Outdoors Skunk cabbage not what it sounds like The great, brilliant yellow spathes of the skunk cabbage have tumed many of our low-lying wet areas into attractive, early spring, flower gardens. __ Forget the allusions to the strong undesirable scent of Mephitis mephitis, the skunk, for there is little to remind us of that mammal- ian purveyor of pungent odors in pitis compellingly beautiful wild- " flower. Nor is there a resemblance to the gross, ignoble provider of _ pedestrian coleslaw on your ple- beian dinner table. Disabuse yourself of both com- mon terms for this plant and think on the bright magnificent blooms which could well have been spawned in rich swampy jungles where so many spectacular and exotic forms have evolved. A cloak, or spathe, of brilliant yellow unfolds shortly to reveal the: central stalk, or spadix, which bears the myriad of small greenish @ flowers on its cylindrical surface. This plant is at once the showi- est, most characteristic and vigor- ous of all the spring flowers of our wet regions. Its shiny green leaves, when fully grown, may measure a yard in length and a foot in breadth. = Later, clusters of bright red ber- Ties appear. While bears, elk and other deer feed upon its leaves, the r large roots have for many years provided a staple item in the diet of North Coast Indians. Such roots are reported to be hot and peppery to the taste if newly gathered, but produce a very good flour when roasted and ground. Since these plants grow in such @ abundance, they have proven very important to natives during times of food shortage. ! Finches and Bewick’s wrens are ' courting in our front yard and m@mnbers of redtailed hawks are soaring over our meadows. Watch for the pale underwings and dark band crossing the belly of the hawk. Trail makers wanted back @ North Saanich will seek another Environmental Youth Corps grant to continue work on the municipal trail system, council agreed March 19. Trails completed by the provin- | cially funded youth corps over the | past year will be named Elder- berry Trail, Woodcreek Trail and ® Eagle Trail. | Trails co-ordinator Jo Doman said there are eight miles of com- pleted trails in the municipality. Sanscha Hall directors back , Directors of the Sanscha Hall ~ board were re-elected for further two-year terms at the annual gen- eral meeting March 22. Elected were Reg Teeney, Joyce _ Rhodes, John Lapham and Ron Umbach. Still with one year to serve on the board are directors Campbell Black, Dee Bailin, Bruce Prittie and Don Trivett. Prittie was chosen as president, ‘Umbach as treasurer and Teeney ‘as secretary. Sidney Service Above Enid Blakeney (Lochside Dr) and Una Dobson (Norris) report numbers of streaked pine siskins with bright yellow patches at bases of wing and tail feathers. Julie Del Monte, Thomson Place, reports her first rufous hum- mingbirds of the year and Thelma SKUNK CABBAGE Matthews, Reay Creek, reports a long-tailed Cooper hawk in her back yard. Flocks of dunlins with their medium long black bills, curved slightly downward near the tip, are flashing in tight formations over Esquimalt Lagoon. The legs are dark but at this season the back is uniformly grey and the dark splash on the belly is wanting. A few larger, winter-plumaged black-bellied plover, with their short killdeer-like beaks are also present. So are numbers of redw- ings and Brewer’s blackbirds. Both greater and lesser scaup, dark to the waterline, are well repre- sented along with a few ring- necked ducks. In addition, Witty’s Lagoon sports at least six pairs of green- winged teal and a number of tall, greater yellowlegs. A pair of bus- tits have just begun constructing their long bag-like nest next door. Spnng is with us! Cy Hampson Photo TheReview Wednesday, April4,1990 — A19 THE PENINSULA’S AIIJUIEULSA evourte REALTY INC. jag J&(ei5 FOR ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS Call: KIM HILLIARD Pager 388-6275 - #1636 ~ Trafalgar Square Brentwood Bay 652-4488 SPECIAL OF THE WEEK COD BURGER With Fries ONLY a pee 1859 Nerghboesnood Pub CoTrGH pREWES self CAREFREE INDEPENDENT LIVING Discover life the way it's meant to be, from the best in personal services and amenities, to the most in activity programs. Monthly rental includes daily meals. We even offer a working garden! aa eS Left to Right: Patt Lloyd, Social Director; Gayle Burroughs (seated), General Manager; Carolyne Jones, Administrative Assistant; Jill Allen, Sales & Marketing RICHARD A. BR Display Suite Opens April 7th Meet our staff: see why we're the most innovative retirement concept on the West Coast! Saturday, April 7 & Sunday, April 8 Noon ‘til 4:00 p.m. CAREFREE & 28 For information, call BEUREMEN Ht le) Jill Allen 655-0849. THE NwvOO0d VILLAGE _____ SIDNEY BY THE SEA - 2311 MILLS ROAD, SIDNEY, B.C. V8L 2C4 —_ Malahat North call toll free 1-800-663-3408 RECYCLE | TheReview