Goodsir Nature Park has experienced a weather record. Sole founder and proprietor Jim Good said he believes it is only the beginning of such benchmarks.
"We have been open for about four weeks now. That is a record by far," said Good. "The spring is very, very early this year. Usually there are patches of snow into mid-May but it is a good month ahead of usual. Some years have had early openings in the past, and we have also gone the other way. I remember in 1997 we had a spring so late there were patches of snow into June, but I have never seen things this early and that is something I watch like a hawk - the year to year weather patterns."
Goodsir Nature Park was founded 26 years ago by lifelong botany enthusiast Good. It is located about half an hour's drive north of Prince George on Old Summit Lake Road. There he lovingly tends to the multitude of trees, shrubs, flowers and other botanical features he has collected from travels all over Canada. It is, in a way, a zoo for plants where they get to live wild in a contained environment for the pleasure and education of the public.
"I notice I no longer have any roundleaf rein orchids," he said. "They were hit hard by the mountain pine beetle (the beetles killed the natural lodgepole pines, that broke open the tree canopy allowing much more sunlight to reach the forest floor, and that change hurt the orchids) but they were showing signs of coming back until this spring. I had some last year that produced leaves, but no flowers. This year no trace of them."
While climate change has subtracted some species from his 160 acres, Good is even more concerned about the additions climate change is triggering.
"I have to worry a lot more than ever before about invasive species," he said. "The orange hawkweed has been a real problem. I saw the first of those in the mid-'70s and now it's a real wave coming at us. And they are heading north towards Dawson Creek."
His prediction, based on the investigations he has done in defense of his park, is the Prince George area will quickly shift in climate to something similar to Kamloops within the next 500 years.
"That sounds like a long time, but in natural cycles that's super fast. That's like an earthquake to plant life," he said.
Signs of Good's botanical handiwork can be seen within the city, too. In April, 1980 he planted a Ponderosa pine on the grounds of Pine Centre Mall that is thriving today, and this week he donated some new trees to the grounds of the University Hospital of Northern BC. His park is open anytime to those who want a walk on the groomed trails (signs and maps are ample) and spend time at the beaver pond. Admission is on the honour system. Guided tours with Good can be arranged in advance, and overnight camping can be done by recreational vehicle, tent or in the beaver pond cabin.
For park information, call Goodsir at 1-250-971-2337 or visit the Tourism Information Centre downtown.
