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May 2, 2008 : Oak Haven Park
Map Location: via Google Maps
Name Location: Oak Haven Park, Central Saanich, British Columbia, Canada
The first photograph in today's entry was taken at 6:16pm, on a Thursday a few weeks ago. It was actually taken out of a bit of impatience. Twice in the twenty minutes or so prior to that, I was asked by people walking along the path what I was taking a photograph of. "Just the scene, but I'm waiting for the sun to come out." Finally, a few minutes later, I took the second image at 6:20pm. I do a lot of waiting, it seems, when taking photographs. Wait for the light. Wait for the stillness between breezes. Wait for the clouds.
Anyway, I thought this would be a decent follow-up to yesterday's BPotD. I've tried taking photographs of Garry oak habitats before, but I wasn't happy with the results. This is better than what I've done previously, but I've still some ways to go.
Despite its location (minutes away from the extremely popular Butchart Gardens), Oak Haven Park is, by my estimation, rarely visited except by those who live nearby. At 10.2 hectares (25 acres), it is the "largest intact Garry oak ecosystem left in Central Saanich". That's not very large. In many ways, its obscurity is a good thing -- if even a twentieth of Butchart Garden's visitors toured here, it'd quickly become a degraded ecosystem (or require all trails to be fenced). On the other hand, places need to be known about if they are ultimately going to be cared-for and protected.
The most common plant in flower in the park a few weeks ago was Erythronium oregonum, meaning I was (once again) too early for the show of flowers in the meadows in a good year (something like the photograph on this page linked above).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at May 2, 2008 1:48 PM
Read recent comments on all BPotD Entries
Comments
Posted by: Roberta at May 2, 2008 2:59 PM
Ah, yes, I could have played with the first one a bit. I ended up processing both in (almost) the exact same way, just to make the comparison.
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin 
at May 2, 2008 3:02 PM
Nice. Is it anywhere near Rithet's bog or marsh?
Somehow I get a message about preview no longer being available.
Posted by: Alexander Jablanczy at May 2, 2008 3:54 PM
I don't know the location of those places (but you can use the Google maps link above to check!).
As for the preview, yes, it's a bug from the software upgrade. I haven't sorted it out yet. Might just remove preview altogether, if I have to.
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin at May 2, 2008 3:56 PM
The first picture is just beautiful even with the bluish cast, it adds a mood to the picture. The collage art that could be done with it! I love it! This place looks incredible!
Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Kim at May 2, 2008 5:45 PM
robert frost
american poet wrote
a poem-- the road not taken
do give it a read
i rather like the first picture
the shadowsand the light on the
right side and the white further
down the pathway it draws one into
the picture frost indeed
Posted by: elizabeth a airhart at May 2, 2008 6:07 PM
Very nice photographs today. I do like both. I plan to visit my son and family next summer and I did have the Butchart Gardens on my list of what to see. Now I have Oak Haven Park to add to my wish list.
Thank you,
Margaret-Rae
Posted by: Margaret-Rae Davis at May 2, 2008 6:51 PM
Alexander, the comment preview is now working, I suppose. Not the greatest looking comment preview, but it'll do.
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin at May 2, 2008 9:00 PM
Rithet's bog or marsh must be a stone's throw from the oak forest as it is also in central Saanich, and it is famous for innumerable wetland flora and fauna so it should be a perfect pair of remnant or rehabilitated original ecotype.
Yes it's working.
Posted by: Alexander Jablanczy at May 2, 2008 9:43 PM
both pictures are lovely....waiting for the right time...waiting for the right light...for 1/400th of a second..beauty is in every second...this scene... next week...with young lush green leaves...another 1/400th of a second...
Posted by: phillip at May 4, 2008 3:03 PM
How i want to fly down that trail on my mountain bike! In a respectful way, of course. ;->
Posted by: J at May 5, 2008 5:10 AM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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I actually prefer the first photo without the sun. It seems to have more contrast, although slightly on the blue side. Photoshop could really make this photo even better. I like the moss.