plant walk Archives - Stanley Park Ecology (SPE)

Aug 29, 2026 @ 10:30 amEvents

Learn your Ferns! Beginner Plant Walk

This is your sign to befriend your local ferns! By getting to know native plants, you can open a new way of connecting to the world around you and enrich your day-to-day outings in nature. Join us for a beginner-friendly plant walk to learn some common ferns, trees, and other local plants on this late summer stroll in the forest! Dive into the world of spore-producing ferns, uncover why some plants are deemed “invasive”, and pick up some new fun facts along the way.

close-up of underside of sword fern frond with spores — Photo: Justine Kaseman; sword fern spores

Jul 23, 2026 @ 06:00 pmEvents

CANCELLED: Up-Close in Nature: Forest Hand Lens Walk

Take a stroll through the forest and explore the hidden textures and patterns all around us! With the use of 10x magnification hand lenses and through texture exploration, we’ll take a closer look at forest residents such as intricate mosses, scaly liverworts, insect specimens, and more. Join us for a guided nature walk to uncover the hidden world that is often overlooked as we travel through forest trails in Stanley Park.

close-up view of scaly liverworts on the ground — Photo: Julia Taylor; Snakeskin liverwort

Jul 16, 2026 @ 06:00 pmEvents

What’s that Tree?

Do you find yourself wandering through the Park and wondering about the tall trees that greet you? If you’re curious about learning some beginner tree identification, join SPE Educator Julia for a relaxed outing in Stanley Park! We’ll meet some common forest and urban trees and take a closer look at their bark, cones, leaves, and needles, all while enjoying the summer air in nature. Returning participants will learn some new trees on this walk.

hand holding the cone of a dawn redwood tree against the green needles — Photo: Julia Taylor; dawn redwood cone and needles

May 7, 2026 @ 06:00 pmEvents

Birds and Blooms: Plant and Bird Walk

With spring in full swing, the plants are showing off their colourful flowers and soft leaves as the migratory birds have started their nesting season. Join us for a walk along Lost Lagoon to learn how birds rely on native plants throughout the seasons, from hummingbirds drinking sweet nectar to woodpeckers drilling cavities and bushtits pulling soft lichens and plant fibers for nesting materials. No bird or plant ID skills necessary! Join us for a bird and plant walk during the Greater Vancouver Bird Celebration!

male Anna's hummingbird hovering among yellow Oregon grape flowers — Photo: Josephine Hrynkiw; Anna's hummingbird

Mar 21, 2026 @ 02:00 pmEvents

Living Fossils and “Prehistoric” Plants

Let’s take it back millions of years across time, learning about the ancestors of plants that are found right here in the place we know today as “Stanley Park”. Join us to discover what makes a plant a “living fossil” and get a glimpse into the ecosystems of Earth during the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods and beyond. We’ll even get to take a look at a real plant fossil to compare one prehistoric tree to their present-day descendent! Come along for a light-hearted journey across time and the evolutionary track of plants such as horsetails, the dawn redwood, and ginkgo trees.

Feb 7, 2026 @ 11:00 amEvents

Frosty Forest: Winter Plant Walk

Join us for this wintery forest walk, where participants will learn about various species of ferns, evergreen trees, and other resilient plants that thrive in winter conditions, and how to identify them. We will delve into the fascinating adaptations these species have developed to survive snow, frost, and relatively limited sunlight. Discover the hidden ecosystems that flourish beneath a blanket of snow, and gain insight into the crucial roles these plants play in forest ecology!

Join Us!