Category: Environment & Biodiversity

By Kristina Swerhun

“I think sometimes we need to take a step back and just remember that we’ve no greater right to be on the planet than any other animal.” – David Attenborough

From Whistler’s first Official Community Plan in 1976 to the most recent, “protecting nature” has consistently been listed as a high priority. I’d like to think the ongoing commitment stems from two reasons. First, protecting nature means protecting biodiversity, which is the foundation of healthy, functioning ecosystems of which we are a component. So, we’re protecting biodiversity because we can’t survive without it. Second, and this requires a slight shift in perspective, I share David Attenborough’s belief that every species has an equal right to exist. So, hopefully, we’re protecting species regardless of their usefulness to humans. 

The first step in protecting biodiversity is to know what species and ecosystems are present and their current health. If we don’t know this information, we have no baseline for understanding what needs to be done to protect and restore ecosystems.

Early biodiversity monitoring efforts

The first report on Whistler’s biodiversity, Mammals of the Alta Lake Region, was published in 1935 by Ken Racey and Ian McTaggart Cowan and lists 42 mammal species. 

Birds were inventoried next, with Racey listing 137 species in 1948. The tradition of “citizen science” in bird studies continued, as Max Götz, Nancy Ricker, and Vicky Troup updated the list to include 175 bird species in 1996, following ten years of monitoring. [Note that today’s birding efforts, under the umbrella of the Whistler Naturalists and led largely by Karl Ricker, Heather Baines and Chris Dale, bring our list up to 274 bird species.]

By 2005, the total number of species documented in Whistler, including mammals, birds, and other species, was approximately 335. What happened next demonstrates to me how much one person can enrich our community. 

Enter Bob Brett: Whistler’s biodiversity champion

Bob Brett is a long-time resident, a Registered Professional Biologist, founding President of the Whistler Naturalists (1999), and founder of the Whistler Biodiversity Project (WBP). Operating since 2004, the WBP is Whistler’s primary source of biodiversity data, gathering information through surveys, engaging specialists, and compiling data. 

One of the primary goals of the WBP is to document species, enabling more informed management decisions that support biodiversity. However, Bob points out that although this is fundamentally true, information alone is not enough. Without political will, biodiversity conservation can get ignored. 

It’s worth noting that volunteers at the Whistler Naturalists have contributed almost half of all WBP records through long-running annual events that Bob founded and continues to lead: Fungus Among Us (since 2004) and BioBlitz (since 2007). Full disclosure: I’ve been volunteering with Bob and the Naturalists since about 2006, and his mentorship is a big reason why I’m so passionate about the nature-related work I do.

In the 20 years since the WBP was initiated, an average of 235 species per year have been added to the list, so today we know at least 5,000 species call Whistler home. Amazing! This number continues to increase annually, thanks to Bob’s commitment to understanding nature. However, the numbers alone aren’t even the most intriguing part. 

Bob’s long involvement with the WBP has contributed significantly to our understanding of Whistler’s natural environment. His name appears on the RMOW’s Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health web page across a range of projects, including Ecosystem Monitoring Reports, Species at Risk Reports, and the Priority Habitat Framework. He has also worked on managing invasive species, studying forest age, and monitoring active beaver lodges. His efforts have helped build a clearer picture of local biodiversity and encouraged others to take an interest in this work.

This is the second in a series of articles that will focus on the impact our resort community has had on nature—successes, challenges, and looking to the future.

Kristina Swerhun is a biologist who has managed the Whistler Museum’s Discover Nature program since 2015 and provides public nature training. She is a long-time Whistler Naturalists volunteer, a Certified Interpretive Guide Trainer, and works with the Resort Municipality of Whistler on the Interpretive Panel Project, and wrote and narrated the Biodiversity 101 video.

Many Whistler locals may be familiar with Mount Garibaldi (Nch’kay) and Garibaldi Provincial Park, but did you know that Mount Garibaldi is actually a volcano?

Garibaldi Provincial Park is located along a small segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire called the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt. The belt was created by the collision of  two tectonic plates, the Juan de Fuca Plate and the North American Plate. The history of the Belt began 4 million years ago with the eruption of Mount Cayley. The most recent eruption in the Garibaldi Belt was Mount Meager about 2,500 years ago.

Volcanoes like Mount Garibaldi are formed by repeated volcanic eruptions. Hot magma from the earth’s core flows through a vent and then cools on the earth’s surface. When high viscosity magma flows up the vent it creates a steep rising cone shape because the lava cools too quickly to spread far from the vent. Mount Garibaldi is this type of volcano, known as a stratovolcano. Black Tusk is another example of a stratovolcano found in Garibaldi Park.

It is believed that Mount Garibaldi’s last eruption occurred during the ice age, roughly 13,000 years ago. While that may sound like a long time, it is fairly recent in geologic time. For comparison, Black Tusk is thought to have last erupted roughly 170,000 years ago.

Mount Garibaldi’s most recent eruption resulted in half of the volcanic structure forming on top of the glacier. When the glacier melted, the western side of the volcano crumbled, creating landslides that spread rubble all throughout Squamish Valley.

Volcanic activity has also created some of Garibaldi Park’s other striking features. The Table was formed between 10-15,00 years ago when volcanic activity disrupted the glacier. The melting ice slowed and confined the flowing lava, cooling it quickly. Pulled to the sides of the mountain by gravity, the lava formed a flat top, known today as The Table. Over 9,000 years ago lava flows blocked the valley, creating The Barrier that  trapped glacial meltwater and formed what is known today as Garibaldi Lake. The glacial runoff causes the piercing blue colour of the lake.

Volcanoes can lie dormant without erupting for thousands of years and still not go extinct. Not to worry! If Mount Garibaldi became active again, we would be able to see warning signs such as seismic activity, hot springs, and hot spots as a result of the rising magma. 

While we don’t know if Mount Garibaldi is done erupting for good, we do know that visiting Garibaldi Park is a fantastic way to spend a warm summer day. Take the time to check out Mount Garibaldi and additional peaks, Atwell Peak and Dalton Dome. The area offers a variety of activities for its visitors, including hiking, biking and camping. While you are there make sure to check out Garibaldi Lake too!

Ella Healey is the Summer Program Coordinator at the Whistler Museum through the Young Canada Works Program.