READY FOR OUR SUMMER SEASON?
In this issue: GENERAL NEWS & UPDATE ON CONDITIONS IN THE PARK
REPEAT NOTICE OF UPCOMING EVENTS IN JUNE
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Smartphone Photography Workshop – June 7
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Annual Strathcona Bird Count – June 7
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Volunteer Appreciation Tea – Sunday June 14
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Guided Hike: Elk River Trail – Saturday June 20
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Backcountry Safety Workshop – Sunday June 21
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Workshop : From the Salish Sea to Paradise Meadows: exploring flora, habitats, and communities – Sunday June 28
GENERAL NEWS
The Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre will open for the 2026 Season on Friday June 19th.The winter boards have been removed and our trusty helpers have brushed away the dust and cobwebs in preparation for our students and volunteers to receive visitors once again. With the early disappearance of snow in the Meadows we have already scheduled events for the month of June, as listed below.
Over at Buttle Lake, our wee “Hut” should be set to receive visitors on June 23rd with one of our students in charge.
CONDITIONS IN THE PARK
With the snow line now well above 1250 m, most of the trails on the Plateau are clear. The official Trail Conditions Report on the Strathcona Provincial Park is now available on the Park’s website, but as usual tends to be a little out of date. The current report available here dates to May 14th. Recent trips up to Croteau Lake and Mt Elma reported that the main trail is completely clear, but with one of two fallen trees, especially on the steep section up to the ridge on Mt Elma. The ridge on Elma as of last weekend still a few snow patches in shaded sections, but the south-facing lookout over Croteau Lake was clear. A quick glance at Mt Becher from the valley shows next to no snow.
The glacier lilies ( Erythronium grandiflorum) on the knoll above Croteau were magnificent this year, every crevice and hollow awash with yellow blooms; sadly their lifespan is a brief three or four days. Their display appears not long after the snow starts to melt, and with this year’s hot May sun, the flowers are gone, and the lush green leaves will soon wither. Below is a shot of the knoll as seen from Mt Elma, courtesy Tim Penney, and beside it one of the many patches of flowers.
In Paradise Meadows many of the spring blooming subalpine plants that we expect closer to the end of June, are already out – even some orchids were spotted this week. Western sandpipers are nesting beside the ponds, and a Mama bear, with cub in tow, was reported on the Boardwalk May 13th.
NOTICE OF UPCOMING EVENTS IN JUNE
This time the contact email should be correct! We apologize that in the last issue an ‘a’ went AWOL from the address strathconawilderness@gmail.com.
THIS COMING WEEKEND!
Sunday June 7th Workshop: Smartphone Photography for Nature Walks
Time: 10.00 am – 1.00 pm
Place: the Ruth Masters Nature Hall,
lower floor of the SPWC, Paradise Meadows Trailhead.
Limit : 10 participants ; pre-registration would be appreciated.
Registration Fee : $10
Leader: Darrell Tomkins
Short Description of workshop:
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. She will suggest some apps that can expand your ability to create engaging images,
applying principles of design and composition.
We will start 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.
Note – this workshop was postponed from last fall.
FMI and to Register, email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
Sunday June 7th : 8:30 onwards, Buttle Lake Area Annual Strathcona Park Bird Search.
Jocie Brooks and Mandy Vaughan are organizing the count this year, with the main focus on the Buttle Area on Sunday June 7th. One can stay at the Ralph River or Buttle Lake Campgrounds or drive over to Buttle for the day. Please meet at the Buttle Lake Campground Boat Launch at 8:30 am (reconvening in the later afternoon for an optional short wrap-up).
The areas of the count are listed below. Let us know if you would like to lead an area, or if you have an area preference. Mandy Vaughan will be organizing the teams.
If you would like to participate please contact Mandy at mandyjv@telus.net
Southwest area (Thelwood Narrows bridge to Myra Falls)
Southeast area (Augerpoint to Ralph River campsite)
Northeast area (Strathcona Park Lodge to Lupin Falls)
Northwest area (Buttle Narrows to Crest Creek)
Choose a trail! Take a hike and record birds as you go. There are many trails in the Buttle Lake corridor (the lower elevation trails are all now free of snow, including the Elk River Trail and Upper Myra Falls. The snow line will be above 1100m asl).
If you prefer the Plateau there is the Paradise Meadows Area – the trails up to Battleship Lake and Lake Helen MacKenzie are already clear of snow.
Sunday June 14th Annual Volunteer Appreciation Tea, Ruth Masters Nature Hall, SPWC, Paradise Meadows, 2:30-4:30 pm
On this annual occasion at the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre, SWI would like to thank all of our amazing volunteers – staffers, walk and hike leaders, all those helpers at our winter events – who have contributed to the successes of SWI’s programmes in 2025 and in previous years. Please join us on the afternoon of JUNE 14 as we recognize our volunteers and mark the return of spring in the Subalpine. There will be refreshments, including the usual decorated carrot cake, a short presentation, tokens of our appreciation for our 2025 cohort, and the opportunity to meet and socialize with your fellow volunteers. New volunteers are especially welcome to attend to learn more about SWI, its mission and the volunteering opportunities available.
FMI email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
Saturday June 20th Guided hike - Elk River Trail to Volcano Creek
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Place: the ERT Trailhead on Highway 28 (approx. 25 k west of
the Buttle Narrows Bridge)
Distance: approx 11k round trip; elevation gain ~ 200 m.
Limit: 10
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 one way along the Elk River valley as far as Volcano Creek, following the river through a magnificent lower elevation old growth forest, with its lush early summer vegetation.
Meet at 10 am at the Trailhead on Highway 28 which lies approx. 25 k west of the junction at the 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 June 21st Workshop on Backcountry Safety and First Aid
Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Place: Ruth Masters Nature Hall, SPWC, Paradise Meadows
Limit 12. Pre-registration would be appreciated.
Registration Fee: $10
Leaders: Margaret Symon and team of Paramedics
This day-long workshop in two parts ( with a break for lunch) is designed to prepare you for a safe summer on single-day hikes or multi-day trips into the Backcountry. The morning session will include in presentations and demonstrations focussing on:
First Aid kit – essentials
typical mountain medical scenarios:
– diabetic shock
– hypothermia / heat stroke
– stroke
– cardiac issues
overview and questions
The afternoon session will focus on the use of the AED now installed up a the SPWC and is designed to instruct SWI volunteers and others in the proper use of such a device in emergency situations that can arise in the Park.
FMI and to Register, email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
Sunday June 28th "Discovering our Biodiversity" Workshop From the Salish Sea to Paradise Meadows: exploring flora, habitats, and communities.
Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Place: Ruth Masters Nature Hall, SPWC, Paradise Meadows
Limit: 20 ; to register, email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
Registration Fee: $15 (adult); $10 (student / volunteer)
Leaders: Mary Sanseverino and Loys Maingon
Join photographer Mary Sanseverino and SWI research director Loys Maingon, together with local botanists, for a day of exploring the amazing flora from VI’s east coast to the mountains of Strathcona Park. The day will also be an homage to ecologist Dr. Hans Roemer, who passed away earlier this year. We will use his method of presenting plant diversity in defined communities as a guide to developing a greater understanding of plant ecology in both Paradise Meadows and lower down in the Comox Valley. The day will be a mix of classroom instruction in the morning and fieldwork – in Paradise Meadows in the afternoon. Everyone is welcome! The only prerequisite is a curious mind; we think there will be something here for beginner and expert alike.
The morning session will consist of two slide presentations: Loys, revealing ‘All You Wanted to Know About Plants but Were Afraid to Ask,’ followed by Mary, featuring ‘Native Plants of BC’s Coastal Dry Belt,’ which she co-authored with Hans Roemer. The group will then turn to a Q&A session with the presenters to discuss the issues raised. After a lunch break, we will venture out to examine plant diversity within the subalpine meadow ecosystems of Paradise Meadows.
Refreshments – beverages (tea, coffee, juice, water), cookies and fruit – will be provided, but please bring your own lunch and a mug for beverages.
Mary has retired from teaching in the Computer Science Department at UVIC and now devotes her time to various activities including the Mountain Legacy Project, charting the state of Canda’s glaciers in the Rockies and BC by comparing the photographic record from the early survey expeditions in the west, as well as the records of the Alpine Club of Canada. This spring Mary gave a lively and stimulating presentation for SWI on that multi-year project. An active member of the ACCVI, she takes every opportunity on hikes and climbs to indulge in her passion for photographing the spectacular plants to be found on Vancouver Island.
Dr Hans Roemer (April 25, 1938 – Feb 2026) was one of BC’s foremost plant ecologists, overseeing the major Ecological Reserves in BC for many years and through his leadership and example promoting research into and the protection of rare ecosystems. As a mountaineer he spent much time in the Alpine areas of Strathcona Park, producing among his many publications the guide to “Alpine Flowers of Vancouver Island”. And of particular note for SWI, in 2005 he put together a Plant List for Paradise Meadows and Vicinity, which was updated in 2022 for the annual Botany BC Gathering that SWI hosted at the Wilderness Centre. It now includes almost 200 species of trees, shrubs, grasses, ferns and perennials, as well as some mosses.
FMI and to Register, email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
Consider Volunteering with SWI this summer
The summer season on the Plateau less than a couple of months away we are updating our lists of volunteers who have staffed the Wilderness Centre at Paradise Meadows or the Buttle Hut. We are also reaching out to those who have led hikes and interpretive walks in past years. We will continue to hold Workshops in our overarching series “Discovering our Biodiversity”; volunteers who help out with our day-long workshops based at the SPWC will of course not pay registration fees.
Those who have volunteered for us before will be pestered shortly by our Outreach and Volunteer coordinator, Jaron Piercy. Your help in past years has been greatly appreciated. Please consider volunteering again. We will also contact those who have recently signed up through our online Volunteer Application Form and of course welcome any of you who would like to join the team for the first time. Even though we have students working for us through July and August, we always welcome your assistance as well, especially in June, September and even October.
If you are familiar with the area and enjoy meeting visitors from near and far, staffing the Wilderness Centre can be a rewarding experience. We may or may not have two students at the Centre through the Canada Summer Jobs program for July and August, who will cover weekends and most weekdays. On the busiest days at the height of summer, when 200+ people may pass through the Centre, we do always need extra hands. This summer promises to be a busy one, as Canadians vacation at home. And for those of you who prefer the Park in the Fall, we continue to open the Visitor Centre through September until Thanksgiving. September brings many visitors to the Park, avoiding the heat or crowds of summer – at that point we no longer have our summer students and so rely entirely on volunteers to staff the Wilderness Centre.
Please take a moment to think about what you can contribute to SWI as a volunteer and contact Jaron at coordinator.swi@gmail.com or us in general at strathconawilderness@gmail.com.
