AGM – Hosted by Central Okanagan Naturalists -May 10 – 13, 2012. Registration and details at BC Nature. Mark this on your calendar and get your registration forms in early! NOTE Pretrip to Osoyoos is full and waitlisted.
FGM – 2012 FGM is being co-hosted by Nanoose Naturalists and Arrowsmith Naturalists. Dates are September 27-30th, 2012. This event also should be circled as a no miss event. More info available in the Spring Magazine.
Club Deadlines
Rene Savenye Scholarship- Please apply by April 4, 2012
Camps & Bird Blitz’s
WildResearch Pelagic Trip – April 29, 2012 – Details in BC Nature Skagit Bird Blitz: May 4 through 6th – 2012 Saltspring Camp – June 4-8, 2012 – now full up – wait list in effect Mt. Robson Bird Blitz – June 9 & 10, 2012 Manning Bird Blitz– June 15 – 17th, 2012
Lillooet Camp – Oct. 1-6th, 2012
Great Backyard Bird Count Results
The 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count was the most successful count ever. New checklist records were set this year for 23 states and 6 provinces. Canadians submitted 9800 checklists, a nearly 30% increase from last year’s 7500. To get all of the details – please visit GBBC
website
Issue 22
Date March 2012
The Real Hooded
Merganser
Thank You from Kitimat
Naturalists
Kitimat Valley Naturalists wish to pass on our grateful thank-yous to Nature BC., and the
many member clubs and individuals within who took the time to plead the case of the Kitimat River and Estuary under the threat of an oil superport. Being designated as BC’s 2nd most endangered river system by the River’s Institute can
only help our case in the media and perhaps even before the Joint Review
Process. Your continued support in our battle with Enbridge is so appreciated.KVN Director -Walter Thorne Kitimat
Interesting Sites and articles
Our own Anne Murray – Spotted Owl Article
Say it isn’t so – Birds eating Snot? – Link here
Travelling this Summer? – Stop in at the Penticton Museum – Wild at Heart : A Century of Conservation in the South Okanagan See the Penticton Museum poster here
Amazing Dolphin Rescue – link
Do we have “Dutch Disease” – Link
AGM Registration
Sunny Kelowna – site of our 2012 AGM – Now accepting registration forms. In 2011, both
Williams Lake and Delta Naturalists held a fabulous AGM/FGM (respectively) – the
meeting portion is short and will not have you squirming in your seat to go
outside to play! There are many great outings, speakers and bird watching events
rounded up with a nice wind up banquet. It will be warm enough to camp or
motorhome and the list of accomodation is long for those that prefer
hotel/motel! Details and Registration available on BC Nature Website or Central Okanagan Naturalists
Club website Please note that the Osoyoos pre-trip is now full and waitlisted….early bird got the worm!
Grasslands Reclamation/Restoration Workshop at Clear Sky Centre
Grasslands Reclamation/Restoration Workshop at Clear Sky Centre Tools For Change: A
Holistic Approach – May 5 & 6, 2012 with Biologist and Agrologist Peter
Davidson and Landscape Architect and Environmental Planner, Leslie Lowe.Course includes: • Hands-on practical experience • Rocky Mountain Trench
History •Values of Grasslands • Understanding Biogeoclimatic zones and our
environment •Native Plants and Native Seeding.
Contact or call 250-429-3929 to learn more or register for the early bird price before April 25, 2012.
Permaculture Design Certificate Course at Clear Sky Centre
June 2-15th 2012
This 2 week intensive residential
course will be taught by one of Canada’s leading permaculture instructors, Jesse
Lemieux of Pacific Permaculture. Permaculture training arms you with the skills
needed to design for sustainability in any situation and climate. Course content
will cover the full extensive 72 hour standard PDC curiculum as laid out in
“Permaculture, A Designers Manual,”(Mollison 1983) and includes permaculture
certification. Join the growing community of permaculture graduates who are
bringing viable green business and sustainable food alternatives to Canada and
the world. Register by April 30th for a $200 early bird discount. Visit www.clearskyfarm.ca/courses for more information.
Sacred Headwaters and Kokish River jointly top BC’s Most Endangered
Rivers List for 2012 – Kitimat, Peace and Kettle Rivers close behind
In the next position is the Kitimat River, threatened by industrial development and
the proposed northern gateway pipeline. The fact this river is so prominent on
this year’s list reflects the widespread concern about the pipeline project that
is being expressed by so many locals, first nations and conservation groups. In
the 3rd spot is the Peace River, threatened by the Site C dam, while the Kettle
River in the Okanagan appears as number 4. “Current issues along the Kettle
River highlight the need to update the Water Act so that fisheries and aquatic
ecosystems are adequately considered when making water allocation decisions”,
noted Angelo.
As one scans this year’s list, the issues and problems
outlined are extensive and diverse, ranging from the importance of pro-actively
protecting productive salmon rivers to ensuring that adequate water management
regulations are in place”, explains Angelo. The list also helps to create a
greater awareness of the various threats that confront our waterways”, he added.
These issues highlight the fact that you cannot separate the health of our fish
stocks from the health of our rivers; they are completely inter-dependent”. Each
year, the Outdoor Recreation Council solicits and reviews nominations for BC’s
Most Endangered Rivers from its member groups, which total close to 100,000
members, as well as from the general public and resource managers from across
BC. For more details, see the endangered rivers backgrounder at this
link
BC’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2012; 1. (tied). Sacred Headwaters
of Skeena, Nass and Stikine (coalbed methane, new mines) 1. (tied) Kokish River
(IPP proposal) 2. Kitimat (industrial development, pipeline proposal) 3. Peace
River (hydro-electric dam proposal) 4. Kettle River (water extraction,
development) 5. Fraser River, “Heart of the Fraser”(urbanization, industrial
development, habitat loss) 6. Taku River (mining development, road proposal,
leachate concerns) 7. Elk River (development, increasing selenium levels,
wildlife migration issues) 8. Big Silver Creek (IPP proposal) 9. Coquitlam River
(excessive sedimentation, urbanization – some progress evident)
The BC Environmental Assessment of the VAFFC Proposal to Deliver
Flammable and Toxic Jet Fuel in Tankers to YVR on the Fraser River is Yet Again
Suspended.
VAPOR* learned that the Vancouver Airport Fuel Facilities Corporation (VAFFC) has again
requested another suspension in its BC Environmental Assessment Office’s (BC
EAO) 180 day environmental assessment of this high risk proposal. This
environmentally irresponsible and hazardous project will send Panamax tankers
full of flammable and toxic jet fuel up the Fraser River’s south arm to supply
the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) with a cheaper supply of offshore jet
fuel. A similar but much smaller proposal by the same corporation in 1988 was
reviewed by a Federal government Public Review Panel and rejected as being of
too great a risk to the Fraser River, its vast estuary and its fish and wildlife
resources after a thorough public review. This latest suspension of the process
could now make this 180 day review process into a multi-year review process as
they attempt to patch up shortcomings in their proposal to make it appear more
palatable to the public. These last two suspensions were requested so as VAFFC
could address some of the complaints raised by VAPOR and the public. VAFFC seems
to see the BC EAO process as an iterative process whereby they can patch up
their proposal as complaints come in. Also as recommended by Environment Canada,
BC EAO has asked for more studies on the deleterious effects of jet fuel on the
biofilm that nourishes many of the Pacific Flyway migratory shorebirds feeding
on the tidal mud flats of the Fraser River Estuary. Thus instead of an outright
rejection this project, BC EAO allows the constant moving of the goal posts to
keep the public confused as to the major objection to their proposal. It is
clearly apparent that the biggest shortcoming has not been addressed in any way,
i.e., the strong opposition by the public, City of Richmond and VAPOR to any
bulk jet fuel tankers entering any arm of the Fraser River or the estuary. BC
EAO must proactively and responsibly protect the river, its abundant fish and
wildlife resources, property and public safety. Also, what has not been
addressed is the impact of the Port Metro Vancouver (PMV) commissioned Tanker
Risk Study that will have a strong bearing on the viability of this VAFFC
project. Plus where is the plan to compensate the fishery for losses when jet
fuel spills do occur in the river? * VAPOR is a Lower Fraser Valley grass roots
community group formed to oppose any jet fuel tanker transport on the Fraser
River and to promote a safer and more secure fuel delivery system to YVR by
means of a land based pipeline fuel delivery system.
Ajax Mine Project – Public Comment Period Extension
The Public Comment Period for Draft Application Information Requirements document
for the proposed Ajax Mine Project will be extended from 60 days to 75 days,
resulting in the closing date for public comments being moved from March 12,
2012 to March 27, 2012. EAO has received numerous comments over the public
comment period, and there continues to be a consistent flow of comments. The
Public Consultation Policy Regulation under the Environmental Assessment Act
outlines that public consultation periods be between 30 and 75 days. We are
extending the period to the maximum amount in the Regulation to help ensure the
public has maximum ability to provide input. The Canadian Environmental
Assessment Agency is not extending their consultation period, but advises that
our extension will not impact the coordinated EA process. View Article
Spending Time Near the Ocean this year? Live near the Ocean? BC
Beached Bird Survey: Call for Volunteers
This winter has been active for British Columbia Beached Bird Surveyors. Several
birds have been found, including gulls, grebes, and many alcids such as Common
Murres, Rhinoceros Auklets, and Tufted Puffins. One of the more unusual beached
birds was a Horned Puffin found in late January near Bamfield, on the west coast
of Vancouver Island. Our colleagues with COASST, who run a sister beached bird
program in the United States, have also had occasional Horned Puffins reported
this year from surveys in Washington and northern Oregon. The BC Beached Bird
Survey is in need of volunteers. This monitoring program involves conducting
monthly beach walks during the last week of the month. Surveyors look for bird
carcasses that have washed up on shore, and for signs of oiling. Although a bit
grim, this information is key to understanding causes of seabird mortality, and
identifying which species are most vulnerable. The results provide important
insights into the impacts of oil spills, fisheries bycatch, and plastics
ingestion in BC’s marine birds. No special skills are required, and we supply
the survey equipment and data forms. We have many vacant beach routes in
Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo-Parksville, and elsewhere. Please email Karen Barry Karen Barry for information or to sign up.
The Beaty Biodiversity Museum at UBC
Birding Bonanza March 10 – May 25, 2012 Discover the amazingly diverse lives of birds
like never before through displays and activities of bird specimens from our
exclusive behind-the-scenes collections.
Interaction March 6 – May 6 , 2012
A photography exhibition exploring diverse interactions between organisms, the
environment, and us. This exhibition highlights interactions that are often too
fast, too slow, too global, or too hidden for us to notice and allows us to
explore them in depth.
The future of Wind Energy in BC – Free Webinar
This free webinar is April 3 @ 12:00 pm (noon) – Although free, you must still
register at this link
“Stop Wasting Our Lakes” campaign by Nature Canada
Alex MacDonald from Nature Canada is the coordinator for this action. As background
I(Fred McMechan) represented BC Nature in a teleconference call recently to be
updated in this campaign. Directors from other provincial naturalist
organizations also participated. Two major topics were covered in this meeting:
1) an update on the new website This website provides background information about
Schedule 2 of the federal Metal Mining Effluent Regulations and this loop-hole
in the Mining Act which is allowing mining companies to use heathy lakes as
tailings impoundment areas. In this website the public is being given an
opportunity to participate in the “Love My Lake Campaign ” and express their
concern about the abuse of this regulation. 2) Allan Casey, author of “Lakeland:
Ballad of Freshwater Country ( 2010 Governor General Award for non-fiction),
participated in the teleconference call. He was asked by Nature Canada to write
an opinion letter about this issue and he accepted the invitation. Last week his
letter was released to the public. It was published in the online newsletter,
“The Tyee” Friday of last week. You can read the letter by going to the website The title of the letter is”Lake Killing Made Easy”
Enbridge Updates and articles
1) Greenpeace blog on Enbridge lobbying Federal Gov’t – link
2) As a follow up to the Greenpeace blog
above, please visit this site and add your name to the petition regarding
the government attempts to “Protecting our Fisheries”
To remove your name from our mailing list, please contact the BC Nature Office email us here Questions or comments? Contact us via E-mail us at BC Nature
To celebrate our 60th anniversary we invite you to come for a guided stroll on the Courtenay Riverway Heritage Walk with a member of Comox Valley Nature on April 24, 10 am -noon. Learn about the history of this area, including how the former sewage lagoon has become one of the most popular walking spots in the Comox Valley. Check out the restoration work that has replaced invasive plant species and added more native plants, shrubs and trees that is being done by Comox Valley Nature in partnership with the City of Courtenay. Hear why invasive plant species are so damaging to the ecosystems. Enjoy the view from the "lookout" over the estuary and be reminded how important the estuary is to the web of life.REGISTRATION required on our events page cvnature.ca/events An easy 1 km walk on a wheelchair accessible paved path. Dress for the weather and bring a water bottle Sorry, no dogs. This event is free, but donations are welcome.For more information, add your name to a wait list or to cancel your reservation email: . ... See MoreSee Less
To celebrate our 60th anniversary Comox Valley Nature is offering this opportunity to get together with knowledgeable birders to share skills and learn more about birding in the Comox Valley.This outing is designed for beginners, but birders of all levels are welcome. Experienced birders will help with identifying species, equipment, useful apps, and field guides. Both CVN members and the public are welcome on this walk at the Courtenay Airpark which will be on a wide smooth pathway for about 2km round trip. Bring binoculars if you have them. Dress for the weather. Warm clothing necessary – it’s often windy there! Please leave pets at home.Register through our events page at This event is free. Donations welcome.#birding#comoxvalley#iba#courtenay airpark ... See MoreSee Less
To celebrate our 60th anniversary we offer this opportunity to learn more about Garry oaks in the Comox Valley.Vanier Nature Park is home to a small grove of Garry oak trees which is being stewarded by Comox Valley Nature. These oaks are at the northern extent of their range, and are a remnant of a culturally modified ecosystem that once covered 160 square kilometres in the Comox ValleyThis walk will be lead by Geologist Bob Hauser and Forester Terry Lewis. They have spent many hours in the park removing invasive holly. Terry and Bob will look at the work in progress in the grove and share their unique perspective on this forest, with a focus on soil science and tree species.The Vanier Nature Park project is being co-managed by Comox Valley Nature and the City of Courtenay with funding from the City of Courtenay, BC Nature and the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. Registration required through The walk is partially on level ground with some gentle to moderate uphill walking on a forest trail that has some uneven footing. No dogs please.For more information, to add your name to a wait list or to cancel your reservation, email: Details of the meeting place will be sent to registrants. Please be at the meeting spot at least 10 minutes before the walk starts to sign in. ... See MoreSee Less
To celebrate our 60th anniversary we invite you to come for a guided stroll on the Courtenay Riverway Heritage Walk with a member of Comox Valley Nature on April 24, 10 am -noon. Learn about the history of this area, including how the former sewage lagoon has become one of the most popular walking spots in the Comox Valley. Check out the restoration work that has replaced invasive plant species and added more native plants, shrubs and trees that is being done by Comox Valley Nature in partnership with the City of Courtenay. Hear why invasive plant species are so damaging to the ecosystems. Enjoy the view from the "lookout" over the estuary and be reminded how important the estuary is to the web of life.