NATURE TRAIL GUIDE SANDY BEACH GIRL GUIDE CAMP

Girl Guides of Canada – Edmonton Area

We are very fortunate to have our beautiful campsite at Sandy Beach, with nature all around us, no matter what the season. As you head out on the trails, keep in mind to use all your senses, not just your sense of sight. -feel the softness of moss, the texture of different barks, the hardness of shelf fungus etc -smell the needles and sap of spruce tree -taste some of the edible berries, but only with your Guider’s permission -listen to all the sounds of the forest, the woodpeckers, chickadees, white throated sparrows, and ruffed grouse, the fluttering of aspen leaves in the breeze, the nattering of the squirrels etc Walk slowly and quietly, so you don’t disturb the animals and can truly

appreciate all the trails have to offer. Take some time to study some of the plants closely, perhaps sketching them in a nature journal. Take care not to step on any plants close to the edge of the trail and please don’t pick any flowers or take any souvenirs. You can, however, do lots of drawings or take lots of pictures to help you remember your adventure. As you go down the trail, many plants will be marked (please do not step on or remove the markers). As you go further, there will be more of these plants– see if you can identify them by what you have already learned. *A winter hike is included in the back of this guide.

Pictures of the plants and their flowers are included in this trail guide, but

some of these flowers may not be present when you take your walk –

many of them don’t bloom until later in the summer.

Once the snow melts, we have an opportunity to observe and enjoy all the plants that spring to life after a long winter under a blanket of snow. We start the hike behind HILLTOP HOUSE. There you will find some of the different berry bushes that live at our campsite. Chokecherry: small tree with long cylindrical clusters of white flowers in early spring, followed by drooping bunches of dark red to purple berries. Leaves are alternate with sharply toothed margins. Berries are edible but are very sour.

Saskatoon: very common on the edges of open areas around camp. White blossoms grow in bunches, producing green berries that turn red, then purple by late July. Delicious in pie, or try some in your pancakes while at camp!

Pin Cherry: Leaves are alternate, lance-shaped, finely toothed, with red stalks. Flowers, and later berries, are single stalked, rather than in bunches like the chokecherry and saskatoons. Berries are bright red when ripe – they are very sour but make a good jam or syrup.

The area round the path to the COTTAGE, you might find : Field chickweed Northern bedstraw Harebell

PROCEED TO TRAIL TO BLUEJAY (site 4) – notice there are two types of rose

bushes around the top of the trail – prickly rose (our Provincial emblem) and

the prairie rose. They are easy to tell apart – the prickly rose branches are

covered with fine prickles and their berries (rose hips) are elongated,

whereas the prairie rose hips are round.

Starting down the trail, notice the Saskatoon branches

with blackened leaves still attached - those are caused by

a fungus called witches broom of Saskatoon. It is so

named because the fungus also causes the branches to

grow extra side shoots to form a broom-like shape

Look up at the trees on the right, and you may see different types of lichen.

Lichen come in many different shapes, sizes and colours. Lichen are a

combination of fungus and algae living in a symbiotic relationship, the algae

producing food by photosynthesis for both and the fungus provides an

anchor. The yellow/orange crust-like lichen here are called crustose lichen.

Old man’s beard is another type of lichen. It is grey or

green strings that hang down from the branches. Since

old man’s beard is very sensitive to air pollution, we

know the air is very good here, because of how long it

grows!

On the right you will see the beaked hazelnut, with dark

green wide oval leaves, with a wavy margin. Flowers appear

before the leaves emerge in the spring, and the fruit is a

pair of nuts joined together. A favourite with the squirrels!

Watch for these plants on the trail down to Site 4:

Buffaloberry Lily of the valley Wild Sasparilla Wild Vetch

One of the most common plants along the trail here is

the aster. Asters are tall, have long narrow toothed

leaves that are alternate along the stem. Flower heads

will develop in the summer to produce beautiful purple

flowers that bloom in August.

Wild Raspberry bushes on the left across from the lat

– prickly stemmed plants with compound leaves –

white flowers followed by juicy red raspberries in

July. The berries are delicious

SPARK WALK: As you go down Spark Walk, you will see the decaying logs

covered with mosses and lichen – this is a sign of a healthy forest, breaking

down the dead trees to provide nutrients in the soil to promote new growth

Notice the shelf fungus on old poplar on the left at the start of the

boardwalk. Also on the left, you will see a balsam poplar, and alder trees with

their tiny dark cones. A clump of birch with peeling bark are further down on

the right.

At the end of Spark Walk you’ll see puff balls, which

are actually mushrooms. They dry out and when

lightly touched will shoot a puff of powder (spores)

out through the hole in the top

On the left side between the boardwalks is the

twin flower – a creeping wildflower with small egg-

shaped leaves at the base, and a leafless stem

bearing two pinkish bell shaped flowers. Look for

flowers June to July.

BROWNIE BLVD: Look for:

Bluebells Wild strawberries Pink Wintergreen

On right side at the end of Brownie Blvd you might be

lucky to spot a Northern starflower – a small white

flower with 7 pointed petals on top of a single set of

whorl leaves. This is not a common flower, so please

treat it with care – no picking please.

SMALL MEADOW – Clearings like this were once

swampy, have dried up and are now popular with the

animals. In the mud (or snow) you might find animal

tracks. In the spring, listen for the drumming sound of

the ruffed grouse in their mating dance – it sounds like

a lawnmower starting up! In July, you will see beautiful

orange/red woodland lilies all over the clearing.

TAKE THE TRAIL TO THE LEFT

Along the edge on your right before you get to the trail are

marsh hedgenettle , which is a member of the mint family.

It has a square stem, long narrow opposite leaves which

are hairy. The flowers grow in whorls of six in a spike-like

cluster on the top. Watch for nectar loving insects here.

Watch for the tree stump on the left with woodpecker holes. These holes are

made by the pileated woodpecker, our largest woodpecker,

16 to 20 inches long. It has mostly black feathers, with a

white stripe on the side of the head and neck, and a red

crest. These woodpeckers make large rectangular holes in

trees, sometimes near the ground, sometimes high up. If

you find a pile of wood chips on the ground at the base of a

tree, look up and you will probably find woodpecker holes.

On the right side of the trail – directly opposite the stump is

a tree with holes high up on the side you can’t see, so go

around single file to take a look

Search to the right for a squirrel midden, a site where

squirrels feed. They eat the seeds hidden inside the

cones of spruce trees, then drop the husks on the

ground. Over time, this piles up and creates a midden.

Check to see if you can see holes in the midden –

sometimes squirrels hide fresh cones in the middle, or

seek shelter in the winter.

Along this trail to PATHFINDER PASS, watch for the following tagged plants:

Spurred Gentian Bracted honeysuckle Baneberry Low bush cranberry

Bunchberry: This low growing plant arrives early in

the spring, with 4 – 6 leaves in a whorl. What looks

like white flowers are actually bracts – the flowers

grow in the centre, and develop into red berries

late in summer. They are edible but don’t have any

taste

These lobed and leaf like lichen off the left side of

Pathfinder pass are foliose lichen (as opposed to the

crustose lichen we saw earlier). The leaves stay

green, even under the snow.

LARGE MEADOW - Look at the ground on the right and

you will find kinnikinnick (also called common bearberry).

This low trailing plant has leathery green leaves that stay

green through the winter, and red berries may also be

seen all winter. In the spring, kinnikinnick produces bell

shaped flowers which in turn will be this year’s berries.

In the summer you will see a large patch of goldenrod

on the far side of the meadow. These tall plants have

alternate, lance shaped leaves, with a pyramid shaped

head of tiny yellow flowers. The flowers can be used

to make a yellow natural dye. The young leaves can be

eaten in salad or cooked like spinach

At the Y intersection, take the path to the right.

RANGER ROAD – lots of moisture loving plants here – a great place to settle

down to do some sketching

Red Osier Dogwood Marsh Marigol Northern Buttercup Sweet Coltsfoot

Tall buttercup Wild gooseberry Snowberry

Continue along to a branch in the trail, then turn right (btw two spruce trees)

When the trail turns to the left see if you can spot the

twinning honeysuckle on right, a vine like plant, with thick

oval leaves leaves with a smooth margin, the top leaves

growing together for form a cup around the flower and

later the berries.

On the left will be fallen logs with shelf

fungus. Shelf fungus always grows horizontal

to the ground, whether the tree is upright, or

fallen. Only the “fruit”part of the fungus is

visible, the rest is inside the log, feeding on it.

Shelf fungus looks soft, but it is actually very

hard – feel it

Continue down the trail, and look around to see if you can identify plants you

have already seen and identified earlier on.

As you come to the next clearing, see if you can

spot the wild blueberries on the right. This bush is

low to the ground with small lance shaped leaves.

Flowers in the spring are bell shaped, and the

berries go from green to blue in the fall. Wild

blueberries taste great and are loaded with anti-

oxidents - so they’re good for you too!

This area is inhabited by mostly aspen poplar – also called

trembling aspen because their leaves flicker in the wind.

Their small leaves are almost diamond shaped, and have

long stems that are flat-sided and partly twisted. The bark is

smooth and silvery green with a powdery surface. You can

rub this powder on your skin to act as an insect repellent. As

the trees grow, the bark on the lower part becomes dark

and ridged, but the upper trunk remains smooth and silvery.

The leafing branches are only on the top.

This area is forest in transition. With their small leaves and bare trunks,

aspens let through lots of sunlight, allowing other plants to grow in the

“understory”. You will see baby spruces around the area – these will

eventually take over the forest.

Continue along straight – on this trail, here’s a few things you might spot:

Arnica Fringed Loosestrife Fireweed Bracted Honeysuckle

OBSTACLE COURSE

As you come upon another clearing you will see it is the site of the old

obstacle course. Please stay off the old equipment for your own safety.

This is another good place to relax and do some sketching.

Common Yarrow Fleabane White cinquefoil Wood Lily

Pussytoes Meadow Rue Northern Bedstraw Goldenrod

Pass straight through the meadow and continue to the FENCE LINE

Tree corner on the right – see if you can identify 5 trees and shrubs – make

some bark rubbings in your journal if you like

(Aspen, Alder, Birch, Willow, Rose)

On the left side, along the fence, are many alder trees.

Alder have reddish brown bark, and can be distinguished by

it’s tiny dark cones. You might see bright orange patches on

the trees – that is where the animals have had a little snack.

Further along on the right, a large tree has fallen, pulling the roots out of the

ground with it. As it rots, it is providing nutrients for other plants. See if you

can identify everything that is living here.

Along this trail, find the following tagged plants:

Solomon’s Seal Wild Mint Agrimony Hempnettle

Siberian yarrow Plantain High bush cranberry Black currant

GUIDE LANE

Many water loving plants along this boardwalk as well. Sit and sketch, or just

relax, close your eyes and be one with nature.

At the intersection, turn right. Immediately on

the left , take a closer look at the rotting log

just back from the trail with many different

mosses, lichen and fungi – lots of interesting

species here.

This trail will take you back to the small meadow, and the boardwalks to the

start of your hike.

We hope you enjoyed your walk, and discovered many new plants on your

journey. If you have found something that is not included in this trail guide,

please don’t hesitate to let us know.