story and photos by Scottee Giles –
Three moms who had been friends since the baby years, five kids now school age, and two laid-back dogs were the perfect recipe for a joyful winter solstice walk on a cold but sunny afternoon. The duck pond at Green Park was our destination. We pulled over near a sign indicating that the area had been restored by the Friends of North Saanich Parks.
After bundling up in toques and gloves we headed into the trees, a startled jay squawking in indignation and fleeing from the bushes at the sound of our boisterous chatter.
A lively little brook followed a wide trail that was carpeted in fallen red cedar needles and lined with salal, mahonia and wild rose. The conifers surrounding us were mixed with arbutus and the slender bare branches of alder, willow, maple and birch. Boots are a must in the winter here as several open grassy areas become saturated with rain.
The beautiful mallards and bufflehead ducks hanging out at the pond paddled toward us curiously and we stopped to watch their preening and dipping. A picnic table near the water’s edge was a handy place to stop for a snack, catch up on each other’s news, trade holiday gift ideas, and laugh about our kids’ antics while they ran around exploring nature.
Continuing on through the woods we spotted clusters of honey mushrooms, white snowberries scattered on the dirt and a foraging deer. We wound our way around a couple more kilometres of the trail network before thoughts of warm apple cider turned us towards home, ears ringing from the younger cohort’s shouty rendition of Frosty the Snowman, and hearts full of friendship.
Things to Note
- Get here from Land Ends Road via West Saanich Road or Highway 17
- There is limited roadside parking on Greenpark Drive, Larkspur Lane, Salal Place, and Cardinal Close – please respect private property
- Bread is not good for ducks because it has little nutritional value and prevents them from eating their normal diet of plants, fish and insects.
- Some farm supply stores and places like Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary sell bags of specially-formulated duck food which is a healthier option
- There are no washrooms at Green Park or nearby
- Trails are accessible but steep in places and may be flooded during the rainy season