Mission Creek Introduction

I live in the hills of upper Rutland close to the mission creek entrance off of Hollywood road. The mission creek trail system became my little oasis where I would retreat to get away from school or home. The mission creek always made me feel like I was on the west coast of Canada instead of in the Okanagan region. The mission creek and the surrounding areas close to the river are extremely fascinating ecological zones.  The Okanagan is filled with tall dry mountains filled with wineries and orchards that all over looks the iconic Okanagan Lake that runs the Okanagan. The Okanagan area is dry and filled with different types of sage and bunch grass that cover the surrounding mountainsides. The upper part to the mission river feels much more like a costal climate area then the dry typical Okanagan landscape. You are submerged in dense trees that over hang the trail and the river. The vegetation still has colour and has not been dried out from the warm climate. The river starts above in the Greystoke mountain range at Mission Lake (Mission Creek Greenway 2009:1). It then flows all the way down to the Okanagan Lake running through many communities in Kelowna. I spent most of time exploring from the entrance off Hollywood road up words towards the Greystoke mountain peaks. I felt the different environmental area of Mission Creek would be a perfect place to start my research project. I started by exploring in the woods next to the trail that runs along the river. I explored beyond the trail and climbed along the riverbank several kilometers up the river. The river and surroundings are filled with so many unique different zones and species. I spent the next month visiting different ecological spots along the river that I wanted to observe and learn more about.

Mission Creek Map

The main entrance is off of Hollywood road. Then I worked my way from that entrance towards the Greystoke mountain range.

This is a map I drew. It is a little more detailed and shows you exactly where everything is.

Low Bush Blueberry Plant and Snake Berry’s

I identified two common berries that I had seen many times before. The first was the blueberry plant that was growing very close to the ground off the trail. Ever since I was a kid I would try to eat the berries I could find close to my house and I learned quickly which ones were good and which were not. The low bush blueberry plant is a bush I see a lot while I am out hiking and exploring in the woods. They are not as tasty as the ones you get from the grocery store but they are still very good. The next berry I found was a small patch of snake berries. They were rapped around a tree growing up the trunk of it. The berry is poisonous and if you eat enough it can kill you. Some animals can eat the berry but they do not like the sour taste. I have seen this berry a lot in thick patches of woods before and new that I should not try it as a snack. (Bert Wilson 2012)

Western Redcedar

I found this tree in the wet area of the mission creek. I did not know that we had this plant in Kelowna but I knew what it was from all the time I had spent on Vancouver Island. Usually on the island the trees are a lot taller and a lot bigger. I remember as a kid trying to climb them. The western redcedar I found was a lot smaller. The trunk of the tree was just starting and it was not much taller then myself. I found out that the redcedar is known for growing in wetland areas like the one I found in mission creek. The trees are very well known for growing in areas that do not get much sunlight. The branches that came off the tree are what I like the most; they are like little fingers with small needles on each one. (British Columbia 2006)

Black Cotton Wood Tree

I found a bunch of black cotton wood trees hanging over the trail and over the river. The one tree I studied was an older one that had been weathered by our climate and was growing in a hillside next to the river. The occasional bird could be seen sitting on the branches. The roots grew right into the bank that was next to the river. The tree was amazing because it offered shade and cover for not only us humans while walking but animals as well. This is just one of the trees that I saw while along the river. I also saw some ponderosa pine trees that were scattered on the more elevated banks of the river.

Sage Grass

Close to where the trail ends there were a couple large fields that were covered in sage. The fields stretched up small hillsides and they looked untouched. The sage grew all over the field. It was an amazing thing to see so much sage and bunch grass that hasn’t been destroyed by us humans. It is awesome to still see large areas that are filled with plants that are native to Kelowna. We do not see many sage grass fields anymore due to the amount development that has occurred over the Okanagan Landscape. (Don Gayton 2010)

Mallard Ducks

I first spotted the ducks in the wet area next to mission creek. There were a couple of them that were just trying to feed on small species in the pond. They had a couple small ponds that they would spend most of their time in. As I walked down the river there were a couple of small mallards with a mother mallard that were in the deeper part of the river just swimming around. I watched the ducks for a little bit and saw them nibbling on small plants that were growing in the small ponds.