Saturday morning after we said goodbye to Dianne and Steve, Ray and I went on an adventure ... the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve.  They have their one and only day the public can walk through the preserve. We went early to miss the crowds so we could get some pictures. An awesome stroll through the property seeing the wildflowers and Garry Oaks. Less flowers this year with our long snowy winter ... but still beautiful. It was pretty windy today and on the news there were ferry cancellations. Not too bad at the preserve though.

Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve

Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve flowers, BC (Photo by Tim Ennis/NCC)

Large, gnarled oaks stand guard in the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve (CGOP), weathering the wind and rain of West Coast winters. They provide shelter for gartersnakes, black-tailed deer and a variety of birds. In the surrounding meadows, bees hum around native wildflowers and plants, such as camas, chocolate lily and Howell's triteleia. Meanwhile, a small creek bears fish through a stand of mature Douglas-fir and down to the Quamichan wetlands. There, at the edge of Quamichan Lake, rest flocks of migratory birds and tree frogs nestled in the branches.

These trees were once common throughout southeastern Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and down through the Puget Trough of Washington State and Oregon's Willammette Valley. However, the spread of urban and agricultural development in the last 150 years has eliminated these Garry oak ecosystems to less than five per cent of their historical extent. The Cowichan Valley is widely known as one of the last and best havens of the globally endangered ecosystem and its biodiversity. The Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve occupies a vital part of this ecological tapestry.

Since its establishment in 1999, CGOP has been a hub of activity for both restoration and research work in the Cowichan Valley. The ongoing and enthusiastic support from the local community continues to ensure the vitality of this precious conservation area.

In 2012, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), along with partner groups the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team and Cowichan Valley Naturalists' Society, embarked on a landmark reintroduction project for the western bluebird. CGOP was the first site of translocation. The groups brought this native bird back to areas where it disappeared in the mid-1990s. In the intervening years, the bluebird population has continued to rise. This has charted a hopeful course for the many endangered species in the region.

To gain entrance to the preserve you had to park on Maple Bay Road and walk the 1/2 km up a lane to reach the starting point of the tour.

Once at the end of the lane, to the left you can see Quamichan Lake in the distance. They were offering wagon rides to the wetland area. 

We just missed the wagon ride to the park's other end.  Nothing we wanted to see that way anyway.

At the beginning of the tour they have the Native Plant Nursery where you could "purchase" some plants by donation. Carrying on down the path brought us to an old barn and wildflower meadows showcasing the Garry Oaks. They had ten stations under white tents with displays of pictures of pollinators, birds that live in the preserve, history of the old buildings etc. You could wait and take guided tours or walk on your own which we opted to do.

Elkington House is one of Cowichan Valley's best-kept secrets, with deep roots in our local heritage and history dating back to the time of colonization on Vancouver Island. The 119–year-old heritage house sits in the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve, owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC).

Elkington House

Cultural significance

Camas flowers in bloom (Photo by NCC)

Garry oak meadows have been integral to the First Nations of the Cowichan Valley for thousands of years. Camas was cultivated in the meadows and harvested in late summer for its bulb, which is rich in carbohydrates and was pit-cooked or dried and ground up to make a flour. In order to ensure the vibrant blue-purple flower thrived, Indigenous communities worked with natural systems. At times they performed prescribed burns to limit shrubs and conifers from expanding into meadows with deep soil.

Ray doing what he loves to do. It has been awhile since we have been on an outing for pictures.

After our lovely walk, we decided to have a bite to eat at the Lions Rampant Pub in Maple Bay. It sure is windy out on the ocean. Before going in we noticed some cool wildflowers across the street.

The white water in the distance is whitecaps from the wind. We also saw an otter climb up onto the dock and get a good back scratching before slipping back into the water.

Last stop on the way home was a quick peek at the Garden Show at the exhibition grounds ... they even had a horse show going on. We did not find anything we needed to buy as we already have our landscaping done.

They did have cool birdhouses though.

Back home by 12:30 pm. A great couple of hours.