I have chosen to do my observations in Bow Park, located in Saanich BC. The park is a small greenspace located in the middle of a suburban area. It has an area of approximately 1.46 hectares and connects with the neighbouring Brodrick park (approx. 1.8 hectares). It is a city park, undergoing ecological restoration. Visitors are asked to remain on the gravel trails.
The park is mostly flat, centered around a large pond. The pond is directly surrounded by willow trees, and a variety of other deciduous trees grow near the pond. Continuing past the pond leads to forested trails. The trees in this forested area are largely garry oaks, and thick medium height vegetation lines both sides of the trail in most places.
I visited Bow Park on September 23rd, 2022 at 5:15 PM. It was overcast and mild, around 19 degrees celsius. I immediately noticed that the pond was mucky, almost completely dry. In observing the pond and walking the trails I wondered about the following questions:
- Why do only some of the trees have moss, even ones that appear to be close together?
- Ivy was not growing everywhere, in many cases only on one side of the trail. What influences where it grows?
- Bushes around the pond appeared far “lusher” with less yellow leaves than the same species on the trail. Does proximity to the pond ecosystem influence when plants will drop their leaves in Autumn?
My field notes have attached as photos to this posting.
