New Westminster Environmental Almanac (2917 ... - Douglas College

Coastal Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens – a native of northern
California but grows very well in the moist climate of the Lower
Mainland. Coastal Redwoods are even larger than our native
Douglas Fir reaching heights of over 110m and living for more than
2000 years. The tallest recorded tree in the world is a Coastal
Redwood, standing more than twice as high as Niagara Falls at
112m.
Ginkgo biloba – this is the last remaining species of the Ginkgo
genus; there are believed to be no remaining wild stands of Ginkgo
anywhere in the world, but trees were preserved in Chinese and
Japanese temple gardens. It is now widely used in urban settings
because it is resistant to air pollution.
Wildlife in Queens Park includes a number of bird and small mammals.
The most conspicuous residents of the Park are the native Douglas
squirrel and the grey squirrel, which are native to eastern Canada. Coast
moles are also common but not seen as they spend almost their entire
lives underground but leave noticeable mounds of dirt in the lawns.
Other mammals that can be found in Queen’s Park are the raccoon,
coyote, and striped skunk. Bird life in the Park includes Tree Swallows,
Robins, Starlings, Northwestern Crows, and House Finches. If you are
lucky, you may also find pellets from the Great Horned Owl that is
known to occasionally roost in the Park.
Queen’s Park
29
Parks and Greenspaces
Institute of Urban Ecology