BOTANY BC 2012 PROGRAM

MANNING PARK

Thursday July 26 – Sunday July 29, 2012

(revised July 1 2012)

 

Botany BC is an annual gathering of professional and amateur botanists and plant enthusiasts from B.C. and nearby areas.  This year’s event will feature botanical forays in the Manning Park meadow, alpine, wetland and other habitats.  It begins with a social evening on Thursday, spiced with a botanical quiz, moving on to interesting hikes followed by fascinating talks for the next two days.  Everyone is welcome.  Your registration entitles you to attend the welcome social event, two dinners and all walks and talks.  Please check the Botany BC website for updates at:  http://www.members.shaw.ca/botanybc/ 

 

Windy Joe's Hall at Manning Park Resort will be our “BBC clubhouse”, open for us to gather both informally and for presentations from Thursday evening through Saturday evening. 

 

Map of Manning Park:  http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/ecmanning/manning-east.pdf

 

(links to lots of useful information about Manning Park, its trails, facilities and the general area are available under ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on the Botany BC website)

 

Thursday, July 26

 

6:30 –7:30 pm            Windy Joes will open for BBC participants!  Come and view the photographic display of Manning Park's flora, by Virginia Skilton.  Virginia’s work will be on display through Saturday. .  (Light snacks will be available.  BYOB if you wish)

7:30 pm          Welcome and information about the coming days

8 - 9 pm          Wildflowers of Manning Park, an interactive presentation by Ron Long

 

Friday, July 27

8:30 am          Gather at Windy Joe's Hall, confirm field trip option you are choosing from 1 or 2.

 

8:45 am          Everyone carpools to Blackwall Peak parking area.

 

  1. Half day in subalpine near Blackwall Peak and half day in lower elevation moist habitats  There are several easy trails near Blackwall Peak that give access to a large variety of subalpine habitats and plants, all within 1.5 km of where we park our vehicles. 12 noon:  gather by Naturalist's hut for lunch, 12:30 pm leave for Beaver Pond and/or nearby moist habitats to explore sedges, rushes, orchids and aquatic plants
  2. Full day up high for those who want to hike Heather Trail toward Big Buck Mtn.    Subalpine meadows and open forest grading into more alpine terrain and vegetation further up.  For those wishing to stay high all day and to choose your own route, please save the easy trails near Blackwall Peak for the afternoon in order to ease congestion.  Returning to the Lodge @ 4:30 - 5:00 pm.

 

6:15 pm           Barbeque Dinner at Manning Park Resort (exact location to be announced)

 

7:30 pm – 9:30 Presentations at Windy Joe’s

  • James Miskelly (Consultant and naturalist)& Kristen Harrison (U-Vic) - The Other Side of the Cascades
  • Tory Stevens (BC Parks) - Protected Areas in the 21st Century: Galloping with the Climate

 

Saturday July 28th 

 

8:30 am          Gather at Windy Joe’s for final details prior to today’s hikes

 

9 am - 12         Strawberry Flats

-        Full day for those who want to carry on to Skyline Trail – Snow Camp Mtn. You will not have enough time to do full justice to the flats, but will be richly rewarded with beautiful views and great wildflower displays higher up.

-        Half day for those who want to thoroughly explore Strawberry Flats. Opened up a long time ago by fire, this area still offers an exceptional diversity of subalpine and montane plants.

1:00 pm – 4:30

-        Half day Beaver Pond and/or nearby wetlands, Boyd's Meadow or choice of alternate short nature trails.

 

6:15 pm  Buffet Dinner in Cascade Room at Manning Park Resort

 

7:30–9:30 pm             Presentations at Windy Joe’s

  • Gerry Allen (UVIC) - DNA analyses of widespread alpine plants and what we can learn from them
  • Joseph Arnett (Dept.Natural Resources, Washington) - Rare Plants across the Border: Introducing the new Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Washington
  • AGM - (otherwise known as “Where in the province are we going next year?”)

 

Sunday July 29th

 

Optional stops/hikes enroute home – meeting times to be announced


Rhododendron Flats (Ron Long)
Sumallo Grove (Hans Roemer)

 

Note on field trip for Friday June 29th:  Due to the very high snow levels it is uncertain at this time if the high-elevation portions of the field trips will be possible.  Field trip destinations will be finalized the week before the event for optimal viewing of plants in bloom.


Plant lists:  Preliminary lists that describe in more detail what plant species to expect in each of the field trip destinations are available on the website.  Hard copies of updated plant lists and a map will be provided to each registrant on Thursday evening at Windy Joe’s (Friday morning for those who did not pick up their package on Thurs).