This afternoon we visited Turner’s bog; a local wetland situated between the Costal Doug-fir & Coastal Western Hemlock Biogeoclimatic zones roughly 3.5km from my residence in Langford British Columbia. Turner’s bog is found near Langford Lake off Westshore Pkwy at Kettle Lake Dr. The bog is a muddy and treacherous tangle of blackberry vines, hardhack, cattails, willows, miscellaneous shrubs and pine trees. It can be found in a fluvioglacial floodplain which is adjoined with Goldstream Provincial Park with an estimated age of nearly 13,000 years old.
My partner and I surveyed this site on a beautiful 15°C spring day on April 7th, 2022. The most dominant species we observed was Himalayan blackberry, followed by Red alder, Scotch broom, and Doug-fir. Blackberry is quite prominent in the Southern Vancouver Island region, and species can overwhelm native plants and prevent shade-intolerant plants from growing. The bog is roughly 0.58km in length (or 58 hectares). For this study, I will be surveying 10-15 hectares only around the perimeter of the bog. As there are no safe access points into the heart of the bog.
Turner’s Bog is a very important part of Langford’s riparian ecosystem, especially in the historical floodplain areas where enormous amounts of development have occurred. Although not considered a provincial or federally protected area — the City of Langford holds several protections within their own municipal planning systems that prevent the development or any disrupting activities.
Some questions I considered during my visit:
- What are some key aspects bogs serve local neighbourhoods?
- Is turner’s bog suitable habitat for ungulates?
- Is there a symbiotic relationship between Gorse (Ulex europaeus) & pollinators?
- How does Blackberry impact the bog?
