Community Articles (listed by posting date)
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General News · 19th September 2026
Dan Tucker
This time last year, a crew of 11 enthusiastic expert naturalists from the B.C. Biodiversity Program at UVic Environmental Studies, led by Cortes Moss Man Dan Tucker, ventured into the wilds of Cortes Island’s northern peninsula to document its biodiversity. We were joined by knowledgeable local experts Sabina and Dennis Mense (Cortes WILD community partnership) and Mike Moore (Friends of Cortes Island, FOCI).
This bioblitz was funded by the Canadian Wildlife Federation as part of their Great Canadian Bioblitz program.
Situated at the transition between two distinct biogeoclimatic zones, Cortes Island is home to globally rare coastal temperate rainforest, interspersed with rocky shoreline and dry, sub-Mediterranean coastal bluffs. These bluffs support species that reach the northernmost extent of their range on the continent.
Prior to this bioblitz, fewer than 10,000 iNaturalist observations had been recorded for the entire island, and the water-access-only Northern Peninsula had fewer than 500 observations. We have much to learn about this mysterious and largely inaccessible part of the island!
Guided by sensitive ecosystem mapping from the Discovery Islands Ecosystem Mapping project, the team travelled by sailboat from Gorge Harbour, prioritizing three main locations: Cork Lake, the drainage from Wiley Lake to Von Donop Inlet, and a ridge-top wetland.
Despite an atmospheric river and extremely soggy weather, the crew had a blast and made many interesting discoveries! Over three days of surveying, the team made 3,180 observations representing 743 species of plants, animals, and fungi. Dozens of species were new records for our species lists, and several of the finds were of national and potentially global significance.
In addition to observations on the community science platform iNaturalist, several members of the team collected physical specimens that will be sent to the Beaty Biodiversity Museum in Vancouver to be preserved in perpetuity. Among these were many fungi collected as part of MycoMap BC.
MycoMap BC
MycoMap is a community science project mapping fungal biodiversity in British Columbia using iNaturalist, DNA barcoding, and specimen vouchering. Anyone can participate!
Elora Adamson, coordinator of MycoMap, joined us on the bioblitz and, along with several others, made some amazing fungal finds. This growing dataset provides important information for researchers investigating fungal diversity and potentially discovering new species, as well as for conservationists and land managers working to understand fungal distributions across B.C.
We found a remarkable diversity of fungi. Of the 187 collections made during the trip, 94 were identified as described species, while an additional 36 represent “potential species” currently known only from DNA barcodes. Six of the mushrooms collected during the trip resulted in the generation of new DNA barcodes, meaning they contained genetic sequences not previously represented in the available databases. These are novel contributions to our understanding of global fungal biodiversity!
Contact me at dbltuckeruvic.ca if you’d like to see the full fungi report.
Some of our favourite and significant finds
Wandering Salamander — a first record for Cortes Island!
These salamanders are known from neighbouring Marina Island, but had evaded biologists on Cortes for decades!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/318535268
A new springtail record for Canada
Found by Pete Lypkie, these tiny invertebrates live in moss patches and soils and are often overlooked. Pete was our resident springtail whisperer, spending many hours rustling through grasses and combing through mosses in search of these little guys.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/317899462
A new powdery mildew species for Canada
Team member Abby Hyde and mildew enthusiast (who isn't?) discovered a curious powdery mildew growing on the leaves of oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor). Powdery mildews are often highly host-specific, and this particular species had never been documented on oceanspray in Canada!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/318141460
A beautiful and rare fly: Paracantha genalis
Affectionately dubbed the “Space Fly” by the team for its intergalactic spaceship vibes, Paracantha genalis appears to have very few records. Another wonderfully strange and fascinating discovery from the northern peninsula!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/317890535
Cystoagaricus hirtosquamulosus — an iNaturalist first mushroom for Western North America
This collection marked the first iNaturalist record of Cystoagaricus hirtosquamulosus for Western North America. Only a handful of other records exist, all from a single location in Washington. Another example of how little we know about the fungal diversity of this region!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/317637033
Gymnopilus punctifolius — an old-growth associate mushroom
This mushroom is particularly interesting because it is noted as rarely occurring outside of old-growth forests. Although it is readily identifiable, there are only 38 observations of Gymnopilus punctifolius in British Columbia on iNaturalist, making this a noteworthy addition to our understanding of its distribution in the province.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/318535109
Lentoporia carbonica — a B.C. first fungus
This crust fungus would not have been easily identifiable without DNA barcoding, but genetic analysis revealed that it represented a first iNaturalist record for British Columbia. This is especially noteworthy because the B.C. Conservation Data Centre lists Lentoporia carbonica as vulnerable. Discoveries like this highlight how DNA barcoding can reveal species that might otherwise go unnoticed in biodiversity surveys.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/317701325
For a full list of what we found check out our iNaturalist project:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/cortes-island-2025-northern-wilds-bioblitz
So much more to discover
The northern wilds of Cortes Island are a special place for all kinds of life. The team barely scratched the surface during our three-day bioblitz. Much of these habitats and ecosystems remain under-surveyed and unprotected.
If you’re feeling inspired to get out and document biodiversity on Cortes, and want help getting set up with iNaturalist, or if you’d like to collect fungi for MycoMap, feel free to email me. I’d be happy to help you get started!
Dan Tucker
This bioblitz was funded by the Canadian Wildlife Federation as part of their Great Canadian Bioblitz program.
Situated at the transition between two distinct biogeoclimatic zones, Cortes Island is home to globally rare coastal temperate rainforest, interspersed with rocky shoreline and dry, sub-Mediterranean coastal bluffs. These bluffs support species that reach the northernmost extent of their range on the continent.
Prior to this bioblitz, fewer than 10,000 iNaturalist observations had been recorded for the entire island, and the water-access-only Northern Peninsula had fewer than 500 observations. We have much to learn about this mysterious and largely inaccessible part of the island!
Guided by sensitive ecosystem mapping from the Discovery Islands Ecosystem Mapping project, the team travelled by sailboat from Gorge Harbour, prioritizing three main locations: Cork Lake, the drainage from Wiley Lake to Von Donop Inlet, and a ridge-top wetland.
Despite an atmospheric river and extremely soggy weather, the crew had a blast and made many interesting discoveries! Over three days of surveying, the team made 3,180 observations representing 743 species of plants, animals, and fungi. Dozens of species were new records for our species lists, and several of the finds were of national and potentially global significance.
In addition to observations on the community science platform iNaturalist, several members of the team collected physical specimens that will be sent to the Beaty Biodiversity Museum in Vancouver to be preserved in perpetuity. Among these were many fungi collected as part of MycoMap BC.
MycoMap BC
MycoMap is a community science project mapping fungal biodiversity in British Columbia using iNaturalist, DNA barcoding, and specimen vouchering. Anyone can participate!
Elora Adamson, coordinator of MycoMap, joined us on the bioblitz and, along with several others, made some amazing fungal finds. This growing dataset provides important information for researchers investigating fungal diversity and potentially discovering new species, as well as for conservationists and land managers working to understand fungal distributions across B.C.
We found a remarkable diversity of fungi. Of the 187 collections made during the trip, 94 were identified as described species, while an additional 36 represent “potential species” currently known only from DNA barcodes. Six of the mushrooms collected during the trip resulted in the generation of new DNA barcodes, meaning they contained genetic sequences not previously represented in the available databases. These are novel contributions to our understanding of global fungal biodiversity!
Contact me at dbltuckeruvic.ca if you’d like to see the full fungi report.
Some of our favourite and significant finds
Wandering Salamander — a first record for Cortes Island!
These salamanders are known from neighbouring Marina Island, but had evaded biologists on Cortes for decades!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/318535268
A new springtail record for Canada
Found by Pete Lypkie, these tiny invertebrates live in moss patches and soils and are often overlooked. Pete was our resident springtail whisperer, spending many hours rustling through grasses and combing through mosses in search of these little guys.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/317899462
A new powdery mildew species for Canada
Team member Abby Hyde and mildew enthusiast (who isn't?) discovered a curious powdery mildew growing on the leaves of oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor). Powdery mildews are often highly host-specific, and this particular species had never been documented on oceanspray in Canada!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/318141460
A beautiful and rare fly: Paracantha genalis
Affectionately dubbed the “Space Fly” by the team for its intergalactic spaceship vibes, Paracantha genalis appears to have very few records. Another wonderfully strange and fascinating discovery from the northern peninsula!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/317890535
Cystoagaricus hirtosquamulosus — an iNaturalist first mushroom for Western North America
This collection marked the first iNaturalist record of Cystoagaricus hirtosquamulosus for Western North America. Only a handful of other records exist, all from a single location in Washington. Another example of how little we know about the fungal diversity of this region!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/317637033
Gymnopilus punctifolius — an old-growth associate mushroom
This mushroom is particularly interesting because it is noted as rarely occurring outside of old-growth forests. Although it is readily identifiable, there are only 38 observations of Gymnopilus punctifolius in British Columbia on iNaturalist, making this a noteworthy addition to our understanding of its distribution in the province.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/318535109
Lentoporia carbonica — a B.C. first fungus
This crust fungus would not have been easily identifiable without DNA barcoding, but genetic analysis revealed that it represented a first iNaturalist record for British Columbia. This is especially noteworthy because the B.C. Conservation Data Centre lists Lentoporia carbonica as vulnerable. Discoveries like this highlight how DNA barcoding can reveal species that might otherwise go unnoticed in biodiversity surveys.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/317701325
For a full list of what we found check out our iNaturalist project:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/cortes-island-2025-northern-wilds-bioblitz
So much more to discover
The northern wilds of Cortes Island are a special place for all kinds of life. The team barely scratched the surface during our three-day bioblitz. Much of these habitats and ecosystems remain under-surveyed and unprotected.
If you’re feeling inspired to get out and document biodiversity on Cortes, and want help getting set up with iNaturalist, or if you’d like to collect fungi for MycoMap, feel free to email me. I’d be happy to help you get started!
Dan Tucker
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Enroute to the north!
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Good moss ona good rock
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Space fly!