Blog post 1: Observations
Date: 29-07-2024
Time: 1030-1230
Location: Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Vancouver, British Columbia
Coordinates: 49.2533° N, 123.2156° W
Observations: Pacific Spirit Regional Park is a diverse natural area spanning approximately 763 hectares (1880 acres). It is located at the edge of Vancouver, making it a prominent example of a city-nature interface. The park features varied topography, including gentle hills, forested areas, meadows, and wetlands.
Flora:
· Trees: Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata), Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
· Shrubs: Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium), Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)
· Flowers: Coastal Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis), Pacific Trillium (Trillium ovatum), Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana)
Fauna:
· Birds: Numerous American Robins (Turdus migratorius) and Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) were spotted throughout the park. I also noted a couple of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) soaring near the rocky outcrop.
· Mammals: Tracks and droppings indicated the presence of Eastern Grey Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus).
· Insects: The meadow areas were buzzing with various pollinators, including Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) and Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus).
The proximity of the park to the city is one of the main assets of the case; this way, one could survey the empirical data regarding certain connections between urban animals and natural environments. I was able to visualize possible topics for the research project in detail, The impact of the escalating urbanization rate on avian wildlife, pollinators’ role in plant species’ conservation, selection of Black-tailed Deer habitat in urban areas.