On Getting Out There – A Meditation

We forget sometimes the everyday power and ordinary wonder of immersing ourselves in the natural world. It’s a possibility, an opportunity, that is nearly always available to us. Authentic experiences of nature don’t require an epic excursion into the wilderness for days on end, into apparently pristine surroundings where all evidence of human incursion has been elided. The true magic is that, no matter how much urban we try to impose on the natural landscape, there is still wild all around us.

January 24, 2016 1

Licorice Fern: A Buried Candy Store

As the winter season approaches, it may seem like the time for fresh plant life is over. Not so. While we may not be enjoying the same leafy profusion brought by those April showers (though truthfully, here on the West Coast they're not always so very distinct from the January showers, the July showers, or the October showers), the winter months bring their share of new growth.

November 27, 2015 0

Spring Feast For the Eyes: Chocolate Lilies

The Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria affinis for the botanically-minded) is one of the coolest and yet commonly overlooked spring-flowering plants on the Island. They may not be as showy as Camas or Shooting Stars, but I think their bell-like shape and subtle shading is absolutely gorgeous. Fair warning, they don't have the nicest scent (think skunk cabbage rather than wild roses!).

April 26, 2012 2

A Tale of Mice and ‘Fir’ Trees

A veritable icon of West Coast life, Douglas-fir trees are ubiquitous throughout the coastal region. Beaten only by the Coast Redwoods for the title of World's Tallest Trees, these ancient giants can grow to over 85 metres (278 feet) tall. That's more than 25 stories high! The reason for the oddly hyphenated common name of Douglas-fir is that these evergreen trees actually aren't fir trees at all. Their scientific name, Pseudotsuga menziesii, literally labels this tree species as a 'false' (pseudo) 'fir' (tsuga). Gotta love that Latin.

January 26, 2012 7

Encountering the Ancient Trees of Avatar Grove

Avatar Grove is about a two and a half hour drive from Victoria, the nearest main city. The forest site is quite easy to find, and the Ancient Forest Alliance has done a lovely job of providing detailed directions to the grove. We followed the directions easily, and with the exception of a few deep potholes (which our intrepid driver perhaps could have navigated around!) and several narrow one-lane bridges, the drive is scenic and relatively smooth.

January 16, 2012 3