Garry Oak Learning Meadow

A few years ago Fort Rodd Hill was little more than a preserved coastal defense site. But in the last few years new features have been added that make it more interesting, educational and relevant. One of my favorite new features is the Garry Oak Learning Meadow, a garden area stocked with a wide variety of plants that are a part of the Garry Oak Ecosystem. Above we are looking at the entrance to the meadow through its attractive new gate. The learning meadow is well worth a visit quite aside from the other attractions of the park and there is usually a helpful Parks Canada person there to describe how and why the meadow was developed.

Pink Fawn Lily

Here's another unusual spring wildflower from my recent visit to the Garry Oak Learning Meadow at Fort Rodd Hill. It is a Pink Fawn Lily (Erythronium revolutum) It's a little bit unusual for being a double but what makes this outstanding for me is that it is pink, whereas the Fawn Lilies I have seen in this area (in and around Victoria) are all the white variety. The pink variety is apparently more common further north on Vancouver Island, though nowhere very common.

Fort Rodd Hill - Garry Oak Learning Meadow

Just above the tenting facility pictured yesterday is another relatively new project at Fort Rodd Hill, the Garry Oak Learning Meadow. As well as fairly common wildflowers such as the Buttercups and Camas Lilies in the photo above, there are less common indigenous treasures such as the Red Columbine on the left. In addition there are personable Parks Canada staff working in the meadow who are very knowledgeable and happy to provide information about the Garry Oak Ecosystem.