Canada’s Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas Program is a science-based initiative to identify, conserve, and monitor a network of sites that provide essential habitat for Canada’s bird populations. Canada is part of a global network consisting of over 12,000 sites in 200 countries. There are about 600 sites in Canada and 83 in BC. There are two IBAs in our area. These are the South Thompson River IBA and the Douglas Lake Plateau IBA. Rick Howie has been the caretaker for the South Thompson River IBA for many years. The … Continue reading →
With the continuing rain, the fall mushroom season is progressing rapidly. A good place to start looking for wild mushrooms is in your yard and pastures. There are numerous interesting species that grow in grass. Here are a few of the many. Coprinus comatus (Shaggy Mane) Shaggy mane is one of the easiest wild mushrooms to identify and a great beginning species if you are tempted to try eating your first wild mushroom. Most people say they are delicious. Cut them lengthwise to be sure they are young and pure … Continue reading →
Submitted by Gary Hunt This article is from last summer but we are seeing it again in our region. In spite of the extreme heat we have been experiencing, mushrooms continue to appear in our surrounding forested areas. North-facing slopes and moist gullies can yield fun surprises even during extreme heat waves. One striking example I encountered yesterday at McConnell Lake is Sarcodon imbricatus, aka the Shingled Hedgehog. The mushroom has a large, brown cap, up to 30 cm in diameter, covered with large brown scales. The cap is depressed … Continue reading →
After a ride on the chair to mid station, we hiked to the summit and back, taking a few photos along the way. Some of these images are shared in a slideshow here. [metaslider id=2725] Some of KNC member Doug Smith’s photos can also be seen on A Wildflower Journal (link).
Continue reading →This photo shows ants on a silky lupine flower. See the whitish grub-looking thing? That’s a caterpillar! It might grow up to be a beautiful butterfly one day. In particular, it’s a caterpillar in the family Lycaenidae. Watch how jazzed these ants are about this lycaenid caterpillar: Why are these ants hanging around with caterpillars? Well, the caterpillar honeydew is full of sugar and amino acids. The prevailing idea has been that ants benefit from eating the honeydew, and in turn offer protection to the butterfly larvae. … Continue reading →
There have been reports of Striped Coralroot recently so I will repost this story from April of last year.
There is a group of wildflowers that have learned how to cheat photosynthesis. This allows them to simplify physical structure and eliminate the work of making chlorophyll and their own food. It confers a significant survival advantage in low-light forest conditions.