We're halfway through our 30 day immersion in local plant knowledge, and happily, I can now recognise the Coastal Douglas Fir by its gnarly-thick bark. Thanks to a great conversation with Dawn Johnson about the project, I also realise that it's okay to approach this kind of learning in small chunks. It won't all stick … Continue reading You are invited to unlock the landscape with language
Did you know that you can make your own cough syrup with rose hips and honey?
Sometimes, I wonder if nature and technology are duelling forces... if the presence of an iPhone, for example, while on a walk in the woods, somehow comes between me and the experience of being in Nature. But, I've sometimes taken a photo of something I didn't recognise and posted it on facebook, where several of … Continue reading Native Plant Love: What does a paper birch tree and your iphone have in common?
Have you see the Village of Pemberton's Landscape Plant List? It's a great guide of plants that grow well in the region. Included, is the Pacific Dogwood, a protected plant in BC. In May and June, if you're walking/running/riding along the Sea to Sky Trail, between One Mile Lake and Nairn Falls, you'll pass several … Continue reading BC’s official floral emblem, the Pacific Dogwood
The flowers attract butterflies, bees and other insects, and the dense thickets formed by the plant provide a perfect hiding spot for small mammals, amphibians and birds.
Crab apples have a bad name. They are, after all, the punier, less polished and tarter version of their infamous cousins. And yet, just ask Pemberton's black bears to vouch for the common crab apple. The 22 mature crab apple trees lining the route into the village have been a favourite feasting ground for the … Continue reading Pacific Crabapples – free for the taking and the jelly-making
Black cottonwood trees play an important role in floodplains like the Pemberton Valley. It's root system provides defence against erosion, and the abundant leaves provide a steady stream of organic nutrients often absent in flood-prone areas, due to the constant flushing of the land. They build the soil that supports them. Dawn Johnson wrote about … Continue reading Plant lore: Black Cottonwood “snowfall” is a sign the rivers are full
The bitter cherry is native to BC.
I love maples, because, even a naturalist rookie like me can identify them. But I did not know that, if I took a stethoscope to the Big Leap Maple tree, I could hear its sap gurgling inside its trunk. The fruit of the Big Leaf Maple is a double winged samara where the wings diverge … Continue reading Big Leaf Maple – a tree that gurgles with delight
I bought some organic Pemberton hazelnuts a while ago, thinking that whipping up a batch of homemade Nutella would offer a guilt-free treat, but it is still one of those rainy day projects. In the meantime, I've just made the happy discovery that hazelnut is indigenous to this area... Now to find some organic local … Continue reading Want to try organic Nutella? Beaked Hazel might be the solution.
The Wellness Almanac 