Vancouver Island Nature Tours

The Alberni Valley is an exceptional place to hike. I’ve said that before. However most of the routes and trails are known only to a few local people. Here’s your chance to join some locals on one of their hikes.
The club has only three rules. This is the third one, “Non-members are welcome to try [...]

The Significance of Culturally Modified Trees
Originally uploaded by TheRainbird

A Culturally Modified Tree is government jargon for trees that have been altered by aboriginal people as part of their traditional use of the forest. Archaeologists survey areas proposed for logging to see if any CMT’s as they are called are present. CMTs which date pror to [...]

Boggy ground at Pacific Rim
Originally uploaded by TheRainbird
One aspect of being in the Pacific temperate rainforest is the boggy ground. Wherever there is flat subdued terrain, there is poor drainage. The vast amount of water that falls on the land can’t be absorbed into the ground fast enough. Added to this is the fact that [...]

Lyall’s Anemone, Anenome lyallii
Originally uploaded by TheRainbird
Wild flowers in people’s gardens have become much more popular in recent years.
Most of us, coming from another continent, mostly Europe, are used to seeing European plants in the garden. Early immigrants often brought their own seeds. And people also seek out exotic plants from the four corners of [...]