Alouette River, BC

 Alouette River
in British Columbia, Canada
is one of the those places that you can
go back to time and time again,
and see something different.
What fascinates me
is the confluence of
the Pitt and Alouette Rivers.
This is the area where
sturgeon fish abound. Here, there
are the white and green sturgeon,
as well as 5 species of salmon and trout
including Dolly Varden, rainbow, bell,
and cutthroat.
The First Nations people
have fished here for years.
The Katzie history
tells of the creation of this area.
The whole landscape is seeped in
rich biodiversity.
Bogs and marshes
as well as a unique fresh water marsh,
are located here.
An amazingly rich habitat right
on our very doorstep.
The more I learn about it
the more I am drawn back
to her beauty.

Rene Savenye Area, Blackie Spit Park, B.C., Canada

The Savenye Environmentally Sensitive Area
is part of Blackie Spit Park in Surrey, BC,
and is dedicated to Rene Savenye,
a passionate naturalist who
did a lot of work at Blackie Spit.
Rene was a science teacher in
Surrey, BC, and passed on his
love of nature and all things wild
to his students.
He also discovered the second
oldest fossilized march fly in the
world, which is now housed at
Simon Fraser University.
It's believed to be 45 million years old.
The area is ephemeral and
hauntingly beautiful.
I can't help but think how Mr. Savenye
would have loved the
sights and sounds here on this
life thriving spring day.

Maplewood Flats, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Maplewood Flats Wilderness Conservation Area
is situated south of the Second Narrows Bridge
off the Dollarton Highway in North Vancouver,
B.C., Canada.

Its a tidal marsh area with both mud flats
and a salt marsh. And a pretty
incredible variety of water birds
and shore birds since it is
located right on Burrard Inlet.

What's even more impressive about
this area is that it's an reclaimed
industrial site now run by the
Wild Bird Trust.

You can see something
different every time you go to Maplewood Flats
no matter what the weather is doing.
Today I was met with a chorus
of Red Winged Blackbirds
welcoming in spring,
a Great Blue heron eyeing me from the rushes,
and plenty of ducks paddling about
the marsh. With this much
nature right at our doorstep
its safe to say I will return many
times to see what she has to
show me.