HGT Magazine #115 January/February 2022

Letter from the Editor
Glowing with the Flow
By Shellene Patience
Haida Gwaii Trader Values
HOMEGROWN
We proudly serve the unceded
traditional territory of the Haida
Nation along with all those who
live, work and play on Haida
Gwaii. We offer affordable
advertising for all local businesses
and exemplary off-island
businesses whose products and/
or services are in limited, local
supply.
UNITED
Our focus is to build, maintain
and enhance bridges between the
Haida people and fellow islanders
of all ages, genders and income,
between nature and humanity,
and between spirit and ego.
BETTER FOR ALL
We support basic, equitable needs
shared by all, including social
sustainability, clean air,
water and energy, affordable
housing, wellness, and nutritious,
locally produced food.
HGT commits to the Truth and
Reconciliation’s Call to Action #85:
continuing to develop media initiatives
that inform and educate the Canadian
public, and connect the Haida people
and fellow islanders.
Is it just me or are the 2021 comings and
goings a bit of a blur? And poof… now
it’s 2022. Much like last year at this time,
many of the customary “Happy New
Year!” masked and muffled greetings we
publicly share with each other look and
feel strange. Including the word “happy”
feels rather precarious. The traditional
delivery of the “Happy New Year! Whoo
hoo!” wish is more like “Happy New
Year? Umm…” and is often followed with
shoulder shrugs and/or lingering looks of
trepidation.
Happiness - the state of being happy - is
a noun that I am, and always have been
especially fascinated by. I’m fond of joy
and I tend to wear it sincerely on my
sleeve. However, living in and amongst
a multiyear pandemic has admittedly
strained my lighthearted nature - another
statement that many of you can, without
a doubt, substantially relate to.
So, how does one maintain sunniness in
a time of “never going back to normal,”
discombobulated upendedness? (I’d
truly love to hear your thoughts on this.
Seriously, do send an email or write a
letter.)
Many sages of the past and present say:
go within.
Whilst exploring the happiness query, an
audiobook I’ve listened to many times over
is, “The Path Made Clear: Discovering
Your Life’s Direction,” by Oprah Winfrey
(free on YouTube). Throughout the book,
Oprah shares clips of interviews she’s
conducted over the years with many wise
souls. Topics covered include setting
one’s intention, living in service of one’s
calling, and my personal favourite: flow.
“Find your lane,” Oprah says. “Make
space for the flow to show itself. Follow
the natural rhythm of your life and you
will discover a force far greater than
your own.” She goes on to share that, “…
despite the inevitable distractions, when
you find that sweet spot, living your truth
takes on a breathtaking level of intensity.
That is the brilliance
of flow.” Love it. Our
flow’s only cost is the
time and focus it takes
to define and honour
it. And nobody else
need define it for us.
Shellene Patience
Many of you will note the price increase of the HGT Magazine. It has been four years since we
raised any of our rates and as the operational costs have risen considerably, albeit a difficult
decision, it was necessary for our ability to continue providing Haida Gwaii with a top-quality
product. We appreciate your ongoing support. Cheers to 2022 being a year we all connect a
little or a lot to the glow of our own personal flows.
All the best Selena! You will be missed. Moving onwards and upwards
to a new and exciting chapter, thank you, haw’aa Selena Adams for your
many heartfelt contributions to HGT over the past year. Much joy and
success to you, dear one!
Welcome Carol! Introducing Carol Bulford, our newest member of the
HGT team. Carol has accepted the position of Sales Manager and comes
to us with over forty years of business and customer service experience.
She recently moved to Haida Gwaii from Prince Rupert, and in her
words, “living and working here is a dream come true.”
A Naturalist’s Almanac
The Snipe Report
Snipe are the shorebird of the field. It doesn’t seem to
make sense, but it’s true. According to numerous bird
identification books, they are “inconspicuous along grassy
edges of ponds or among muddy stubble in flooded fields,”
not along the shore. But “shorebird” is their classification.
What do we know about snipe? We know they nest in
wet meadows and long grass near water. Many Wilson’s
Snipe, the North American species, nested in Delkatla
Wildlife Sanctuary in the mid-1980’s and could be heard
“winnowing” over Delkatla in summer. That is, they flew
high and, when they dove, the wind riffled through their
tail feathers and created a distinctive “whe-whe-whe”
sound. It was their aerial, territorial dance. While habitat
restoration was critical to Delkatla’s survival as an intertidal
estuary, Wilson’s Snipe was one of the species that, sadly,
lost its nesting grounds. Our surveys out there in the 80’s
showed that four eggs were laid, and after ten to fifteen
days of gestation four chicks ran away from their nest
only about forty eight hours from when they hatched.
They are precocial (meaning they can move around on
their own shortly after hatching), unlike songbird chicks,
which remain in the nest for a few weeks, depending on
the species.
Snipe don’t usually spend the winter in large numbers here,
however during the 2019 Christmas Bird Count we counted
Article and Photos by Margo Hearne
The damp and difficult terrain of the Wilson’s Snipe
ninety-six. Exceptional. There have been years when we
were lucky to even see one. Perhaps the mild weather and
constant winter storms that year drew them in. The high
water also helped to create perfect conditions for them.
Wilson’s Snipe are really hard to see. They feed in the
late evening and are very secretive. Little is known of
their history as they don’t wander around in the open
waiting to be photographed, but hide in the long sedge
grass until almost stepped upon. Then they take off with a
harsh “scresh” and dart away, zig-zagging low and landing
quickly somewhere else. Then they run and hide until
almost underfoot again. It can be startling, especially when
one is creeping along trying to get a photo of a rare bird.
Snipe have a really long bill and very short legs. They have
sharply delineated white stripes along the back which
contrasts clearly with their brown feathering. During fall
and winter they are sometimes seen in town probing with
their long bill through the soft moss of what was once a
grassy lawn. This suits the bird, who eats earthworms,
crane fly larva, beetles and other bugs, so they are to be
encouraged if seen in your yard. They have come from
somewhere else, and their high numbers attest to their
ability to survive in damp and difficult terrain.
Wilson’s Snipe in its favourite habitat
4 HG January / February 2022 5