What does it mean to be a naturalist? Naturalists observe nature in its various forms, most often plants or animals, often investing considerable time in communicating the results to a popular audience. In the case of plants, a naturalist will study the location and growing conditions of a plant, and Read more…
It is autumn and hundreds of gulls are flocking to Active Pass, feeding off the annual flood of plankton. If you stand on the Miners Bay Dock and watch as they twist and turn and plunge into the water, you might notice two bald eagles swooping in amongst them, their Read more…
This is part three of the “Below Our Feet” series, exploring the mysterious workings of the Rhizosphere, which is the region of soil shaped and surrounded by plant roots. In the last article, we met some of the most common soil animals and learned about the vital tasks they perform Read more…
This is part two of the “Below Our Feet” series. This series of articles aims to shine a light on the mysterious underground world of plant life beneath our feet. In the last article, we explored some of the secret superpowers of plants. Not only are roots the foundation of Read more…
When environmental factors change, as is happening with global climate change, the geographic boundaries that a species can survive within shift as well. This is known as a range shift, range expansion, or range reduction depending on the circumstances.
The Global Big Day is an annual celebration of the birds living around us. This event was first held in 2015 by Cornell University, a leader in wild bird science. Cornell manages the website eBird.org and tracks the data to better study and conserve bird populations, and is also the Read more…
This is part one of the “Below Our Feet” series. This series of articles aims to shine a light on the mysterious underground world of plant life beneath our feet. Held together by roots, soil organisms, bacteria, and fungi run this underground world of decomposing plant material. Plants whose aboveground Read more…
When confronted with slow-moving, large-scale problems, humans generally have a track record of failing to take reasonable and timely action. This is partly an issue of perception, a failure to recognize the negative changes that have happened or are happening around us. The slower these changes happen, the harder it Read more…
Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), also known as stinking willie, is a toxic invasive biennial or short-lived perennial plant introduced to Canada from Europe in the 1850s via the ballast water of ships. It is currently found in the Fraser Valley, southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, and in parts Read more…
Two small groups of masked Mayne Islanders explored lower Mount Parke in search of fungi specimens on our October mushroom walks. There were many pairs of smiling eyes taking in the variety and beauty of these living organisms, all feeling very fortunate to be guided by Rene Zich, a mushroom Read more…