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Nature’s Artworks : Bracket Fungus
The forests of Haida Gwaii, off the northwestern coast of Canada’s British Columbia, are magical. It is easy to imagine mythical creatures making their homes here. This bracket fungus I found while walking the Dover Loop Trail on Moresby Island might be the same type that – according to Haida origin stories – is integral to the very creation of humanity.
Haida Gwaii, an archipelago off the northwestern coast of Canada’s British Columbia (BC), is a land of tall trees.
And stories.
The more I walked through the quiet and magical woods, and the more I learned about the mythical stories that originate here, the more enchanted I became. Haida Gwaii truly got under my skin!
This ancient landscape of old-growth spruce and cedar forest has been home to the Haida people for more than 13,000 years. And, according to their origin stories, their cultural ties to the land go back even further.
Haida Gwaii has many walking trails – but very few roads. I was based in the main town of Daajing Giids on the main northern landmass: Graham Island. Thanks to a local tourist map, I planned a program of hikes for myself that didn’t require camping to complete them, or a four-wheel drive to reach them. Even so, I’m not sure if the car-rental company would have approved the number of kilometres I drove on unsealed roads!
On this particular late-spring day, the car and I had crossed the Skidegate Channel to access Moresby Island to the south (see: Birds and Boats). My intention, after finding some lunch, was to access the moderately-rated Dover Creek Trail. The tracks go by a number names, with AllTrails referring to a 3.4 km (2.1 mi) loop they call the Louise Dover Trail. I followed a similar route, but recorded 5.5 km (3.4 mi) – so I’m not sure where we diverged.
In any event, it was finding magical-looking bracket fungus (polypores) on this path that led me to the story of the all-important Fungus Man.
Fungus Man was a friend of Raven, and together they created the world as we know it.
We have met Raven before (see: Stories in the Rocks and Trees). He is one of the most powerful creatures in Haida mythology, and is frequently described as a “trickster”. Raven is a cultural hero, and can be a magician, a transformer, and a potent creative force. He embodies both beneficial and selfish desires, and many of his stories are cautionary tales.
In this particular legend, however, he is seeking to create humans.
To do this, Raven needs to capture female genitalia from some distant shore. Raven’s attempts to do this have failed, as neither he nor other creatures who have tried to help him have had sufficient supernatural power to enter the region. Only Fungus Man, who paddles a canoe while Raven rides in the bow holding a spear, can overcome the spiritual barriers protecting the area.
As with all myths, there are elements of complex realities in this tale. Like many other scientists, author and mycologist Lawrence Millman suggests that we do owe our existence as we know it to the fungi, and uses the Fungus Man story as an illustration (see: Meet Fungus Man).
I was happy to wander through the woods and enjoy their beauty – without worrying too much about their biological or existential origins.
Join me for some short walks.
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Into the Woods
The trees rise tall all around, and the ground is soft and quiet underfoot.
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Dover Trail
This track is named for Louise Dover, a local woman of Haida ancestry.
Waterway in the Woods
Sometimes called the Haans Creek Loop, part of the trail meanders along the creek. In the right season, salmon spawn in these waters.
Ferns at the Base
Everything is moist and dimly lit; ferns thrive here.
Greenery on the Creek
These lands are part of the Damaxyaa Heritage Site, and are protected under the BC Provincial Parks.
Trail Marker
As part of the BC Parks reconciliation action plan, some of the trail markers were designed by renowned Haida artist Ben Davidson (1976–2020).
Like Faerie Steps up the Tree Trunk
Bracket fungi, also known as shelf or polypore fungi, grow on the trunks and branches of both dead and living trees.
More Bracket Fungi
I was fascinated by these tough fungi. One story tells how Raven animated a bracket fungus by drawing a design on it, thereby creating Fungus Man.
In the Trees
Textures in a Mossy Trunk
The forest here is a mix of cedar, spruce, and hemlock; I think this is cedar, but I’m never sure!
One-Flowered Pyrola – Moneses Uniflora
Droplets on a Bracket Fungus
It’s early afternoon, but there is still moisture on this polypore.
Under the Shelf Fungus
Rotting Stump
The cycle of life continues, with mosses, ferns, and saplings rising out of rotting stumps and leaf litter.
Light and Dark
The afternoon sun shines through the old man’s beard (Alectoria sarmentosa) and the sound of the creek rings through the fresh air.
Rough Trunks
Tall Trees
Later in the day, on my way back to the ferry, I stopped at the short Onward Point Trail which leads through more ferns in the spruce and cedar forest.
Onward Point Trail Viewing Site
There is a cedar gazebo here, where you can sit and look over Skidegate Inlet. The site is known for birds, seals, and even whales; it was all quiet while I was there.
Ferns at Onward Point
I contented myself with appreciating the light in the ferns …
Rocks Below
… and the waves over the seaweed.
When the Evening Ferry Leaves Without You …
I was at the Kwuna ferry landing in good time, but there were too many cars in front of me! Thankfully, it wasn’t the last ferry of the day, and I had water in my car and an ibook on my phone! (iPhone12Pro)
Evening over the Islands
Finally, an hour and a half later, it was my turn to cross Skidegate Inlet, back to my base on Graham Island.
The late-spring evening was still light when I got back to my room – and even better: the local restaurants were still open.
I was able to reflect on the day’s explorations over a glass of wine and a meal of homemade tagliatelle with local cremini mushrooms.
Just perfect!
Photos : 14June2022
