Destinations

Comox Lake Bluffs

April 27th, 2012  |  By  |  Published in Destinations, Ecoreserve, Landscapes, Nature Viewing

Earlier in April, Jocie and I spent an enjoyable day without the kids revisiting Comox Lake Bluffs Ecological Reserve. The last time we hiked out to this ecological reserve was in May, 2008 with Comox Valley Nature (note the year on the web page is incorrect). Alden was just coming up to age 1 at [...]

Wildflowers on the Canyon View Trail

April 13th, 2012  |  By  |  Published in BC Parks, Botany, Destinations, Flowers, Nature Photography, Nature Viewing, North Vancouver Island

This is the time of year on Vancouver Island to get down to local riverside trails and check out the spring wildflower bloom. One of my favourite places to walk is the the Canyon View Trail in Campbell River. We usually start this moderate 6 km loop trail at the John Hart Generation Station and [...]

An Estuary Walk

April 3rd, 2012  |  By  |  Published in Destinations, Environmental Issues, Estuaries, Landscapes, Natural History, Nature Viewing, North Vancouver Island

I am looking at Google Earth, following the coast south of Courtenay and I find myself staring at a river, the Trent, as it snakes down to the ocean, opening into a fan-like delta that forms a prominent bump on the coastline. Even from this bird’s eye view, I’m stuck by the estuary’s beauty—a geographic [...]

Let Sleeping Lions Lie

March 27th, 2012  |  By  |  Published in Destinations, Mammals, Marine Mammals, Nature Viewing, North Vancouver Island

If you have a chance, pull over at the Government Wharf in Fanny Bay and enjoy the show. The floats just off the dock are a regular haul out for California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and are usually far enough away that the sea lions can sleep in peace while on lookers can watch without [...]

Dunes at Wickaninnish Beach

March 25th, 2012  |  By  |  Published in Destinations, Dunes, Landscapes, Nature Photography, Pacific Rim, Parks Canada

One of my favourite places in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve are the dunes at Wickaninnish Beach. It is unusual to see many (if any) people in the dunes so it is easy to imagine the wildness of the place, despite the signs and tracks of people who have gone before you. From a botanical [...]

West Coast Safari

March 22nd, 2012  |  By  |  Published in Destinations, Mammals, Marine Mammals, Nature Photography, Nature Viewing, Pacific Rim

If you truly want to experience the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, you need to get out on a boat and make your way to that thin line between the shore and the vast Pacific Ocean stretching westward towards Japan. It gives you a whole new perspective on the power of the ocean [...]

Capture the Coast

March 7th, 2012  |  By  |  Published in Destinations, Events, Nature Photography, Pacific Rim, Parks Canada

I have worked off and on at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve as a Heritage Interpreter and loved being able to combine my passion for photography with my work. In 2010 I developed a program called West Coast Walkabout that was the perfect way to introduce park visitors to the landscape and ecology of the [...]

Surreal Somass Estuary

February 4th, 2012  |  By  |  Published in Bird Watching, Birds, Central Vancouver Island, Destinations, Estuaries, Landscapes, Nature Viewing

The forecast was pretty good and I decided to check out an area that I haven’t birded before: the Somass Estuary in Port Alberni, on Vancouver Island. Sandy McRuer of Rainbird Excursions wrote up a post describing the estuary and how to get there and I figured that it might be good for some winter [...]

Pipers Lagoon Park

January 29th, 2012  |  By  |  Published in Central Vancouver Island, Destinations, Garry Oak Meadows, Landscapes

I was in Nanaimo this Friday and decided to take the “scenic route” through the suburbs along Hammond Bay Road when heading back up-Island. This area of Nanaimo is heavily developed, but fortunately there is a small city park that makes the drive worthwhile. Pipers Lagoon Park is about 8 hectares in size and includes [...]

Searching for Salmon

December 3rd, 2011  |  By  |  Published in Central Vancouver Island, Destinations, Fish, Nature Viewing

If you want to experience the awe inspiring spectacle of a salmon run, consider making a trip up to the hatchery on the Big Qualicum River in the next week or so. I headed down island and checked out the Big Qualicum River Hatchery and was amazed at the number of Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)  [...]

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