Columbia Valley Guide
The endangered Townsendia hookeri
It is called low townsendia because it is only about one inch high. This almost stemless plant would go unnoticed if it weren’t for the large white to pink ray flowers surrounding the yellow disk. It blooms in early spring on dry hillsides.
This endangered plant was photographed in the Columbia Valley National Wildlife Management Area near Wilmer.
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Aquatic health
Shelley Humphries, Kootenay and Yoho’s aquatic specialist, talks about aquatic heath. (YouTube video, copyright 2011, Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada)
“Everything is downstream. Rivers connect to people, fish, wildlife, and eventually feed into the oceans. It’s essential to protect our watersheds because good planets are hard to find.” – Shelley Humphries
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They’re back
As the temperature begins to rise look up and you may spot a turkey vulture soaring overhead.
These birds arrive back in the Columbia Valley in April using thermals to move through the air with very little wing flapping. They are rarely seen on the ground except when feeding on a carcass. Vultures are one of the few birds that are able to use their sense of smell to locate food. They fly low enough to detect the gases produced from decaying dead animals.
So if you see a turkey vulture soaring overhead, don’t lie still too long, especially if you haven’t showered lately.
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What’s up — prairie crocus
The prairie crocus seems fitting to be the first flower in the Friends of Kootenay ‘What’s Up’ series as it is one of the first flowers to bloom in the park.
This harbinger of spring emerges from the ground and blooms even before its leaves have developed. It prefers sunny, hot, dry areas and is usually found growing in open woods, often on sandy soils.
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Wildlife & Scenery
