Pojar MacKinnon (Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast)
This towering conifer, known for its fragrant wood, is the official tree of British Columbia.
What is the Western Red Cedar?
This Spanish word means "hello" and is often the first word tourists learn
Hola
This fruit is often picked in BC during June and July and pairs well with whipped cream or goat cheese.
What are strawberries?
This common and naturally occurring weather condition can turn a small campfire into a rapidly spreading wildfire by carrying embers long distances.
What is wind?
In BC, my first paycheque came from this North Vancouver-founded restaurant chain where Avery also worked and which is famous for a menu item called the Dragon Bowl.
What is Brown's Socialhouse?
Bright green (or grey and crusty), hanging from tree branches, this plant is often nicknamed “old man’s beard.”
What is lichen?
This Spanish word means "beach," a destination many Canadians seek during winter vacations.
What is playa?
This sweet stone fruit is at its peak during the summer months and is associated with cobblers
What are peaches?
During BC summers, officials often warn that this condition in vegetation increases wildfire risk because plants and forests contain very little moisture.
What is drought?
My first job after university connected me personally to this 2012 viral video campaign by Invisible Children about a Ugandan Warlord, which became one of the most-watched advocacy videos in YouTube history
What is Kony 2012?
This broad-leaved tree is easily recognized by its distinctive white bark, which often peels in thin papery layers.
What is birch?
This phrase means "Where is the bathroom?" and may become important when you least expect it
¿Dónde está el baño?"?
This small berry is one of BC's top agricultural exports and is often picked during July and August.
What are blueberries?
This natural event causes many wildfires in remote parts of British Columbia each year
What is lightning?
Before the recent interest in its rich rare-earth metal deposits from the Trump Administration, I wrote my master's thesis about this massive Arctic island.
What is Greenland?
Found along BC's coast, this Mediterranean tree is famous for its red-orange peeling bark and twisted shape.
What is the Arbutus tree?
This phrase literally means "How much does it cost?" and is useful when shopping at a market.
What is "¿Cuánto cuesta?"?
This fruit is botanically a berry, is harvested across BC from midsummer into early fall, and is considered a highly invasive species.
What is a blackberry?
The combination of high heat, strong wind, and low humidity is often called this type of weather because it increases wildfire danger
What is fire weather?
This capital city, known as the "Paris of the Middle East," is where I was working when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
What is Beirut?
One of the few deciduous conifers in British Columbia, this tree sheds its needles every autumn after turning a brilliant gold.
What is the larch?
You'd use this phrase to politely ask for a beer at a restaurant.
"Una cerveza, por favor"
This fruit is so important to the Okanagan that several communities hold annual festivals celebrating its harvest.
What are cherries?
In BC, a wildfire burning in the crowns of trees rather than along the forest floor is known as this type of fire.
What is a crown fire?
After driving the Dempster Highway to Canada's northernmost road-accessible community, I celebrated by swimming in the Arctic Ocean here.
What is Tuktoyaktuk?