If you stand underneath a large Douglas fir this time of year, it may not be as quiet and still as you’d expect. Chickadees peck at the cones, chittering juncos scavenge fallen seeds, a nuthatch clings upside down on the trunk and regards you curiously, flickers hunt insects in the Read more…
The new habitat restoration site at St. John Point has now been planted with native trees and shrubs thanks to the hard work of community volunteers and students from the Mayne School. All the plants were grown from locally collected seeds and cuttings and grown in our native plant nursery Read more…
Do you recall the phrase “If you build it, he will come” from the 1989 film Field of Dreams? Well, in the case of the elusive Wilson’s Snipe, we might rephrase it to “If you build it, s/he will stay.” This past spring, the owners of Hedgerow Farm on Mayne 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.
In 2017 our community came together in an amazing way, raising money to help purchase what is now St. John Point Regional Park. This 68 acre park is a huge addition to the small public land area on Mayne Island being managed for nature conservation and low-impact recreation. Since becoming Read more…
Biologist Rob Underhill gave a talk on how to manage common invasive plant species on Mayne Island.
Henderson Hill Community Park is a place of great natural diversity. Vulture Ridge faces south into the unrelenting summer sun, plants clinging to thin soils subjected to an extended drought each year. A short distance downslope, conditions are very different. Here a small wetland is home to plants rooted in Read more…
The Many, Many Deer of Mayne Island When driving down a Mayne Island road in the evenings, it’s common to see deer in the headlights – many, many deer. As with most of the Gulf Islands, Mayne has more deer than are ecologically sustainable. European colonization has reduced human hunting Read more…