Dick Island, a pleasant hiking destination on Texada Island, British Columbia.

With a warm, sunny weekend weather forecast, my mother and I decided to go camping on Texada Island. Boarding the ferry from Comox at Little River, we crossed Georgia Strait to Powell River, then re-entered the terminal for the shorter passage to Texada.

The largest of the Gulf Islands, Texada is 50 km long, and as wide as 10 km. It is one of the few islands with an industry-based economy, including three major limestone quarries, which export up to 6 million tones of limestone a year, and several logging operations. Approaching the ferry dock at Blubber Bay, there is full view of a large quarrying site with heavy machinery and plumes of lime dust rising in the wind.

Driving off the ferry and away from the quarry, one soon feels the tranquility of this large, forested island. The two main communities of Van Anda and Gillies Bay have a charming, almost old-fashioned feel. Most of the island’s 1200 residents live on the northern half of the island. Surprisingly, the southern half is unpaved, and has network of gravel logging roads.

Despite the island’s industry, it is great place for nature, with over 200 species of birds, several unusual plants, and rare species of stickleback. At the southern end, accessible by boat or logging road, is a 900-acre provincial park. More accessible is Shelter Point Regional Park, a 40-acre treasure that is located south of Gillies Bay.

Shelter Point has a large campground, including showers and a seasonal concession. At the time of our arrival, there were no other campers, so we had our pick of beach-side sites with fine views. The park’s nature trail winds through an impressive grove of old-growth Douglas-firs, with thick, furrowed bark and limbs as big as trunks.

Giant Chain Fern (Woodwardia fimbriata)

One of the most exciting things about Texada is the Giant Chain Fern (Woodwardia fimbriata). In Canada, this rare fern exists at a site near Victoria, but is otherwise restricted to Texada and Lasquiti Islands. It is more commonly found in the redwood forests south of the border. This spectacular fern has huge, tropical looking fronds that can grow close to 3 metres high. The evergreen leaves persist year round, and new fiddleheads emerge in the spring. On the underside of the fronds, one can study the lozenge-shaped sori (spore-bearing sacs), which resemble links of a chain. The giant chain fern favours damp sites, but grows in quite a range of habitats on the island. Local naturalist John Dove has been interested in the fern for a long time, and has been recording sites on the island where it grows for the last several decades. We contacted Dove, who told us of several roadside locations where the fern grows.

Giant Chain Fern (Woodwardia fimbriata) sori

Having found the fern, we turned our attention to birds. Along the shore we could hear the screaming calls of Black Oystercatchers. An Osprey patrolled the beach, and hovered in the sky, trying to spot a fish. Herons stood stalk-still at the edge of the water, and crows pestered ever-present Bald Eagles. In the woods and shrubbery warblers were singing, and finches and sparrows hopped into view.

Birds and plants aside, there are other things to draw a curious naturalist to Texada. In Texada’s lakes, there are rare species of freshwater stickleback (Gasterosteus sp.), small fish that are endemic to Texada, and found no-where else on the globe. These are descended from ocean-dwelling species, and are believed to have evolved since the last ice age about 13 000 years ago. In the evolutionary scheme of things they are a very new species. This relatively rapid evolution is of much interest to scientists, challenging old notions that evolution is a very long and slow process.

Texada sticklebacks are red-listed (very rare) and limited to four of the island’s lakes. Predators, human activity, and non-native species are a significant threat to their survival. Similarly rare sticklebacks have been found on Lasqueti Island, but these have since gone extinct.   

After the sleepy pace of Texada, it was a bit of a shock to return to the hustle and bustle of the Comox Valley. Having gotten a feel for Texada’s nature, I will definitely be back to experience its unique beauty and do more exploring.

About the Contributor:

Jocie Ingram is a naturalist and writer based in the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. More of her nature writing can be found on her blog.

Groves of twisted Arbutus (Arbutus menziesii) can be found at Helliwell Provincial Park on Hornby Island, British Columbia.

A painting called “The Sunbathers” (by Daphne Stevens) hanging on my kitchen wall depicts a group of smooth, orange-barked arbutus trees basking in the sun on a hot, rocky hillside from BC’s southern Gulf Islands. There is something mesmerizing about this tree, with its sinuous limbs and distinctive orangey-cinnamon peeling bark. Leaning out over bluffs and beaches with a crown of glossy dark-green leaves, the exotic Arbutus is reminiscent of warmer, more Mediterranean climes.

According to writer Andrew Scott “… the arbutus seems to exert some weird power over the creative mind.” Droves of artists and poets have sought to capture the dramatic presence of this striking tree, which figures in the works of some of Canada’s great artists, such as E.J. Hughes’ “An Arbutus Tree at Crofton Beach” (1973), W.P. Weston’s “Arbutus Shedding Bark” (1947), and Emily Carr’s “Arbutus Tree”  (1922).

Arbutus (Arbutus menziesii) is Latin for “strawberry tree”, in reference to the tree’s bright red berries and its resemblance to the related strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) from Europe. The species name, menziesii, is named after Archibald Menzies, a Scottish botanist who described the tree in 1792 during Captain Vancouver’s expedition to the Pacific coast. In the United States arbutus is also known as Madrone, which comes from the Spanish word Madroño, meaning strawberry tree. 

Bright Arbutus (Arbutus menziesii) berries somewhat resemble small oranges.

Arbutus reaches the northern tip of its range around Campbell River, and extends south along the coast to southern California. In BC, it is restricted to dry, rocky, sunny slopes with coarse mineral soil that drains rapidly. It is usually found within eight kilometres of the ocean, but in our area arbutus is also found along the dry bluffs of lake edges, such as Comox Lake and the Buttle Lake corridor in Strathcona Park. South of the border, Arbutus is more common and occupies a wider range of habitats, and may grow at elevations of 1200 metres or more.

Fussy about where it grows, arbutus is generally unsuitable for the garden. It is difficult to transplant, and if conditions are not right (too shady or moist), it is susceptible to root rot and a host of other pathogens.

Often gnarled and irregular in its growth form, the trunk of arbutus divides into many twisting branches. It can reach heights of 30 metres, but is usually much shorter and can be shrub-like. Arbutus is often found growing along side Douglas-fir and Garry oak trees, and is associated with shrubs like oceanspray, Oregon grape and baldhip rose. 

The older papery orange-brown bark is shed yearly, peeling off in strips, revealing the newer lime-green or chartreuse bark beneath. The dark green leathery leaves are shiny above, and whitish beneath, and readily shed rainwater. Arbutus retains its leaves year-round, and is the only broad-leaved evergreen tree native to Canada.

Arbutus (Arbutus menziesii) flowers are creamy white and very fragrant.

In late April to May, arbutus is covered in clusters of frothy creamy-white blooms that smell like honey, and are very attractive to bees and other insects. Like other members of the heath family, the individual flowers of arbutus are small and bell-shaped, similar to that of heather, blueberries, huckleberries and salal. In late summer and fall, mealy orange to red berries are produced that are inedible to humans, but loved by birds such as American Robins and Cedar Waxwings. Deer and mice also favour the berries. Roughly the size of a marble, each berry has a bumpy surface texture, like an orange rind.

Arbutus wood is cherry coloured when aged, and is very heavy and dense, weighing as much as 44 lbs per square foot. Though it can be used for woodworking, arbutus is brittle, and tends to crack and warp easily when it is dried. 

First Nations peoples used arbutus as a remedy for colds, stomach troubles and tuberculosis. The reddish bark was boiled up and used as a food dye.

In our area, arbutus is most common along the shores of the northern Gulf Islands including Denman, Hornby and Quadra Islands. Lovely arbutus trees can also be viewed along the highway in the vicinity of Parksville and Nanaimo.

About the Contributors:

Jocie Ingram is a naturalist and writer based in the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. More of her nature writing can be found on her blog.

Dave Ingram is a nature photographer based on Vancouver Island. More of Dave his photographs can be viewed on his blog.

A variety of unique and interesting plants can be found in the Wickaninnish Beach dunes.

This is the time of year to visit the dunes of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. While most visitors walk the endless sandy beaches that the park is famous for, fewer take the time to visit the unique and fragile dune ecosystem. During June and early July, the dunes are filled with the colour of blooming flowers.

Hopping between beach logs at the top of the shore, I followed a trail leading off into a broad expanse of dune. Intrigued, I soon arrived in a strange landscape, where wave-like slopes of sand rose and fell, with troughs between. Initially it seemed like a wasteland, until I happened upon a patch of dazzling yellow sand-verbena flowers.

Yellow Sand-verbena (Abronia latifolia) has a very pleasant fragrance.

Between barren tracts of sand I noticed more flowers, and clumps of grass. Tiny mouse tracks, and larger bird tracks crisscrossed the sand. There was life here, but what sort of life could survive on this barren sand dune?

Walking through a dune is like walking back through time. The journey begins at the high tide line, which is often marked by a line of dried seaweed and sea foam. Strong winds blow this material even higher on the beach, and provide nutrients for the first “pioneer” plants to take up residence.

Conditions on the dune are harsh. Winds shift the sand, and may bury plants, creating an unstable environment. Plants must be able to tolerate the abrasive effects of blowing sand and salt spray. Full exposure to the sun can create searing temperatures. Water drains quickly through the sand, and plants must have a means of preserving moisture.

Grasses are some of the plants able to survive these conditions. Dunegrass (Elymus mollis) is a large greyish green native grass with leaf blades about 1 cm wide. European beachgrass (Ammophila arenaria) was introduced to California in the late 1800’s as a sand stabilizer, and was brought to the west coast of Vancouver Island in the 1940’s. European beachgrass is a denser, more narrow-leaved grass that forms large tussocks. Sand blown in from the beach becomes trapped in the grass, causing the sand to stabilize around the plant. Once stabilized, other vegetation may move in.

European beachgrass, and American beachgrass, a similar introduced species, are changing dune ecology and having a negative effect on many native dune plants. Attempts have been made to remove these invaders, but it is not an easy process. They are anchored into the sand by very deep vertical roots, and long horizontal roots called rhizomes sprout new plants. Parks Canada is currently working to remove the non-native grass species in an attempt to return the dunes to their original condition.

Behind the pioneer plants, and the leading edge of grasses, other plants are able to survive on the more protected leeward slopes and troughs of the dunes. These plants have special adaptations to cope with difficult conditions. The yellow sand-verbena (Abronia latifolia) is a perennial that grows from a deep taproot, in low dense mats. The leaves are thick and fleshy, preventing water loss. Sticky hairs cover the entire plant, which adhere to particles of sand. The bright yellow flowers are very fragrant.

Beach morning-glory (Convolvulus soldanella) is one of many beautiful flowers that can be found in the dunes at Wickaninnish Beach.

Another colourful dune flower is the Beach morning-glory (Convolvulus soldanella). It has magical pink fluted flowers, streaked with white bloom from thick kidney-shaped leaves.

Beach-carrot (Glehnia littoralis) is adapted to a life in the sand.

Beach-carrot (Glehnia littoralis), a hardy perennial, has leaves that are wooly beneath causing water droplets to become trapped in the wooly hairs. Beach-carrot has robust corky seeds. In the fall these, and the seeds of many other dune plants, are strewn over the sand by the wind.

Large-headed Sedge (Carex macrocephala) has long spreading rhizomes that enable it to survive in the dunes.

Many other plants eke out an existence on the dune, including large-headed sedge (Carex macrocephala), black knotweed (Polygonum paronychia), and grey beach peavine (Lathyrus littoralis).

Grey Beach Peavine (Lathyrus littoralis) can be found growing on the edge of the dunes.

Going further back, the dunes become more stabilized, and the vegetation older and more established. Stems of kinnikinnick trail out over the sand. Salal, and stunted salt-tolerate Sitka spruce trees grow here. Finally, the forest encroaches, marking the end of the dune and the beginning of the rainforest, a completely different ecosystem.

Having traversed the dune, I had learned much about this unique and fragile environment. Many people walk through the Long Beach dunes every year, and trampling can have a significant impact. If entering the dune, take care not to step on these special plants.

The dramatic dunes of the surf pounded, wind whipped outer shores of our coast are only found at scattered locations in the province; such as the west coast of Vancouver Island, Cape Scott at the northern tip of Vancouver Island, and the eastern beaches of Graham Island on the Queen Charlotte Islands. Many dune plants are listed as rare in BC by the Conservation Data Center.

Different, flatter dune ecosystems also exist along the eastern coast of Vancouver Island. Due to development along the coast, these dunes have become scarce. Some of the above mentioned plants may be found at these sites.

Walking back along the beach, I thought about what a rich place Vancouver Island is. With the ocean, beaches, dunes, rain forests and mountains, there are a wealth of things to discover.

Need to Know:

• Access the dunes from the parking area at Wickaninnish Beach. A park use permit is required to visit Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
• Parks Canada interpreters lead regular guided walks and beach grass pulls in the dunes. Check at the park information centers for the schedule.
• The dunes are a sensitive ecosystem – please use care when exploring it.

About the Contributors:

Jocie Ingram is a naturalist and writer based in the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. More of her nature writing can be found on her blog.

Dave Ingram is a nature photographer based on Vancouver Island. More of Dave his photographs can be viewed on his blog.

Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis) grow to an average 70 meters in height although some are much taller.

Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) is in the big leagues as far as trees are concerned, along with other west coast giants like Douglas-fir and western red cedar. To me, the very name “spruce” conjures up an Emily Carr-like image of a dark green, dripping forest, full of massive, ancient, awe-inspiring trees.

Sitka spruce is the largest of the spruce species; with strongly out-thrust limbs and a fringe of drooping branches. The spirally arranged needles are stiff and sharp, and prickly to touch. Each needle is attached to a small wooden peg at the base, which remains after the needles fall off. It is common to find spruce twigs on the forest floor that are studded with these little pegs. Needles may be yellow-green or blue-green in colour.

Seed cones of Sitka spruce are light brown or reddish and are thin and papery. Each scale has a wavy margin, unlike the three-pronged scales of Douglas-fir. Pollen cones (male) are small and red. Sitka spruce can also be identified by its thin bark, which is typically grey or rusty brown and has shingle-like scales. The bark of a young tree does not differ much from an old tree.

The cone of Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis) has thin, wavy, irregularly toothed scales.

Sitka spruce thrives along the coast from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska down to Northern California. It is found primarily at low elevations (up to 400 metres) and does not stray much beyond 80 km inland from the coast. Unlike many trees, Sitka spruce can tolerate salt spray, and in the words of author John Vaillant forms “the first line of defense between sea and forest” on BC’s wind-whipped outer coast.

The largest and most ancient spruces are found along river floodplains. The tallest spruce in BC is found in Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park, and is 96 metres tall. The spruce tree with the largest circumference (13.94 metres) in BC resides on the Brooks Peninsula. Typically spruces grow 70 metres tall and 2 metres in diameter.
The largest spruces are comparable in size to the largest Douglas-firs. Douglas-fir, however, lives twice as long as spruce. Sitka spruce is the shortest lived of the coastal conifers, rarely exceeding 400 years in age. Most succumb to velvet top fungus before this time.

Spruce seedlings grow best in organic soils, especially rotten logs and stumps. Often, one may see a line of mature trees that all grew up along the same nurse log. This is known as a “forest colonnade”.

First Nations peoples used Sitka spruce for many purposes. The Haida are well known for their watertight spruce root baskets and hats. Roots were also used for fishing line and twine. Spruce pitch was used as a healing salve, and to caulk and waterproof boats. The sharp spruce needles were thought to protect from evil. Inner spruce bark and new shoots were sometimes consumed as a source of vitamin C.
Captain Cook (1728-1779) used the knowledge of the coastal peoples to prevent his crew from getting scurvy. Cook was successful in making a vitamin C-rich spruce beer from spruce buds and molasses.

Sitka spruce has always been prized for its wood, which is light but strong and flexible. During World War II, Sitka spruce was deemed the choicest wood for constructing aircrafts, and was used in the construction of Howard Hughes’s famous flying boat, the “Spruce Goose.” Spruce wood also has excellent acoustic capabilities, and is used for making violins, guitars, and the soundboards of pianos.

Sitka Spruce is one of the most majestic trees of the west coast, and has garnered worldwide attention in recent decades during struggles to protect the last remaining stands of old growth trees in places such as the Carmanah Valley. “Big trees” are always a popular subject, and are an important part of our identity as British Columbians.

Let’s hope that there will be always be places where we can see the trees as Emily Carr did, alive with primeval majesty and mystery.

About the Contributor:

Jocie Ingram is a naturalist and writer based in the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. More of her nature writing can be found on her blog.

The pale, fertile shoots of Giant Horsetail (Equisetum telmatiea) are visible for a short period in the spring.

During a recent visit to Sayward I happened upon a patch of giant horsetail rising from a roadside ditch. Strangely alluring, the pale brown wand-like fertile shoots appear in spring, followed shortly after by green, vegetative shoots. These anemic fertile shoots, which only last for a short period, are easily overlooked. Most of us are more familiar with the green vegetative shoots, which persist for much longer.

Horsetails have hollow, grooved stems with regular joints. Silica on the outer surface of the stem gives it a rough texture, rather like the surface of a nail file. A brownish sheath at each joint is rimmed by darker teeth, which are in fact the tiny leaves of the plant. Whorls of green “branches” fan out from between the joints. Horsetails have perennial underground horizontal stems (rhizomes), from which the shoots arise. For this reason they are often found in groups.

Whorls of "branches" emerge from the joints of Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense).

Most species of horsetails prefer a wet location, and are often found in ditches, swamps, and banks of creeks and rivers. Common horsetail, however, is quite versatile and may spring up weed-like in abandoned fields, backyards, and sandy areas.

Though the green parts of horsetail can be toxic to livestock and humans, some First Nations peoples of the Pacific Northwest ate them in moderation as a spring vegetable. They were also used for polishing wood. Pioneers made use of the coarse surface of horsetails to scour out dirty pots. This is how one type of horsetail, the scouring-rush, got its name.

Horsetails are very ancient plants, and have been around for at least 300 million years. During the late Devonian and Carboniferous periods, low-lying tropical swamps and shallow seas covered much of Europe and North America. One of the most common swamp plants were large horsetail trees called Calamites, which grew to 18 metres in height, with trunks up to half a metre wide.

In the late Paleozoic period, droughts are thought to have caused the demise of this wonderfully weird tree. But smaller relatives of the Calamites survived, and the horsetails of today are remarkably similar to those of ancient times.

Horsetails are a unique group of plants. In the evolutionary scheme of things they are placed between simple, primitive plants like mosses, and more highly evolved flowering seed plants. Like mosses and ferns, horsetails produce spores. Like flowering seed plants, they have specialized tissues for conducting water and food through the stem. Plants with these tissues are generally called “vascular” plants.

Horsetail reproduction begins with a cone-like “strobilus” at the top of the plant. The cone is made up of rows of hexagonal spore-bearing structures. Each hexagon produces thousands of tiny spores. When the spores are shed, they start to grow into a new plant, which is either bisexual or male. Sperm are produced, which must swim through the water to female plants. Once fertilized, the plant will grow to maturity, starting the cycle over again.

Scouring-rush (Equisetum hyemale) showing the strobilus where spores are produced.

There are only about twenty species of horsetail in the world, all in one group, or genus, known as Equisetum. Ten species are found in BC, and six of these exist on Vancouver Island.

Two frequently found species, giant horsetail (Equisetum telmatiea) and common horsetail (Equisetum arvense), produce both pale brown fertile shoots and vegetative green shoots that are connected by an underground stem. The giant horsetail is larger than the common horsetail, with thicker stems. The green stems of both species have whorls of green branches. These vegetative shoots transform solar energy into food through the process of photosynthesis.

Another commonly encountered species is the bluish-green scouring-rush (Equisetum hyemale). Scouring-rushes have straight stems without branches. Fertile shoots are not separate, and cones are found at the tips of the green stems.

The stems of Scouring-rush (Equisetum hyemale) suggest a bamboo forest when examined closely.

Horsetails are ancient and beautiful plants. To see the fertile shoots of horsetails rising from the ditches, one is reminded of the profound history of this plant. Having been around for 300 million years, horsetails vastly predate any human presence on the planet, challenging our limited conception of time.

About the Contributors:

Jocie Ingram is a naturalist and writer based in the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. More of her nature writing can be found on her blog.

Dave Ingram is a nature photographer based on Vancouver Island. More of Dave his photographs can be viewed on his blog.

Yellow Slime Mold. Photo © Dave Ingram.

At any time of year it is nice to go for a stroll in the forest and seek out some of the weird and wonderful things living there. One of the most overlooked, and interesting of these are the slime molds. Often found on rotting logs or decaying stumps, slime molds may be bright yellow like a blob of scrambled eggs, or grey-white like tapioca pudding. Despite their unattractive name, slime molds come in a wide variety of forms and colours, some of which are strangely beautiful.

Scientists have long debated what slime molds are, since they have features in common with both fungi and animals. Like animals, slime molds are free-living and capable of locomotion. Like fungi, slime molds form fruiting bodies that produce reproductive units called spores.

Not fitting clearly into any category, slime molds have been placed in their own group, known as the Myxomycetes. This Greek name means myxa (slime) and mycetes (fungi). Around 700 species of myxomycetes have been described worldwide.

People who have never encountered slime molds have been known to react with fear to these unusual organisms. In Dallas, Texas in 1973, an unusually large mass of slime mold was discovered on the lawn of a suburban resident. Locals panicked, thinking that it was harmful bacteria, or an alien life form. When doused with water, the slime mold appeared to grow, which didn’t help matters. After making national news, the situation was resolved by a local science student, who identified the strange yellow blob as a slime mold. In a few days it completely disappeared.

White Slime Mold. Photo © Dave Ingram.

Slime mold reproduction is very complex, and begins with a single spore. Under favourable conditions the spore germinates, releasing cells that either have whip-like tails (flagellate) or no flagella (amoeboid). Whether the cells are flagellate or not depends upon moisture conditions.

These cells may act as sexual units called gametes, and will merge with compatible cells to form a zygote. The zygote then feeds and grows, and expands into a larger form called a plasmodium. During this process, the nucleus (core material of the cell) divides many times, but cells do not divide. As a result, a mature plasmodium may have thousands of nuclei, but consists of only one giant cell. This cell is bound by cell membrane or enclosed by a slime sheath. The sheath may be shed as a “slime track” behind the moving plasmodium.

The plasmodium usually lives in cool, dark places, where it creeps slowly forward, feeding on bacteria, yeast and bits of organic matter. Plasmodia vary in size, form and colour. Some are very small, and rarely noticed, while others are several centimeters wide. Plasmodia may be yellow, orange or red in colour, and may consist of a network of vein-like strands or be granular in appearance. During dry or cold weather the plasmodium may convert into a hard, crust like form called a sclerotium. This enables the slime mold to go dormant until conditions become favourable.

After sufficient feeding the slime mold migrates to a drier location with more light. Here, a remarkable transformation takes place. The slime mold stops feeding and moving, and the plasmodium produces a fruiting body. This transformation is brought about by certain signals such as exhaustion of available food, and changes in temperature and moisture. During this stage, the slime mold completes its life cycle by releasing spores from the fruiting body, which are dispersed by wind to new locations.

The fruiting bodies of slime molds are the phase of the life cycle most visible to humans. Fruiting bodies are found in diverse shapes and colours, and may appear as a cushion-shaped mass or a cluster of globe-shaped sporangia (spore bearing sacs) balanced on thin stalks. Fruiting bodies may also be goblet or plume shaped.

Whitish/Beige Slime Mold. Photo © Dave Ingram.

Slime molds have been used in some interesting experiments. Japanese scientists constructed a maze, and placed food at the end of two exits, with four possible routes. Surprisingly, the slime mold squeezed itself into the shortest section of maze to reach the food. Dr. Tanya Latty at the University of Sidney conducted an experiment that assessed the ability of slime molds to choose between different quality food sources with different degrees of risk. Both of these experiments may indicate that the slime mold, a single-celled organism, may possess a primitive intelligence. Another Japanese experiment tested the efficiency of slime molds in choosing food sources with the idea that complex communication and subway systems could be modeled by the choice patterns of slime molds.

Another experiment, conducted at the University of Southampton in England, involves a slime mold plasmodium operating a small robot, known as a “slime-bot”. The legs of the robot react to the movement of the slime mold, which gravitates towards dark, hidden places.

So far, slime molds have not been known to be of medicinal value to humans, though they have been used in cellular studies connected with cancer research.
Slime molds are often encountered in the moist, shady forests of our area on decaying logs and stumps or on leaf litter of the forest floor. They may also be found on grass or bark mulch. Slime molds are harmless and delicate, so it is best to observe these mysterious organisms without disturbing them.

More information about slime molds is available in Myxomycetes: A Handbook of Slime Molds by Steven L. Stephenson.

About the Contributor:

Jocie Ingram is a naturalist and writer based in the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. More of her nature writing can be found on her blog.

Red Alder (Alnus rubra) begins to produce pollen as early as late February on Vancouver Island.

When my husband starts sneezing and snuffling, I know that allergy season has arrived. Here on the coast, pollen related allergies can start in late February and continue through to September. To better understand my husband’s suffering I went to the source, the pollen itself. Most of us are familiar with pollen as the yellow dust that smears our car windshields, or forms a film over spring-shower puddles.

Pollen producing trees, shrubs, flowers and grass are all around us. Pollen, which is always male, is a critical part of plant reproduction. A single pollen grain is actually a male reproductive unit, which scientists call a “male gametophyte”. About three cells large, a single grain of pollen is visible only with a microscope. The familiar yellow dust is made of millions of individual grains. Through the spring we live and breathe pollen, which gets into our hair, clothing and nostrils.

The male catkins of Red Alder (Alnus rubra).

Trees are the culprits of most pollen. The first wave comes from red alder, which starts in late February and peaks in mid-March. Red alder is a fast growing leafy tree with red inner bark. Alders have clusters of separate male and female catkins on the same tree. Male catkins are narrow and drooping and are 10-15 cm long at flowering time. Each catkin is packed with miniature male flowers producing thousands of pollen grains. Catkins that have fallen on the ground often have a yellow halo of pollen around them. Spring female catkins are smaller, greenish and less noticeable.

Alders rely on wind for pollen dispersal. The pollen drifts through the neighbouring trees and lucky grains land on the female catkins. This is a hit and miss process so a lot of pollen goes to waste, which is why red alder produces a tonne of the stuff. By the fall, the mature female seed catkins become brown and woody, and each contains 50 to 100 seeds.

The male pollen cones of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii ssp. menziesii).

The next barrage of pollen comes from the conifers, trees with evergreen needles. The most prevalent conifers in our lowland areas are Douglas-fir, Sitka spruce, western hemlock, western red cedar, grand fir and shore pine. The Douglas-fir, like most conifers, has male and female cones. The brown, scaly “fir cones” that most of us are familiar with are the mature female, seed bearing cones. Male cones are much smaller. At maturity these are rusty-red and crispy, and easily found on the forest floor. All conifers use wind for pollen dispersal, and pollen sifts through a 5-10 tree radius. At the time of pollination (the end of March for Douglas-fir), the female cones are soft, green and sticky, providing a suitable landing pad for pollen.

Later in the spring, trees have finally finished shedding vast amounts of pollen. But this is, unfortunately, not the end of allergy woes. Next, arising from roadsides and fields, is the grass pollen. Most of us don’t think of grass as having flowers, since they are not showy or colourful and are greenish and non-descript. Grasses, like many trees, rely on the wind to blow pollen where it needs to go. Species of grass bloom at different times, from spring through late summer.

During the summer many plants have dried up and the allergy sufferer can expect some relief. But what about all of those colourful, blooming flowers? Flowers, shrubs, and trees such as apple, maple and oak have an entirely different system of pollination. Unlike red alder, conifers and grasses, they don’t rely on the hit-and-miss air-bourne method to disperse pollen. They use insect pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. Insects are drawn to attractive flowers for the purpose of getting nectar. While the insect is sucking up the nectar, it gets a dusting of pollen, and unknowingly deposits it on the female part of the next flower visited. Due to the accuracy of this method, a lot less pollen is produced and needed than with wind pollinators. All the flowers in the garden produce just a fraction of the pollen produced by one alder tree. The wind pollinators, especially trees, pack the biggest punch for allergy sufferers.

About the Contributor:

Jocie Ingram is a naturalist and writer based in the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. More of her nature writing can be found on her blog.

Looking out at the old pilings at Oyster Bay.

The eastern coast of Vancouver Island has many locations that are excellent for winter birding. Sheltered bays offer resting places for numerous species of waterfowl and the beaches can be productive for shorebirds. One of the highlights between Courtenay and Campbell River is Oyster Bay Shoreline Regional Park, which is located about three and half kilometers north of the Oyster River on Highway 19A, opposite the Driftwood Restaurant.

It isn’t a big piece of land, just 4.25 acres, and one can walk the entire park in about 15 minutes, but judging from the number of people out strolling dogs, bird watching, or just taking in the view from the park benches, it is a special place that is well used and enjoyed by many. To date 156 bird species have been recorded from the park, and a checklist of birds is available – contact Island Nature to obtain a checklist. BC Coastal Waterbird Survey data also provides a good overview of typical species that can be expected in the winter months.

A flock of wintering Dunlin at Oyster Bay.

Oyster Bay is situated along the Pacific Flyway, a major route for millions of migrating birds. Mud flats that have developed along the inside of the causeway have created an ideal stopover place for birds, providing protection and a rich source of mud-dwelling invertebrates to feed upon. This early in the year, wintering shorebirds like Dunlin and Black-bellied Plover feed on the mudflats while Black Turnstones search the rocky areas around the breakwater for small crustaceans and other food.

Large flocks of waterfowl use the sheltered water of the bay during the winter. Mallard and American Wigeon are common ducks here and if time is spent searching through the American Wigeon, finding a couple of less common Eurasian Wigeon is possible. Other ducks likely to be seen here in the winter include Green-winged Teal and Northern Pintail. Along the breakwater rocks, three species of gulls can be expected at this time of year: Glaucous-winged Gull, Mew Gull and Thayer’s Gull. Approach the top of the dyke overlooking the bay slowly to avoid flushing ducks that may be close to the shore.

Ducks on the shore and in the water at Oyster Bay during low tide.

Looking out from the beach towards the open waters of the Strait of Georgia can be productive for different species of ducks. Look for Surf Scoter, Harlequin Duck, Bufflehead and Common Goldeneye if they aren’t in the calmer water of the bay. Horned Grebe and Common Loon are possible and occasionally, Double-crested Cormorants perch on a set of pilings off shore.

Strait of Georgia from Oyster Bay

Oyster Bay has an interesting history, and was not always the scenic nature reserve that it is today. In the 1930’s, the west side of the highway around Oyster Bay was a relief camp for unemployed workers. In 1939, Al Simpson, who formed the Iron River Logging Company, obtained the camp and timber rights of the area. The Iron River Camp had more than 100 houses, and the Blue Grouse Café was located where the Driftwood Restaurant is today.

A causeway, jutting straight out into the bay, was constructed, and logs from the Oyster River area were brought down and boomed in the bay. Simpson sank parts of dismantled ships to protect the boomed logs from winter storms, and eventually the ship parts were replaced with large rocks. Over time, land accreted on each side of the causeway, creating most of the park’s landmass today.

In 1944, Simpson sold the timber rights to H.R. MacMillan, but with a dwindling timber supply, and continued difficulties to protect the booms from winter storms, the camp closed in 1952 and all buildings were removed.

The future of the land was uncertain for several decades. In 1980 developers considered the bay for a possible coal port. Then in the late 1980’s, the bay very nearly became a private marina for some 500 boats. In 1989, the Oyster Bay Park Association (OBPA), a group of concerned citizens who lobbied to protect Oyster Bay as a wildlife refuge, came into being. The Regional District took an interest in the area and worked with the OBPA, to officially declare the area a park in 1996.
Today, dedicated members of the OBPA continue, in partnership with the Regional District, to provide stewardship for the park including trail upkeep, signage, invasive plant removal and native plant restoration. In the early days, Oyster Bay was completely covered in invasive Scotch Broom, and many “broom bashes” were held to return the land to a more natural state.

A highway rest stop adjacent to the park has parking, toilets and picnic tables. The gravel trails make for easy walking. The sinky mudflats along the causeway are dangerous and should be avoided, but there is a nice pebble beach on the east side. A spotting scope is very useful to sort through the large number of ducks that can gather on the bay and to pick out more birds that are further offshore.

About the Contributor:

Jocie Ingram is a naturalist and writer based in the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. More of her nature writing can be found on her blog.

Beach walkers at Schooner Cove.

We have just returned from a wonderful weekend get-a-way at Pacific Rim, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Winter is our favourite time to visit the west coast. There aren’t too many tourists, and rain or shine we are always dazzled by the area’s natural beauty.

Established in 1970, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is one of the most popular National Parks in Canada. If you have made a trip to Pacific Rim you aren’t alone, as the park receives upwards of 700, 000 visitors a year.

We began our weekend with a morning walk at Long Beach, near the Wickaninnish Center. A sandy path winds through the rainforest to the beach. Chest-high salal flanks the trail, and spruce trees loom overhead. With the sound of pounding surf, the trail bursts into the open brilliance of a long sandy beach. Comber after comber breaks onto the shore, mesmerizing the viewer. This is the open Pacific, the edge of the continent.

Jointed Tubeworm (Spiocaetopterus costarum) - masses of empty tubes of this worm wash up on the beach at Wickaninnish Beach.

We found heaps of small, transparent worm tubes along the upper beach. These segmented tubes belong to a marine worm called the Jointed Tubeworm. Parts of the fragile tubes, protruding from the worm’s home in the sand, commonly break off with disturbance such as a storm.

On this surf-pounded beach, we were delighted to find some thin, delicate looking shells including the Pacific Razor-clam. This beautiful clam is oblong in shape, and has a shiny caramel coloured shell. The inside of the shell is white and may be tinged with purple. Razor-clams are bivalves, a group of mollusks that have two shells joined by a hinge.

Pacific Razor-clam (Silqua patula) - a fast digging clam found on exposed, sandy beaches.

Razor-clams avoid being pulverized by waves by being extremely fast diggers. They can bury themselves completely in less than seven seconds. To do so they extend a pointed, fleshy “foot” deep into the sand. Under the sand, the tip expands, and acts as an anchor. Muscle contractions pull the clam rapidly downward. Razor-clams only live on the sandy beaches of the open coast.

Further along the beach we found a piece of wood with barnacles attached. These weren’t just any barnacles, but another West Coast specialty, the Pelagic Goose-neck Barnacle. This unusual barnacle has a free-floating life on the high seas. It attaches to any drifting object, including wood, buoys, or bottles.

Pelagic Goose-neck Barancle (Lepas anatifera) is sometimes found attached on driftwood washed up on the shore.

The Pelagic Goose-neck Barnacle has five plates covering the body. The plates are white to bluish-grey, and are outlined with orange, giving this barnacle an elegantly patterned look. A fleshy purplish brown stalk connects the barnacle to its drifting home. To feed, this barnacle extends and retracts hair-like “cirri”. The cirri form a net through which the barnacle filters its food. The downside of the floating life is that Pelagic Goose-neck Barnacles sometimes wash ashore. If exposed for too long, they will perish.

Different marine creatures thrive on different types of beaches, so in the afternoon we decided to explore the rocky shore at low tide. We scrambled over the rugged dark grey volcanic rock of a small islet. Life is crowded on the rocks, as mussels, barnacles, anemones, snails, and a host of creatures vie for space.

California Mussels (Mytilus californianus) - a large mussel that grows up to 25cm long.

One of the most abundant species here are California Mussels. These grow to a most impressive size, and we saw some that were as big as my foot (ladies size eight). California Mussels have a ribbed shell that may be blue, brown, or almost black. The inside of the shell is iridescent blue-grey, and the flesh of the mussel is orange. Mussels attach to rock by tough elastic ligaments called byssus threads. If the ligaments break, the mussel will either be mashed by the waves or become food for another creature.

Like California Mussels, Giant Green Anemones prefer the surf swept living conditions of the west coast. The anemone displays a flower like ring of tentacles, which are a lovely milky-green colour. The disc with tentacles, which may be as wide as 15 cm, is attached to a thick column that may be green or olive-brown. The green colouration is largely a result of green algae that have colonized the anemone. Studies suggest that algae may benefit the anemone by providing it with some nutrition.

Green Surf Anemone (Anthopleura xanthoogrammica), a large sea anemone found on the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

Though they look harmlessly pretty, anemones are active carnivores, feeding on detached mussels, crabs, urchins and other creatures. The sticky tentacles easily trap prey, which is swallowed whole by the anemone. The anemone then spits out what it can’t digest. When touched by human fingers, the tentacles of anemones retract. The tentacles stick to the skin slightly, but it is easy to pull away.

Having done a little exploring, it is easy to understand why Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is so popular. It is a spectacular place, rich with life on land (rainforest) and marine environments.

With ever increasing numbers of visitors to Pacific Rim, we must all be aware of the impact humans can have. Nothing should be removed (including shells and driftwood), or harvested from the forests and beaches of the park, and visitors should tread cautiously while exploring these fragile ecosystems. Let’s keep this paradise intact for ourselves, and all the creatures that live there.

About the Contributor:

Jocie Ingram is a naturalist and writer based in the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. More of her nature writing can be found on her blog.