Island NatureExploring nature on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and beyond

One of the uncommon birds that often makes the Christmas Bird Counts here on Vancouver Island is the Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) – I usually get at least one in my count area. Other members of the thrush family like American Robin, and Varied Thrush are pretty much guaranteed but the Hermit requires a little [...]

Early this summer my wife and I moved from our 14 year residence in the Royston area to North East Comox. The two homes are only a half an hour apart by road and we remain in the Comox Valley where we have lived for over 30 years. Long enough to have a good general knowledge [...]

The Mount Washington Mine Remediation program has begun again for the season. Signs have been placed at all road and trail accesses to the site reminding everyone that this is an Active Mine Work Area and is off limits to visitors. For their safety, all road and trail users keep well away from the Active Mine [...]

Summer is in full bloom at Paradise Meadows, and the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre has a full schedule of guided nature walks and hikes to enhance your appreciation of the natural splendor of Strathcona Park – BC’s first provincial park. The Wilderness Centre building located at the Paradise Meadows trailhead, adjacent to the Raven Lodge, [...]

Summer will officially begin in July in Paradise Meadows, when the new Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre opens for the summer season. The beautiful new building located at the Paradise Meadows trailhead, adjacent to the Raven Lodge, will be open weekends from July 3 to Sept. 12, 2010. The Centre will be staffed on Saturdays, Sundays [...]

For those interested in botany and unusual plants it is often necessary to get off the beaten path and explore areas that are sometimes a little less accessible. Rhododendron Lake, just south of Parksville on Vancouver Island, British Columbia is one such destination. At the end of a 13 km stretch of sometimes-rough gravel logging [...]

On windy days like today when the Mud Bone is grounded, (our converted river boat doesn’t take too well to swells) we pick a shore dive like Madrona Point in Parksville for quick access to a host of sea life. I prefer to dive Madrona Point at high tide due to the slick entry point [...]

I recently ran across a couple at Victoria Quay in Port Alberni. They had the tell-tale sign of a birder and a visitor – binoculars hanging from their necks and hanging around the signs by the Somass River. I approached them and they started asking about how to get to the bird sanctuary on the [...]

Often the reason a destination is popular has little to do with the superb natural features of an area. Such is the case with Goose Spit Park in Comox, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Usually portrayed as “the” place to enjoy the sunset and an evening beach fire, Goose Spit has much more to offer [...]

Most people mention the endless stretches of sandy beach, ocean swimming and eel-grass tide pool exploration when they talk about Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. However, this 347 ha Provincial Park has much to offer the terrestrial naturalist as well. There is no question that the rich eel-grass beds hold a [...]