Island NatureExploring nature on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and beyond

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 [...]

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 [...]

The Buffleheads (Bucephala albeola) may be the smallest ducks in North America, but they are the favorites of many bird lovers. Because of their petite size and elaborate courtship displays, they are always fun to watch. Whenever I see them in freshwater ponds or the shallow coastal waters, I always think of the little rubber [...]

The vantage point of the top of Mount Douglas in Saanich offers a spectacular 360o view of rural Saanich, downtown Victoria, and the Olympic Mountains across the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Washington state. However, it is worth turning one’s eyes from the striking vista and looking to the ground at this time of [...]

Each year herring spawns around Vancouver Island, British Columbia in early March. This year is no exception. Last week, I heard that the herring were spawning near French Creek between Parksville and Qualicum Beach. This area has traditionally been one of the most important spawning areas on the British Columbia Coast. The spawn attracts tens [...]

Early spring on Vancouver Island means it’s time to lace on the hiking boots and head out to see the Satinflower (Olsynium douglasii) show. From mid-February to early April this tiny member of the Iris (Iridaceae) family dots the coastal hills with ribbons of winking hot-pink blossoms. Found from Vancouver Island to California, the species [...]

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 [...]

The return of Brant geese to the estuaries and bays of Vancouver Island in late February and early March on their migration from California and Mexico is celebrated annually by the Brant Wildlife Festival in Parksville/Qualicum Beach. This year’s festival runs from March 5th to April 28th and features a wide range of activities and [...]

One of the questions I often get asked is, “How much does it rain on Vancouver Island? Good question. After all, we live here in a temperate rainforest. And the answer, of course, is “It varies!” But it is a considerable amount. I pulled out some precipitation data from the Environment Canada Weather Office site. [...]

Joining a local natural history club is an excellent way to learn more about nature and meet like-minded people. The Victoria Natural History Society (VNHS) has a number of interesting walks and presentations for both members and non-members throughout the year. Field trips are ranked according to difficulty: Level 1 – easy walking, mostly level [...]