The awe of a large swatch of fallen leaves perched on pedestals of mud during her woodsy walk near Fairy Lake stopped Raven TerHorst in her tracks.
Fascinated with nature and science, the Port Renfrew resident stopped to inspect and take photos to share online.
A large muddy section of their walk was filled with the leaves which seemed to have the soil eroded away around them, leaving leaf-shaped piles like little hoodoos – the tall, thin spires of rock formed by erosion around a capstone.
“We were taking our lovely dog our for a walk and we were just out at Fairy Lake,” she said. “We were in awe, we just fell upon them. We’re fascinated with nature and science.”
The Dec. 17 find was a first for TerHorst, a regular walker in the area with her husband George and dog Lucy.
The lighting and moment were perfect from her perspective, so she snapped a few photos to share with other nature enthusiasts online.
A member of Field Naturalists of Vancouver Island on Facebook, she posted there seeking some scientific explanation.
“I wanted to see if anyone had any answers on how they were formed because they’re really beautiful. It captures the beauty of nature in an unusual way,” TerHorst said. “It’s not just admiring these beautiful places but it’s respecting and protecting.”
Admin told her the post on the Field Naturalists of Vancouver Island page garnered 250,000 views outside that page and inspired international applications to join.
Described by one online viewer as a “medieval cityscape for beetles and millipedes,” the images inspired 39,000 views in two days, reflecting the public interest in unusual and beautiful sights from nature.
“It was quite amazing. It made me think about how I’m not the only one that’s nerding over nature. I think it’s really awesome,” she said. “It really helps me solidify how much I love Vancouver Island, it’s a special place.”
She has yet to have anyone with an official science background respond – as has Black Press Media despite trying several avenues – but comments have been interesting. She learned someone else saw something similar earlier in the month, but they were short-lived at that time as well.
Many responses rely on weather as the source. The couple was walking just after the morning frost would have dissipated, and precipitation was pretty consistent. Her top current theory is the frosty leaves held the line at the top of the muddy area and rain filtered away the sediment around it.
“They were just frozen in time, it was crazy,” TerHorst said. “I wish I had a real answer.”
