Workshop #1 - Smartphone Photography for Nature Walks
Date: Sunday, June 7th
Time: 10:00am – 1:00pm
Location: Ruth Masters Nature Hall, lower floor of the Strathcona Wilderness Centre at Paradise Meadows
Limit: 10 Participants: Pre-registration would be appreciated.
Fee: $10
Leader: Darrell Tomkins
Event Details: She 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.
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 strathconwilderness@gmail.com
The Annual Strathcona Park Bird Search
Date: Sunday, June 7th
Time: 8:30am Onwards
Location: Buttle Lake Campground Boat Launch
Event Details: 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.
Volunteer Training & Orientation Day
Date: Sunday, June 14th
Time: 12:30pm – 2:15pm
Location: Strathcona Wilderness Centre at Paradise Meadows
Event Details: SWI will be holding a volunteer training day for learning more about volunteering with SWI. It is open to everyone including current volunteers and those interested. This will include learning about daily operations of the Wilderness Centres, training related to the use of the TrailRider and more. Our yearly volunteer appreciation day will be held after the training session.
For those interested in becoming “hosts” at the Buttle Lake Wilderness Centre this is a perfect opportunity. More information on Buttle Lake can be found here.
More information and sign up will be available in the coming days.
Volunteer Appreciation Day
Date: Sunday, June 14th
Time: 2:30pm – 4:30pm
Location: Ruth Masters Nature Hall, lower floor of the Strathcona Wilderness Centre at Paradise Meadows
Event Details: 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 strathconwilderness@gmail.com
Guided hike - Elk River Trail (Buttle area) to Volcano Creek
Date: Saturday, June 20th
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: 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
Details: Experienced naturalists and hike-leaders 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.
photo
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 strathconwilderness@gmail.com
Backcountry Skills and Safety Workshop + AED Training
Date: Sunday, June 21st
Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location: Ruth Masters Nature Hall at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre at Paradise Meadows
Limit: 12. Pre-registration would be appreciated.
Registration Fee: $10
Leaders: Margaret Symon and team of Paramedics
Event Details: This day-long workshop in two parts 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
Break for lunch
The afternoon session will focus on the use of the AED now installed up a the SPWC and is designed for to instruct SWI volunteers and others in the proper use of such a device in emergency situations that can arise in the Park.
FMI Contact: strathconawilderness@gmail.com.
Workshop : From the Salish Sea to Paradise Meadows: exploring flora, habitats, and communities.
Date: Sunday, June 28th
Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Place: Ruth Masters Nature Hall, SPWC, Paradise Meadows
Limit: 20. To register, email strathconwilderness@gmail.com
Registration Fee: $15
Leaders: Mary Sanseverino and Loys Maingon
Details: Join mountaineer/ photographer Mary Sanseverino and SWI Director L Maingon 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 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.
More information to follow.
Elders Memorial Hike and Tea
Date: September 26th, 2026
Time: TBD
Location: Strathcona Wilderness Centre at Paradise Meadows
Event Details: At the end of September each year, we will hold our annual Memorial Hike and Tea, honoring Strathcona Park’s great supporters. The afternoon will culminate in tea and cookies at the Wilderness Centre. More details, including times, will be circulated closer to the event, but please make a note in your calendars for this very special event.
For more information or to preregister (not required) please contact strathconawilderness@gmail.com
