The Flora and Fauna of Stanley Park — Sample Interior

AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2

Flora and Fauna of The

Stanley Park

Collin Varner

AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 Copyright © 2022 Collin Varner

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, audio

recording, or otherwise—without the written permission of the

publisher or a licence from Access Copyright, Toronto, Canada.

Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd. heritagehouse.ca

Cataloguing information available from Library and Archives Canada 978-1-77203-413-4 (paperback) 978-1-77203-414-1 (ebook) Edited by Warren Layberry

Cover and interior book design by Setareh Ashrafologhalai Cover photographs: XXX (front) and XXX (back)

Interior photographs by Collin Varner unless otherwise indicated Maps by Eric Leinberger

The interior of this book was produced on FSC®-certified, acid-free paper, processed chlorine free and printed with vegetable-based inks.

Heritage House gratefully acknowledges that the land on which we live and work is within the traditional territories of the Lkwungen

(Esquimalt and Songhees), Malahat, Pacheedaht, Scia’new, T’Sou-ke, and WSÁNEĆ (Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tsawout, Tseycum) Peoples.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the

British Columbia Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

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Printed in China

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CONTENTS •

Introduction

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Glossary

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Flora

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Flowering Plants 2

Berries

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Ferns

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4 Shrubs and Bushes 5 Trees

Fa u n a

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Birds

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Land Mammals

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Reptiles and Amphibians

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Appendix: Viewing Notes (Other Species) Acknowledgements Further Reading Index

AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 INTRODUCTION

O

n September 27, 1888, the second Mayor of Vancouver, David Oppenheimer, presided over the opening ceremonies at Vancouver’s Stanley Park. The man for whom it was named, Governor General Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, the same fellow who donated the Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports championship trophy in North America, would be present for the official dedication the following year—the first Governor General to visit British Columbia.

It is interesting that the 1,000-acre parcel of land that is now named Stanley Park was, for over 8,000 years, one of the largest Indigenous settlements in the Vancouver area. In 1863, with concerns over a potential American attack on the West Coast of Canada, the Government of Canada deeded this land into a federal military reserve.

It was around this time a handful of land speculators were buying up the west end of Vancouver right up to the edge of the military reserve. They were considered greenhorns because the future city was expected to expand eastward not west. In 1886, a friendlier relationship with the United States existed, and the Canadian Federal Government was expected to release the military reserve. Land speculators and newly elected civic politicians were concerned about the 1,000-acre land release (and the possibility of their land holdings diminishing in value).

Letters were sent to the federal government suggesting the

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military reserve land be put into a public park. Two years later Mayor David Oppenheimer gave his ceremonial speech to a gathered crowd announcing that the military reserve was now a public park.

Whether it was a land grab or the wonderful foresight of our civic politicians, it now does not matter. Stanley Park has been voted the world’s best city park and is now known as the Jewel of Vancouver.

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About this Book

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This book does not go into great depths about the history of Stanley Park. There are many fine books on that subject, the latest being Legacy of Trees: Purposeful Wandering in Vancouver’s Stanley Park by Nina Shoroplova.

This book looks at the plants and animals that live and breathe within its boundaries. It features full-page entries on 190 species found within Stanley Park with an additional 134 species mentioned in an appendix providing viewing information.

It is worth pointing out, however, that the 300+ species of flora and fauna presented here do not represent an exhaustive list. Indeed, a book this size could be filled with nothing but birds. Insects and invertebrates could easily fill a book twice this size though many of those species would be hard to differentiate even with photographs. The truth is that a comprehensive list of species of Stanley Park that included mosses and lichens and grasses and everything that might be found beneath a rock at low tide or crawling behind the bark of a fallen tree or wending its way through the muck of Beaver Lake would not be a handbook, but a massive tome (and of interest to very few).

My experience suggests that when people come to Stanley Park, especially for the first time, they often want answers to three fairly basic questions, namely, What kind of bird is that?

What is that enormous tree? and Can I eat this berry?

This book was put together with that in mind.

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Experiencing Stanley Park

Stanley Park has something for everyone, joggers, walkers, cyclists, skaters, swimmers, naturalists, the young, old and the in-between.

It features approximately 650 acres of forest, with another 350 acres that house the aquarium, gardens, lawn areas, beaches, buildings, roads, and parking.

The Park forest comprises mainly Douglas fir, western red cedar, western hemlock, Sitka spruce, Pacific yew, bigleaf maple, vine maple, red alder, red elderberry, oval-leaf blueberry, and salmonberry, with the forest edges covered in salal.

The more common animals and birds are racoons, coyotes, skunks, grey and Douglas squirrels, European rabbits, Cooper’s hawks, Baird owls, American robins, finches, sparrows, pileated woodpeckers, northern flickers and even a couple of escaped roosters.

Flowering Plants

I remember being in Grade 3 and walking home from school for lunch one day only to find a Rolls Royce, complete with chauffeur, parked in front of my home. This was 1963, and quite out of the ordinary for Kitsilano. Our family was anything but wealthy; my mom was an at home seamstress who made dresses for some wealthy women in Vancouver. After lunch, as I was leaving for school, I heard my mom’s client ask if she would like a ride in her Rolls Royce, and since it was lunchtime, my mom said she would love to. When I got home from school the first thing I asked was where she had gone. It turned out they had driven through Stanley Park. According to my mom, she had remarked on how beautiful the park was to her client who smiled and nodded.

“Yes, it is,” the woman had replied, “and what a lovely place for the poor people to go.”

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The Forest is Talking to You There are certain signs in the Park Forest that are worth understanding.

Symbiotic Relationships: Small stumps 30–120 cm (1–4 ft.) in height with completely calloused crowns are the sign of two or more trees with self-crafted roots. This happens when two or more trees of the same species have over lapping roots which over time graft themselves to each other. If one tree dies the surviving tree will send nutrients to close or callous the stump off.

This prevents infection or disease from entering the live tree.

Culturally Modified Trees: There are a few culturally modified western red cedars in the Park. Coastal Indigenous People would cut a horizontal line through the bark 30–40 cm (12–16 in.) across and about 91 cm (3 ft.) from the ground. They would then tear/rip the bark up the tree as far as it would go, usually about 6 m (20 ft.). The outer and inner bark were used to make mats, clothing, fishing nets and lines, baskets, ornamentation, and medicine.

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Bent Trunks: Severely bent trunks are usually a sign of a larger

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branch or tree that has fallen and bent a sapling to the ground.

To recover, the sapling must start growing vertical again. Often by the time we see the recovered tree with a loop in its trunk, the fallen branch or tree has rotted away and is not visible anymore, leaving people to wonder why the tree looks this way.

Nurse Stumps: Trees (usually western hemlocks) that appear

to be standing on stilts have germinated on the top of a stump.

The stump over time has decayed and disappeared leaving what appears to be a tree on stilts.

Nurse Logs: When a group of trees are growing in a straight

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line, sometimes over a distance of up to 30 m (98 ft.), it is usually a sign that they all started their lives on a nurse log, quite often the nurse log is still present.

Forest Giants: Large stumps (usually western red cedar or Douglas fir) with vertical notches cut in them are signs of early logging practices. The notches were cut out to hold springboards which allowed fallers to stand on them. This was done to get above the hard-flared buttresses.

Mistletoe: Contorted branches, dead and fallen tops of west-

ern hemlocks are a sign the tree is infected with the parasitical western dwarf mistletoe (A. campylopodum).

Pileated Woodpecker: Oval to rectangular holes in standing stumps or trees are excavated by pileated woodpeckers (D. pileatus), looking for insects. These holes become homes to smaller birds and animals.

Sapsucker: Small holes that are in tidy rows are the sign of sapsuckers. Unlike woodpeckers, sapsuckers depend on live trees to drill their wells. Stanley Park is home to the red-breasted sapsucker (S. ruber).

Glacial Erratics: When the giant ice sheets retreated thou-

Flowering Plants

sands of years ago, they dragged millions of boulders from our surrounding mountains and scattered them throughout the Vancouver area. They are known as glacial erratics.

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Common Native Tree Bark Portraits in the Park

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Often when one wants to identify a tree, they turn directly to its leaves or needles, but this is not always as straightforward as it seems; sometimes the bark of a tree can provide useful clues. What follows are bark portraits of six common Stanley Park trees.

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top, left Bigleaf maple (A. macrophyllum) top, right Douglas fir (P. menziesii) middle, left Red alder (A. rubra)

middle, right Sitka spruce (P. sitchensis)

bottom, left Western hemlock (T. heterophylla)

bottom, right Western red cedar (T. plicata)

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Flowering Plants

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Flowering Plants

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F LORA

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Flowering Plants

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FLOWERING PLANTS

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AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 PACIFIC BLEEDING HEART Dicentra formosa BLEEDING HEART FAMILY Fumariaceae

Description: BC’s native bleeding heart is very familiar,

thanks to its resemblance to the many cultivated varieties. It is a herbaceous perennial to 40 cm (16 in.) in height, with pinkish heart-shaped flowers that hang in clusters of five to fifteen. The delicate fern-like leaves are basal but sweep upward so much that they almost hide the flowers. Under good growing conditions, bleeding hearts can cover hundreds of square metres or feet.

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Traditional use: All parts of the plant are toxic; however, the

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Skagit People have used the roots in a decoction as a worm medicine and for toothaches.

Etymology: The species name formosa means “beautiful.”

Habitat: Open broad-leaved forests with nutrient-rich topsoil.

Season: Flowering starts in mid-April and lasts until the end of

May, with the entire plant collapsing by the beginning of July.

Viewing: Found throughout the Park.

AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 PEARLY EVERLASTING

Anaphalis margaritacea ASTER FAMILY Asteraceae

Description: Pearly everlasting grows to 80 cm (32 in.) in

height and produces heads of small yellowish flowers surrounded by dry white bracts. The leaves are lance shaped, green above, and covered with a white felt underneath. If picked before they go to seed, the flowers remain fresh looking long after they are brought in.

Traditional use: The fluffy flower heads have long been used in dried flower arrangements. Indigenous groups used it as a tobacco substitute and in poultices to treat sores.

Etymology: The genus name Anaphalis is from the classical Greek name of the everlastings.

Season: Flowering starts toward the end of July.

Flowering Plants

Viewing: Seawall and the edges of pathways.

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AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 TULE (HARD-STEMMED BULRUSH) Scirpus lacustris SEDGE FAMILY Cyperaceae

Description: Tule is a semi-aquatic perennial that can grow

to 3 m (10 ft.) in height. The flowers, or inflorescence, are terminal and resemble the outline of an umbrella. The few leaves the plants have are mainly basal and usually reduced to sheaths.

Traditional use: Tule stems were used extensively on the west coast for making mats and in basketry.

Etymology: The species name lacustris means “pertaining to

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lakes.”

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Season: Flowers from July to September.

Viewing: The shores of Lost Lagoon and Lost Lagoon Creek.

AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 TWISTED STALK

Streptopus amplexifolius LILY FAMILY Liliaceae

Description: Twisted stalk is a branching, herbaceous peren-

nial 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft.) in height. Its greenish-white flowers are 1 cm (0.5 in.) long and borne in leaf axils on slender twisted stalks. The fruit develops into a bright-red oval berry to 1 cm (0.5 in.) long. The ovate leaves are alternate and 5–12 cm (2–5 in.) long. They clasp the stem directly, with no petiole. The flowers and fruit hang from the leaf axils along the branches.

Traditional use: The plants were tied to the clothing or hair for their scent.

Etymology: The species name amplexifolius means “clasping leaves.”

Season: Flowers at the beginning of June.

Viewing: Pathways around Prospect Point and Beaver Lake

Flowering Plants

CAUTION: The berries are poisonous.

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Flowering Plants

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BERRIES

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AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 BLACK GOOSEBERRY

Ribes lacustre CURRANT AND GOOSEBERRY FAMILY Grossulariaceae

Description: Black gooseberry is an armed shrub to 2 m (6.6

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ft.) in height. Its delicate reddish flowers are disc shaped and to 0.7 cm (0.25 in.) across and hang in drooping clusters of seven to fifteen. The small, dark-purple berries are bristly and hang in clusters of three to four. The leaves are maple shaped, with five lobes 5 cm (2 in.) across. The branches are covered with small golden spines, with larger spines at the nodes. Use caution when picking the berries: the spines can cause an allergic reaction in some people.

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Traditional use: The berries were eaten.

Etymology: The species name lacustre means “marshy,” reflecting the preferred growing conditions of the plant.

Season: The berries ripen from July to August.

Viewing: Lower marshy areas; not common.

AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 EVERGREEN HUCKLEBERRY Vaccinium ovatum HEATHER FAMILY Ericaceae

Description: Evergreen huckleberry is an attractive mid-sized

shrub to 3 m (10 ft.) in height. In spring, it is covered in clusters of bell-shaped pinkish flowers. By late summer, the branches are weighed down by the many small blue-black berries to 0.7 cm (0.25 in.) across. This is a favourite late-season bush among avid berry pickers.

Traditional use: The late-producing berries were in high demand for their flavour.

Etymology: The species name ovatum describes the shape

of the leaves, which is to say “ovate,” meaning wider at the bottom.

Season: Flowering starts in early May, and the berries ripen

from early September to December.

Berries

Viewing: Pathways above the Seawall.

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AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 HIMALAYAN BLACKBERRY (ARMENIAN BLACKBERRY) Rubus armeniacus ROSE FAMILY Rosaceae

Description: This blackberry is native to Armenia and Iran

and was introduced to North America in 1885. The so-called Himalayan blackberry, now called Armenian Blackberry, is a well-armed vine to 9 m (30 ft.) across. Its berries are well sought after by novice and serious berry pickers. In the Park, cutleaf blackberry (R. laciniatus) is a far less frequent species of invasive blackberry.

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Traditional use: These berries have been enjoyed for more

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than a hundred years by North Americans

Etymology: The species name armeniacus refers to the actual origin of this plant—Armenia.

Season: Blooming starts in mid-June, and the fruit sets by mid-August.

Viewing: Around Lost Lagoon

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Mahonia nervosa BARBERRY FAMILY Berberidaceae

Description: Oregon grape is a small spreading understory

shrub that is very noticeable when the upright bright-yellow flowers are in bloom. By midsummer, the clusters of small green fruit, 1 cm (0.5 in.) across, turn an attractive grape blue.

The leaves are evergreen, holly-like, waxy, and compound, usually with nine to seventeen leaflets. The bark is rough, light grey outside, and brilliant yellow inside. Another species, tall Oregon grape (M. aquifolium), grows in a more open and dry location, is taller, growing to 2 m (6.6 ft.), and has fewer leaflets (five to nine).

Traditional use: When steeped, the shredded stems of both

species yield a yellow dye that was used in basket making. The tart berries were usually mixed with sweeter berries for eating.

Etymology: The species name aquifolium means “holly-like.”

Viewing: Common at forest edges.

Berries

Season: Flowers at the end of May. The berries begin to turn blue by August and persist through autumn.

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Flowering Plants

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FERNS

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AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 BRACKEN FERN

Pteridium aquilinum POLYPODY FAMILY Polypodiaceae

Description: Bracken fern is BC’s tallest native fern, often

reaching to 3 m (10 ft.) or more in height. It is also the most widespread fern in the world. The tall, arching fronds are dark green, with a golden-green stem (stipe). They are triangular and grow singly from rhizomes in spring.

Traditional use: The rhizomes were peeled and eaten fresh or

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cooked, and the fiddleheads were boiled and eaten. However, it is not advisable to eat this fern, as it has now been proven to be a health hazard.

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Etymology: the common name bracken is of Old Norse origin meaning “fern.”

Viewing: Best seen in spring when it emerges from the ground

before other surrounding plants put out new leaves. Forest and open areas.

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Blechnum spicant POLYPODY FAMILY Polypodiaceae

Description: Deer fern can be distinguished from licorice fern (P. glycyrrhiza) and sword fern (P. munitum) by its two distinct types of fronds, sterile and fertile. The sterile fronds grow up to 75 cm (30 in.) long, are tapered at both ends, and usually lie flat. The fertile, or spore-producing, fronds are erect from the centre of the plant and can grow up to 75 cm (30 in.) in height.

Deer fern is a good winter browse for deer.

Traditional use: Coastal Indigenous Peoples would remember where larges masses (dells) of Deer Ferns grew. In winter and spring when food was scarce, they would return to the dells and hunt the deer browsing on them, thus the common name deer fern.

Etymology: The genus name Blechnum is from the Greek blech-

non [fern].

Viewing: Forest around Beaver Lake and seepage areas above

Ferns

the Seawall.

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Adiantum pedatum POLYPODY FAMILY Polypodiaceae

Description: Maidenhair fern is a delicate-looking fern with an almost tropical appearance. The fan-shaped fronds carry the dainty green leaflets (pinnules), which contrast well with the dark stems (stipes) that grow up to 60 cm (24 in.) in length. The reproducing sori under the pinnules are visible in late summer and fall.

Traditional use: The shiny black stipes were used in basket

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making.

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Etymology: The genus name Adiantum meaning “unwetted,” referring to the way the fronds repel water.

Viewing: Rock faces above the Seawall from Third Beach to Siwash Rock

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Dryopteris expansa POLYPODY FAMILY Polypodiaceae

Description: Spiny wood fern is an elegant plant to 1.5 m (5 ft.)

tall. The pale-green fronds are triangular, average up to 25 cm (10 in.) across, and die off in winter. In spring, the rounded sori are produced on the underside of the fronds. Spiny wood fern is similar in appearance and requirements (shade, water, and soil conditions) to lady fern (A. filix-femina).

Traditional use: Some groups dug up the rhizomes in the fall and ate them steamed.

Etymology: The genus name Dryopteris is from the Greek drys-

[oak] and pteris [fern].

Viewing: A common forest fern which, as the name suggests,

Ferns

grows on wood.

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Flowering Plants

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SHRUBS AND BUSHES

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AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 INDIAN PLUM

Oemleria cerasiformis ROSE FAMILY Rosaceae

Description: Indian plum is an upright deciduous shrub or

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small tree to 5 m (16 ft.) in height. Its white flowers, which usually emerge before the leaves, are 1 cm (0.5 in.) across and hang in clusters 6–10 cm (2–4 in.) long. The small plum-like fruit grow to 1 cm (0.5 in.) across; they start off yellowish and red and finish a bluish black. They are edible, but a large seed and bitter taste make them better for the birds. The leaves are broadly lance shaped, light green, and 7–12 cm (3–5 in.) long and appear in upright clusters.

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Traditional use: Small amounts were eaten fresh or dried for winter use.

Etymology: The species name cerasiformis means “cherry shaped,” a reference to the fruit.

Season: Flowers from March to April, with ripe fruit by the

end of June.

Viewing: Alongside trails from Third Beach to Siwash Rock.

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Rhododendron groenlandicum HEATHER FAMILY Ericaceae

Description: Most of the year, Labrador tea is a small gangly

shrub to 1.5 m (5 ft.) in height. In spring, the masses of small white flowers turn the shrub into the Cinderella of the bog. The evergreen leaves are lance shaped, alternate, and 4–6 cm (2 in.) long, with the edges rolled over. The leaves can be distinguished from those of the poisonous bog laurel (K. microphylla) by their flat-green colour on top and rust-coloured hairs beneath.

To be safe, pick the leaves only when the shrub is in flower.

Traditional use: The leaves have long been used by indigenous groups across North America as infusions. Early explorers and settlers quickly picked up on this caffeine substitute. Caution must be taken—not all people can drink it.

Etymology: The species name groenlandicum refers to GreenSeason: Flowering starts in mid-May, with the best viewing at the end of May, or early June at lower elevations.

Viewing: Discreet places around Beaver Lake.

Shrubs and Bushes

land, one of the northern countries in which it grows.

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Rosa nutkana ROSE FAMILY Rosaceae

Description: The largest of the Pacific Northwest’s native

roses, the Nootka rose grows to 3 m (10 ft.) in height. The showy pink flowers are five petalled, fragrant, 5 cm (2 in.) across, and usually solitary. The compound leaves have five to seven toothed leaflets and are armed with a pair of prickles underneath. The reddish hips are round, plump, and 1–2 cm (0.5–1 in.) across and contrast well with the dark-green foliage.

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Traditional use: Rosehips were strung together to make per-

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fume. They were eaten only in times of famine, as the hips can cause irritation when passed if their fine fibres are not completely removed before eating.

Etymology: The species name nutkana refers to Vancouver Island’s Nootka Sound where the plant was first described.

Season: Flowering begins in mid-May, and the hips start to

develop colour by the beginning of August.

Viewing: Forest Edges close to the beach

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Description: Oceanspray is an upright deciduous shrub to 5

m (16 ft.) in height. Its small creamy-white flowers are densely packed to form inverted-pyramidal clusters to 20 cm (8 in.) long. The fruiting clusters turn an unattractive brown and persist through winter. The leaves are wedge shaped, flat green above, pale green and hairy below, and to 5 cm (2 in.) long.

Traditional use: The straight new growth was a favourite for

making arrows; hence its common name of arrow-wood. The wood is extremely hard and was used to make harpoon shafts, teepee pins, digging tools, and drum hoops.

Etymology: The species name discolor refers to the two-coloured leaf.

Viewing: Grows abundantly above the Seawall around Siwash Rock and Prospect Point.

Shrubs and Bushes

Season: In full flower by the end of June.

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Flowering Plants

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TREES

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AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 DOUGLAS FIR

Pseudotsuga menziesii PINE FAMILY Pinaceae

Description: Douglas fir is a fast-growing tall conifer 90 m (300 ft.) in height. Its bark is thick, corky, and deeply furrowed.

The ovate cones are 7–10 cm (3–4 in.) long and have three forked bracts protruding from the scales; the cones hang down from the branches, unlike the cones of true firs, which stand up. The needles are 2–3 cm (1 in.) long and pointed at the apex, with a slight groove on the top and two white bands of stomata on the underside. It is the state conifer of Oregon.

Traditional use: The wood was used for teepee poles, smoking racks, spear shafts, fishhooks, and firewood.

Etymology: The common name commemorates the botanist

and explorer Scottish botanist David Douglas (1799–1834).

Habitat: Tolerates dry to moist conditions from low to high elevations. Reaches its tallest size near the coast.

Viewing: Found throughout the Park. The largest is near the

Trees

intersection of Lee’s Trail and Cathedral Trail.

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AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 GRAND FIR

Abies grandis PINE FAMILY Pinaceae

Description: Grand fir is a remarkably fast-growing conifer

that reaches heights of over 90 m (300 ft.). Its bark is thin and blistery on young trees, roughened into oblong plates divided by shallow fissures on older trees. The cones are erect, cylindrical, to 10 cm (4 in.) long, and green to brown. The needles are dark green and flat, 2–4 cm (1–1.5 in.) long, and grooved on top, with two white bands of stomata below.

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Traditional use: The wood was used as fuel and to make

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canoes, fishhooks, and hand tools. The boughs were brought inside as an air purifier.

Etymology: This is the tallest of the true firs and was aptly named “grand” by botanist and explorer David Douglas.

Viewing: Many young transplants throughout the forest with larger ones by the Hollow Tree.

AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 NORWAY MAPLE

Acer platanoides SOAPBERRY FAMILY Sapindaceae

Description: Norway maple is an introduced deciduous tree

to 30 m (100 ft.) tall. Its leaves are opposite, palmate with five lobes and to 20 cm (7.8 in.) across. The flowers are formed in corymbs that are yellow-green and open before the spring leaves emerge. There are usually a prolific amount of seeds produced annually. They are referred to as double samaras, two-winged seeds that are up to 5 cm (2 in.) across.

Traditional use: The wood has a long history in furniture making in Europe. Introduced to the Pacific Northwest in the 1870s, it was primarily used as a street tree, but it has jumped the boulevard and become and invasive weed tree.

Etymology: The species name platanoides means “resembling a plane tree.”

Trees

Viewing: Forest edges throughout the Park.

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AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 SITKA SPRUCE

Picea sitchensis PINE FAMILY Pinaceae

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Description: Sitka spruce is often seen on rocky outcrops as a twisted dwarf tree, though in favourable conditions it can exceed 90 m (300 ft.) in height. Its reddish-brown bark is thin and patchy, a good identifier when the branches are too high to observe. The cones are golden brown and to 8 cm (3 in.) long.

The needles are dark green, to 3 cm (1 in.) long, and sharp to touch. Sitka spruce has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any BC, Washington, or Oregon tree. It was used to build the frame of Howard Hughes’s infamous plane, the Spruce Goose.

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Traditional use: The new shoots and inner bark were a good

source of vitamin C. The best baskets and hats were woven from spruce roots, and the pitch (sap) was often chewed as a gum.

Etymology: The species name sitchensis, like the common

name, refers to Sitka Island, Alaska (now known as Baranof Island).

Viewing: Large specimens can be found by the trails around

Third Beach, while smaller specimens grow around Beaver Lake.

AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 VINE MAPLE

Acer circinatum SOAPBERRY FAMILY Sapindaceae

Description: Vine maple is a shrub or small tree 3–9 m (10– 30 ft.) in height. It is often multi-stemmed, with older trees occasionally becoming prostrate. The leaves resemble those of Japanese maples: they are opposite and 7–13 cm (3–5 in.) across, with seven to nine serrated lobes. The winged seeds are 4 cm (1.5 in.) long, starting out green and becoming reddish brown by autumn. The bark is smooth and pale green on younger trees and dull brown on older ones. The autumn leaves create an incredible colour show.

Etymology: The species name circinatum means “rounded,” referring to the overall round leaves.

Traditional use: The wood was used to make bows, arrows, spoons, handles, and snowshoe frames.

Season: Very noticeable from October to November

Viewing: One of the more common understory threes. Their

Trees

autumn colours light up the forest.

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Flowering Plants

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FAUNA

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Flowering Plants

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BIRDS

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AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 BARN SWALLOW

Hirundo rustica SWALLOW FAMILY Hirundinidae

Description: The barn swallow is the largest and most abundant swallow in North America. It has a wingspan to 30 cm (12 in.) and a length to 18 cm (7 in.). It has an iridescent blue-black head and upperparts, a dark rusty throat, and a lighter rusty stomach. The long, forked tail adds length to the body.

Etymology: The genus name Hirundo means “swallow.” The species name rustica means “rural” or “rustic.”

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Habitat: Originally, barn swallows bred in caves, but now their

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preference is human-made structures. You can see their mud nests under bridges, houses, barns, and building soffits.

Viewing: Lost Lagoon, Rose Garden, and Perennial Gardens.

Best seen spring to autumn.

AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 BARRED OWL

Strix varia TRUE OWL FAMILY Strigidae

Description: Barred owls are relatively new to the west coast.

The first one observed in southern BC was seen in 1966. They are an average-sized owl with a weight up to 1 kg (2.2 lb.), a wingspan of 1.1 m (3.6 ft.), and a length of up to 55 cm (22 in.). The upper plumage is a mottled brown with white spots.

The throat has horizontal barring, while the chest has vertical streaking. The head is large and rounded, with dark eyes and a yellowish beak.

Etymology: The genus name Strix is from the Greek strinx

[owl]. The collective noun for owls is a parliament; the thought is that they are wise.

Habitat: Observed year-round in the Pacific Northwest, mostly in mixed forests.

Viewing: I have twice encountered these year-round residents

Birds

of the Park, both times by Beaver Lake.

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AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 WESTERN TANAGER

Piranga ludoviciana TANAGER FAMILY Thraupidae

Description: The western tanager has a wingspan to 30 cm (12 in.) and a length to 20 cm (8 in.). In breeding season, the male has a black tail, black wings with white and yellow bars, an orange head, and yellow underparts. The female upperparts are greyish olive with white bars on the wings; the underparts are a lighter grey.

Etymology: The genus name Piranga refers to a municipal-

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ity in Brazil, while the species name ludoviciana means “of Louisiana.”

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Habitat: The western tanager is a common summer migrant

in the Pacific Northwest. It can be found in mixed forests from Alaska to California.

Viewing: Occasional sightings in open forest and at the forest’s edge. Best seen in summer.

AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW

Zonotrichia leucophrys NEW WORLD SPARROW FAMILY Emberizidae

Description: The white-crowned sparrow has a wingspan to 25

cm (10 in.) and a length to 18 cm (7 in.). It has black-and-white head stripes; the upper plumage is brown with white streaking and greyish underparts.

Etymology: The species name leucophrys means “white crowned.”

Habitat: Widespread distribution, from Alaska across northern Canada. Winters in woodlands, farms, parks, and cities on the coast of the Pacific Northwest.

Viewing: Can be found at Beaver Lake, Prospect Point, and

Birds

the Lumberman’s Arch concession stand. Best seen spring to autumn.

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Flowering Plants

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LAND MAMMALS

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AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 AMERICAN BEAVER Castor canadensis BEAVER FAMILY Castoridae

Description: The American beaver has a length from 74 cm (29 in.) to 90 cm (35 in.) and a weight of 11 kg (24 lb.) to 32 kg (71 lb.). It has dark-brown fur, webbed back feet, orange incisors, and a flat tail from 20 cm (8 in.) to 35 cm (14 in.) long.

The American beaver is the largest rodent in North America; it comes in second in the world after the South American capybara. The beaver waterproofs its fur by coating it with castoreum, an oily secretion from its scent glands.

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Traditional use: Indigenous Peoples have been hunting the

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beaver for its mean and pelts for thousands of years. Its tail was considered a delicacy, and beaver teeth were used as tools. It was when the Europeans arrived in North America that the beaver was almost extirpated in the name of the valuable fur trade.

Etymology: The genus name Castor comes from the secretion castoreum.

Habitat: Ponds, streams, rivers, and lakes. Almost anywhere there is fresh water and deciduous trees.

Viewing: There are two lodges in Lost Lagoon and a very visible

one in Beaver Lake. The photos are from 6 am at Beaver Lake.

AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 AMERICAN MINK

Mustela vison WEASEL FAMILY Mustelidae

Description: The American mink is a semi-aquatic omnivore to 70 cm (28 in.) in length. The luxurious fur is dark brown to black. Its anal scent glands secrete a foul odour, which is mainly used to define its territory.

Traditional use: Though mink were hunted primarily for their

fur, the meat was considered a convenient by-product. The Salish People would add mink meat to their stews.

Etymology: The genus name Mustela is Latin for “weasel.”

The common name mink is from a Swedish word that means “stinky animal.”

Habitat: Mostly seen around waterways, ocean, rivers, streams, and ponds hunting for aquatic food. Can be found from Alaska to California. they are excellent swimmers.

Land Mammals

Viewing: At low tide they can be found foraging at the shore;

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AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 EASTERN GREY SQUIRREL Sciurus carolinensis SQUIRREL FAMILY Sciuridae

Description: The eastern grey squirrel is to 30 cm (12 in.) in

length with a tail to 25 cm (10 in.) long. Though the common name suggests the squirrel is grey, it can also be dark brown to black. Grey squirrels were first introduced to the west coast by way of Stanley Park in 1914 when a gift of eight grey squirrels arrived from New York’s Central Park.

Traditional use: Indigenous Peoples consumed squirrel meat

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when other food sources were scarce.

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Etymology: The genus name Sciurus is from two Greek skia

[shadow] and oura [tail], referring to the way the squirrel curls up its tail and sits in its own shadow.

Habitat: Very common in low-elevation forests and parks and

around bird feeders.

Viewing: Common throughout the Park.

AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 EUROPEAN RABBIT

Oryctolagus cuniculus RABBIT AND HARE FAMILY Leporidae

Conservation Status: Endangered though certainly not in

the Pacific Northwest—in the 1970s the Park was overrun with European rabbits, likely as a result of pets being released into the wild. It was not until the introduction of coyotes (C. latrans) that the rabbit population was effectively brought and kept under control.

Description: The European rabbit ranges from 15–50 cm

(6–20 in.) in length. The fur colour varies from white to grey, black, brown, and orange.

Traditional use: Rabbit meat has been consumed, and pelts collected, by humans since prehistoric times.

Etymology: The species name cuniculus means “tunnel,” referring to the warrens in which these rabbits live.

with low brush.

Viewing: Despite coyote predation, rabbits can still occasionally be seen throughout the Park.

Land Mammals

Habitat: Known for underground warrens; prefers open areas

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Flowering Plants

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REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

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AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 AMERICAN BULLFROG

Lithobates catesbeiana TRUE FROG FAMILY Ranidae

Description: The American bullfrog is an introduced species

that is to 15 cm (6 in.) long. It is generally olive green to brown, with off-white underparts. It has noticeable eardrums behind the eyes. The American bullfrog is considered an invasive species that displaces native frogs.

Traditional use: The American Bullfrog was introduced to the

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West Coast as a food source (frog legs). It is now considered an invasive species.

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Etymology: The species name catesbeiana commemorates

English naturalist Mark Catesby (1683–1749). The common name bullfrog comes from the sounds it makes, like a bull’s.

Habitat: Ponds and marshes from BC to California.

Viewing: Beaver Lake is home to thousands of bullfrogs.

AD © H VA erit NCE age D SA No H ous MP t fo r sa e P LE CO le o ubl PY r di ishi stri ng but 202 ion 2 NORTHWESTERN SALAMANDER

Ambystoma gracile MOLE SALAMANDER FAMILY Ambystomatidae

Description: The northwestern salamander is to 22 cm (8.7 in.) long. It is brown all over. When in the larva stage it is a lighter tan colour with spots.

Etymology: The genus name Ambystoma means “blunt mouth.”

Habitat: Adults live in moist forests and breed in ponds and marshes. Found from Alaska to California.

Reptiles and Amphibians

Viewing: Most often found around Beaver Lake.

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