BOTANY BC

REVELSTOKE/GOLDEN

Thursday August 8 – Sunday August 11, 2013

 Program as of July 30, 2013

Plant lists and associated documents:

 

Plant list for Mt. Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks
SAR in Mt.Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks - 2005

SAR in Rogers Pass National Historic Site
Vascular Plant SAR in Mt.Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks - 2006

 

Botany BC is an annual gathering of professional and amateur botanists from British Columbia and nearby areas.  It will feature botanical forays from valley to peak, with a special focus in the alpine sites around beautiful Revelstoke, BC.  This year’s event begins with a social evening on Thursday, including a mystery game that will challenge your local plant knowledge.  The next two days will be filled with interesting hikes, fascinating talks, and a botany-themed music night. 

 

Thursday, August 8th

 

6:45–7:30 pm: Meet at the Revelstoke Senior Citizens Association Hall - 603 Connaught Ave for light refreshments and to make your own seed shaker for music night, plus a chance to finalize your registration if necessary.

 

7:30 pm: Welcome and information about the coming days; Botanical Mystery Game.

 

8:00 – 9:00 pm: Andy McKinnon - “Adapting to life above the tree line”.

 

Friday, August 9th

 

Pack your lunch for the full day trip!  Michael Miller and Verena Blasy will lead a group to a site in Glacier National Park, stopping along the way at the park boardwalks.  Verena will talk about lichens in the area, and Michael will discuss the local flora.

 

8:00 am - 12: 00 pm: We will meet at the Revelstoke Senior Citizens Association Hall and split into two groups. The groups will each go to Skunk Cabbage Park Boardwalk (Michael) and Giant Cedars Park Trails (Verena) alternately.  We will then travel on to Glacier National Park and have lunch at Hemlock Grove or Illecillewaet.

 

12:00 pm -4:30 pm: 

1)   Join Michael Miller for a guided hike in Glacier National Park.

OR

2)   Do a self-led exploration of the Rockgarden and Hemlock Grove Park Boardwalks, chose a hike of your own from Illecillewaet, and/or relax at the Albert Canyon Hot Springs!

·         Glacier National Park - http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/glacier/index.aspx

·         Canyon Hot Springs - http://www.canyonhotsprings.com/HotSprings.html

4:00-5:00 pm – Drive back to Revelstoke and get ready for dinner.

 

6:00 - Dinner at the Revelstoke Senior Citizens Association Hall, catered by United Church Women's Group: A buffet dinner including Roast Beef, Lemon Chicken, Potato Salad, Pasta Salad, Garden Salad, Bean Salad, Cole Slaw, Dinner Rolls, Strawberry Shortcake, coffee, Tea & Juice

An evening of endangered ecosystems. 

 

7:30 Anne Sherrod - "An introduction to the Incomappleux River Valley, which holds an extremely rare piece of untouched old-growth in the world’s only inland temperate rainforest.

 

8:30 Kevin Lavelle - Stewardship Officer, MFLNRO will give a Whitebark Pine presentation

        
9:30 - Botany theme sing along - Don’t forget those seed shakers you made at registration!  BYOB. If you are more musically inclined, bring your favourite plant song lyrics and chords on a thumb drive so we can project them on the big screen and all join in on your songs.

 

Saturday August 10th

 

Pack your lunch for another full day. Three options:

 

1)   8:00 am – Join Mount Revelstoke Park’s Eva Lake Pilgrimage.  They meet at 9 am at Balsam Lake, which is the parking lot near the summit of Mount Revelstoke (45 min-1 hr drive so be at the gate by 8:00 am). This is a moderate 6-hr return hike.  The Park Interpreters leading the hike will focus mostly on historical information, with a little ethnobotany to spice things up!

2)   8:30 am –4:00 pm: Meet at the Revelstoke Park Office (301 W. 3rd street) to purchase park passes before we join Federico Osorio for a full day hike on the summit of Mount Revelstoke  where we will visit alpine meadow study sites set up 40 years ago by George Scotter.  We will learn about the recent re-survey of these sites done by park staff and volunteers between 2010 and 2012, see Miller Lake, and enjoy some stunning alpine flora in full bloom.

3)   9:00 am – Hike with a group that will explore the Revelstoke area outside the park boundaries!

 

6:00 pm – Dinner at the Revelstoke Senior Citizens Association Hall, catered by the Revelstoke Knights of Columbus. : A buffet dinner including Baked Marinated Chicken Drums and Thighs, Vegetarian Lasagna, Oven Roasted Potatoes, Steamed Vegetables, Caesar Salad, Spinach Salad, Fragrant Rice Salad, Dinner Rolls & butter, Ice Cream & berries, Coffee & Tea

 

7:00 – The Botany BC AGM (aka: “Where in the province are we going next year?”)

 

7:30 pm – Rob Serrouya will introduce us to the Mountain Caribou and their associated flora, and present his research on conservation strategies for this species.

 

8:30 pm - Jenifer Penny/MoE, Conservation Data Centre presents "Rare Plants of Calcareous Habitats in southeast British Columbia"

 

9:30 pm – Evening Social

 

Sunday, August 11th

 

8:00 am – Meet at the Revelstoke Senior Citizens Association Hall to say farewell and meet groups who are doing optional short trips on the way home. Optional trips TBD.

 

Park Passes are $6.80/person/day (group rate) or, if folks are carpooling a vehicle pass is $19.60/vehicle/day. The passes are good until 4:00 pm the following day.  We will meet Friday morning at the Mount Revelstoke Park Office to allow people to purchase their passes.  Passes will not expire until 4:00 pm on Saturday so these passes should also cover the Saturday hikes, but you will need to purchase another day pass if you plan to stop in the parks for an optional walk on Sunday morning.   http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/revelstoke/visit/tarifs_fees_e.asp?park=7

Please check the Botany BC website for updates. http://www.members.shaw.ca/botanybc/ 

 

 

Please bring:

 

·         Arrangements for lodging

·         Your own park permit, breakfasts and lunches, and transportation

·         Hat, sunscreen, bug spray, and water AND/OR warm clothes and a waterproof layer (who knows what will happen in August!)

·         Towel and swim suit if you are visiting the hot springs

·         Remember your camera as there is no collecting anything but pictures in the park!

·         Plant ID books, hand lenses etc. you want for botanizing and maybe binoculars for wildlife viewing.

·         Music and instruments