Plants of the Pacific Northwest: From Alaska to Oregon, including British Colombia and Washington - Canadian Science Books

     Permit me to state up front that I consider this work (based on thirty years of new research) a magnum opus, a tour de force, a tome of extraordinary merit, well conceived, superbly written, meticulously researched, well designed, and executed to perfection. Few books have pleased me as much in recent years.

     A few general comments are merited before delving into the species accounts. It seems to me that the pinnacle of responsible publishing is manifest here.  "Canadian Science Books is a brand of Talk Science Communications Inc. Talk Science is a WBE Canada Certified Women Business Enterprise, a CGLCC Certified 2SLGBTQ+ owned business and a Certified Living Wage Employer." Furthermore, "We return a percentage of company profits to the original stewards of this land through South Island Reciprocity Trust."

     Respect for and recognition of the enduring contribution of Indigenous peoples is a significant theme throughout the book, and the participation of an Indigenous author, Leigh Joseph (Styawat) provides important ethnobotanical context.

     The principal authors, Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon, are legends in the botanical and plant sciences of their region, respected and revered, and are joined by two younger colleagues, plant taxonomist Jamie Fenneman and the aforementioned Styawat of the Squamish nation.

     The introductory notes deal with the current minefield of taxonomic changes. Thank goodness for that! This is a minefield that is no sooner cleared than it is planted with more explosives! The pace of taxonomic change is unlikely to slow down any time soon.

     The species accounts are superbly done. First there is a general statement about the taxa about to be covered, concise but instructive, acting as a guide post for what is to follow.

      In addition to a text that elucidates the species under consideration, an incredible array of full colour pictures accompanies each account. My wife, Miriam, submitted one of her photographs, featured at the top left of page 40.

     Many other photographers contributed pictures and the sheer volume is impressive, to say nothing of the high quality of the images. 

     I was happy to see the issue of foraging addressed. While it is understandable that people seek the goodness of the land, it is a simple fact that few people forage wisely or efficiently and many barely know what they are doing. Other than in the context of ancestral indigenous food-gathering, plants are better left untouched. A mushroom performing its ecosystem function in the forest is far more valuable to me than it is on my plate. And so it should be for all of us.

     No one has ever claimed that field identification of plants is easy, but this book comes as close as it is possible to making it easy. The descriptions, the pictures and the informative text synergistically come together to give you the best chance possible of correct ID.

      Here is a sad commentary on the circumstances we now face in North America. Unfair, unreasonable and unwarranted tariffs affect everything we do. It was with dismay that I saw the following statement on the website of the Royal BC Museum.

 

PLEASE NOTE Due to the US suspending the de minimis threshold with the result that all shipments now require pre-payed duties, we are unable to ship to US destinations at this time. We apologies for this inconvenience as we work through this process.

     I hope that many of our American friends will drive up over the border to get their copy. 

      The next time I visit the West Coast, Plants of the Pacific Coast will be the first thing in my backpack. My binoculars and camera will nestle alongside it. With my hiking boots on my feet all else is discretionary. 

     I will be set to go!

Plants of the Pacific Coast: From Alaska to Oregon, including British Columbia and Washington - Canadian Science Books

Jim Pojar, Andy MacKinnon, Leigh Joseph (Styawat) and Jamie Fenneman

Paperback - $34.95 CAD (Canada), $29.95 USD (USA) - ISBN 9781069158208 

1,300 photographs - 180 line drawings - 740 range maps

Publishing date: On or around 20 August, 2026

Victoria, BC - Part 9

 27 June, 2026

Oak Bay - Emily Carr Museum - Ogden Point

     We had a bit of a late start and went down to the shore to have a coffee and blueberry scone, and a walk around the harbour. It was a pleasant way to pass an hour.

     Our friend, Kathy Waybrant, had mentioned to us that the Emily Carr House was well worth a visit so that's where we headed.

     We were very happy to visit the home of this Canadian artistic icon and to learn details of her life.

     Her distinctive style was very pleasing.

     The gardens were delightful; no doubt they were when Emily tended them.

     We stopped by a bakery to pick up buns for lunch and returned home, where we had sliced meats and cheese in the fridge.

     Guess who was there to greet us!

     After lunch we decided to ascend to the summit of Mount Tolmie.

     In the past we have meandered the trails there with great success, but on this occasion a musical event of some kind was being set up, and sound tests were already being performed.

     We left!

     Ogden Point seemed like an appealing alternative.

     The fishing was good that day.

     An ice cream store beckoned.

     What were we to do?

     A Yellow-faced Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) was seeking nectar in a California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica).

     Pleasure craft were out on a fine summer day.

     Here is the reason for the fishing frenzy we were witnessing.

     I believe these are huge shoals of Northern Anchovy (Engraulis mordax).

     As we made our way back to the car there was sufficient breeze to unfurl the provincial flag.

     As we passed Beacon Hill Park we noticed the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) on its familiar perch at the top of a totem pole and pulled over to take a picture.

     In no time at all we were back on home turf.

     We had planned to go out for dinner and had made a reservation at Le Pho restaurant, thinking it would be necessary on a Friday night. Sadly, we were the only diners there.

     The food was delicious and we wondered why the place was not crowded.

     For us it was a fine way to end another glorious day in beautiful British Columbia.

Book Review - How Our Climate Works: A Brief Guide in Seven Lessons - Princeton University Press

     In a time of climate crisis, with the dire consequences of continued neglect, indifference or fatuous denial, there is little more pressing than an understanding of how the climate works. We all need to know this; we need a factual basis on which to challenge our political "leaders" in order to tackle the existential crisis of our time.

     Paul I. Palmer has produced a terrific book enabling us to do just that. As a scientist he delivers climate facts, untarnished by opinion, speculation or bias, without political attribution or blame, in a manner that is accessible to the reader lacking scientific training or prior knowledge. The text is presented in easily readable fashion (although I had to go over a couple of sections a second time!), and chapter builds on chapter, truth builds on truth, plausibility conquers doubt.

     

     Palmer moves us along effortlessly through chapters on Temperature, Energy, Air, Water, Cycles, Time, and Uncertainty. One topic slides seamlessly and builds onto the next. You really do get a sense that you are starting to understand the complexities of climate science in a way that enables you to enter the conversation at a different, more detailed level.

     Every reputable climate scientist in the entire world agrees that the crisis is real. It is not a hoax, it is not "just a cycle." It is happening now, literally daily in the Anthropocene and affects us all. The background rate of extinction is one to ten thousand times the historical record, and greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are ballooning. Carbon dioxide alone exceeds by 32% the start of the industrial age; methane pours into the atmosphere from melting permafrost and belching livestock. We know what is happening, we are crystal clear what it will likely portend for the future, yet we are reluctant to act in any meaningful way. Summers are becoming hotter, with each season setting a new record for heat, wildfires burn out of control, floods and drought decimate landscapes, one hundred year storms become five or ten year events.

     In the face of this overwhelming, irrefutable evidence the leader of the largest per capita polluter in the word denies that the climate crisis is real, and actively promotes actions to reverse the minimal progress that has already been made, aggressively reinforcing and expanding the use of fossil fuels and cancelling clean energy projects and installations. It defies logic at even the basic level. It is madness writ large.

     Palmer has written a book that is a product of its time. It is much needed, welcome, educational, eye-opening; indeed it is vital. 

     Don’t imagine for a moment that you cannot make a difference in your own life. Small actions by many produce major results. Now it’s up to you.

 How Our Climate Works: A Brief Guide In Seven Lessons - Princeton University Press

Paul I. Palmer

Hardcover - US$27.95 - ISBN: 9780691181257

296 pages - 5.5 x 8.5 inches (13.75 x 21.25 cm)

4 black-and-white illustrations

Publication date: 22 September, 2026

Victoria, BC - Part 8

26 June, 2026

Cattle Point/Uplands Park

     We had been invited by our new friends George and Jan (more about them in a subsequent post) to join them on a monthly outing to explore the bird life of Cattle Point and adjacent Uplands Park.

      We were delighted to do so.

     If you have been following the reports of our Vancouver Island vacation you will be familiar with the ubiquity of Columbian Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemonius columbianus), charming animals that have accommodated to human settlement with ease it seems. These two beauties were on the beach, foraging for seaweed perhaps.

     They were quite indifferent to us but Miriam and I were entranced by them. We saw deer every day and enjoyed them more each time, I think.

     Predictably a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) worked the shoreline in search of breakfast.

     Wily American Crows (Corvus brachyrynchos) were never far away, exploiting every chance to secure food.

     Considerable interbreeding takes place between Western Gulls (Larus occidentalis) and Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) and sometimes it was difficult to tell a pure gull from a hybrid. This challenge was made harder by the simple fact that we never see either one unless we are on the west coast. I am pretty sure, however, this individual is a Glaucous-winged Gull.

     We found Gum Plants (genus Grindelia) very appealing.

     People had been arriving to participate in the walk and I would estimate that around forty keen birders joined in the fun.

     Even though this was a bird outing, we did not neglect anything else that caught our eye.

     Here a bee in the genus Melissodes, probably Melissodes agilis, and a crane fly (superfamily Tipuloidea), are possibly sharing pollen and nectar resources. 

     However, some crane flies do not eat at all, having no functional mouth parts, so I can't be sure!

     The walk was led by an engaging young fellow named Geoffroy, enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and we enjoyed him very much.

     Many eager eyes scanned the water, hoping all the while for a rarity - or maybe even a pod of Orcas (Orcinus orca).

     It was always a singular delight to see (and hear) Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani). 

     Fortunately it happened often.

     In Ontario we have become accustomed to Chipping Sparrow's (Spizella passerina) nests being heavily parasitized by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) and expect to see adult sparrows feeding a gargantuan young cowbird. In BC, at least around Victoria, this seems not to be the case, and we saw many young Chipping Sparrows; evidence of successful breeding was widespread.

     A Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) was like a friendly face from home.

     Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) has been introduced on Vancouver Island and like rabbits everywhere is prolific.

     Spotted Towhee (Papilo maculatus) became a firm favourite during our stay.

     A Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) was a welcome addition to the party.

     A Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) was not to be outdone.

     The antics of a Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens) mirrored the behaviour of the familiar Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) at home.

     I am happy to attest that Common Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) did not make us sneeze.

     Rose Spirea (Spirea douglasii) was rapidly becoming a favourite.

     Slender Cinquefoil (Polentilla gracilis) dotted the landscape.

     Near the end of our walk we spotted a Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii) perched in a tree.

     Songbirds beware!

     When we returned to our vehicles a couple of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) were on the beach close at hand.

     I am not sure whether we on the receiving end of a welcome or being told to get lost!

     George and Jan took us to the cafeteria at the University of Victoria where we were treated to a delicious lunch, followed by a very agreeable walk through lovely gardens where two Barred Owls (Strix varia) duetted back and forth.

     It had indeed been a memorable day.