1 | Vancouver Island Nature Viewing Region | ||
|---|---|---|---|
2 | Comox Valley Area | ||
3 | Cumberland Marsh and Community Forest, Cumberland | ||
4 |  |  |  |
5 | Cassin's Vireo: Bill Heybroek drawing | Cumberland Marsh: Krista Kaptein photo | Wood Duck: Terry Thormin photo |
6 | Spherical Panorama | ||
7 | Photo Gallery | ||
8 | Large freshwater marshes and forested areas provide Cumberland Marsh with a rich and diverse habitat for plant and bird life. Once the site of Cumberland’s historic Chinatown, the area is now comprised of the 40-hectare Coal Creek Historic Park and the 60-hectare Community Forest. A walk along the marsh trail reveals the presence of beaver activity, the seasonal appearance of dragonflies and butterflies, as well as the possibility of seeing a Black Bear. Nesting Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Wood Ducks and Canada Geese are in the area at various times of the year. Wetland areas feature a profusion of cattails and water lilies, while wild ginger, black twinberry, red osier dogwood and other shrubs and plants can be found among the Douglas-fir, redcedar and yew trees of the Cumberland Forest. | ||
9 | Comox Valley Naturalists Society | ||
10 | Site Map | ||
11 | Geographical Description | Marsh and woods east of Comox Lake. Cumberland Marsh drains into Perseverance (Coal) Creek, then westward to Comox Lake; wetlands by Community Forest drain east into the Trent River system. Interconnective drainage between the wetlands. | |
12 | Area/ Trail Length | 40 ha. Coal Creek Historic Park; .8 km (one-way) trail from Jumbo’s Cabin to Japanese #1 Town site; 60 ha Cumberland Community Forest; 1.2 km (one-way) trail from Jumbo’s Cabin to Sutton Rd. Marsh: flat trails, coal slack hills at west end. Forest: some hills, bridges. | |
13 | Habitat | Freshwater marsh, 2nd growth forest, meadow at Chinatown site, revegetating coal slack hills. | |
14 | Highlights | Extensive freshwater marshes; Beaver activity; nesting sapsuckers, Wood Ducks, Canada Geese in spring; yew trees; wild ginger in spring; ethnobotanical plants. | |
15 | Best Season | Spring for forest flowers & nesting birds, autumn for bears. | |
16 | Main Access | Parking below Jumbo’s Cabin at 2425 Comox Lake Road,Cumberland. (across from west end of Dunsmuir Ave) | |
20 | Secondary Accesses | South end of Sutton Rd at Comox Lake Rd (parking 2 blocks north at CRI 2665 Dunsmuir); .77 km west from Jumbo’s Cabin along Comox Lake Rd. | |
21 | Cautions | Marsh trail may be wet; Bridges in forest may be slippery when wet; Off-road vehicles occasionally on coal hills. | |
22 | Jurisdiction | Village of Cumberland. | |
23 | Mammals | Beaver, Black-tailed Deer, Black Bear. | |
24 | Birds | Wood Duck , Mallard , Common Loon , Bald Eagle ,Virginia Rail, Rufous Hummingbird , Red-breasted Sapsucker , Downy Woodpecker , Olive-sided Flycatcher , Hammond's Flycatcher , Cassin's Vireo , Warbling Vireo , Steller's Jay , Common Raven, Violet-green Swallow , Pacific Wren , Marsh Wren , Golden-crowned Kinglet , Hermit Thrush , American Robin , Varied Thrush, European Starling , Orange-crowned Warbler , Yellow-rumped Warbler , Townsend's Warbler , Common Yellowthroat, Spotted Towhee , Song Sparrow , Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) , Western Tanager , Black-headed Grosbeak , Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird , Purple Finch , Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, Belted Kingfisher. | |
25 | Bird List | ||
26 | Reptiles | ||
27 | Amphibians | Pacific tree frog. | |
28 | Fish | Coho salmon, cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden, sculpin in Perseverance Creek. | |
29 | Insects | Butterfly List for Cumberland Marsh | |
30 | Trees | Pacific ninebark, red-osier dogwood, cascara; bigleaf maple, black cottonwood, red alder, Pacific crab apple, willow sp. Forest: western hemlock, Douglas-fir, western redcedar, western yew, red alder, bitter cherry, Douglas maple. | |
31 | Shrubs | Black twinberry, hardhack. Forest: Oregon grape, red huckleberry, salal, salmonberry, kinnikkinnick, Saskatoon, red elderberry. | |
32 | Flowering Plants | Cattail, water lily, skunk cabbage, sundew in marsh. Forest: Bleeding heart, trillium, palmate coltsfoot, cleavers, wood violet, mint, vanilla leaf. | |
33 | Ferns, Lichens, Mosses | Bracken fern, sword fern, deer fern, licorice fern. Step moss, lungwort, beard lichens, pelt lichens, Ramalina sp. | |
34 | Lichen List for Cumberland Forest | ||
35 | Other Species | Witches broom (parasitic on Douglas-fir) | |
36 | Plant List | ||
37 | Invasive/ Non- native species | Invasive: Scotch broom, Himalayan raspberry, knotweed sp., periwinkle. Non-native: forget-me-not, plum & apple trees from mining settlements. Ethnobotanical non-natives: horseradish, goutweed, Fuki (Petasites japonicus) Bullfrog; painted turtle, red slider turtle. Black slug. | |
38 | Mushrooms | False morel (brain mushroom) | |
39 | Geology | Low marsh areas are glacial sluices, higher ground e.g. Comox Lake Rd is an esker. Bituminous coal deposits. | |
40 | Regulations | Mountain bikes use trails. No ATVs on trails. | |
41 | Facilities | Parking areas; Picnic shelter; picnic tables; Occasional benches; interpretive signs; historic signs. | |
42 | Other Features | Historic artefacts from townsites & mining activities; Informal disc golf course at Chinatown site (former shooting range of Fish & Game club); 31 commemorative Japanese cherry trees planted at #1 Japanese townsite. | |
43 | Other Connections | Forest trails connect with Cumberland mountain bike trails; Approx. 1.6 km west from Japanese townsite to Comox Lake. | |
45 | FMI | Cumberland Community Forest Society | |
47 | Cumberland Museum | ||
48 | Cumberland Mountain Bike & Trail Map | ||
49 | Perseverance Creek Mapping and Inventory Project pdf | ||
50 | Perseverance Creek Wetlands Map pdf | ||
51 | eBird Hotspot | ||
53 | © 2011-2023 Comox Valley Naturalists Society | ||