Category Archives: BC Parks

Race Rocks Ecological Reserve #97 warden’s report April 2024

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For the past few weeks a former biology student whom I taught at Pearson College, Jerremy Prassl has been serving as the Ecoguardian at Race Rocks. He would be leaving on April 5 and returning to Britain where he is a professor at Oxford.

I got a ride out on Second Nature with Greg and we also took out two bird observers from the Rocky Point Bird Observatory ( RPBO) / BC Nature Gull survey, Andrew Jacobs and James Kennerley. The detailed observations and a link to the identification of the interspecific gull hybrids eBird Canada Checklist – 3 Apr 2024 – Race Rocks – 16 species (+2 other taxa) was a valuable addition to research in the Ecological Reserve. Below is a sample from Andrew’s photos on eBird of their identification of the different gulls:

 

One project that needs to be done is a more permanent placement of stakes to hold the electric fencing which keeps the sea lions from damaging the vegetation and infrastructure on the island.

In my walk around the island I noted several areas that need attention, BC parks indicated several years ago that they would be out to remove several piles of construction waste. I think this has gone on too long and these piles are very unsightly and an intrusion into the ecosystem. Perhaps a reminder will elicit some action.

 

 

 

 

 

In what Ecoregion / Ecosection is Race Rocks Ecological Reserve ?

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January 31 2024 is the deadline for public submission of comments on The Draft Framework on Bodiversity and Ecosystem Health. 

For an understanding of the differences in the many ecosystems in British Columbia and an appreciation of where Race Rocks Ecological Reserve fits in the classification, I have found this good description of Ecoregions and Ecosystems which includes a reference to Race Rocks, and the small percentage of the Ecosection in which it lies that is protected. 

The Evergreen Alliance has produced an important document detailing the current state of protected areas in British Columbia. In the BC Government’s new emphasis on the value of preserving Biodiversity and Ecosystem Integrity, it is interesting to note what percent of various ecoregions of British Columbia are in need of protection to meet the 30X30 goal . 

GPB Ecoregion

The Georgia Puget-basin Ecoregion

From:  An Introduction to the Ecoregions of British Columbia

In the OVERVIEW, There is a good definition of Ecosections:

“The Ecoregion Classification System was first adopted by the Ministry of Environment in 1985 to serve as a framework for recognizing small scale ecosystems in British Columbia. The Ecoregion Classification helps us to understand and to depict the great habitat diversity of the province. Since 1985, the Ecoregion Classification has been revised five times to reflect more detailed mapping. The fourth revision Ecoregion units was mapped at 1:250,000 using Landsat, topographic, Biogeoclimatic and marine ecosystem information, while the fifth revision has been mapped based on the earlier concepts plus detailed vegetation zonation mapping. The most current digital (GIS) database is Version 2.1 2006, but the supporting reports and descriptions is the third edition 2011. The Ecoregion Classification system is used to stratify British Columbia’s terrestrial and marine ecosystem complexity into discrete geographical units at five levels. The two highest levels, Ecodomains and Ecodivisions, are very broad and place British Columbia globally. The three lowest levels, Ecoprovinces, Ecoregions and Ecosections are progressively more detailed and narrow in scope and relate segments of the Province to one another. They describe areas of similar climate, physiography, oceanography, hydrology, vegetation and wildlife potential. Within each terrestrial ecoregion, climatic zones occur where specific soils, plant and animal communities and aquatic systems develop because of the interaction of climate with the land surface and surficial materials. These zones are best defined within the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification system. Ecological zones in marine ecosystems are products of temperature, salinity, sea-bed configuration and water depth. The Marine Ecoregion Classification system should be used to define the marine ecosystems. Each ecosystem is ultimately identified by sampling individual sites. At the lowest level in an ecosystem classification, attention is directed to specific parameters, such as topography, surficial materials, soil development, moisture regime, microclimate, floristics, succession, productivity and animal use. Ecoregions should be thought of as ‘big picture’ ecosystems. As such the province should be viewed first for its big, all-inclusive landscape chunks, then progressively through more detailed levels, and finally each area of the province has to be viewed with other classifications or the underlying geographical detail. The boundaries between units must be thought of in the same way, broad lines for small scale ecosystems progressing to greater precision for the larger scale ecosystems. For convenience, however, one boundary is used to define all ecosystem levels, from Ecodomain down through to the Biogeoclimatic or marine unit level……….

Ecoprovince Subdivisions
From page 47: The Georgia Depression Ecoprovince in British Columbia is subdivided into four ecoregions containing seven ecosections (One of those is a marine ecoregion and three are marine ecosections)…………

on page 53 there is a description of the GEB – Georgia Basin Marine Ecoregion: In British Columbia this marine ecoregion contains two marine ecosections.

• GEB – Georgia Basin Marine Ecoregion: In British Columbia this marine ecoregion contains two marine ecosections. o SOG – Strait of Georgia Marine Ecosection: This is a broad relatively shallow, semienclosed estuarine basin that separates southern Vancouver Island from the mainland. It is mainly marine waters, but it also contains several islands. The islands have very dry mild climates, such as southern Quadra, Cortes, Texada, Lasqueti, Denman and Hornby islands. The southern islands and lower portion of Texada Island area dominated by the dry Coastal Douglas-fir Zone, whereas the northern islands and the upper portion of An Introduction to the Ecoregions of British Columbia 54 Texada Island are dominated by the very dry maritime variant of the Coastal Western Hemlock Zone. The marine environment is dominated by the intertidal, nearshore, epipelagic and mesopelagic zones. 

JOS – Strait of Juan de Fuca Marine Ecosection: This a deep trough marine area with a strong “estuary-like” outflow current. It is the major water exchange conduit between the Georgia – Puget Basin Ecoregion and the open Pacific Ocean. Except for a few islets, such as Race Rocks, most of the ecosection is marine waters. The northern and southern boundaries approximate the outer limit of the nearshore zone; while the eastern boundary in British Columbia is south of Chain Islets & Discovery Island; in Washington it is south of the San Juan Islands and east of Whidbey Island. The southern deep-sea marine portion of Pacific Rim National Park – West Coast Trail Unit occurs in the far northwest portion of this ecosection. ” 

In the Juan de Fuca Strait Ecosection there is .01 %  of the protected areas in BC,  and 5.57 percentage of the area is protected.

Juan de Fuca Strait 0.01 5.57 GPB

Race Rocks Ecological Reserve Proposed as a KBA – Key biodiversity area

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In June 2023 Ian Adams presented for the Annual General Meeting of Friends of Ecological Reserves on the Key Biodiversity Areas program in Canada.  This presentation is available here: https://ecoreserves.bc.ca/2023/06/07/key-biodiversity-areas-ian-adams-fer-agm-june-2023/

The website of KBA Canada is here: https://gis.natureserve.ca/portal/apps/dashboards/8a89d50ea0b04c7790e19791ab9ae6e8


Race Rocks Ecological Reserve is on the list of proposed KBAs in British Columbia along with several other Ecological Reserves in the province .

See the pdf: KBASummary_GeneralReview_XwaYeNRaceRocks_2023-06-19 KBASummary_GeneralReview_XwaYeNRaceRocks_2023-06-19

Below is a copy of that document.:
XwaYeN (Race Rocks) KBA, British Columbia

Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris)

Instructions for Reviewers
1. Read through the “Summary of Proposed KBA” section.
2. Answer the survey questions in the Online Review App.
3. For additional information, see:
 What are KBAs and how are they assessed?
 Instructions for reviewers

Summary of Proposed KBA
Please note that this summary was generated automatically, and as a result there may be species scientific names that are not italicized.
KBA Name: XwaYeN (Race Rocks)

Location (province or territory [mid-point lat/long]): British Columbia [48.297 /-123.53]
KBA Scope: National

Proposal Development Lead: Ian Adams
1.
5. Trigger Biodiversity Element(s):
● Species: Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris)
6. Site Status Summary:
XwaYeN (Race Rocks)
is a candidate National
KBA for the following KBA criteria:
● National D1a [criterion met by 1 taxon] – Site predictably holds an aggregation representing ≥1% of the national population size of a taxon,
over a season, and during one or more key stages of its life cycle (Mirounga angustirostris).
● National D1b [criterion met by 1 taxon] – Site predictably holds a number of mature individuals that ranks the site among the largest 10
aggregations known for the taxon in the country (Mirounga angustirostris).
7. Site Description:
The XwaYeN (Race Rocks) KBA overlaps with Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, which was created to protect intertidal and subtidal communities
that are extremely rich as a result of strong tidal currents. Energy and nutrient inputs attributable to the nearly continuous currents are large,
and light penetration in these shallow, clear waters is excellent. These factors result in a high production of algae and invertebrates, while the
varied topography promotes ecological diversity. Consequently, the marine communities here are unusually luxuriant and rich. XwaYeN is in the
Coastal Douglas-fir Moist Maritime biogeoclimatic zone (BC Parks 2022), though none of the islands are forested.

1 Meets criterion D1b because it is one of 10 largest aggregations in Canada for this taxon.

2 Composition of 10 Reproductive Units (RUs): Elephant seals are polygynous so 10 RUs is 10 adults females and 1 adult male. . Source of RU
data: IUCN 2016; Fletcher 2016; Race Rocks Ecoguardians 2022.

3 Derivation of site estimate: Other. Explanation of site estimate(s): Five Elephant seal pups were born at the site in 2021 (Race Rock
Ecoguardians 2022; BCCDC 2022). Race Rock Ecoguardian observation data collated for 1 Jan 2014 through 20 Jan 2016 found almost continual
presence of Northern Elephant Seal at Race Rocks. Counts range from 1 to 34 individuals, including all age classes: adults, sub-adults and pups.
A best estimate of 5 individuals is an approximate average during this time. Source(s) of site estimate(s): Race Rock Ecoguardians 2022;
Fletcher 2016; BCCDC 2022.

4 Explanation of national estimate(s): Five Elephant seal pups were born at the site in 2021 (Race Rock Ecoguardians 2022; BCCDC 2022). Race
Rock Ecoguardian observation data collated for 1 Jan 2014 through 20 Jan 2016 found almost continual presence of Northern Elephant Seal at Race Rocks. Counts range from 1 to 34 individuals, including all age classes: adults, sub-adults and pups. A best estimate of 5 individuals is an approximate average during this time. Source(s) of national estimate(s): BCCDC 2022; Race Rock Ecoguardians 2022; Fletcher 2016.

*The threat status displayed is the one that qualifies the species as a criterion A1 trigger under KBA rules, if applicable. Other statuses may exist.

9. Assessment Details – KBA Trigger Ecosystems: None
10. Delineation Rationale:
The ecological reserve boundary was followed due to the presence of rich intertidal and subtidal invertebrates that are not well documented as potential KBA eligible species. This also facilitates management options for the KBA.

11. Technical Review:

Name Affiliation Email
Garry Fletcher Lester B. Pearson College (retired); Director with Friends of Ecological Reserves Society garryf use the @ sign gmail.com

Strahan Tucker Fisheries and Oceans Canada Strahan.Tuckeruse the @ sign dfo-mpo.gc.ca

12. Additional Site Information:
Rationale for site nomination XwaYeN (Race Rocks) KBA is the only Northern Elephant Seal rookery in Canada. As such, it meets criteria as a national D1a and D1b KBA.

Additional biodiversity at the site A unique hydroid, Rhysia fletcheri, was described as a new species from this site (Brinckmann- Voss et al. 1993), but its abundance and range extent are unclear. Several bird species stop over at the rocks during migration,Including Red Knot (Calidris canutus roselaarim, COSEWIC. Threatened). There are nesting colonies for seabirds including Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba), Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) and Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens). Brandt's Cormorants (Urile penicillatus) occur at the site but do not nest there.
Both Steller (Eumetopias jubatus, COSEWIC Special Concern) and California (Zalophus
californianus) sea lions use Race Rocks as a winter haul-out. Quillback rockfish (Sebastes
maliger, COSEWIC Threatened) are present and partially protected by a Rockfish Conservation Area (FAOC 2021, see Site Management). Plants including Sea Thrift (Armeria maritima) and Tracy’s Romanzoffia (Romanzoffia tracyi) are present. Rare lichens are present such as Orange Sea Lichen (Flavoplaca marina – previously called Caloplaca marina) and a Grey Lichen (Myriolecis straminea – previously called Lecanora straminea). Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) can be found in large numbers and will likely be added as a contributing species in the future.
A full list of species observed at the site is available at https://racerocks.ca/race-rocks-animals-plants/taxonomy-image-gallery/

Customary jurisdiction at site

Traditional territories of the Sc’ianew First Nation, Esquimalt First Nation, and T’Sou-ke First
Nation. Á,LEṈENEȻ ȽTE (W̱SÁNEĆ); Te’mexw Treaty Association; Douglas Treaty may include
Race Rocks.

Conservation:

The site is a BC Parks Ecological Reserve which is staffed and managed by Lester B. Pearson UWC (United World College). The site is part of a Rockfish Conservation Area, established by Fisheries and Oceans Canada to protect inshore rockfish;from all mortality associated with recreational and commercial fisheries; (FAOC 2021). Race Rocks is in Rockfish Conservation Area 19 (FAOC 2015). The KBA is within the Juan de Fuca Strait Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA) identified by Fisheries and Oceans Canada as well as Critical Habitat for Southern Resident Killer Whale (Orcinus orca).

Ongoing conservation actions Formal education; Invasive/problematic species control; Resource & habitat protection;

Site/area management; Site/area protection; Training Ongoing threats Human intrusions ; disturbance; Pollution Conservation actions needed

Awareness ; communications; Compliance and enforcement; Formal education;
Invasive/problematic species control; Policies and regulations; Resource & habitat protection;
Site/area management; Site/area protection

13. References:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2022. BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer. B.C. Minist. of Environ. Victoria, B.C. Available:
https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Mar 6, 2022).
BC Parks. 2022. Race Rocks detailed ecological reserve description. Available:
https://bcparks.ca/eco_reserve/racerocks_er/Race%20Rocks%20ER%2097.pdf?v=1646607034131 (accessed Mar 6, 2022).
Brinckmann-Voss A, Lickey DM, Mills CE. 1993. Rhysia fletcheri (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Rhysiidae), a new species of colonial hydroid from
Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada) and the San Juan Archipelago (Washington, U.S.A.). Canadian Journal of Zoology. 71: 401-406.
https://doi.org/10.1139/z93-056
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (FAOC). 2015. Rockfish conservation areas – Areas 19 and 20. Website: https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-
gp/maps-cartes/rca-acs/areas-secteurs/1920-eng.html [accessed August 23, 2022]
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (FAOC). 2021. Rockfish conservation areas. Website: https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/maps-cartes/rca-
acs/index-eng.html#permit [accessed August 23, 2022]
Fletcher G. 2016. Marine Mammals Hauled out on Race Rocks Jan 2014-Feb 2016. online graph image available: https://racerocks.ca/marine-
mammals-hauled-out-on-race-rocks-2014-2015/ (accessed August 12, 2022)
Race Rocks Ecoguardians. 2022. Race Rocks species list and image gallery. Available: https://racerocks.ca/race-rocks-animals-
plants/taxonomy-image-gallery/ (accessed Mar 6, 2022).

50th Anniversary of Ecological Reserves in British Columbia

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Often when we visit special ecological areas our observations are restricted to a limited view. In this video, we visited six diverse Ecological Reserves  with the goal of revealing some of their special features from  a distant viewpoint as well as a close up one. Under a special permit from BC Parks, Jamie Frith used his drone and a macrophotographic camera to enable us to present a unique perspective on the reserves.

This video was made for the Friends of Ecological Reserves with the support of BC Parks. We started the project in March 2021 and originally were only allowed by  BC Parks to film in  6 Ecological Reserves in the southern part of Vancouver Island due to restrictions of COVID 19. Plans to include ERs from the interior of the province also were not possible   As those restrictions were eased mid summer, we were able to extend our range and travel North to include the Nimpkish River ER,  in order to include a  representative area of mature Douglas Fir forest.

Ecological Reserves which we were able to include were: 

  • Nimpkish RIver  ER#118   start time- 1:20
  • San Juan RIdge  ER #83   start time- 5:58
  • Oak Bay Islands  ER #94    start time-11:02
  • Mount Tzuhalem  ER#112    start time- 16:38
  • San Juan River  ER#141   start time-  25:01
  • Race Rocks  ER#97    start time- 25.03

 

One of the goals of the Ecological reserves act is to provide protected places for research and education. Some reserves, especially those with seabird colonies  are closed to the public and only accessible  with a permit from BC Parks. Since it is illegal to fly a drone over any provincial (or federal) protected area without a permit, the use of the drone was possible only with permission and precautions for no disruption to animals.  As mentioned in several of the interviews, because of the sensitive ecological nature of the areas, the public is not encouraged to visit Ecological reserves.

THE 50th ANNIVERSARY: 
On April 2, 1971, the Government of British Columbia became the first jurisdiction in Canada to pass legislation to protect Ecological Reserves, places set aside primarily for ecological research and education, not recreation. The Ecological Reserve Act led to an Order in Council that established the first 29 ecological reserves on May 4, 1971. Fifty years later, British Columbia has 148 ecological reserves across the entire province. This video features just a few of the ones on Vancouver Island. In 2021, the BC government proclaimed April 2nd as Ecological Reserves Day in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Ecological Reserve Act.”

Protecting rare species and ecosystems is just one of the reasons to have an ER established. Equally important was protecting representative examples of natural ecosystems. See the wording in the Purpose section of the ER Act:
Garry Fletcher

Whales! (and census)

Gallery

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This gallery contains 4 photos.

Weather:  Visibility: Very clear, 15 miles Wind: 15-25 knots Sky: Mostly clear, some clouds Water: Choppy, white caps Boats/Visitors:  Today a contractor visited to fix our internet/ phone cable in the main residence. At the same time Corey, two BC … Continue reading →

Generating History

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High clouds settled in today and there were even a few minute raindrops for a short time in the late morning and early evening. Hazy marine air was evident along the coast to Victoria while across on the American side, it looked like it might really be raining in the Elwha Valley, Olympic National Park. The barometer continues its slow slide, which started last Thursday. The westerly wind is forecast again for tomorrow and it has already started.

A Humpback Whale feeding and resting to the south of the rocks and Killer Whales to the west, continued to draw whale–watching boats from Victoria and a total of 22 were noted in the Ecological Reserve today, mostly observing pinnipeds (Steller’s and California Sea Lions, Harbour and Elephant Seals). One commercial, charter, fishing boat also stopped by to watch the sea lions.

One of the Brown Pelicans came back today and some members of the Victoria Historical Society group saw it on their way out to the island. Three groups of twelve people each had historical tours of Race Rocks today.

The historians were very interested in Garry Fletcher’s on-site presentations about the history of Great Race Island, the 500 year-old plus, indigenous rock cairns and the 154 year history of the Lighthouse. Race Rocks is designated as a heritage site but that only means it is registered in Ottawa, not offered any conservation protection. The Race Rocks Ecological Reserve protects Race Rocks’ biodiversity and natural history and is part of BC Parks, but it does not include human history.

Federal law passed specifically three years ago to protect historical lighthouses does not apply to the six original Imperial Lighthouses, of which this is one. Race Rocks  light-tower pre-dates the confederation of Canada and it is the only stone-constructed light tower and one of a handful of standing stone structures this old, in western Canada. It needs protection. You can learn more about its’ fascinating history through this web-site under history. There is even historical video footage of the demolition of the historic, granite, light-keeper’s house in the 1960s by bulldozer and explosives. Fisgard Light which was completed six weeks before Race Rocks is a much less impressive brick tower and is endowed with full heritage protection by Parks Canada.

With 37 visitors to attend to, I did not spend much time making ecological observations today. I did a few maintenance chores before they arrived, washing windows, sweeping the main walk-way with an historical broom and weed-eating around the fly wheels of an old Fairbanks-Morse engine from the turn of the last century, with an historical weed-eater from late in the last century. There are quite a few pieces of old Fairbanks-Morse machinery lying around that could be of historical interest. Here is a YouTube link to a similar 1906 Fairbanks-Morse engine, running. What a beast. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTiK2B88EJs

My last tasks of the day are to move deionized water, delivered with the guests by Courtney on MV Second Nature, up to the energy building, and to make fresh water with the desalinator, while the historic Lister generator tops up the batteries which are powered mostly by solar panels.

Day 2: Solar panel maintenance

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Wednesday June 5/13
Day two: Fog and moderate winds early in the morning. A good part of the morning was spent cleaning the Solar panels on the roof of the Energy building of all the accumulated bird guano. I took note of the power output pre-cleaning : 650W;  it jumped to 980W after being cleaned.

One pleasure boat in the Reserve this morning 0945hrs

We were visited by BC Parks’ new Area Supervisor to familiarise herself with the site and the Race Rocks File; and to meet the crew.

A trip with BC Parks Staff to Race Rocks

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On the morning of Wednesday June  6 , I went with Andy MacDonald,  the Vancouver Island Region (South) Parks and Protected Areas Section Head, and  Zsana Tulcsik, the new BC Parks Area Supervisor from the Goldstream Office out to the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. ( A report by Garry Fletcher, Race Rocks ER warden)

College staff member Erik Schauff skippered Second Nature and we met Chris Blondeau , Director of Operations for Pearson College UWC  on the jetty. He is the relief ecoguardian at  Race Rocks for the week .

The elephant seals co-operated and were basking in the sun on the grass in the centre of the island. There were 4-  2 year olds and one large older Male, which may have been Chunk … the inflamed  right eye from an injury administered by Misery was a good identification mark.

Two Northern sea lions were observed in the water . I thought it was notable that there were very few harbour seals which usually have pups at this time of year, and none on the southern islets where they usually haul out. I will have to check over the next few days on the tower camera, as they may have been out foraging.

The glaucous-winged gulls are well into nesting season, with several nests containing three eggs. The image from the window of the science centre shows the distribution of pairs. Another picture above shows a nest precariously close to the elephant seal  haulout spot.

There was an abundance of pigeon guillemots on all corners of the island where they have their nesting burrows. They should be visible on camera 5 now out near the edge of the cliff to the west.  They have certainly been a success story in increasing numbers in the past few years. There must be well over 60 pairs nesting in the hidden burrows under the rocks. Ironically good habitat has been produced in several areas because of  human activity in the past by the blasting  of rock for the helipad construction by the Coastguard, and other construction on the islands done in the 1900s before it was an ecological reserve. This is a rare example of habitat enhancement that humans can claim, as usually it is the other way around.

On the return to the docks we were impressed with the clumps of Thrift in full bloom. Chris mentioned that the Black Oystercatchers had been in the area on the rock right off the sidewalk by the docks and we soon spotted the nest. This is the same area they have used for many years. The videos of the hatching oystercatchers in this link  are from the same area.

In addition to the vast monocultures of pineapple weed as shown above, this is the second year we have noted large patches of Fiddleneck, Amsinckia spectabilis in the same compacted and richly fertilized areas where the grass was killed out by the sealions and intense Canada Goose grazing.