Q: When is the best time of the year to see wildflowers at the conservation area?
A: The best time is from early spring to early summer. Blooming wildflowers can be seen by early April peaking in middle to late May. Wildflowers become less abundant by July as conditions become drier into summer.
Q: Where is the best location within the conservation area to see wildflowers?
A: McKenzie is a diverse ecosystem and flowers can be seen throughout the area. However, wildflowers are generally more abundant in the open sunny areas along hillsides. Nonetheless, you will see wildflowers blooming in the thick forested areas depending on the time of year you visit.
Q: What kind of rocks are seen at McKenzie?
A: The most dominant rock type throughout the area is the Newman Lake Gneiss, a metamorphosed granite with big white feldspar crystals. There are rare occurrences of pegmatite, a type of igneous vein intrusion (magma) made of very large (>2 cm) crystals of milky white feldspar, gray quartz, and shiny-silvery muscovite mica.
Q: What types of trees are found at McKenzie Conservation Area?
A: McKenzie has a diverse population of conifers and deciduous trees. Of the conifers, you will Douglas-fir, grand fir, western hemlock, western larch, white pine, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, and western red cedar. The most common deciduous varieties include black cottonwood, aspen, vine maple, alder, ash, and the occasional birch.
This website is the result of a student-based, service-learning project between students in the Spokane Community College Natural Resource Management Program (Fisheries & Wildlife), and the Computer Information Systems (CIS) Department (Software Development, CIS225 class). Many thanks to Kristine Renfro (Natural Resources Management) for her work on flower identification and Meigan Rainey (CIS225) for website development. For questions or comments, contact Andy Buddington (SCC Geology) at andy.buddington@scc.spokane.edu.