Silver in the forest

Have you ever seen ferns when you’ve been out for a walk?

Ferns are plants with lush fronds (almost like leafy feathers) that branch out from a stalk. Instead of flowers or seeds, ferns reproduce using tiny spores. They are among the most ancient of plants: their ancestors evolved over 350 million years ago. That was way before the dinosaurs, even!

 

Nowadays, there are about 12,000 species of ferns. These plants can be found all over the world.

They tend to like mild climates and damp, shady places. That explains why there are lots of ferns in the rainforest of British Columbia’s coast, where I grew up.

 

I was happy to learn that there are many native species of ferns in New Zealand. One of the best-known is called the silver fern. Its Maori name is “Kaponga,” or “Ponga.”

When I met Glenda in New Zealand, she showed me how the silver fern gets its name: the underside of its fronds is very light in colour.

Silver ferns are an important symbol of New Zealand. The spiral of young fern fronds can be seen in Maori art. The silver fern also appears on New Zealand’s coat of arms, in the logos for many organizations, and in trademarks. Sports teams have used the silver fern as a symbol since 1888.

I saw this flag a lot when I visited the North Island. It is the symbol of the All Blacks, the men’s national rugby union team. The All Blacks had just won the Rugby World Cup!

Rugby union is an exciting kind of football that was invented by a boy named William Webb Ellis in 1823. He was a student at a school in England that happened to be named Rugby.

The Rugby World Cup has been held every four years since 1987.

Nearly 100 rugby teams from all over the world competed in regional qualifying tournaments. By September, 2011, winning teams from just 20 countries travelled to New Zealand to compete in the final series of games at stadiums all around the country. And on October 23^rd, 2011, the New Zealand All Blacks defeated France to win the Webb Ellis Cup!

The silver fern is a proud symbol indeed. 

It is also a very beautiful one. Look, here’s a very pretty take on the silver fern --  happy holidays, everyone!

Photos and story © S. Clouthier