1 March

 A glorious day!  Fine weather, and many visitors, who are on the paths in response to the News--the purchase of the Forest and Wetland has gone through--it will become Hamilton Marsh Park and Conservation Area at the end of this month.  

This sign will come down!  No longer property of Island Timberlands, no longer managed by Mosaic, it will be part of the Nanaimo Regional District's parks sytem.


There can be no doubt that a great deal of planning, and study remains, but--

--Oh, how ridiculous I am!  I found myself talking to the forest as I walked along the path, saying, "YOU'RE SAFE!  You won't be logged."  And then I'd have to wipe away tears.  I'm just blown away.   


Three hundred and sixty hectares of forest and marsh--that's 889 and a bit acres.  Very nearly pristine--some invasive stuff along the road that borders it, but otherwise, really clean.  Home to any number of endangered species, and assorted other critters who will live there, safe from logging and development.  

Spring is approaching.  Sunlight gleams through the moss.

 Red osier dogwood is showing its early growth.


The Harp has gained a new layer of moss, perhaps in anticipation of St. Patrick's Day's approach.


Another familiar face--although it's jaw has dropped, the shaggy Muppet log is now sporting a cigar.


For the first time this year, the Marsh's frog chorus was warming up.  Still quiet vocalising, but definitely the spring frogsong.


(I recorded them, but there seems to be a lot of sniffling on the recording, probably better left out of the Blog.) 

There is evidence of amphibian socialising.


My usual bench was occupied by someone who looked to be filming.  I re-routed and found a comfy log along a side path where I could sit and enjoy my cheese sandwich.


After lunch, I returned to the dock, where the filming had ended.  A family were investigating the assortment of creatures in the Marsh.  

The southeast end of the docks hosted various ducks.


Arrowsmith looked on, in its snowy splendour.


The day had warmed.  Two garter snakes emerged from the Marsh's fringe vegetation, early for the season.


There is a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for early April, to celebrate the Marsh's acquisition.  What a wonderful event to look forward to!











Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

4 June 2025

Image
  4 June --By way of a Guest Blog: At the Christmas Potluck last December, Genevieve Singleton and I agreed to join together to lead an ANats walk in the Hamilton Wetlands and Forest at some time this year.  We had worked together leading walks there for the BC Nature Annual General Meeting last May, and enjoyed our collaboration.  Genevieve's qualifications and training in botany are very strong.   In addition, she has a true gift for leading and teaching visitors to natural environments.   My claims to qualification are much more limited, arising from the not quite weekly frequency of visits to the area, and from the generosity of knowledgeable informants.   Meanwhile, I missed our walk yesterday due to a nasty bout of 'flu, but folks were nice enough to send lots of photos and accounts of their time together.  Hence the Guest Blog.   Genevieve (also known as Jenny), began with a review of wildlife, including a formidable rac...
Read more

21 June

Image
Although the weather persists as cool and cloudy, the Forest and Wetlands display summer abundant summer growth.  After too long a time away, we returned to explore the loop to the south of the forest.  We expected that the paths would be drier and easier.  We weren't disappointed. Apparently the Forest Gnomes have been very active, maintaining trails and laying down boardwalks. Step mosses are flourishing and producing abundant sporophytes. Red huckleberries are ripening. We watched a red-breasted sapsucker who appeared to be focusing on the hemlocks on the loop trail  He spent a lot of time dodging behind the trees, but cooperated briefly. Sapsuckers have worked over the hemlock for years.   In addition to the typical small holes, they have excavated nest cavities, which in turn look as though they have hosted slime molds. There was also a very active pair of hairy woodpeckers but they were consistently out of range. The Forest is rich in biodiversity....
Read more

29 June

Image
 Summer changes the light in the Forest and Wetlands.  In part, it's the effect of the position of the sun, but also changes in the density of vegetation provide a new filter for light. Even on a shaded path, the light has a warmth--not hot, instead welcoming and friendly. In the Forest, fruit is ripening.  Red huckleberry is ripe, tart, and not abundant. Red elderberries disappear quickly from their branches as birds feast upon them. Summer fungi are emerging.  These mushrooms have been photobombed by a yellow-spotted millipede. New growths of slime mold are appearing as well. Pathfinders are blooming--it will be interesting to observe the development of their rather odd flowers. Salal is starting to form berries, yet to ripen. By the Marsh, the blossoms of bald-hipped roses have given way to -- well, duh--bald hips.   The hard hack fringing the Marsh is coming into bloom. The snowpack on the mountains is now listed as 39 percent of average.  The Mars...
Read more