Village of Telkwa - Things to do

Aspen forest is the home to many kinds of animals. If you look at the smooth bark of the trunk of an Aspen tree, you can see that it has a green colour. Aspen are one of the few types of trees that have a lot of chlorophyll in their bark as well as in their leaves. This allows the bark to make carbohydrates through photosynthesis and is the reason that it is an important food for many animals.

To figure out what was eating the bark, look for teeth marks where the tree bark was peeled. Mice, voles and snowshoe hare leave small teeth scrapes, usually near the base of the tree, while porcupines typically chew large patches at varying heights and will even “girdle” a tree by eating the bark off right around it, eventually killing it. Moose and deer usually leave bare patches with large scrapes between 1 to 3 metres off the ground.

Sometimes male moose and deer will rub their antlers against trees, leaving irregular scrape marks. Some deer will strip bark when they eat it, leaving long narrow scars on the trunk.
With some searching, you may find claw marks of a black bear who had climbed a tree for a safe escape.

In some trees, you might see what looks like a pattern of small holes, the size of sunflower seeds, in the bark. These are the work of a woodpecker called a sapsucker, who drills the holes to let them fill with sticky sap that then catches insects for the woodpecker to collect later.

Near ponds and the river, check sand bars and mud for tracks of animals. Moose, deer, coyotes and even bears often pass through the area unseen except for their tracks. River otters may be seen fishing and playing on the Telkwa River, particularly in the winter.
Look for small holes in the snow that are “breathing” holes left by voles and mice to let fresh air into their winter tunnels. You might see this best in the open fields by the Aldermere townsite. As the snow melts in the spring, the network of grassy tunnels the voles and mice created for their winter life under the snow is left behind.

Telkwa Trails...What to Listen For

In the spring and summer, perhaps the most common sounds are those of the almost 100 species of song birds that nest in these forests. But don’t be fooled - some creatures have songs that may only sound like birds! The night time trill of the northwestern toad has left many people wondering what kind of bird they might be listening to. Also listen for a deep thumping sound like a heartbeat that slowly gets louder and faster. This is the mating and territorial call of the male Ruffed Grouse which can be heard almost anywhere along the trail.

The tapping of woodpeckers is not only their means of catching bugs under the bark of trees, but it is also a way of identifying their territory.

You may hear the lonesome call of loons on Tyhee Lake, or on hot days, the buzzing sound of cicadas —a large insect that sounds like the hum of electrical wires.

In the fall, male moose and deer may be heard grunting and rattling their antlers against trees as they go through the rut, preparing to mate. In some years you may even hear the bugle of an elk on a cool October morning.

Aldermere Anecdotes

The interpretive sign situated at the old Aldermere site gives you the background history of Aldermere’s beginning and it’s ending. The map shows the many buildings and businesses that made up Aldermere at its peak.

The following are human interest anecdotes . . .

Telkwa Trails...What to Look For