Western Painted Turtle Field Trip
29 May 2011 Leave a Comment
Following the most interesting lecture on these endangered turtles by
Vanessa Kilburn, our field trip took us to Lindsay Park at the north end of
Cranberry Lake, where we were met by Vanessa and her colleague Aimee
Mitchell, as well as photographer of amphibians, Terry Brown and partner
Jude Abrams.
After a brief discussion of the preferred habitat of the turtles, we drove
to the bird sactuary by the lake. Vanessa explained the building of the
turtle nesting beach that she organized last September with the full support
of the city. It is hoped that the turtles will use this patch of soft gravel
to lay their eggs instead of wandering outside the sactuary. From the end of
May to the end of June volunteers will be watching this area for nesting
activities and reporting those to Vanessa and Photographer Terry. A couple
of basking logs were installed close to the shore to provide a convenient
basking place.
Vanessa treated us to some animated demonstrations of turtle behaviour, such
as how they feel the temperature of the nesting area with their outstretched
necks.
There are so many little known facts about the Western Painted Turtle, it is
worth learning more about them.
Spring Wildflowers
29 May 2011 Leave a Comment
May 20th, 2011. 22 people showed up at 8am to meet the previous night’s speaker, Andy McKinnon. Although the campsite was in shadow at first, gradually it warmed up as the sun reached it. Nodding onion, Chocolate lilies, Sea blush, Monkey flower, Shooting stars, Blue-eyed Mary, Death camus, Saxifrage, Saskatoon, Salal, and many others were examined and commented on before the session ended at 10am in time for Andy to catch a coffee at Nancy’s and make the noon ferry home to Metchosin.
