second annual snow spectacular

Weather forecasters are predicting a cool and wet winter, but that's nothing to be worried about. All that rain translates into lots of snow in the higher altitudes. There's already more than a metre of the white stuff up at Mt. Washington. And all that snow means lots of fun for our next event - the Second Annual Into the Wild Snow Spectacular.

For those of you who didn't join us last year, the Snow Spectacular is a free-for-all party in the powder. Snow forts, snowballs, sledding and snowshoeing. Whatever your idea of snow fun is, bring it along.

Meet at the parking area off the Strathcona Parkway about 10 km up the mountain at 1 pm on Saturday, December 10th. We will bring along some hot chocolate, you bring the mugs. This promises to be a great time for everyone and a fun-filled way to get into the spirit of the season.

snowy walk at snowden

Oh, the unpredictable nature of the weather. November is supposed to be cool and wet. Perfect for mushroom hunting, right? Well, the end of this November has turned out snowy and downright cold - more appropriate for frost than fungus. Fortunately the cold weather did not deter the hearty souls who joined us at Snowden Forest for a hike and mushroom hunt last Sunday.

Though it didn't feel mushrooming weather we still managed to find quite a few varieties. As one of our hikers said, once your eye gets trained you start to spot them everywhere. We saw some bright yellow witch's butter,

a type of false morel,

a coral mushroom

and even a nice fat chanterelle!

But, I think my favourite was this diminutive specimen of bird's nest mushroom.

It was only a few millimetres wide and filled with lots of tiny "eggs" (actually spores packets). The word "mushroom" is hardly adequate to describe the variety and diversity of species in the Fungi family. What too often overlooked treasures of the forest they are. And what fun to go out and spot them with our own eyes.

Mushroom hunting was not the only fun we had. The trail itself was quite lovely, too. We hiked along Lost Lake and then followed a bike trail up a high ridge. From the top we could see Lost Lake below and mountains beyond, and were able to enjoy the sunny skies and amazingly crisp, warm light.

The cold weather lent a magical air to the whole forest, with the frost, rime, and snow glistening in the late afternoon sun. By the time we had returned to the parking lot we were tired out from two hour walk, but I for one was reluctant to leave such a beautiful time and place.

(Thanks to Mark Wunsch for the wonderful photos)

snowden forest mushroom walk

The forest is looking decidedly less green these days. All that remains of the brilliant leaves of fall are wet leaf litter on the forest floor. But every season holds it's delights, and November is when the lowly mushroom takes centre stage.

Our recent forays into the forest have turned up all kinds of mushrooms. Like so many things, once I began to actually look for them they seemed to be everywhere. There they were on trees trunks, rotting stumps and poking out of the mossy forest floor in a seemingly limitless variety of sizes, shapes, colours and textures. These cheerful little fellows have certainly brightened up what for me can be a dreary time of year. So I say, hooray for mushrooms!



Which brings me to our next event. For our next gathering we'll be heading out to the Snowden Forest for a hike and mushroom hunt. Meet at the Lost Lake Parking Lot off of Loveland Bay Road on Sunday, November 21st at 1:30. I am no mycologist, but I'll bring a fieldguide along and we can try our hand at identifying some of the fanciful fungi we find. There are edible mushrooms to be found in our region, but it's best to go with an experienced guide, which I am not, before you actually plan on serving them up. So while we won't be picking any mushrooms to eat, it's still fun to check out the many varieties that one can find along the trail. We hope to see you there!

salmon spotting at quinsam river

Living where we do one can't help but think about salmon at this time of year. Throughout the fall months you are bound to catch glimpses of spawning salmon on any number of local creeks, rivers and waterways. Each time I witness the marvel of salmon struggling upstream I am as amazed as the very first time. Some miracles of nature remain miraculous, no matter what.

In this spirit we are planning a hike at Quinsam River on Saturday, October 2nd in hopes of seeing this great migration up close. We will meet at the parking lot just past the bridge on Quinsam Road at 1pm.

This is becoming an annual tradition with Into the Wild. Last season's walk, in spite of the heavy rain, was probably my favourite of the entire year. We really hope you can come out and join us.

fall kick off

After a summer hiatus we are back and ready to kick things off for another season of Into the Wild - Family Nature Club. For our first fall event we are planning a gathering at Oyster River Nature Park on Saturday, September 18th. We'll meet at the trailhead at 11 am for a hike and a picnic.

This is one of our family's favourite parks as it has a little bit of everything - forested trails, a beautiful river and estuary, breathtaking ocean views and a sweet beach complete with driftwood. There are even some nice swimming holes, so if the day is hot you may want to bring your suit to get in one last dip before autumn really takes hold.

We hope to see you there!

wet and wild at willow creek

We sure have been having a wet spring, and the weather for our Saturday walk was no exception. Though we humans may be getting tired of all this moisture, the flora at Willow Creek seems to be appreciating it. The rainforest is fueled by rain after all.

It was a veritable jungle along the trails, lush, green and rather muddy. To add to the excitement, we had an unfortunate encounter with some hostile creatures when the kids disturbed a wasps' nest while exploring along the creek.

It was a good reminder of the wild in wilderness, even if that wilderness is tucked into a residential neighborhood in the heart of town.

By the time we made it back to the trailhead we felt like we had experienced a real adventure, with the wounds to prove it. Thanks to every who came out. We hope to see you next time, if you think you can handle it!

plenty of surprises at miracle beach

It never ceases to amaze me how even a familiar trail can offer up the unexpected. That was certainly the case last week during our outing at Miracle Beach. I was sure the kids would rush through the trail eager to get to the beach. Instead we lingered and wandered and took our sweet time.

We snacked on Oregon Grape blossoms along the trail. We marveled at caddisfly larvae and tried to spy darting fish in little puddle. We couldn't resist the mud, and discovered its properties of suction.

The beach was lovely, too. We found moon snail shells. We suddenly seemed so small.

And on the way back, the biggest surprise of all. Thanks to Louise's quick reflexes we got to hold a smooth, slithering, and surprisingly warm garter snake. Oh joy! One never can predict how a walk will unfold. But, one thing is for certain. You'll never know unless you go. Thanks for going along with us!

next meeting - miracle beach

Our next meeting of Into the Wild Family Nature Club will take place on Sunday, April 18th at Miracle Beach.

Meet at the north parking lot at 1pm. There are some nice trails for hiking along Black Creek before heading down to the beach for some good old unstructured play. The tide will be way out so be prepared for plenty of poking around in the sand.

Remember to bring some change to pay for parking, as Miracle Beach is a Provincial Park. Hope to see you there!

earth day events in april

April means Earth Day and this month and there are lots of community events to help you and your family celebrate and do your part to make our little patch of the earth a bit nicer.

April 17 - Strathcona Centennial Expedition Talk
The Campbell River Museum will be hosting a talk by local author and mountaineer, Philip Stone, about the history of Strathcona Provincial Park and an expedition planned to mark the 100th anniversary of Price Ellison's expedition, which led to the formation of the park. This illustrated talk will take place from1-3 at the museum. Cost is $6.

April 18 - Eco Fair
The Eco Fair takes place from 10 till 2 at the Compost Education Centre on Dogwood St. There will be displays from local organizations and activities for the kids. This free family event is sponsored by the Comox Strathcona Waste Management and the Compost Education Centre.

April 21 - Movie Night - Addicted to Plastics
Come watch this award winning documentary film about one of the planet's worst pollutants: plastics. City representatives will be on hand to discuss sustainability and Green City initiatives. Admission is by donation and all proceeds goes towards Carihi and Timberline environmental efforts. Doors open at 7pm at the Tidemark Theatre. Think of it as "date night", only green!

April 25 - Broom Bash
Greenways Land Trust is holding their annual Broom Bash on from 10 till 2 at the BMX track located on Homewood Road next the bottle depot and across from the Salvation Army. This is a great family event aimed at preventing the invasive plant Scotch Broom from taking a foothold in our local greenspaces. Refreshments, timbits, tools and prizes are available to volunteers.

celebrating spring at seal bay

Walking along a beautiful forest trail to emerge at a great beach during low tide is pretty much my favourite outing with kids. It has all the ingredients needed for a good time - trees, sticks, dirt, driftwood, rocks, water, sand, shells and creatures. All those "loose parts" that lend themselves to exploration, imaginative play and wonder. There are wide open spaces to run in, and cozy little crannies for hiding. There are places to dig and things to dig with. There are items to toss and treasures to find. Whole universes to explore and stories to invent.

Well, that old reliable formula came through once again. We had a great time at Seal Bay Nature Park last weekend with the Family Nature Club. We walked, and ran, on the beach trail down to the shore. The tide was way out and offered up all kinds of surprises: a profusion of purple starfish, aggregate sea anemones, tiny sand dollars and great big crabs. One was a momma with a giant egg sack. Too cool!

There was plenty of running, climbing, poking and playing. There was even a driftwood fort to claim and conquer. Sure there were a few pairs of wet feet, but that's the cost of having fun. It was a perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon and welcome in the first day of spring.

My heart was happy and proud to see my oldest, who earlier that day informed me he didn't want to go on any stupid walk, wandering ecstatically through the woods enrapt in some story of adventure. He didn't want to come home. Just about a perfect day! Thanks to all of you who joined us.

island festivals celebrate spring

Spring happens in a big way on the island with wildlife migrations of epic proportions. 10,000 gray whales are making their way up the coast to their summer feeding grounds after spending the winter months in the warm waters off the coast of Baja California. This 12, 000 mile round trip journey is the longest migration of any mammal on earth. Joining them are swarms of herring on their annual run along the east coast of the island looking for ideal conditions to spawn. Waterfowl are also on the move, as the Brant goose returns to the island in the tens of thousands.

There are two great island festivals celebrating these natural wonders. The Brant Wildlife Festival occurs from March 5 to April 28 at various mid-island locations with a variety of events from author readings and nature viewing to farm tours and culinary events. The Pacific Rim Whale Festival is happening from March 6-14 in Ucluelet, Tofino and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Expect food, music, films, First Nations culture and much more while enjoying the beauty of the wild and wet west coast. Both festivals have plenty of family-friendly events and are well worth the drive. What better way to celebrate these awe-inspiring annual events happening in our own backyard.

next meeting - seal bay nature park

We've chosen March 20th, the first day of spring, for our next gathering. Join us at Seal Bay Nature Park for a hike and some fun on the beach. Seal Bay Nature Park, which can be found on Bates Road, is further south than we usually venture but well worth the drive. We'll be searching for signs of spring along the trail, on the shore, and out on the water.

We will meet at the parking area on Bates Road at 1:30 pm. Bring a snack and come prepared for the weather. The trail is well developed, but quite steep in areas. Hope to see you there!

in the news

The New York Times recently published an article about a study by the The Kaiser Family Foundation on media use among 8-18 year-olds. The results were pretty disturbing. Young people now spend on average more than seven hours a day plugged in to some kind of media device. That's pretty much every moment not spent in school or sleeping. One can't help but wonder what impact all that screen time is having on the development on young minds. One thing is for sure - it doesn't leave much free time for unstructured play in nature.

I guess not enough of those kids have been tuned in to Sesame Street lately. The venerable vhildren's show is celebrating its 40th Anniversary by launching a two-year environmental curriculum called "My World is Green and Growing." I know, I know. Watching nature on a screen doesn't take the place of spending time with the real thing, but when it comes to high-quality children's programming with a timely message, you gotta give it to Sesame Street. Just check out this great song - Outdoors with Jason Mraz - and see if it doesn't make you want to head outside and explore your world.

I have long thought that Sesame Street would be a great place to live. It's a vibrant place full of diversity, where everyone knows their neighbours. If our own neighborhoods looked more like the one Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch inhabit, full of people and possibilities, maybe it wouldn't be so hard to get our kids outdoors. When our streets are void of activity, life and other kids is it any wonder young people would rather be inside plugged-in? Parents play a big role in encouraging outdoor play, but a bigger issue continues to be how and where we live. We need to start creating communities that foster outside play, rather than inhibit it.

Snow Spectacular

Well, it was spectacular indeed! Sure the weather was a bit wet and the snow a bit sticky, but we managed to have a pretty great time regardless at our Snow Spectacular on January 17th. Kids, snow, sleds, shovels - how could we not have fun? And it wasn't just the kids, who sometimes had to wait their turn for the sleds while the adults had a go, who seemed to be enjoying themselves.

At one point a group of kids were digging a snow cave, another group was sledding down the hill, and an impromptu snowball fight erupted. All this simultaneous play flooded me with happy thoughts of "this is what it's all about." So simple, yet so wonderful.

Thanks to everyone who came out and made it happen. We hope to see you next time!

A New Year of New Adventures

This time of year lends itself to reflection - marveling at the year that's passed and wondering about the year to come. For our family the year marked our first full year in Campbell River.

Settling in to a new community comes with it's share of challenges, but it has also provided us with many new adventures which have made it all worthwhile. Exploring the natural beauty of the island as a family, and meeting some great new people are the memories that stand out when I look back at the past twelve months. When I look forward to the year to come, I'm most excited about further exploring this amazing place where we live - and having other families to share it with.

On Sunday, January 17th Into the Wild will be starting off the new year with some fun in the snow. We'll meet in the parking area about 10 km up the Strathcona Parkway at 1:30pm and head out into the snow to explore, play and see what happens.

The mountain is a beautiful place this time of year and getting up into the snow can help chase away the January blues. It's also a great place to enjoy all those winter activities we miss out on in the lower altitudes. Bring your snowshoes, sleds, and shovels if you have them. When we have had enough we can head on over to Raven's Lodge to warm up and have a treat. We hope to see you there!