For Mother’s Day, young naturalists and their families explored grassland wildflowers and critters of Kikomun Creek Provincial Park, near the Elk River’s confluence with Lake Koocanusa. It was exciting and sad to watch a red-tailed hawk nab a ground squirrel.

On June 11, youngsters may join the Elk Valley Young Naturalist Club to spy birds in cottonwood galleries.

The May 10 journey to Kikomun isn't far from Fernie -- only about 35 kilometres -- but it can be quite a distance climatically. Kikomun is in the Rocky Mountain Trench and is characterized by grasslands and dry ponderosa pine forests.

Half an hour's drive away, Fernie is cooler, wetter and nestled in western red cedar forests. Spring can be slow to arrive in the Elk Valley. So if you're looking for spring wildflowers in early May and you live in a rainforest, it's fortunate that a relative banana belt may be found so close.

And wildflowers the kids did find, including prairie crocus, meadow parsley, Oregon grape, shooting star; arrowleaf basalmroot,. and phlox.

The Elk Valley Young Naturalist Club is for kids 12 and younger. It provide opportunities for youngsters and parents to have fun together while exploring nature around us.

Elk Valley Young Naturalist Club

Easy

12 and younger - Participants should be accompanied by an adult

June 11, 2009