Photo Day

Comox Valley photographer Boomer Jerritt was up at the Centre today to take some photos to accompany an article for the August issue of InFocus magazine. He tried a variety of settings & groupings of people - you'll have to check out the issue to see the final result ! Thanks to those who were willing to be captured on camera.

Peter the BC Parks Ranger for Strathcona has been stopping by the Centre every weekend to check in & hear if we have updates or reports. He checks out the trails regularly & posts updates on the BC Parks website so all reports from hikers are welcome. We heard from various hikers that there is a lot of snow past Lake Helen Mackenzie, both on the east trail near Lady Lake, and on the west trail going uphill toward the Ranger cabin. Also a report about a broken boardwalk section just past the Piggott Creek bridge on the way uphill to Lake Helen Mackenzie - now that the snow has melted there, the boardwalk is exposed. The Parks Facility Operator should be able to get to it now that the snow is gone & the damage is visible. People have been camping at Circlet Lake if they are prepared for camping on snow, but others have chosen to camp at Lake Helen Mackenzie instead, where the 10 campsites are clear.
Round-leaved yellow violet (Viola orbiculata)

Marsh violet (Viola palustris)

The Ethnobotany Nature Walk guided by Gwyn Sproule was very educational for the group of participants, which included some familiar local faces as well as some visitors from Switzerland. Lupins are about to bloom, and other plants of interest included bogbean, asphodel, deer cabbage, rein orchid, wood betony, violets, false hellebore, and marsh marigolds. A white-tailed buck was also seen on that walk in the meadows.

Sticky false aphodel (Tofieldia glutinosa)

Partridgefoot (Luetkea pectinata)

New birds today: a rufous hummingbird buzzed a visitor sitting outside the Centre - his red shirt attracted the hummer a couple of times!