Welcome to the Archives … Where Quiet Moments in Nature Become Stories… Please Enjoy
Fifty or so short stories recounting amazing memories of wildlife and habitats…. Thank you for reading.
The natural world offers no end to hidden treasures, from delicate mushroom microsystems to awe inspiring views shaped over millennia. Wonders abound highlighting the importance of conserving nature. By protecting the beauty and balance of the wild, we ensure that future generations can also experience the magic of the Wild Kingdom. — Gord, Christine & Rosie
Archives
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Reflection on Community and Culture
Recently Chris and I had the privilege of touring the newly built “Big House”… a significant and meaningful milestone in Port Hardy for two Nations, Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw people of Northern Vancouver Island.
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Nimpkish Valley Cave Exploration
Later I was to learn the names Michael and Linda Henwood are intricately woven not only into Island history, but also in the fabric of wild caving and karst conservation internationally. The combined efforts…
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Arctic Conversations
A collection of stories barging on the Mackenzie River … a river that stretches more than 1,738 kilometres through the Northwest Territories from the Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean.
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The White Grizzly
We could never have imagined a day filled with a chance sighting of a white grizzly; a rare colour phenomenon that inspires awe and curiosity. Yet on this inspiring day we had the good…
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Canada’s Largest Sitka Spruce
An afternoon sun shone between fluffy clouds and reflected off the massive grey trunk of a giant Sitka Spruce, the warming rays illuminating the great tree’s salal, young conifers, fern, and moss-covered understory. The…
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A Coastal Rainforest Giant
The tree’s massive trunk is covered in thick gnarly brown bark… and stretches defiantly over 65 metres into a cloudless Vancouver Island morning. A broken top, a silent witness to the prosperity this ancient…
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The Marble Maria Mystery
A search in Vancouver Island’s Nimpkish Valley for a stone and marble monument to Maria created by Italian pioneer Rufino Mancinelli. Know locally as the Marble Maria the shrine is a tale of romance…
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The Peacefulness of Trout Fishing
To many trout fishing is more than just a pastime; it is an art form, a meditative practice, and spiritual journey into the heart of nature. For centuries, anglers of all ages have felt…
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A Hike to Historic San Josef Bay
Welcoming our Netherlands friends, René and Hanny Gijsel to San Josef Bay promised to be an adventure especially during May, a time of natural flora renewal after long cold winter months… invigorating aromas, colourful vibrancy, and…
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Ronning’s Garden, A Horticulture Wonder
It is easy to describe my serene feelings of peace and tranquillity while exploring North Vancouver Island’s rainforest hide-a-ways. Today’s adventure is no exception and takes us to Ronning’s Garden situated on the old…
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A Personal Paramedical Journey
At a colleague’s request I have attempted to put a few inspirational words together to those considering a paramedical career in British Columbia.
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The Fishing Lure
An ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once stated, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” This sage…
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A Woodland Afternoon
The air carried a pleasing sweet earthy scent, a mix of fall leaves, fir cones, moss, fungi, and ripened berries; as we quietly walked on an old gravel road unremitting forces of nature would…
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Morning Mist
The trail was a vibrant tapestry of fallen leaves, ferns, each step releasing an earthy aroma of October’s decomposing fish and foliage. Scavenger birds flitted above the river looking for salmon carcasses, their piercing…
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A Grizzly Bear Encounter
The sun was high and warming to the grizzly bear as he moved slowly down a narrow path.. He was heading towards a grassy estuary, a favourite summer feeding area for bears, deer, moose,…
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A Black Bear Photo Adventure
This sunny warm afternoon was motivating to get out there again… to observe Black Bears in natural river surroundings, as they feed on returning Pacific Salmon. So Christine, Rosie and I hopped in our…
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Pacific Coastal Encounters
We awoke to a sunny morning, calm blue seas, and a few bright fluffy clouds…. a recipe for a wonderful day exploring British Columbia’s Pacific Northwest waters… So it has been for millennium. Canada’s…
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Coastal Rainforests of British Columbia
BC’s Coastal Rainforests are a living, breathing, and interdependent synergy of ecosystem components, coexisting in balance with each other. Collectively they are self perpetuating biosphere of tall trees, plants, wildlife, reptiles, and many other…
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The Pacific Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is perhaps the most easily recognized and iconic shore bird in British Columbia. Standing on tall stilt legs, the heron’s handsome blue grey body, bearded chest, long neck, and capped…
