Get where you’re going fellow travellers; the sojourners who walk the way with me a little while. Sometimes buoyed by the tides and the winds,sometimes going against the grain. When you see me do you wonder where I’m going? We are different; i’m still in the rat race even though…
Being in nature is something I hold sacred. This land has stories to tell, whispering as I walk through. Here long before me, and here long after me. I feel a sense of peace and calm wash over me as I walk into the park, Burke Mountain towering above, watching…
The wetland of Minnekhada Regional Park at dawn is an image of peace and calm. The mist rises, while the calls of the parks birds cut sharply through the damp park air. To the casual observer walking along the Lodge Trail the park’s central marsh appears still. But beneath this…
Perhaps you remember a Burl Ives song “Little White Duck” My memory thought it was titled Little Green Frog: apparently frog was just a supporting actor. “There’s a little green frog swimming in the water A little green frog, doing what he oughter. He jumped right off of the lily…
When we think of speed and power in nature, our minds tend to leap to the large and the obvious. The cheetah, for instance, is often celebrated as the fastest land animal, capable of covering up to twenty times its body length in a single second. Yet, in the quiet…
Join me on a journey to become a nature detective! Typically, when people go for a walk and are looking for wildlife, they may walk past the signs and clues that wildlife have left behind. Get your detective skills ready to learn what markings and evidence creatures leave behind. So…
Have you ever wondered why spending time in nature feels so relaxing? Well, my muse project involved trying to understand the reason for this phenomenon. Our nature spaces have a wonderful harmonization of colors that is pleasing to the eyes and enhances our well-being in a subtle yet engaging manner. …
Minnekhada Park is full of ordinary miracles. They happen every day, quietly and patiently, often unnoticed if you rush past. One of the simplest miracles is light; light beckons, invites us in. In the quiet heart of Minnekhada’s forest, light does not arrive all at once; rather, it filters slowly…
Hi my name is Doug the slug, I am a pacific banana slug. I live in Minnehaha Regional Park located in Coquitlam, on the unceded territory of the Kwikwetlem first nations. Minnekhada was named by a wealthy lumberman who purchased the property to establish the Minnekhada Dairy and Stock Farm….
I’m drawn to the wild spaces, though harder to find in the local region. Strangely, I was late to finding Minnekhada, discovering it in 2020. Its impact on me was instant and consistent. Each visit is special and I’ve never had the same experience twice. So, I thought this challenge…
When I began this project, I came into it with a creative spirit that was barely healed from years of abusing it in the name of money. But the very first day, in the barn with the rest of you, I knew I had come home. I came with my…
The alarm rang at 5:30 AM, but Bruce left his phone alone. He pulled on his old hiking boots and checked his pack: water, trail mix, a map of Minnekhada Park, and his grandfather’s field guide to Pacific Northwest birds. Driving west from Abbotsford, the city sounds faded away, and…
At first glance, this photograph is about a sunset in Minnekhada. The soft colours of twilight, the still water, and the mountains standing quietly in the distance are all there for everyone to see. But the real story is not in the picture. What cannot be seen is the person…
This tiny galaxy, structured with near-flawless architectural precision, waits quietly on the breeze. A single breath could cause it to explode, sending its delicate stars expanding across the universe underfoot Contemplating these elegant frosted hearts reveals how the grandest artistry hides in the quietest corners: a universe where…
If you’ve spent any time in Minnekhada Regional Park, you might recognize Dan and Shannon. They are avid visitors in the park and can often be found there. Dan was recognized with an honorable mention at last year’s Volunteer Event… thank you to you both! “Minnekhada Park is a gem!…
Volunteers are often frequent visitors to the park and this volunteer is no different. Maja can often been found in the park and has a special relationship with the bear population at Minnekhada. Ask her about any one of them and she has lots of information to share! She cares…
Biologists asking the public for reports of bats The Metro Vancouver-Squamish Community Bat Program is asking the public for reports of dead bats and daytime bat activity in an effort to detect white-nose syndrome, a fatal disease, caused by a fungus, that has killed millions of bats. BC bats are…
In the first three parts of this series, we discussed the interesting geology of Minnekhada and area and how it likely came to be. We looked into recent history (geologically speaking) and a much more distant past. I teased the fact that the rocks that underly Minnekhada may not even…
If you have every been involved with, or seen our volunteers counting the toadlets at Minnekhada, this is the tool they are using to collect all the data… an amazing article written by Giselle who helps us track all those toadlets! MPA Volunteers have been counting toads and toadlets along…
In this four-part series, our very own Board member, Steve Smith dives deep into the geology in and around Minnekhada Park! In part two of this Minnekhada Geology series I talked about the use of LIDAR technology, and relied on the consultation of an expert in the field, to spot…