Published by Burke Mountain Naturalists DISCOVER NATURE IN THE TRI-CITIES

lore To xp get E he t’s r e ! L

Belcarra Regional Park Shoreline Park System

Como Lake

Mundy Park

Colony Farm Regional Park

Coquitlam River

Hyde Creek

DeBoville Slough This guide is dedicated in memory of Danny Grass, a young member of the Burke Mountain Naturalists. Danny put his heart and soul into the things he loved — and one of those things was nature. We hope this guide inspires your passion for nature too.

Exploring the outdoors is a fun way to learn about our natural environment and where we live. The Burke Mountain Naturalists created this booklet to introduce children and families to the habitat, flora, and fauna of eight popular nature sites in the Tri-Cities. Each site in the booklet includes a description about the habitat, plants and wildlife that can be commonly found there, along with coloured illustrations and a map of where to explore. Each site offers something different to explore. At Belcarra Park you can learn about the variety of life found where the ocean meets the land. Along the Shoreline Trail you can observe many waterfowl that make the salt-water inlet their home. In you can walk through mature forest with two small lakes. At Como Lake you will see many creatures that are attracted by the small fish in the lake and the wetlands. Along the River and Hyde Creek waterways, you will find riparian habitat and salmon spawning in the fall – Hyde Creek also has a fish hatchery. AtColony Farm and DeBoville Slough you will find diked areas each with very different habitats – Colony Farm has tall grass meadows and ponds, and DeBoville Slough is a freshwater tidal wetland. The overview map on the adjacent page shows the location of these sites in the Tri-Cities area. If you are just starting to learn about nature, there may be some words you are not familiar with such as those in bold in the booklet. You can find what these words mean by referring to the Glossary on page 36. You can improve your chances of finding the many creatures that live pg. 24-27 pg. 28-31 pg 32-35 pg. 12-15 pg. pg. 16-19 20-23 pg. at the sites by using the How to Explore tips on page 37. Use the Nature pg. 4-7 pg. 8-11 Checklist on page 39 to keep track of the different animals and plants that you find throughout the year......

If you would like to learn more about plants ...... and animals, you will want to use a good nature ...... reference guide. Visit the Burke Mountain ...... Naturalists website for links to helpful resources and to download a digital copy of this guide. Hyde Creek Slough DeBoville Mundy Park . Colony Regional Farm Park Shoreline System ...... Park Como Lake Enjoy being an outdoor explorer. Be curious Belcarra...... Regional Park and have fun. There is lots to discover in nature! 2 Maps in this booklet are not to scale. They are to provide a general overview only. BELCARRA REGIONAL PARK

Belcarra Regional

c o Park rm HABITAT, FLORA, AND FAUNA o rant At first glance, the beach may look empty and lifeless. But, look closely and be patient: you can discover fascinating communities at each level of the beach. Each animal is At Belcarra specially adapted for the tidal Regional Park, zone in which it lives. you can explore a Some creatures can rocky beach rich survive many hours with intertidal life. out of water. They p e do this by closing r ls iw ai their shells tightly or Try to go when inkle sn the tides are low. burrowing in the sand. Remember to wear Some animals need more moisture, so they suitable shoes for stay in tide pools or under rocks, logs or walking in the wet bits of seaweed. Others must remain in the mudflats and water to survive. rocky areas. Everything on the beach is interconnected. A cast-off The Tsleil-Waututh snail shell becomes a hermit First Nation used crab’s home. A stranded h e b Belcarra Beach for sea star is a gull’s breakfast. rmit cra several thousand Sea stars keep the populations years as a place to of mussels in balance by feeding on gather food. There is them. The seaweed and wood on the evidence of an ancient beach provide nutrients and shelter shell midden on the for sea life. Many animals live under shoreline. Today, people the rocks and use them as nurseries fish for crab or small fish for their eggs. off the pier.

4 5 BELCARRA REGIONAL PARK e mos anem lu o p n e TIDE POOLS (animals can withstand the change in temperature) Let’s Explore... Sit quietly and watch the tide pool creatures feeding. You may see tide pool sculpins, shore crabs, Belcarra Regional Park! barnacles, mussels, limpets, colourful sea anemones and sea stars, depending on the depth of the tide pool. SUBTIDAL ZONE (under water) k MID-TIDE ZONE e lp Look over the side of the pier or between the (animals have less exposure) cr ab planks. You may see kelp crabs clinging to the kelp In front of the stairs, find the large boulder covered and fish such as shiner perch swimming under the pier. with crustaceans and molluscs: barnacles, mussels, Perhaps you will see a large red rock crab or a sunflower snails and limpets. Turn over a smaller rock and watch star on the ocean floor. Moon jellyfish b shore crabs scuttle away. Be sure to turn the rocks ra c sometimes swim near the surface. back after looking. The holes in the sand are made shore

m by clams burrowing below the surface. o on jellyfish r HIGH TIDE ZONE LOW TIDE ZONE ed (stays wet between tides) rock crab (animals must endure long periods of dryness) Check under the pier to find a wealth of sea Look under seaweed or driftwood for small flea-like crustaceans called beach hoppers. They clean up creatures clinging to the pilings: barnacles, r b pe mussels, sea stars and sea anemones. Sea debris on the beach and do not bite. each hop stars are fiercepredators of the barnacles and mussels. Sea anemones close when they SPRAY OR SPLASH ZONE are out of water. Which animals are highest or (above the high tide line) lowest on the piling? Is the order Find the freshwater stream that runs from the always the same? forest to the ocean. Look for animal footprints.

glaucous- winged gull

s

e animal l c footprints a n b r l a s u s b ea e mussel lettuce

ro ckweed

t e p plate lim

6 7 SHORELINE PARK SYSTEM

Shoreline ho ser oded mergan Park System

HABITAT, FLORA, AND FAUNA

Shoreline Park System is an interesting place Shoreline Park to explore throughout System has the year. In the late er many types of fall and winter, several co ns mm erga habitat. There species of ducks fly to the on m are coniferous waters of . They come from all and deciduous over BC when inland lakes and rivers freeze. forests, grassy From the pier at Rocky Point Park you can areas, wetlands, see several species of diving ducks during and mixed forest. the winter months. There are also Watch for the sandy beaches, l ur sea bo occasional mudflats at low tide, ar and salmon streams. h head of a The different types harbour seal of habitat merge to bob up in with one another. the water. This attracts a mix of At the head of the inlet where the water wildlife species. is shallower, look for dabbling ducks. In fall, salmon return to in Noons Once, this area spawn Creek and Suterbrook Creek. contained several sawmills. The one at the “old mill site” is fun to explore at low tide.

8 9 SHORELINE PARK SYSTEM

When you are at the end of the pier, look out at the pilings

Let’s Explore... in the water. Can you find the flat platform where ospreys n

i nest in summer? The small wooden nest boxes are used by

t

r Shoreline Park System! a purple martins. These members of the swallow family fly all m How many different kinds of ducks can you see e the way from South America every spring to nest here. rpl from the pier at Rocky Point? Watch how they pu

e y disappear beneath the water for a few moments as B e Follow the Shoreline trail through the ar en they search for food. Buffleheads are the smallest of row’s gold forest to the boardwalks at the the diving ducks and have a big white patch on their coniferous head of Burrard Inlet. This shady forest heads. They dive in search of shellfish. You may also see other ducks with sword ferns growing beneath attracts diving, including Barrow’s goldeneye and scaup. Mergansers dive for chickadees, towhees and woodpeckers. fish. They have longer bills with rough edges which help them to grasp Can you spot a Sitka spruce with its slippery fish. Look for black-and-white hooded mergansers with their tall s w n shaggy bark near the trail as you heads, and common mergansers, the males of which are mostly white ord fer S approach the head of the inlet? it but have a greenish head similar to mallards. ka spruce Each winter, male ducks develop colourful At the head of the inlet the shallow water becomes a s plumage to attract females. Can you see the il p ta mudflat at low tide. On an incoming tide, watch for a pin differences? Use a guidebook to help you. ir of northern shorebirds such as dunlin feeding at the edge of the water. These wading birds have large feet that allow During the winter, ducks spend most of their time searching dunlin them to walk on the mudflats. When the tide is in, for food or preening their feathers. Preening involves many dabbling ducks will be present. You can recognize them by spreading oil from a gland near their tail onto their outer their bums up and heads down positon in the water as they feathers to keep them waterproofed. Without this oil, they nibble on aquatic vegetation. Often they will be resting t would become wet and chilled every time h i r together. Examples are pintails, mallards and the smaller m e they dive. Can you imagine what it would b w green-winged teal. l le lo g a b f be like to spend all winter diving into cold re te erry and en d

water? Waterproofed feathers are essential to In May, look for yellow twinberry flowers (always in a -winge

s

their survival. r pair), pink Nootka rose, and the beautiful white blossoms

e

b w adorning the Pacific crabapple shrubs. l a o c l f k t d w n inberry a

old sawmill site Noons Creek estuary

dabbling ducks

head of inlet

10 mallard ducks 11 COMO LAKE

Como Lake

b ly l f u n e d o arne rag r d HABITAT, FLORA, AND FAUNA

The low shrubs, salmonberries, cattails and Como Lake rushes around the lake provide good food provides a refuge and for birds and small mammals. in the city for habitat migrating birds in The wetland at the north spring and fall. Up end was created in 1998. to 70 species have It filters water running off k been recorded. sticklebac the streets through ponds Throughout the of cattails and water lilies. This makes water park, trees provide cleaner for fish. Herons and kingfishers hunt nesting places, crayfish and sticklebacks in the shallow water. food and shelter for wildlife. A group of young alder trees creates nesting sites for songbirds. Como Lake was Leaf litter on the originally fed by ground supports small springs. It was used invertebrates like as a water reservoir slugs and wood bugs. r for the Fraser Mills Trout, carp, bullheads red alde Lumber company in and sticklebacks provide 1909. In cold winters, food for ospreys, merganser ducks and people ice-skated cormorants. The island and open water there. The lake is the are safe areas for birds such as grebes, source of Como geese and ducks. Creek. This creek flows into the Geese feed on grasses and weeds near and supports a small the lake. Overhead, swallows swoop population of salmon. for insects in summer.

The lake is stocked with trout twice a year and people can fish from the docks.

12 13 COMO LAKE

Let’s Explore... Como Lake! Large dragonflies patrol and fight to protect their own In the spring, look for fluffy mallard ducklings and Canada goose territories. They eat many insects, including flying ants. goslings. Geese are good parents but may chase you if you get too Listen for the raspy sound their wings make. Smaller, close to their babies. Goose families often merge into one large group bright-coloured damselflies dart about. for greater safety. In summer, the adult geese moult their flight feathers and cannot fly d elfly for almost a month: their feathers and ams Coyotes and raccoons also droppings cover the paths. come out at dusk. Bird and animal tracks are an interesting find: look in soft muddy spots at the trail A large osprey (fish hawk) often hovers edges or in snow. and dives for fish, feet first, making a huge splash. You may see an osprey’s raccoon catch in its talons as the bird carries The black birds with white bills are c the fish back to a nest or perch. o coots. Can you see their feet? o t They have three wide toes for osprey an d tracks walking easily on mud or lily pads. Listen for the tap-tap of woodpeckers and look for the holes great blue heron they make in trees. Red-winged blackbirds build a nest of in cattail marsh woven grasses in the cattail marsh. Can you hear their calls as Once the leaves have fallen from the trees, they defend their nesting territories? you can see the unique shapes of branches. Unlike other Bats, the night patrol for bug catching, coniferous trees, come out at dusk. They eat flying the larch drops

e its needles in fall. insects. They can eat as much as l L n i a t o t rc c Can you find a their own body weight in one night! le h b b nd group of them at Bats’ shadows show up against the rown bat ranch a water as they dip to drink. the south end of the park?

great blue heron tracks

Canada goose wigeon with goslings

bufflehead 14 15 MUNDY PARK

Mundy Park

r e k c HABITAT, FLORA, AND FAUNA e p d pile oo ated w The forest around Mundy Lake provides a rich habitat for wildlife. Some of the common coniferous trees include western redcedar, western hemlock and Douglas-fir. Common Much of Mundy deciduous trees include vine Park is an urban maple, bigleaf maple and red

forest. The original w alder.

e forest was logged s t e Trees are in the early 1900s. rn h important at Some of the huge emlock remaining stumps each stage can still be found. of their life cycle. They provide food through

their seeds, fruit or leaves r Sixteen kilometres fi to a variety of birds and s- of trails wind Dougla mammals. They offer through several shelter in their branches, in tree cavities, types of habitat: and under their roots. Decaying trees forest, wetlands provide nutrients for the soil. A dead tree and lakes. Wildlife full of insects such as termites, beetles or is more frequently carpenter ants becomes a source of food viewed near the lakes. for woodpeckers and other animals. Lost Lake is an easy walk from the east The lake is a home for fish, frogs, parking lot. turtles and insect larvae. Birds and mammals come to the lake to find Access to Mundy Lake food and water. is closest from the west parking lot. In this guide, we will explore Mundy Lake using the Lakeside Loop Trail.

16 17 MUNDY PARK

THE FOREST ZONES The forest has several different zones where you can look for Let’s Explore... Mundy Lake! wildlife, including the forest floor, understory and canopy. • The Canopy If you creep slowly up to the shore you may get an In the summer, you may hear a rising series of eyeful of frogs, salamanders and dragonflies up high whistled notes from a Swainson’s thrush. close. Move too fast, though, and they’ll make a Barred owls sometimes perch on a large quick getaway! The largest frogs are the non-native branch overhanging a clearing in the forest, bullfrogs which prey on some of our native species, h r such as a pathway, lake or meadow. Sw s s de a ru alaman such as the Pacific chorus frog. inson’s th • The Understory On one side of the lake, the forest floor is spongy. The lake is Small groups of chickadees, kinglets and slowly being covered by decomposing aquatic plants, fallen bushtits often flock together in winter. Look

debris and trees. At some point, the lake will be completely for them flitting quickly from branch to c

h filled in through the process ofsuccession . Look for a branch. The Douglas squirrel may sound e s t . It may have moss, huckleberry bushes or n e nurse log its alarm, chattering at you if you come too u e t d even tiny western hemlock trees growing out of it. Stay on close. The Pacific wren may serenade you in -b ka ack hic the trail in the bog areas so you don’t sink into the mud or spring with its beautiful song. ed c destroy delicate habitat. The pileated woodpecker makes large rectangular-shaped The pathway is lined with ferns, shrubs, and trees. Many of cavities in old dead trees. n these plants were used by First Nations peoples. How many re w can you find? • The Forest Floor Pacific t Slugs help recycle rotting vegetation ti sh or animal matter into soil. Can you find the bu non-native black slugs and native banana slugs? Look for northern flickers poking re d in the ground for ants. h ry uckleber The spotted towhee

d performs its two-feet-together e e r dance while foraging, s e f ku ag e e nk cabb rn digging for food and e s wh making its scratchy call. potted to

black slug

banana slug Douglas squirrel

a te r L ado l abr sala sword fern nurse log 18 19 COLONY FARM REGIONAL PARK

COLONY FARM REGIONAL

r e d PARK -t ai led hawk HABITAT, FLORA, AND FAUNA

Animals are attracted to Colony Farm Park because it provides a safe place to raise their young. There is an abundant supply of food Colony Farm such as berries, insects and fish. Thehabitat Regional Park was includes tall grass once a real farm. meadows and ponds bordered by shrubs A century ago, the and trees. BC government ing lazuli bunt managed Colony Farm to grow Some birds, like the food for people in pied-billed grebe, hospitals. Patients p build their nest on the ie from Riverview d- e surface billed greb Hospital helped out. of the They milked cows, water. Red-winged grew vegetables and blackbirds make nests cut hay using teams nearby in the cattails. of horses. y r Northern harriers build r e rb their nests in the grass. In 1983, the farm was red elde closed. Since 1996, the land has been a regional park. It is now a haven for wildlife.

20 21 COLONY FARM REGIONAL PARK

The parents usually take turns keeping their eggs warm until they hatch. Once baby birds hatch, they are very Let’s Explore... hungry and require constant feeding, usually by both Colony Farm Regional Park! parents. Insects are nutritious food for many baby birds. The small berries of n

o the red elderberry usually ripen just in r t NESTING TECHNIQUES h time to feed hungry nestlings. Look for e r Cup, cavity or camouflage? Some species of birds build nests n great le flying over the fields in search of shaped like a cup. They use mud, grasses, twigs and even To vo raptors h blue wnsend’s ar mice or voles to feed their young. ri heron spider webs to construct their nests. In the spring, watch for er hawk birds carrying nesting material to their nests. Imagine using only your mouth and feet to build a nest – that’s what birds Typically, baby birds develop their flight feathers and fly in do! How many trips does it take them to build a nest? about a month. Juvenile birds commonly stay for another month or so with their families to gain strength for long Not all birds construct cup-shaped nests in trees and shrubs. flights south for the winter. Some birds such as the common yellowthroat and other warblers migrate long t Some conceal their eggs on the ground hidden within tall c a o o m r grasses. Some birds drill holes in trees to make a nest. They may distances. Species such as American robins, song m th on yellow also use an existing tree cavity or a man-made nest box. sparrows and spotted towhees remain year-round.

Look for nest boxes around the wetland. Every summer, female red-winged These boxes are used by swallows. bats use the attic in blackbird They fly from Central America every the old bunkhouse at w spring to nest at Colony Farm. In early o w so rr Colony Farm to raise llo ng spa barn swa spring, you might see great blue herons their babies. They perching on the boxes. need a very warm place to do this Other birds, like killdeer, lay their bats emerging and the attic is just eggs on open ground in places the right temperature. Can you spot openings in the roof where there are many pebbles. where the bats fly out at dusk? Bats are unusual mammals Their spotted eggs are hard to because they can fly! Instead of wings, they use a see because they blend in with wing-like that stretches between their front the gravel. If a comes too close killdeer membrane predator and back legs. They catch and eat many mosquitoes to the nest, the parent will pretend to have a broken and other flying insects every night. wing to distract it and lead it away from the nest. northern harrier hawk

old field habitat

nesting pied-billed grebe

wetland 22 23 COQUITLAM RIVER

COQUITLAM

t e l g RIVER g n o ki ld d HABITAT, FLORA, AND FAUNA en-crowne In this walk you’ll find urban andsecond growth parkland. The riparian habitat beside the Coquitlam River has mostly cottonwood trees. There are also western redcedar, western hemlock, bigleaf maple and Douglas-fir trees. The Coquitlam Shrubs consist of Indian plum, salmonberry, River is the third alder and vine maples. Ferns largest river in the and mosses grow close to Tri-Cities area. the ground. Non-native It runs from the mountains in the invasive plant species north to the Fraser such as ivy, Japanese In River in the south. d knotweed and blackberry ian plum are common. In the past the On the water you might see common Kwikwetlem First mergansers or mallards. In the fall salmon Nation people migrate and spawn in the river. Chum caught salmon here. are the most common but there are In the 1950s the river also coho, chinook, steelhead, was mined for gravel. and pink salmon.

The Coquitlam River Small birds such as black-capped is dammed at chickadees and kinglets forage . in the shrubs and trees. At It provides some ground level you can electricity and is a major see spotted towhees, source of our drinking dark-eyed juncos and A m water. The dikes along American robins. e ric n the river were built to an robi prevent flooding.

24 25 COQUITLAM RIVER

Let’s Explore... Coquitlam River! Beyond the Dog Off-Leash Park look for an area of bank erosion. Follow the trail north from Lions Park Here you can see the ground under the Lougheed Highway. consists of rocks and the c e ommon merganser mal exposed roots of trees. Pink salmon were almost extinct on the Farther on, a trail leads Coquitlam River before the late 1990s. to a small beach. Now, there is no gravel being Look for mergansers removed from the river and water swimming through female flow from Coquitlam Lake has the rapids. been increased. Pink salmon

S can survive again and now te ll here in the fall. er’s jay spawn As you near the North of Lougheed Highway black e Patricia walking s he po tow cottonwoods, alder and Indian A tted m bridge, the river plum line the trail. Black cottonwood e r rican dippe gets rocky. If you’re lucky you’ll is North America’s tallest

y catch a glimpse of the American dipper. This slate- tree. In late spring e l deciduous l a grey songbird can be seen on the rocks bobbing up it produces many seeds. -v fa e and down. It has a double eyelid and scales that block They are covered with ls th e lily-of- water from entering its nostrils. This lets it swim and fluffy white hairs and float walk on the bottom of fast-moving streams while it through the air. d searches for aquatic insects. ar k- eyed junco The first flowers you see in spring are the riparian forest white, clustered, hanging flowers of the Beyond the Patricia foot bridge you enter Coquitlam River Indian plum. Its small purple fruit provides Park. Here you’ll findconiferous trees including western food for birds and small mammals during hemlock and Douglas-fir. The river here is wilder with more fall and winter. In winter, listen for kinglets rapids. In the oxbow side-channel look and chickadees as they forage. for beaver-chewed trees and The golden-crowned kinglet an old beaver lodge. You might makes a high “see see see” even see the beavers. The oxbow call. It is a small, olive-grey side-channel was developed bird with a yellow, to improve salmon spawning black-bordered crown. bea b and rearing habitat. ver le ed ing heart

bank erosion pink salmon 26 27 HYDE CREEK

Hyde Creek

wl HABITAT, FLORA, AND FAUNA barred o Hyde Creek flows through a forest of maple, cottonwood, red cedar and alder trees. It Hyde Creek and W provides habitat for spawning e ste ar the forest around salmon and other wildlife. In rn redced it are wonderful fall when salmon return home, the trees put on places. You can a fine show of colour. In spring, pink flowers of learn about the salmonberry attract hummingbirds history of Pacific and bumblebees. Birds enjoy salmon and their its red or yellow raspberry- habitat. Salmon like fruits. Seeds in the birds’ spend years in droppings take root and grow the Pacific Ocean. new salmonberry bushes. They return to their sa ry stream of birth to lmonber Trees and shrubs beside the spawn. If you visit creek help to keep the water cool – vital to the hatchery and the health of salmon. the Hyde Creek Salmon Festival in The woods nearby are habitat for the barred November, you can owl. It’s easy to remember its call: “who see the fish in action. cooks for you, who cooks for you-all”. Bears come to feast on salmon in spawning At the hatchery you season, often hauling the fish into the will learn how salmon forest. Decaying fish help to fertilize the habitat has been trees and other plants. restored and improved. Then you can walk along the stream and see how these things help the salmon to survive and spawn.

28 29 HYDE CREEK

Western redcedar with its bell-shaped trunk and shreddy bark is easy to identify. To First Nations it is the ‘tree of life’ for making canoes, Let’s Explore... Hyde Creek! blankets, ropes and tools from the bark and wood.

Hyde Creek hosts a dramatic event every fall when salmon return from Beneath the trees are shrubs like red elderberry and their years at sea. Coho spend their first year in fresh water then migrate thimbleberry. Many birds feast on their fruits. Rub an e to the ocean and return as three-year-olds. Chum leave the fresh water r l elderberry leaf – does it smell like peanut butter? d e for the ocean after they hatch then return as three-or four-year-olds. e w r o A thimbleberry leaf is shaped like a maple leaf, but b fl The best time to view this special wildlife spectacle is er h it’s soft and hairy. Make sure to feel it – gently! ry wit mid-October to mid-November. Can you identify branch which are coho and which are chum? Plants along Hyde Creek and in the forest Salmon lay their eggs in gravel at the bottom sal dd support insects. The insects are food for of the stream. Watch for a female (doe) flipping mon re small birds like the black-capped chickadee. her tail (splish splash!) to make a for her eggs. redd Listen in spring for its “tea-time” song (some

say it sounds like “cheeseburger”). You might r

Salmon die after they have finished spawning, and e also hear the robin sing “cheerily, cheer-up”. k then maybe a raccoon, bear, bobcat or coyote will c e Spotted towhees and song sparrows love to p make a meal of them. d scratch amongst the dead leaves looking o wo for seeds and insects. downy Bigleaf maple trees grow along the creek. They have Most animals are secretive so the biggest leaves of any you’ll have to be a detective

Canadian maple. In the fall d e and look for clues including look for their seeds falling e s h droppings, tracks, and like little helicopters. b it igle le w feeding places. f af map v lea ine maple b Black cottonwood, with its ea r tracks heart-shaped leaves, is another

tree to look for. In spring, when b

l b cottonwood buds open up, the a la c ck d k co woo air is full of their wonderful -c e tton ap de spicy aroma. ped chicka

r o ide rb web sp

female and male chum coho creek bed

30 31 DEBOVILLE SLOUGH

DeBoville Slough HABITAT, FLORA, AND FAUNA r e h is DeBoville Slough flows through a mixed gf kin belted grass and shrub wetland. The tide comes in twice a day, forcing water from the into the slough. Willows, hardhack and black hawthorn grow here as they like the wet conditions. Bears and some DeBoville Slough is birds feed on the hawthorn a freshwater tidal fruits. Black-tailed deer are wetland. At one often seen in the blueberry time the slough fields bordering the slough. n was part of a much bl or ack hawth In the side channels turtles larger wetland. bask on floating logs. Waterfowl Now it‘s contained such as mallards, gadwalls and wigeons by dikes. can be found year-round. In winter the small bufflehead and the larger common The dikes protect merganser are regular visitors. In spring, this the surrounding important wildlife area is a nesting location farmland that has for birds such as common yellowthroat, been farmed for over wood ducks and marsh wrens. Belted 100 years. DeBoville kingfishers perch on shrubs searching Slough flows to the for small fish, while high in the Pitt River. It is a cottonwoods bald eagles year-round habitat have a great view of the for many birds, area. Watch for osprey mammals and soaring above the slough amphibians. in search of fish. c e da r waxwing

32 33 DEBOVILLE SLOUGH

Farther along, the drainage ditch is full of water and sheltered by fairly Let’s Explore... large trees on either side. Listen, can you hear the frogs? The slough is home to Pacific chorus frogs and green frogs. Look for turtles basking on sunny DeBoville Slough! days. If you have binoculars, look closely to see if you can Near the start of the trail on the north side identify the turtles. If they don’t is a kiosk with information and a map. Past have a streak of red on the the kiosk, as the slough widens, look for side of their heads, they

bear trails – flattened troughs of vegetation are most likely native painted w e on both sides of the . Black bears are turtles. st dike ern attracted to the blueberry painted turtle

g fields, blackberries, and native o fr In secluded areas under the branches you might see wood fruits like Pacific crabapple. P us acific chor Here, the slough is mostly ducks. These colourful ducks nest in tree cavities and their filled with reed canary toes have small claws to grip branches. If they can’t find natural P a cavities they will lay their eggs in man-made nesting boxes. grass and hardhack. cif ic crabapple The chicks jump from the hole and flutter to the ground within 24 hours of hatching. Along one of the channels is an area of willow plantings. Willows As you continue along, there are fewer provide shade for trees and the slough is more open. In the spring, w the water and male rufous hummingbirds perform display loops, o od their leaves d flying high into the sky, then diving low where they uck harbour insects for make loud buzzing sounds. In summer the fragrant birds and fish. Nootka rose blooms along the . In fall their red w dike Their roots help illo rosehips make a bright display and provide P cific w cottonwood make the soil more stable. a food for deer.

tree

In the fall watch for the blue Steller’s jay, B.C.’s provincial bird. r e

They carry hazelnuts from the nearby farms to hide e

d

them on the lower slopes of Burke Mountain. d e

N l o i r o a u t t fo rd ka r - u bi ose k s ng c hummi la b

slough black bear dike pathway 34 35 GLOSSARY HOW TO EXPLORE

Aquatic: growing or living in or near water Use these tips to help you explore and find the Camouflage: colours or patterns that helps animals hide from predators many wonderful things waiting to be discovered. Coniferous: a tree that bears cones Crustacean: invertebrates, mostly marine in distribution, which have a Walk slowly. You will see and hear a lot more shell, segmented body parts, jointed limbs and two pairs of antennae if you take time to observe things around you. (e.g.), lobster, crab, barnacle, shrimp Dabbling duck: a duck that feeds on vegetation in shallow water Stop often. Look around you and listen. Deciduous: a plant that sheds its leaves every year Look up. Look down. Look all around instead of always looking straight Dike: a raised wall or embankment built to reduce flooding ahead. With a little practice, this will become second nature to you. Flora: the plants of a particular habitat Fauna: the animals of a particular habitat Practice roaming with your eyes. Be a nature detective and look for Forage: to search for food clues like animal tracks. Habitat: the natural environment occupied by an organism Intertidal: the area which is under water at high tide and exposed at low tide Get closer. Watching insects and spiders is fun, but you need to get Invasive: a non-native species that tends to spread up close to see them. Try kneeling down to get closer or use Invertebrate: animals that do not have backbones, e.g., worms, slugs a small magnifying glass. Leaf litter: decomposing vegetable matter from plants Membrane: a thin flexible sheet of skin Be “sense-able”. Enjoy the sights, sounds and Moult: to shed feathers, hair, skin or shell to make way for new ones smells around you as you explore a world of nature. Midden: a mound containing remains of shells, bones and other items Smell the flowers, tree buds or even the fresh from an old village or camp morning air. Feel the bark of a tree or the Mollusc: an invertebrate with a soft body and usually a hard shell fuzzy coolness of mosses. Mudflat: a stretch of muddy land left uncovered at low tide Nurse log: a fallen log that provides support for other plants to grow Cup a hand behind your ear. This will help to make Piling: a cluster of logs driven into shallow water and bound together by the sound of singing birds or chirping crickets much louder. cable to provide mooring or mark a channel; often called a “dolphin” Predator: an animal that preys on other animals Let wildlife come to you. Find a quiet spot and sit quietly Preen: to clean, arrange and apply oil to feathers (with a friend). Listen carefully for sounds around you. Raptor: a bird of prey with good eyesight, a hooked beak, and strong talons for hunting and eating small mammals, birds, rodents and insects Learn to identify stinging nettle. Redd: a hollow made in a river bed by trout or salmon to spawn in You want to avoid touching this Riparian: beside the edge of a river or lake plant as its leaves and stems Second growth: trees or other vegetation replacing those that have have hairs that sting and can been destroyed by events such as fires, floods, logging or landslides make you itch. Slough: a slow moving body of water Spawn: release or fertilize eggs Keep a nature notebook. Make a list of the things you see and hear. Succession: the process by which a plant or animal community gradually Write descriptions of things you find really exciting. Make drawings transforms to another community and colour them. In time, your notebook will become something Wetland: the area where land and water meet; it is wet for all or part very valuable. For example, it will help you appreciate how the of the year seasons change. 36 37 HOW TO BE A GOOD WILDLIFE GUARDIAN NATURE CHECKLIST Check off the species you find while you are exploring. Be sure to always put things back as you found them because it’s someone’s home. Spring Summer Fall Winter

Don’t get too close or feed the birds and mammals.

Never release unwanted pets like frogs, turtles or fish in a green space or waterway as they often out-compete the native species that live there.

If you have a dog, keep it on a leash so it doesn’t go close to the animals or their homes. You will be more successful at finding creatures if you leave your dog at home.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We wish to acknowledge the TD Friends of the Environment for their financial donation towards this project and supporting environmental stewardship in our local community.

We would like to thank members of the Burke Mountain Naturalists and John and Wendy Morton of Wild Birds Unlimited – Vancouver, for their fundraising efforts and contributions to the development of the guide.

Thanks to the families and the students of the Eagle Mountain Middle School for offering their valuable feedback during the development of the guide.

We appreciate local municipalities and Metro Vancouver for providing valuable parkland, nature spaces and trails for all to explore and enjoy.

We also thank the team whose commitment and dedication made this booklet possible including Lori Austin, Brigitte Breuer, Dalyce Epp, Laura Dupont, Elaine Golds, Al Grass, Jude Grass, David Mounteney, Christina Saremba, Liz Thunstrom and Chris Tunnoch.

Editing by: Dalyce Epp Illustrations by: Chris Tunnoch Graphic Design by: Brigitte Breuer Printing by: KKP Burnaby

Printed on Rolland Enviro, certified FSC®, ecologo and processed chlorine free (PCF) Additional copies of this checklist are available at the Burke Mountain Naturalists’ website. 38 39 AN IN VITATION

A deep hooting call A whirr of wings A loudly croaking chorus sings and sings and sings A rustle and a squeak in the underbrush Hear that? See that? Wonder what that was?

A watery shadow swims by Bubbles trail behind A flash of red beside the marsh Commotion of every kind A splash A crash A honk A buzz A lively scene, most curious! Hear that? See that? Wonder what that was?

With ears and eyes wide open Your favourite path do take Stroll down by the ocean or linger by the lake Let Nature be your guide Her mysteries to uncover An adventure awaits you What will YOU discover?

L. Austin

Burke Mountain Naturalists - www.bmn.bc.ca 978-0-9936676-0-2 ISBN