Blue Camas in Mitlenatch Island Nature Park, BC

I took this photo in mid-May when we have a field trip with Malaspina Naturalists from Powell River. Mitlenatch, which means “calm waters all around” in the Coast Salish language, is a small rocky island that features semi-arid conditions caused by the island’s location in the “rain shadow” of Vancouver Island. The park receives less than 75 cm (30 inches) of rain each year – about half the Campbell River average. Rain-bearing clouds pass eastward from the Pacific Ocean and drop much of their moisture on Vancouver Island. Traditionally, Mitlenatch was used by First Nations for foraging and gathering, including egg collecting, camas harvesting, and fishing. Traditional fishing weirs can still be seen during low tide in Camp Bay.