Along the Myrt Thompson trail.
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| Red flowering currant. They are growing wild in the bush along the river's edge, but this and a dozen or so more have been planted as part of the restoration project. |
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| Sign near the beginning of the trail |
Text of the sign:
Myrt Thompson Restoration
This trail winds along the banks of the river and through the heart of the estuary. After a century of industrial use by the forest industry, the Myrt Thompson trail is now being restored to provide habitat for a wonderful array of wildlife, including bald eagles, cedar waxwings, and black bears. Invasive species such as Scotch broom and Himalayan blackberry have been cleared by volunteers and replanted with native species. These plants will provide a diverse habitat for avian wildlife. Riverside vegetation also helps to protect the riverbank from erosion and provides hiding places for juvenile salmon.
The eagles were much in evidence this week. A couple of years ago, I saw many piles of bear scat. It's too early this year for them; they'll show up when the berries ripen.
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| More red-flowering currant. Looks like there will be a good crop of berries. For now, they'll attract hummingbirds. |
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| Salmonberry flower. More bear bait coming up. |
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| A lineup of salmonberry buds. |
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| I think this is Pacific crabapple, Malus fusca. |
I bet my currant bush is flowering. When we left a week ago the leaves were popping out like crazy. I had a really good crop of berries last year. This winter I pruned it to open up the middle and keep it short. Hope that helps. - Margy
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