Hey all,
I guess I kinda failed at not updating you guys, but to my defense it was reading break and then I've been busy with class. The semester is almost over... I can't believe it. I definitely don't want to leave, but I know this place will call me back in a more permanent way one day. Regardless, we've been up to lots of new shenanigans.
Reading break I went to the west coast of the islands for some camping at Rennell Sound on Bonanza Beach. I did some boogie boarding and then tried surf kayaking with my buddy Kai and it was a good way to cure a hangover. After tipping a good three times, I got the hang of it and was riding some waves in... super fun! Here are some pics from there.
I also made it out to Skedans and Cumshewa which were two old village sites down on Moresby Island. It was an extremely spiritual day and I found it quite difficult to breathe while walking by old standing poles. My friend Steve's camera stopped working even when we were taking pictures of the poles, and it worked again once we left the sites. I felt like there was a lot of complex energy at Skedans especially. There was also a very old red alder (Alnus rubra) tree that is according to Kris is the second biggest in the world, estimated at around 650 years old. This tree is definitely a knobbly, old wizard of a tree and I could imagine little kids hanging out there when they got in trouble. Anyways here are some pics of that.
Right now we are in the middle of Rainforest Ecology with Andy MacKinnon and Ken Lertzman who both have done so much for ecology research in BC and played an integral and direct role in the BEC classification system. Being out in the field with them is amazing and I am learning a lot. In this last week we have done many different field techniques: increment boring (boring a tree and counting the rings to see how old it is), coarse woody debris surveys, soil pit analysis, vegetation surveys, layed out transects and plots, used a hipsometer to determine tree height, DBH to determine tree diameter, a fish eye camera lens to capture and analyze the canopy closure in old growth vs. second growth stands. It has been amazing! This coming weekend we are going to Gwaii Haanas for three days and two nights with Andy MacKinnon and special guest Barb Wilson a Haida expert on traditional ecological knowledge. It will be outstanding.
4 more sleeps until Lou comes to Haida Gwaii... I cannot wait to share this special place with him.
Peace and love.
