Jocie is an avid naturalist with a passion for birds, botany, and all living things. For the past five years, she has enjoyed writing about nature through her “Knowing Nature” newspaper column. Jocie studied botany at UBC, but much of her knowledge of natural history was passed down from her parents, Betty and Allan Brooks, both biologists and skilled naturalists. Jocie lives in Courtenay, BC with her husband and two young children.
Western Hemlock Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) is one of coastal BC’s most common conifers. It is also a very beautiful tree, with fine needles and attractive downward-sweeping boughs. Early settlers called the tree “hemlock” because they thought that the odour of the crushed needles resembled a European plant. “Tsuga” translates from Japanese as “tree mother,”and [...]
This week I put on my gumboots and headed into the heart of Merville, British Columbia to explore Tsolum Spirit Regional Park. It’s a nice place to take a leisurely stroll (the trail isn’t too long, so no need to rush) and enjoy the fall colours as well as a viewpoint overlooking the river. The [...]
On one of the last of the warm, summery weekends of September, my mother and I visited Pender Island. Having spent part of my childhood on South Pender, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Southern Gulf Islands. The tranquil ambiance of rolling farmland, rocky arbutus bluffs, and secluded beaches makes these islands special. [...]
Here on the West Coast, we tend to boast about big trees, forever going on about massive firs and cedars. Sometimes, we are so mesmerized by these giants that we fail to notice many of the small but attractive trees that are also a fine feature of our forests. Showy dogwoods, delicate Douglas-maples, and elegant [...]
On my daily morning stroll with the kids, something bright red and shiny caught my eye in the green shrubbery lining the trail. It was a perfect salmonberry, and I took a moment to savour its sweet, seedy ripeness. Now that summer is here there is a wealth of edible wild berries to enjoy. Eating [...]
As soon as we set foot on the beach, the kids take off like rockets. The expanse of sand and fresh air makes them giddy with excitement, and they have huge smiles as they bolt away from us. My son likes to dodge between the geysers of water that shoot up from the siphons of [...]
“Spring is finally here,” I think, letting the little ones run ahead of me down the path as I take in the fresh greenery and colourful wildflowers, while listening to a burst of melodious bird song. Today, we are heading out to find some of spring’s finest flowers, and the kids have volunteered as my [...]
On a sunny Saturday during the recent cold-snap I took a morning off to do some cross-country skiing at Mt. Washington, gateway to Strathcona Provincial Park. The smooth, creamy-white snow glistened in the morning light, studded with troops of frosted trees. They call this “Paradise Meadows” for a reason; it’s a spectacular place and feels [...]
All through the winter months, even on the wettest and dullest days, there are always birds in the shrubs and hedges of our neighbourhood. Sparrows are some of the most common winter birds, but I’m always glad to see them. They aren’t particularly flashy or colourful, but they have a subtle beauty, and like good [...]
Most of us are familiar with the grey wispy lichens that garland tree trunks and branches. If you’ve been cross-country skiing at Mount Washington you’ve probably seen this stringy stuff that locals call “old man’s beard” or “witches hair” growing on tree trunks. Darker forms are known as “horsehair” or “bear’s hair.” Lichens appear in [...]
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