For this years Bio-blitz the Friends have teamed up with Dr Royann Petrell and the Old Growth Birders and Bio-blitzers. This year we will be surveying in a different location, within a ‘cloud forest and lichen rich area towards Sad Lk in the unprotected undeferred Central Walbran. This event is held with gratitude on the traditional territory of the Pacheedaht Nation.

Friday 24th May

For those who can travel the day before, there are car pooling and convoy options from Lake Cowichan,  we will be camped  Friday at the survey area, directions below.

Saturday 25th May

Those wanting to join us on Saturday for a survey of Specklebelly Lichen and a wetland area a 4wd vehicle is recommended. The route to the survey area will be marked with a signpost. The GPS coordinates for a left turn onto a spur road  are 48.64402,-124.56308 , there will be a signpost here also. Then follow the spur road and signs until meeting spot at  48.63218,-124.54836. Those wanting car pooling options can meet at the main area by the Walbran bridge  on Saturday at 11am sharp and the survey will start at 12 noon. In the evening Royann will be giving a presentation on her work with Western Screech Owls.

Sunday 26th May;

For those staying Saturday night or arriving Sunday the surveys will be either a continuation of surveying the  high elevation area or the option of a guided walk on the well marked  trails around the main Walbran Bridge. This hike will leave at 12 noon from the bridge and be approximately 4 hours.

Please contact Royann or the FoCW and let us know if you are planning on attending.

The logging deferral for the 1500 hectares of ancient temperate rainforest in the Central Walbran is set to expire March 1st 2024. Update; The deferral is now set to expire September 2026

FoCW has been actively pressing the Provincial government to follow through on its pledges and permanently protect this unique area, rich in biodiversity and home to many threatened species.

Attached below are copies of the letter we sent to the relevant ministries and their recent response. We will keep you posted on any developments and stay tuned for the upcoming 2024 calendar of events.

The Central Walbran Mycoblitz was held over 3 days on Friday September 29th to Sunday October 1st this year and the weather cooperated with sunny and cool days.

A Mycological and Lichen survey was carried out on the Friday within the provisional Key Biodiversity Area in a Teal Jones proposed cutblock. Several trees were found to have the endangered Old Growth Specklebelly Lichen. The lichen does seem to prefer the Amabiilas Fir as it’s host, with one tree in particular being covered to a height of about 60 ft around its circumference in its luminous blue-green colour. A quite spectacular sight in the dull green shade of the forest.

Saturday was a public hike led by several mycologists and was again well attended with many interesting mushrooms and slime molds identified. These will be added to INat and the ever growing species list. Some will be sent to the UBC Herbarium for further identification.

Thanks to everybody who took the long drive out and a special shout out to the mycologists; Melanie from SVIMS, Erin and Juliet for their patience in sharing their knowledge. See you all next year.

Volunteers with FoCW recently finished building a new visitor shelter in the Central Walbran which replaces an older existing structure that was truly on its last legs.

It was built over a few weekends out of all recycled materials. The Cedar wood  was salvaged from a clearcut slash-pile where wood that is considered to be waste is piled waiting to be burnt and the metal roof was pulled from a waste metal bin at a recycling depot.

The structure is a place to take shelter from the weather and to maybe staying just a bit more dryer in this moist and most special of places.

Thanks to all the volunteers, eagle eye Dan who scored the metal roofing and the mystery volunteer(s) who brushed out the road around the Walbran bridge.

Recently the unprotected Central Walbran was provisionally classified as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) an internationally recognized designation that acknowledges the valleys unique flora and fauna and the importance of these last remaining areas of contiguous Ancient Temperate Rainforest.

Congratulations to Royann Petrel and all the birders and bioblitzers whose work over the years documenting species has led to this recognition.

The Central Walbran KBA adds more ancient forest  to the currently deferred areas and increases the scientific argument for them to finally become permanently protected.

Photos taken recently in the Central Walbran are of endangered species that call this place home, Western Screech Owl and Old Growth Specklebelly lichen.

The 5th annual Central Walbran Myco-blitz (mushroom/fungi count) is being held again this year in the spectacularly damp and fungal world of the temperate rainforests of Southern Vancouver Island.

This event is not posted on social media and If you wish to attend please contact FoCW. This is not to be exclusive or anything it is just a remote wilderness area and there’s just so much we can accommodate.

The 8th Central Walbran BioBlitz, was  held with gratitude on Pacheedaht Nation territory and was again a great success as we continue on this journey of learning and understanding in this most precious of places.

For the birders there were some very early misty mornings to listen and watch the Marbled Murrelets who are coming from the ocean back to their nests where they tag team the other parent who can fly back to the ocean to feed.

Their numbers are still quite low this early in the nesting season but will slowly build into the summer and will usually reach their peak in early August.  Watching them it does seems the MarMu follow the sea mists.  The Walbran is in an advection zone and every evening the mist rolls up the valley and then retreats in the morning sun. The mists must help guide and shelter them on their perilous commute and it also helps the moss in which they make their nests grow thick and deep.

The guided flora and fauna hike on Saturday was well attended and was focused in part on identifying the many types of Saxifrage that grow along the Walbran river.

So until next time…….thanks to Bobby and Royann for sharing your knowledge and Bill Jones for the welcome.

Photo below is of endangered Old Growth Specklebelly lichen found at this years Bioblitz. The updated 2023 species list will be posted soon.

Volunteers with FoCW spent the weekend at Carmanah Point on the reserve land there helping build a shelter for the burger shack. The site is where the historical village of Qwa-ba-dowa was located (see the map and history in the archive on this website)

Thanks to everyone who came out and worked in the hot sun and to the hospitality of Katrina Knighton. Though the burger shack is no longer called ‘Chez Monique’ may the dream of Peter and Monique Knighton live on.

The Central Walbran 2023 BioBlitz (flora and fauna count) is on the weekend of June 17th-18th this year. Continuing for its 8th year this small scale event maintains a presence in the Central Walbran which has a logging deferral until March 2024 but still lacks full protection.

Saturday 17th;

4.30am- 6.30am; Bird survey, on this survey we will be able to observe Marbled Murrelets  above their nests before they fly to the ocean to gather food for their chicks.

12pm-5pm; Guided hike around the Harriet Nahanee Memorial Trail.

Sunday 18th;

4.30am-6.30am; Bird survey.

10am; The rest of this day will involve an exploration of an area of wetlands near Sad Lk that is in the Central Walbran but outside of the deferral.