My Bit of Heaven - by Kristl Walek

[Kristl Walek]

Here in the mucky areas furthest back from the ocean, we saw Pedicularis flammea, Pyrolas, Tofieldia glutinosa more white Primula mistassinica and many other plants we had previously seen such as Saxifrage oppositifolia and azoides.

I have neglected to say previously that we did, indeed find another of my hopefulls on Burnt Cape---Rhododendron lapponicum--but it was here as well, long past flowering, but Denyse managed to find a specimen with one last flower petal, which dropped immediately after the picture was taken. Some plants were already forming seed.

[Kristl Walek]

The slope backing the beach area was a mass of what we first thought from a distance was Cornus suecica---but on closer inspection it turned out to be Cornus x intermedia (a cross between suecica and canadensis) with reddish-purple (not black) interiors and other botanical differences.

In later locations, I did find Cornus suecica and even later in Labrador, a great site where the two species and the intermediate form (and variations of) all grew together.

And here the botanist very aptly found a specimen that demonstrates perfectly that the white bracts "petals" of Cornus are really just leaves.

[Kristl Walek]

There is a joke about coming to Newfoundland, with the largest world population of moose and going home not having seen one. But this was not our experience. There were a number of roadside spottings---I also noticed that while deer almost always face the highway when at the side of the roads, moose normally are "rump out." I venture a guess that deer are usually crossing the road, while moose are feasting there and facing the area of necessary retreat.

There are no deer in Newfoundland---but the introduced moose (brought in from New Brunswick) has been very successful ---from 4 a century ago to over 150,000 today.

In fact, they have become a real problem in Gros Morne park, where they have not been allowed to be hunted obviously. Damage to the ecosystem is quite profound. This autumn is a historic event in the park: the first organized cull of moose within park limits, with the goal of 500 animals.

[Kristl Walek]

While I wish I had had the opportunity to snoop around in some woodlands, I did see familiar forest plants in settings I would not have imagined them in (scrub and shrubby areas on beaches, at the base of seashore cliffs, etc). Actaea, Clintonia borealis, Maianthemums and others were found in similar habitats.

These Streptopus roseus were very happy in one of these beach settings. The day I left on this trip I had collected the ripe berries in Nova Scotia. Here they were still flowering.

[Kristl Walek]

We took a day to visit L’Anse au Meadows, a national historic site, believed to have been the earliest settlement of the New World by Vikings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Anse_aux_Meadows

I have to admit I was not particularly interested in the historic significance of this area; so instead spent my time walking the trails and natural areas around the site.

This is a beautiful area with gorgeous rock formations. I wandered on the boardwalk through a bog and saw why it was possible to create an industry from Rubus chamaemorus (Bakeapple, Cloudberry), as has been done in Finland.

[ruweiss]

Kristl, thank you so much for showing us all these beautiful things, for me it is incredible how
these beautiful Cypripediums grow under those harsh conditions.

[Kristl Walek]

On our travels we found three companies specializing in jams, spreads, jellies, sauces. pickles, teas, drinks and vinegars of native berries; one Newfoundland, one Labrador and the last, northern Quebec; areas where these plants thrive. This is not unlike northern Europe. My suitcase quickly became full of these.

Here our main choices were (North American common names; I know some of these are different in Europe)

Rubus chamaemorus (Bakeapple, Cloudberry)
Vaccinium vitis ideae (Partridgeberry, Lingonberry)
Empetrum nigrum (Crowberry)
Vaccinium edule (Squashberry)
Vaccinium angustifolium (Wild blueberry)

What happened to Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) and Gaylussacia baccata (Huckleberry)?

We visited the Dark Tickle store & saw them packaging the products. Having a quick look on-line, I notice they ship:

http://www.darktickle.com/default.aspx

And every restaurant offered their variation on the theme in terms of their dessert offerings.
I decided to photograph these.

Moose dinners, moose burgers, cod, cod tongue and other specialties were also on offer----more than anything I missed good selections of seafood (strange), and most particularly fresh fruit and vegetables (which are as rare in northern Newfoundland as the plants).

Denyse had to wait until nearly the end of our trip to finally have her lobster!!!!

[Ragged Robin]

Kristi, you have such a wonderful way of opening up another world to explore through your photographs and words.  What a superb adventure with so many discoveries of tiny plants and fabulous wild creatures totally at home in this barren, sea-washed landscape.  It is past midnight and my mind is full of images to dream about, thank you for sharing your exceptional botanising trip.

[Kristl Walek]

In retrospect, I wish we had been able to spend a week in Labrador, instead of the short one and a half days. While I loved Newfoundland, even the little I saw of Labrador stole my heart. But then, I always have this reaction when I find myself in little-populated places where nature still rules (the Yukon was heaven to me).

And to think we almost didn't go as we woke up that morning to +5C and driving rain and almost cancelled the trip. But we knew that within a few hours it could be warm and sunny---and in fact, by mid afternoon, it was. However I was so bitterly cold outside on that ferry I could barely put down my hood and smile for the picture. And, wearing 3 sets of outerwear, one over the other made moving almost impossible, aside from feeling like a stuffed teddybear!

The short (1.5 hour) ferry ride across the strait of Labrador ends, in fact,  in Quebec, but within 5 minutes you are in Labrador proper. While crossing we saw whales, dolphins and puffins. Many users of the ferry at this time of year are international visitors here for the fantastic fishing. Hunters at other seasons.

As soon as I entered the boat and saw some the signs I thought I was in northern Europe with the Finnish (I believe) on the signs. I then remembered news of a Finland-St.Petersburg cruise ship having being purchased. Small world.

We checked in at the Northern Light Inn and went for a quick early evening explore.

[Kristl Walek]

This is fantastically beautiful place!!!

I was immediately taken with the very different landscape that I saw (and the different vegetation is would support). The rocks on the mountains are limestone only at the top, with sandstone below. Acidic conditions. Dark rocks. White lichen. Fantastic!!!

[Kristl Walek]

We only had one day to explore the coast of Labrador to catch the return ferry in late afternoon.
So we drove the coast highway from beginning to paved road end, stopping only briefly to look at plants.
At the end of the paved highway is the town of Red Bay.

The pretty catkins of Salix candida.
The little known, but not particularly showy Parnassia kotzebuei.
Arctostaphyllos alpina showing early fruits.

And who could have guessed we would hit the jackpot when pulled into a gravel pit road to "use the facilities" and found ourselves in an absolutely exquisite spot with glorious rocks and plants and the highlight of my entire trip---finding Diapensia lapponica in profusion. Even though not in flower, my heart was pounding almost out of my chest with excitement. I felt my trip here was complete and I could now go home. I could not be greedy and begin thinking of Phyllodoce caerulea (which is found only much further north). 

According to Susan, the Diapensia is quite common in this area!!!

[Kristl Walek]

We had lunch at the end of the paved road, in picturesque Red Bay before heading back for the ferry.
In the picture of the road, the right paved road goes into Red Bay, the left (unpaved) road is the beginning of the Trans-Labrador Hwy which goes all the way to Goose Bay.

On the way back we stopped for a while to admire the majestic Pinware River.
We were not the only ones stopping to take it all in.

Postscript:
If you were wondering why the fisherman/woman had her head "wrapped", it is because of the bugs. This part of the world has a bad reputation for black flies and mosquitoes. While none bothered me in Newfoundland, the second we stepped off the ferry in Labrador, the assault was relentless. Even locals wear netted hats when they are outdoors.

[Kristl Walek]

The population of Newfoundland and Labrador is 510,000, with the majority of that population living in St. John's, Newfoundland. The remainder of the province is sparsely populated and still largely unspoiled.

Labrador, in particular.

With so few special places like this remaining, I feel honoured to have been able to put my foot down in so many of them in my lifetime. I never feel more blessed to be a Canadian than at times like this when the treasures of this great big land are revealed to me through unspoiled nature. Thank you for letting me share my deeply felt adventure with you.

[Kristl Walek]

It is that happy time of each year when friend/former seed partner/co-author of book Graham pays me a visit from Ontario.
The past 3 visits we have concentrated on trying to find species in the wild that were still needed (photographically or otherwise) for our long-overdue book on the native species of eastern Canada.

This year is no exception---except our list is now very short, but also includes a few species that have continued to elude us in the wild (to wit, Aronia arbutifolia, Streptopus amplexifolius, Polystichum braunii and a few others).  The last of these I managed to find, quite accidentally, prior to Graham arriving---so today (our first botanizing day here), we immediately set off to see it in the wild (and to collect spores).

With hurricane Irene on it's way later this weekend, we are juggling where to go and when; trying to work around what may come in a few days.

I am particularly fond of the Polystichums and P. braunii is no exception---this is a fantastic clumping fern, with dark-green, glossy foliage and a graceful, outward-arching, upright and symmetrical habit. The stalks are covered in distinctive golden-brown scales. When you look down into the center of the clump, the growing point from which next years' fronds will emerge are already present.

After the photography session with this particular specimen, it was deprived of its spores---and we decided we may have turned it into Polystichum braunii var. truncatum.

More later....



 

[Maggi Young]

While it is exciting to know how well your work with Graham for the book is progressing, it is somewhat worrying to think of you out and about with the threat of "Irene" hanging over the region.
Take care!!!