water and lunch, have sturdy footwear and be prepared for changeable weather.
FMI and to Register, email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
Sunday August 10th
Paradise Meadows Interpretive Walk :
“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”
Time: 9.30 am – noon
Place: Meet at the Wilderness Centre, Paradise Meadows
Trailhead, Strathcona Provincial Park.
Distance: approx. 3 k. around the Centennial Loop Boardwalk.
Pre-registration would be appreciated.
Leader: Glenn Gustafson
By popular request, former SWI director Glenn Gustafson will again lead this easy walk around the Paradise Meadows and Centennial Loop trail identifying the medicinal (harmful or helpful) properties of plants growing in Paradise Meadows.
FMI and to Register, email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
Finally – a note on slugs in the Elk River Valley
The ever-moist forest floor of the Elk River Valley is home to a large population of the white variant of the Pacific Banana Slug, the same species as the more commonly seen greenish/beige with black splodges versions. Their colouration makes them hard to miss, unlike their more camouflaged cousins. Native to the Pacific North West, this slug can grow to 25cm, the second largest terrestrial slug in the world.
Other native species to be found there include the Yellow-bordered Taildropper. Last week on a moss-covered rock along the trail in the Valley we spotted both a large adult and a tiny young one. As its common name suggests, species in this genus can shed part of their body (the term is “autotomy”) .like species of lizard do, when threatened. The first photo shows an adult, the second a very young one ( with the photographer’s finger tip for scale). Apart from the yellow band, distinctive features include a fine net-lie pattern on the back.
About Us
The Strathcona Wilderness Institute (SWI) is a non-profit society whose mission is to inspire awareness, appreciation and stewardship of the natural world in general & Strathcona Provincial Park in particular through education and participation. The Institute embraces the goals of the Strathcona Park Master Plan: to protect the natural beauty of Strathcona Provincial Park while at the same time promoting public enjoyment and respect for integrity and completeness of the wilderness.
The essential role of the Institute, in partnership with other parties, is to serve as an interface between the Strathcona wilderness and the general public. The Institute aims to facilitate a co-operative effort to assure support for continuing environmental awareness through education and outdoor activities.
Strathcona Wilderness Institute operates two summer information centres in Strathcona Provincial Park, BC, Canada – one at Paradise Meadows and one at Buttle Lake, providing Park, nature & hiking information. Visitors to both Centres come from Vancouver Island, from across Canada, North America, and the world.
