Bears

Woodpeckers

Stewart Road East A Deer’s Tale Kiosk

To Parking Lot Yellow Pine Chipmunk

Tree Rings Plant Soil Adaptations Wildlife To Parking Lot The Lily Family

Ponderosa Pine Middle Bench

Changes in Earring the Crawford Bench Moss & Lichen Cattleguard Junction Arrow-Leaf Balsam Root

Lower Bench Distant Anthill Total Trail Length 1.7km

Wildfire

New Growth Easy Out Middle Bench A Deer’s Tale...

I amam a yyoungoung wwhitetailhitetail ddeer,eer, bornborn inin a nearbynearby aspenaspen grove.grove. WhenWhen I waswas vveryery youngyoung mymy mmother,other, llikeike aallll ootherther wwhitetailhitetail ddoes,oes, wwouldould ffeedeed mmee aandnd tthenhen hhideide meme inin thethe shrubsshrubs toto sleepsleep whilewhile sheshe wentwent aawayway ttoo ggrazeraze fforor aann hhourour oorr ttwo.wo. IfIf yyouou seesee a babybaby deerdeer byby itselfitself dodo notnot disturbdisturb it.it. WhenWhen wwee aarere bbabiesabies wwee hhaveave nono scentscent ssoo ppredatorsredators ddoo nnotot nnoticeotice uuss iiff wwee sstaytay vveryery sstill.till.

MyMy mothermother taughttaught mmee aboutabout thethe plantsplants aandnd creaturescreatures tthathat ssharehare thisthis forest.forest. IItt iiss llikeike ootherther ddryry fforestsorests inin thethe OkanaganOkanagan ValleyValley wherewhere plantsplants andand animalsanimals adaptadapt toto desert-likedesert-like conditionsconditions inin manymany ways.ways. A veryvery llargearge fifirere b uburnedrned tthishis aarearea iinn 22003.003. PPeopleeople sseeee tthehe ddamageamage iitt ccausedaused aandnd tthinkhink tthehe fforestorest hhasas beenbeen destroyed,destroyed, butbut firefire iiss oonene ooff tthehe wwaysays tthathat n anatureture r erenewsnews a af oforest.rest. F oForr t hthee d edeerer a nandd o totherher animalsanimals thatthat llivedived hhereere tthenhen iitt mmustust hhaveave bbeeneen a sscarycary ttime!ime!

Can you see me? I amam biggerbigger nownow andand I wouldwould likelike toto showshow youyou mymy forest.forest. FollowFollow mymy hoofhoof prints…prints…

Stop! Look! Listen! Yellow Pine Chipmunk

YouYou wwillill seesee cchipmunkshipmunks aalmostlmost eeverywhereverywhere iinn tthishis fforest.orest. I ooftenften sseeee tthemhem iinn tthehe morningmorning whenwhen theythey areare mostmost activeactive eating,eating, gatheringgathering foodfood oror justjust groominggrooming themselves.themselves. TheyThey areare differentdifferent f rfromom s osomeme o totherher h ihibernatingbernating animalsanimals becausebecause theythey dodo notnot putput onon fatfat inin preparationpreparation forfor winter.winter. TTheyhey sstoretore ffoodood aandnd lliveive iinn uundergroundnderground cachescaches wherewhere theythey spendspend aboutabout 4 months,months, wakingwaking uupp everyevery 2 weeksweeks oror soso toto feedfeed andand passpass waste.waste.

TheThe bbabiesabies aarere bbornorn inin MayMay andand soonsoon afterafter I oftenoften seesee tinytiny cchipmunkshipmunks rrunningunning aalonglong ffallenallen llogsogs aandnd ddebrisebris closeclose ttoo thethe ground.ground.

Carrying food in cheeks Woodpeckers

Pileated Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Woodpecker Holes ListenListen forfor thethe soundsound ofof woodpeckerswoodpeckers drillingdrilling toto findfind ssomethingomething ttoo eeat.at. WhWherevererever therethere areare rottingrotting oorr ddiseasediseased ttreesrees yyouou wwillill fifindnd w owoodpeckersodpeckers l olookingoking f oforr i ninsects.sects. MountainMountain ppineine bbeetleseetles aarere a ggoodood ssourceource ooff ffoodood iinn tthishis aarea.rea. AllAll wwoodpeckersoodpeckers hhaveave sspecialpecial aadaptationsdaptations fforor ddiggingigging iinsectsnsects ooutut ooff wwood.ood. TTheirheir billsbills areare strongstrong forfor drillingdrilling onon treestrees andand theythey havehave longlong stickysticky tonguestongues toto extractextract foodfood fromfrom thethe holesholes theythey make.make. WhyWhy ddon’ton’t wwoodpeckersoodpeckers ggetet hheadaches?eadaches? TTheyhey havehave a thickthick spongyspongy skullskull toto preventprevent brainbrain damagedamage fromfrom thethe rapidrapid aandnd rrepeatedepeated Woodpecker’s Tongue hammering.hammering. I wouldn’twouldn’t likelike toto useuse mymy headhead asas a hammer!hammer! Wildlife Trees

SomeSome ooff tthehe bburnedurned treestrees stillstill standingstanding areare missingmissing ttheirheir ttops.ops. TThesehese aarere kknownnown aass wildlifewildlife treestrees becausebecause theythey provideprovide homeshomes forfor manymany creatures.creatures. WWoodpeckersoodpeckers mmakeake hholesoles inin themthem lookinglooking forfor bugsbugs oror toto buildbuild a nest.nest. SSoonoon afterafter thatthat ootherther ccreaturesreatures mmoveove iin.n.

TheseThese treestrees areare likelike apartmentapartment bbuildingsuildings fforor mmanyany animalsanimals aandnd bbirds.irds. A ssquirrelquirrel maymay useuse a woodpeckerwoodpecker nestnest forfor a winterwinter hhome.ome. SSmallermaller bbirdsirds ssuchuch aass tthehe nuthatchnuthatch oorr cchickadeehickadee mmayay uusese wwildlifeildlife ttreesrees fforor nestingnesting andand protectionprotection fromfrom tthehe ccold.old. AAss tthesehese ttreesrees rotrot aandnd sstarttart ttoo ccollapse,ollapse, sspiders,piders, bbeetleseetles aandnd ttermitesermites movemove in.in. AllAll ssortsorts ooff iinsectsnsects rresideeside hhere!ere! FFungiungi aalsolso thrivethrive onon rottingrotting .wood. EventuallyEventually tthehe ttree’sree’s llifeife ccycleycle isis ccomplete.omplete. Soil

DoDo youyou everever thinkthink aboutabout thethe groundground wewe walkwalk oon?n? WWater,ater, wwind,ind, firefire aandnd ffrostrost aallll pplaylay aa ppartart iinn ccreatingreating s osoil.il. W hWhenen p lplantsants a nandd treestrees die,die, theythey becomebecome partpart ofof thethe soilsoil beneathbeneath oourur ffeet.eet. TThishis soilsoil determinesdetermines whichwhich plantsplants growgrow herehere forfor meme toto eat.eat.

LookLook down.down. WhatWhat ddoo yyouou tthinkhink ooff wwhenhen yyouou sseeee ssand?and? ThisThis areaarea waswas ppartart ooff a hhugeuge lakelake 13,00013,000 yearsyears ago!ago! CanCan youyou imagineimagine whatwhat thatthat mmightight hhaveave llookedooked llike?ike? MyMy ancestorsancestors wwouldould hhaveave bbeeneen sswimmingwimming rrightight wwherehere youyou aarere sstanding!tanding! Plant Adaptations

AsAs I wanderwander aalonglong llookingooking fforor ttastyasty plantsplants aandnd ggrassesrasses toto eat,eat, I sseeee mmanyany ssmallmall pplantslants tthathat ggrowrow ccloselose ttoo tthehe ground.ground. TheseThese plantsplants aarere aableble ttoo ssurviveurvive iinn tthishis climateclimate bbecauseecause ttheyhey havehave specialspecial waysways ooff pprotectingrotecting themselvesthemselves fromfrom dryingdrying upup inin thethe hothot weather.weather. Oregon Grape Berries Bunchgrass DoDo youyou seesee somesome fuzzyfuzzy leavesleaves oror somesome shinyshiny leaves?leaves? BothBoth ofof thesethese leafleaf typestypes protectprotect thethe plantplant ffromrom tthehe lossloss ofof waterwater tthroughhrough evaporation.evaporation. OOnene ooff mmyy favouritefavourite foodsfoods isis bunchgrass.bunchgrass. ItIt growsgrows inin a tighttight clumpclump withwith thethe insideinside protectedprotected bbyy tthehe ddryry lleaveseaves oonn thethe outside.outside. It’sIt’s almostalmost likelike beingbeing inin a plasticplastic bag!bag! Trappers Tea Low Pussy Toes Changes in the Forest

AllAll fforestsorests cchangehange ooverver ttime.ime. WhenWhen mmyy ggrandmotherrandmother waswas a yyoungoung ddeer,eer, sshehe wwouldould standstand herehere andand seesee onlyonly forest.forest. WWee nnowow sseeee mmanyany ddifferentifferent u suseses o fof t hthisis l alandnd b yby man.man. HHowow mmanyany ccanan yyouou ssee?ee?

ThisThis aarearea ooncence hhadad mmanyany bbigig ttrees,rees, ssomeome wwereere uupp ttoo 100100 yyearsears oold.ld. SinceSince thethe fifire,re, t hthereere a raree m omostlystly s msmallall treestrees aandnd sshrubshrubs hhereere aandnd iitt wwillill ttakeake a llongong ttimeime fforor thesethese ttreesrees ttoo ggrowrow bback.ack. Arrow-Leaf Balsam Root

InIn springspring timetime youyou willwill seesee yellowyellow flowersflowers oonn tthehe hhillsidesillsides t hthroughoutroughout t hthee Okanagan.Okanagan. TTheyhey aarere ccommonlyommonly ccalledalled OOkanagankanagan ssunflowersunflowers b ubutt t hthee c ocorrectrrect namename isis arrow-leafarrow-leaf balsambalsam root.root. TThishis pplantlant pprefersrefers ttoo ggrowrow oonn oopenpen ggrasslandsrasslands andand sideside hills.hills. ItIt isis perfectlyperfectly suitedsuited toto thethe drydry climateclimate wwithith iitsts ffuzzyuzzy lleaveseaves andand clump-likeclump-like structure.structure.

AfterAfter thethe arrow-leafarrow-leaf balsambalsam rootroot hashas finishedfinished bblooming,looming, iitsts eelongatedlongated heart-shapedheart-shaped lleaveseaves wwillill ggraduallyradually yyellowellow aandnd wwither.ither. OOkanagankanagan nnativesatives usedused allall partsparts ofof thisthis plant.plant. TThehe ttapap rrootsoots wwereere rroastedoasted oorr ssteamed,teamed, tthehe seedsseeds wwereere ddriedried andand poundedpounded intointo flflour,our, t hthee y oyoungung l eleavesaves p rprovidedovided a nan importantimportant ffoodood aandnd tthehe mmatureature lleaveseaves wwereere ssmokedmoked llikeike ttobacco.obacco. I llikeike ttoo feastfeast oonn tthehe flflowerower h eheadsads a nandd b ubuds.ds. Anthill

ThisThis largelarge anthillanthill iiss bbuiltuilt aaroundround a rrottingotting ttreeree sstumptump usingusing earth,earth, sandsand andand pinepine needles.needles. AntsAnts hhaveave ccreatedreated chambers,chambers, oror rooms,rooms, connectedconnected toto eacheach otherother aandnd tthehe surfacesurface byby smallsmall tunnels.tunnels.

DoDo youyou knowknow whatwhat thethe antsants uusese tthehe cchambershambers ffor?or? YYoungoung antsants lliveive iinn ssomeome ooff tthehe rrooms.ooms. OOtherther rroomsooms aarere uusedsed fforor thethe storagestorage ooff aantnt eeggs.ggs. TTherehere aarere aalsolso rroomsooms fforor sstoringtoring food.food. TiredTired antsants eevenven hhaveave rroomsooms fforor rrestingesting aandnd vvisitingisiting withwith eacheach other!other! WhenWhen iitt iiss ccold,old, tthehe antant ccolonyolony mmovesoves downdown toto thethe deepestdeepest rroomsooms ooff tthehe nnestest wwherehere iitt iiss warmer.warmer. Rings

TreesTrees mmakeake uupp a llargearge ppartart ooff mmyy wworld.orld. TheyThey cancan telltell youyou a storystory aaboutbout theirtheir life.life. ThisThis firfir ttreeree wawass c ucutt d downown wwhilehile fifirefightersrefighters wer ewere figh tfightinging the the forestforest fifire.re. Y oYouu c acann s eseee r ringsings iinn tthehe ccut:ut: first year growth 1 light-colouredlight-coloured rringing + 1 ddark-colouredark-coloured rringing = 1 “growth“growth ring”ring” oror oneone rainy season dry season yearyear inin thethe lifelife ofof a tree.tree. WoodWood thatthat ggrowsrows iinn tthehe sspringpring makesmakes a lightlight- scar from forest colouredcoloured rring.ing. InIn thethe summersummer (or(or drydry season)season) treestrees don'tdon't ggrowrow aass mmuchuch soso tthishis mmakesakes a ddark-colouredark-coloured rring.ing.

TheThe growthgrowth ringsrings inin a treetree don'tdon't allall looklook thethe same.same. ThisThis isis becausebecause climateclimate aandnd ootherther tthingshings ggoingoing oonn inin thethe environmentenvironment aaffectffect a at rtree’see’s g rgrowth.owth. T hheT e temperature,temperature, aamountmount ooff rrain,ain, wwind,ind, sunlight,sunlight, aamountmount ofof snowsnow oonn tthehe ggroundround aandnd iinsectsnsects aallll aaffectffect h ohoww a at rtreeee g rgrows.ows. T hTheseese t hthingsings a raree d idifferentfferent fr ofromm ye ayearr toto year.year. NNarrowarrow ringsrings indicateindicate a drydry yearyear andand widewide ringsrings indicateindicate wwetteretter ttimes.imes. IIrregularrregular rringsings suggestsuggest injuryinjury fromfrom wind,wind, insectinsect attacksattacks oorr fifire.re.

A major change came to this forest in 2003 when a large fire swept through the area. That was before I was born but I can see effects of the burn and the way nature is healing itself. Do you see them too?

Some of the old trees managed to survive and now act as mothers for the new growth. They provide seeds, shade, and even moisture by holding snow in the winter. Look at the young trees, shrubs and grasses growing now. The ash left behind by the fire acts like fertilizer and provides nutrients to help plants grow.

Fire does not destroy a forest but rejuvenates it.

Ground Ash Ash Pit

Photo courtesy of Eric Simard’ New Growth

WhereWhere tthehe 22003003 fifirere b uburnedrned t hthee t rtreeee c acanopynopy a nandd u nundergrowth,dergrowth, m omorere s usunshinenshine r ereachesaches thethe forestforest flfloor.oor. T hThisis r eresultssults i nin a nan i nincreasedcreased a mamountount o fof g rgrassass a nandd s hshrubs.rubs. E aEachch s pspringring whenwhen grassesgrasses andand sshrubshrubs sprout,sprout, tthehe bburnedurned areaarea comescomes alivealive withwith colourfulcolourful patchespatches ofof fireweed.fireweed. FFireweedireweed llikesikes ssunlightunlight s oso i tit i sis o nonee o fof t hthee fi rfirstst pl aplantsnts to toap pappearear af tafterer a a forestforest fifire.re. I tIt f oformsrms mmanyany sseedseeds wwhichhich ccanan llieie ddormantormant fforor yyears,ears, a wawaitingaiting t hthee s usun’sn’s Fireweed warmthwarmth wwhichhich iiss nnecessaryecessary fforor ggermination.ermination. TThehe mmagentaagenta flflowers,owers, w hwhichich g rgrowow u pup t oto 1.51.5 m (5(5 feet)feet) high,high, cancan bebe a spectacularspectacular sightsight fforor sseveraleveral yyearsears aafterfter a fifire.re. AnimalsAnimals fifindnd i tit m umuchch e aeasiersier t oto l iliveve i nin t hthee b uburnedrned aareasreas wwherehere ttherehere iiss aann aabundancebundance ooff food.food. MMyy familyfamily andand ootherther ddeereer ffamiliesamilies fformorm largerlarger unitsunits thatthat ccanan sstaytay ttogetherogether dduringuring thethe drydry seasonseason andand intointo tthehe ffall.all. WWhenhen ttherehere iiss a sshortagehortage ooff ggrazingrazing tthehe ffamiliesamilies bbreakreak Young Pines intointo ssmallermaller ggroupsroups ooff oonene oorr ttwowo aandnd traveltravel ffurtherurther uupp tthehe mmountainountain ttoo fifindnd f ofood.od.

TheThe newnew growthgrowth aalsolso pprovidesrovides ccoverover fforor ppredators.redators. OOurur mmainain eenemynemy iiss tthehe ccougar.ougar. ItIt iiss ableable toto hunthunt mmoreore eeffectivelyffectively w hwhenen t hthee d edeerer p opopulationpulation i sis l alarge.rge. C oCougarsugars a raree veryvery hhardard toto seesee becausebecause theythey blendblend intointo ttheirheir ssurroundingsurroundings andand movemove silentlysilently throughthrough thethe forest.forest. Distant Forests

SometimesSometimes I standstand onon thisthis hilltophilltop aandnd llookook iintonto tthehe ddistance.istance. I wwonderonder iiff tthehe fforestsorests I sseeee areare likelike mine.mine. DoDo otherother whitetailwhitetail deerdeer livelive there?there? WhatWhat ootherther ccreaturesreatures lliveive tthere?here? Ponderosa Pine

I lloveove tthehe ssmellmell ooff tthehe fforestorest iinn tthehe mmorningorning asas thethe sunsun warmswarms thethe treestrees andand soil.soil. StandStand ccloselose ttoo tthesehese llargearge pinespines aandnd ssniffniff t hthee b abark.rk. DDoesoes iitt rremindemind yyouou ooff aa flflavouravour thatthat hhumansumans llike?ike? LLookook hhowow rroughough aandnd tthickhick tthehe bbarkark iis.s. ThisThis helpshelps thethe largelarge pinepine survivesurvive thethe heatheat ooff fifiresres b yby protectingprotecting thethe innerinner layerslayers ooff tthehe ttreeree wwherehere tthehe moisturemoisture andand foodfood traveltravel uupp ttoo ffeedeed tthehe branches.branches.

TheThe largestlargest conescones onon thethe ggroundround ccomeome ffromrom tthehe pines.pines. InIn tthehe ffallall thethe cconesones sstarttart ttoo ddroprop wwhenhen ttheyhey aarere sstilltill closed.closed. TThehe bbractsracts oopenpen aass ttheyhey ddry,ry, aallowingllowing rripenedipened seedsseeds toto fallfall out.out. BBirdsirds aandnd ssmallmall rrodents,odents, ssuchuch aass squirrelssquirrels andand chipmunks,chipmunks, eateat tthehe sseedseeds oorr hhideide tthemhem inin multiplemultiple storagestorage pplaceslaces fforor wwinterinter ffood.ood. SSomeome ooff tthehe Cones seedsseeds iinn fforgottenorgotten ccachesaches ssproutprout aandnd ggrow.row. Sprouted Seed Moss and Lichen

TheseThese rocksrocks aarere llikeike a hhistoryistory bbookook aandnd ttellell tthehe sstorytory ooff hhowow rocksrocks andand earthearth changechange overover time.time. DoDo youyou seesee thethe silverysilvery greygrey patchespatches oonn tthesehese rrocks?ocks? TThishis iiss lichen,lichen, a pioneerpioneer organismorganism thatthat sstartstarts tthehe pprocessrocess ooff mmakingaking rocksrocks intointo ssoiloil fforor ootherther pplantslants ttoo uuse.se. IItt fifindsnds s msmallall d edentsnts o ror crevicescrevices inin thethe rockrock thatthat mmightight hholdold a llittleittle mmoisture.oisture. TTherehere thethe lichenlichen sstartstarts toto taketake hholdold aandnd iinn tthehe pprocessrocess wwearsears aandnd roughensroughens thethe rockrock makingmaking a placeplace forfor otherother tinytiny plantsplants llikeike mossesmosses toto grow.grow. Lichen CanCan youyou telltell tthehe ddifferenceifference b ebetweentween t hthee m omossss a nandd l ilichen?chen? MossesMosses uusese ttheirheir tinytiny ffeeteet ((rhizoids)rhizoids) toto hanghang ontoonto rrocksocks aandnd ttheyhey absorbabsorb waterwater andand nutrientsnutrients throughthrough ttheirheir lleaves.eaves. LLookook fforor ootherther smallsmall plantsplants ggrowingrowing aamongmong tthehe mmosses.osses. MMossesosses bbuilduild a ccarpetarpet Moss toto hholdold moisturemoisture wherewhere grassesgrasses andand otherother plantsplants aarere aableble ttoo pputut downdown roots.roots. The Lily Family

I seesee differentdifferent k ikindsnds o fof fl oflowerswers th rthroughoutoughout th ethe gr ogrowingwing se aseasonson al oalongng t hthisis t ratrail.il. ManyMany bbelongelong toto thethe lilylily familyfamily andand produceproduce beautifulbeautiful delicatedelicate flflowersowers fforor aa vveryery shortshort time.time. WatchWatch forfor thesethese asas youyou walk.walk.

InIn veryvery earlyearly springspring youyou willwill seesee smallsmall whitewhite cup-shapedcup-shaped flowersflowers c acalledlled s pspringring Spring Beauty beauty.beauty. TheirTheir undergroundunderground bulbsbulbs tastetaste likelike potatoespotatoes aandnd wwereere a ffoodood ssourceource forfor thethe nativenative ppeopleeople wwhoho uusedsed ttoo lliveive hhere.ere.

OtherOther lilies,lilies, ssuchuch aass tthehe chocolatechocolate llily,ily, bbloomloom laterlater iinn thethe sspringpring andand thethe mmariposaariposa lilylily bloomsblooms iinn mmid-summer.id-summer.

Spring Beauty Bulb Mariposa Lily Chocolate Lily Bears

TheThe bearsbears thatthat lliveive iinn tthishis aarearea aarere ccalledalled bblacklack bbears.ears. I tthinkhink thatthat iiss a sstrangetrange nnameame bbecauseecause ttheyhey aarere sometimessometimes darkdark brownbrown oror lightlight bbrownrown ((cinnamon)cinnamon) iinn ccolor.olor. TTheyhey eeatat mmainlyainly ggrasses,rasses, yyoungoung sshootshoots aandnd leaves,leaves, aass wwellell asas thethe flowersflowers a nandd b eberriesrries ooff mmanyany sshrubs.hrubs. TTheyhey aalsolso eeatat iinsects,nsects, llarvae,arvae, g rgrubsubs a nandd s msmallall mammalsmammals llikeike ggroundround ssquirrels.quirrels. TheyThey useuse theirtheir powerfulpowerful limbslimbs aandnd ssharpharp clawsclaws toto pullpull apartapart logslogs andand stumps.stumps. ThatThat iiss wwhyhy wwee ssometimesometimes sseeee a bbearear rrummagingummaging aaroundround oonn tthehe hhillsideillside aabovebove – iitt hhasas aallll tthehe typestypes ofof ffoodood ttheyhey llike.ike.

A bear was here!