camas flowers bloom in a garry oak meadow in uplands park

Camas Lily

The emblem of an endangered ecosystem, of deep cultural significance, and simply gorgeous, the camas lily is one charismatic plant. This flower, native to the Garry oak ecosystem of southeastern Vancouver Island is instantly recognizable for its glorious blue-purple flowers that can blanket whole meadows in springtime.

There are two species of blue camas on Vancouver Island — the common camas and the great camas — separated by size and the arrangement of the petals, which on the great camas twist together. Neither should be confused with death camas though, a white flowering species with bulbs that can be lethal to consume.

For the Coast Salish people, camas have traditionally been no mere ornament but a way of life. Indeed, it was considered second only to the all-important Pacific salmon in its importance in trade on the coast. This is because the rich, starchy bulb of the camas is a fantastic source of carbohydrates, traditionally filling the role of potatoes, bread, or rice in other cultures. Camas bulbs would be cooked in pit ovens for 24–48 hours to allow the complex starches to become sweet and easily digestible.

purple camas close up.

Traditionally, Indigenous camas harvesters have not been passive consumers of a wild plant, but instead active cultivators of camas meadows, including carrying out controlled burns to maintain the oak savannahs where camas thrive. Archaeological research suggests that Indigenous people in North America have been cultivating camas ecosystems for at least 3500 years, a legacy of care and stewardship that has helped maintain this biodiverse ecosystem and all the creatures that depend on it.

Today, due to development for housing and agriculture, Garry oak ecosystems are among the most threatened habitats in Canada.

To see some of the best camas displays this spring, visit one of the beautiful meadows at Uplands Park, Summit Park, or Beacon Hill in Victoria (late April/early May are the best times). Here, one can still wander among the fields of flowers and be reminded of the interwoven human relationship that goes back thousands of years 💜

 

 

 

Fawn Lily

A graceful straight stem, curving elegantly at the top like a tiny streetlamp with beams of golden light spilling down — the fawn lily is such a picturesque beauty, that once seen, it will never be forgotten. On the BC coast, there are actually two species of fawn lily that match each other in elegance.

The pink fawn lily is a lover of damp forests, especially the rich soils of river floodplains — flourishing in the coastal rainforests of the west coast. First Nations people have traditionally enjoyed eating the bulbs of the pink fawn lily, digging them as the leaves first open in the spring (followed by water to prevent an upset stomach).

By contrast, the white fawn lily is found in drier, well-drained spots on the east side of Vancouver Island, brightening the Garry oak meadows and sunny glades in forests of Douglas-fir.

Fawn lilies are named for their dappled leaves, reminiscent of the spots on a baby deer (the stiff leaves themselves have been likened to the pricked ears of a listening fawn). It is appropriate that two of the most beautiful flowers on the coast are emblematic of two of the most magnificent and endangered ecosystems, the Garry oak meadows and the valley-bottom rainforest floodplains.

Be sure to try and catch a glimpse of their fleeting beauty in early spring. A great place to see white fawn lilies is the St. Mary’s Church & Cemetery in Metchosin, where thousands of these flowers blanket the ground in early April. Pink fawn lilies are commonly seen around the San Juan Spruce near Port Renfrew, among other spruce floodplain zones on the west coast.

 

Hair Ice

Hidden among the rainforests of BC you can find wonders of ephemeral beauty and minute delicacy, and few of these are stranger or lovelier than the phenomenon of hair ice.

Also known as “frost beard” or “ice wool”, hair ice appears only on dead deciduous wood when the temperatures are hovering just below zero degrees and when the air is humid. At first, it looks like a silvery moss or fungus, but a closer inspection shows instead a mass of fine icy filaments. These are incredibly slender, about .02 mm in diameter. Densely packed, they form a pearly cloud of ice. The slightest touch of a warm finger or even a breath will dissolve this fragile sculpture like cotton candy on the tongue.

But where does it come from? This magical winter phenomenon, like so much that is strange and mystical in forest ecology, is associated with a particular species of fungus: a jelly fungus called Exidiopsis effusa.

Under ideal conditions, a process called “ice segregation” occurs. This is when water freezes on the outside of dead wood, sandwiching a thin film of water between this ice and the wood pores. At this “ice front”, water is then drawn up through the wood pores towards the ice surface, where it freezes and adds to the existing ice. Lignin and tannin from the fungus are found in the ice and are thought to work as a sort of anti-freeze, inhibiting the delicate ice from recrystallizing into coarser structures and helping stabilize their unique shape for hours.

Because hair ice is associated with a specific fungus inside the wood, the same pieces may produce hair ice year after year. Around Vancouver Island, these are commonly the dead branches of red alder trees. If you are lucky enough to find it, take careful note of the exact spot, you may be able to repeat the encounter, even several years later, when the conditions are once again just right!

 

What are “Forest Productivity Distinctions”?

“Forest Productivity Distinctions” and “Ecosystem-based Targets” are two phrases you’ve heard us use a lot, but what do they mean? And, why are they important regarding the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework (BEHF) and the greater conservation of BC’s natural spaces as a whole? Read on to learn more!

Ecosystem-based protection targets ensure the full diversity of ecosystems in BC receive the protection they need, rather than concentrating protection in certain ecosystems and largely excluding others.

“Forest Productivity” refers to the capacity of the forest to produce large trees, with the endangered, higher productivity forests generally featuring the giant ancient trees that BC is famous for.

High-productivity forests, as well as lower elevation forests, grasslands and wetlands in general, have the greatest concentrations of biodiversity, species at risk, salmon and fish-bearing streams, and areas of greatest cultural value to First Nations in the province. However, these same ecosystems have been disproportionately excluded from protection at the behest of industry.

Ecosystem-based targets used in conjunction with forest productivity distinctions ensure the ongoing expansion of protected areas in BC prioritizes the endangered, big-tree forests, rather than focusing protection on the boggy, subalpine, and tundra ecosystems of the province. The latter of which has been the status quo for decades.

The proposed BEHF is a first-rate opportunity to ensure these high-productivity forests get the protection they need and deserve.

If you haven’t yet, please send an instant message to political decision-makers (while the January 31st deadline to make a technical submission to the bureaucrats has passed, the elected BC Cabinet — the Premier and Ministers — ultimately decides the final version) to support strong ecosystem-based targets with forest productivity distinctions.

Flip through these slides to get a break-down of forest productivity distinctions and why they’re so important! And, visit our Instagram for more educational resources!

All About the Biodiversity & Ecosystem Health Framework

BC’s proposed Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework (BEHF) is the greatest chance in BC’s history to direct the expansion of its protected areas system in the right direction.

If done right, the new biodiversity framework could usher in a major paradigm shift that safeguards the most endangered ecosystems in BC rather than primarily protecting areas with low timber value and which are less coveted by industry. These endangered ecosystems include “high productivity” old-growth forests with classic forest giants, such as the ones you see in all our photos, along with diverse valley bottom and low-elevation ecosystems.

The current draft has many promising components that should be retained, such as creating a Provincial Biodiversity Officer, but is still missing key pieces to give it the teeth it needs to be transformational.

“Ecosystem-based protection targets” devised by science and informed by Traditional Ecological Knowledge committees that incorporate all ecological communities and forest productivity distinctions (distinguishing between sites that tend to grow small vs large trees) are needed to guide the expansion of the protected areas system and the expenditure of conservation funding in BC.

The standard and permanency of new protected areas must also be upheld while enforcing accountability and transparency of the framework through legally binding milestones, objectives, and timelines.

Please join us in calling on the BC government to ensure this new framework results in the protection of old-growth forests and other threatened ecosystems across BC! Send an instant message to decision-makers using our newly updated Take-Action Tool here.

And read through these slides to learn more about this potentially history-making framework!

Roosevelt Elk

Autumn is the season of romance for the magnificent Roosevelt elk of the coastal rainforest. Males “bugle” for females, and, wielding their massive antlers (which can host six or more pointed tines branching out from the main beam), contend with each other for access to mates. The Roosevelt elk is Vancouver Island’s largest and most charismatic land mammal, weighing up to 1100 lbs/500 kg! Both sexes of elk are easily distinguishable from other ungulates by a thick dark brown mane on their head and neck and beige body and rump. These large mammals are an important food source for wolves, cougars, and many First Nations people.

, Roosevelt elk spend winters browsing for woody plants such as devil’s club and elderberry along the banks of rivers in rich, valley-bottom forests. With their abundant shrubs and huge trees that block out the falling snow, old-growth forests provide Roosevelt elk with critical habitat, especially in the harsh winter months.

It is fitting that Vancouver Island’s largest land animal is drawn to the habitats that produce BC’s biggest trees: the nutrient-rich floodplains of coastal rivers. The sight of a herd of elk browsing in an old-growth riparian forest full of towering Sitka spruce and ancient moss-draped maples is the pinnacle of rainforest beauty and majesty: charismatic megafauna combined with charismatic megaflora!

With only around 3,000 Roosevelt elk on the island, they are considered a species of special concern by the province. The number one constraint on their population is the destruction of their old-growth wintering habitat, making the protection of our richest-valley bottom ancient forests an essential step in ensuring these magnificent creatures continue to roam our forests for generations to come.

 

Banana Slugs

BC’s coastal rainforests are famously home to giant organisms. But beyond the big trees, these forests also produce giant slugs! The banana slug is the second largest slug on earth, being able to reach 9 inches (23 cm) in length. These charismatic, often bright yellow creatures are signature members of the rainforest community.

Banana slugs are enthusiastic omnivores that feed on plants, detritus, and carrion, but they seem to have a special fondness for mushrooms. Feeding is done through their specialized rasp-like tongue called a radula. This tongue is equipped with over 20,000 ‘teeth’ that the slugs use to shred their food. If mushrooms have nightmares, they’re probably of tooth-studded tongues!

Another secret to the banana slug’s success is its slime, which is hydrophilic and able to absorb 100 times its weight in water, keeping the slug moist. The slime also provides the animal with locomotion, adhesion, and protection.

The slime is neither solid nor liquid, but a strange substance known as a liquid crystal, in which the molecules are fluid but structured. The slime is, paradoxically, both an adhesive (allowing the slug to stick to things) and a lubricant, allowing the slug to slide without resistance. Thanks to slime, a slug can even travel across a razor blade without injury.

Finally, the slime provides protection, as it contains a paralytic toxin. Any human foolish to give a slug a big lick will find their tongue and lips go numb. Clever raccoons will roll the slugs in dirt in order to bind up and remove the slime before these little bandits dine on banana-escargot.

Scouler’s Corydalis

Beautiful and extremely rare in Canada, the Scouler’s corydalis is found only on southwest Vancouver Island around the Nitinat, Carmanah, and Klanawa valleys in Ditidaht and Huu-ay-aht territories. With delicate pink-purple flowers and bright feathery leaves that look like stylized green flames when first emerging, this relative of the bleeding-heart flourishes in the rich soils along the banks of the rivers as well as disturbed areas.

Scouler’s corydalis has some interesting strategies for distributing its seeds. When jarred, the elastic seedpods will hurl the seeds up to 2 metres away from the parent. Fascinatingly, the seeds of the corydalis are sheathed in a lipid-rich layer (called an eliaosome) that contain proteins, sugar, and vitamins, which is not believed to be for feeding the baby plant, but for ants!

Ants are thought to harvest these seeds and take them back to their nests, where they strip off the fatty, nutritious coating to feed to their offspring and toss the seed onto their rubbish heap. This nutrient-rich substrate provides the infant seed with ideal growing conditions and the new colony of corydalis gets a headstart in the ant colony’s waste management site. That same seed coating that is so delectable for ants is believed to taste repulsive to deer mice, a handy way to deter these rodents which might otherwise eat the seeds.

Scouler’s corydalis is provincially blue-listed with only 24 known occurrences in Canada. Not only are they rare, they’re also ephemeral, with the plant dying back in the summer after seeding. The beauty of this unusual plant is present for only a few short months in spring, one of the countless wonders of our incredible coastal rainforest. If you see it, savour the experience!

False Hellebore

One of the most violently poisonous plants of the coastal rainforest is false hellebore (also known as Indian hellebore). This tall but unassuming plant grows in wet areas and is lethal if consumed. Even drinking water from where it grows has been known to cause stomach cramps.

In Chinook jargon, the historical trade language of the west coast, this plant was referred to as ‘skookum’ root, with ‘skookum’ meaning powerful or brave. Despite its toxic nature, this plant has enormous medicinal value for First Nations cultures, though practitioners would have to be extremely careful about consumption — something we do NOT recommend.

Nurse Logs

Life and death are inextricably linked in the old-growth forest and nowhere is this more evident than in the important role of nurse logs. A nurse log is a fallen tree that serves as the growing site for young plants. Nurse logs are especially important for western hemlocks and Sitka spruce as they provide an elevated platform for the seedlings to grow free from the dense competition of shrubs and forbs already established on the forest floor. In fact, seedling densities may be nearly five times as high on nurse logs as on the ground and nurse logs may support nearly three times as many species of moss as the surrounding forest floor.

The influence of nurse logs continues for centuries after they rot away, you can often find “colonnades” of immense Sitka spruces growing in a clear line deep in the rainforest. These enormous rows of pillars appear to be more the product of human architecture than natural occurrences. This is because centuries ago each of these spruces would have germinated on a fallen tree. Though the original log has long since rotted away, the positions of these giant trees still reflect the straight beam of that long-ago nursery.

It’s not only trees that these nurse logs support, but also a huge range of rainforest creatures: fungi mine the dead wood for nutrients, insects burrow under the bark, pacific wrens nest in the huge upturned root-wads, and salamanders take shelter under the logs. These incredible forest nurseries are a hallmark of the old-growth forest, where the slow death of ancient trees is the mechanism of forest renewal and rebirth.