Jun
14
Signs of Joan
Posted by: lmairs | June 14, 2010 | Leave a Comment
I am so lucky to have a copy of Joan Burbridges’, Wild Flowers of the Southern Interior. If it weren’t in my home I’d have a difficult time identifying many of the plants that are found here. I know quite a few, but her book seems to fill in the blanks well. What you’re seeing here is White Campion. Joan’s notes indicate that it will grow up to 120cm high and the flower grows in loose, open clusters at ends of oppositely branched stems. She goes on to describe in detail the make up of the flower itself, “Up to 2.5cm across with 5 deeply notched petals which narrow abruptly and form 2.5cm long tube at right-angles to blades.” She then describes the top of the tube and details the difference between the female and the male plant…. our Joan.
She certainly left her legacy as a champion of the land evidenced in her love of and commitment to preservation through documentation and stewardship. As the beginning of the Woodhaven audio guide narration says, ‘Woodhaven wasn’t supposed to be here.” It was about to be developed before Joan and Jim stepped up to the plate.
This was a surprise this year. I can’t remember seeing this lilac before and believe me I would have noticed. It’s just a few feet off the trail and to the left at the second divider fence past the woodshed. It seems a strange plant to have in this wild land but I immediately thought of Joan when I saw it. Joan was British and it was the British settlers who brought the lilac to the Okanagan. It seems an irony that this plant would flower for the first time this year as so much attention is paid to the park. As I walk past it, it feels like a little of Joan has been deposited, safe in the “no-go” zone and as a reminder of how this all came to be. We are so fortunate that Joan and Jim had the foresight and determination to protect this place. It is a reminder that one person or a small group of people can and do make a difference.
The summer program for the Woodhaven Eco Art Project is scheduled to begin July 17th. Join us on that Saturday at 1:30 for new work that will be presented in response to the park. Artists presenting work for the summer program include Shed Simas, Byron Johnston, Lori Mairs, Nancy Holmes, Nicole Cormaci, Lara Haworth, Michael V. Smith, & Brenda Fiest.
Woodhaven is located at 4711 Raymer Road, Kelowna.