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Salmonberry Are in Full Bloom Right Now
On one of our Ecowalks last month, our guide (Murray Lashmar) informed me that Salmonberry got its name because the berries formed at about the same time as some of the salmon runs were starting. I find those seasonal connections fascinating - like how the emergence of one of the forest’s inhabitants can tell us that the appearance of another inhabitant will soon follow.
One of the first things I learned when I started working at SPES is that flowering Salmonberry means that Rufous Hummingbirds will soon be spotted in the park, feeding on an early source of nectar. And then when the berries appear later in the Spring - this means that the Swainson’s Thrush will soon be making an appearance to feed on them. More connections! The study of these little connections is called phenology and you’ll be hearing a lot about it in the future because a few of us think it is cool . You should come down to Stanley Park and hike around Beaver Lake right now, the Salmonberry blossoms are everywhere. 
