And there are many natural areas to enjoy a walk around Regina Beach where Lister lives.
The moment the weather warms, she’s out as often as she can be. It’s a yearly ritual that she looks forward to just as much as waiting for Christmas.
This springtime activity - is looking for the crocus.
Lister says it gives her a sense of sheer joy to find one of Mother Nature’s first signs of spring.
“Besides being a sign of the earth warming up, it also makes me happy to find the flowers in the same locations year after year. It’s a sense of continuity that the land is healthy. It’s also a bit of a challenge finding a field of long dry grass laid down by the snow and discovering hundreds of croci poking through.”
For Lister, crocus hunting is almost like a sport. She heads outdoors on an almost daily basis and walks for miles and miles in search of these resilient but delicate flowers. She calls herself a nature lover, and any chance she gets, she’ll go out on a hike taking along with her a camera.
“I’m excited to find the first bloom, and once I see one, others seem to pop up all around! It’s also special to find the plant as it’s just emerging from the ground and in the early stages when it is a furry bud. As spring progresses, you see the different stages of the flower.”
Lister does not limit her excursions to Kinookimaw or the natural prairie around Regina Beach only. Her crocus hunting takes her places. Springtime finds her in search of this first wildflower all along the valley to places near Craven Lumsden Deer Valley and Fairy Hill and other areas in between.
She’ll often go out alone on these day trips, but as often as possible she invites company.
“It’s fun to go with others on a crocus hunt, especially my grandchildren. It brings me joy to be walking with friends or family, and my companion notices the crocus usually with an exclamation. Oh, look! Another one!”
Other than finding the flower Lister says it’s also satisfying to see others doing the same, especially families out enjoying nature. And during these days of self-distancing, she says this year that feeling of being grateful for spending time on the land is especially sweet.
-Carol Rose GoldenEagle