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.
Bird Blitz:
May 4 – 6 – Skagit Valley Bird BlitzJune 9 -10 – Robson Bird Blitz
June 15-17 – Manning Park Bird BlitzDon’t know what a bird blitz is? Refer to Page 14 of your Spring BC Nature
Magazine. Looks like lots of fun to be had, with a little education thrown
in!
Our Own Jude Grass – YWCA nominee for Women of Distinction –
Environmental
GREAT NEWS: Our very own Jude Grass is a candidate for the YWCA’s Women of Distinction Award in the Environmental Sustainability Category.
Jude was nominated by Christine Bishop, Wildlife Research Scientist with
Environment Canada, and with BC Nature and Burke Mountain Naturalists providing letters of support. The Awards dinner is scheduled for May 24. You can read more about the award at:this Link
The nominees are also eligible for the Connecting the Community Award where they select a YWCA program area that they wish to promote through social media votes. Jude selected “Healthy Choices for Youth”. If you are able, please vote for Jude online. You can vote each day up to May 24 at this site: this Link
Issue 22
Date April 2012
Interesting Sites and articles
End Your Toxic relationship with cleaners – Link
Club Fundraising – An old fashioned Bottle Drive – check out link A good opportunity to raise some funds for a great club project, save the environment and promote some comaraderie between
club members. Forest Ethicswebsite
Chernobyl Radiation Fells Female Birds, Making Chirping More Frequent from Lonely Males – read the article Vancouver Island Birding group discussions – website For our “Geeks” – new app available link here for your ipads/iphones or any smartphone. Jellyfish population growing – link to article On the lighter side – Jackdaw? sliding bird Some Live Cams – Red Hawk link Great Blue Heron Live Cam Link
A fabulous Site to visit 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!
On going Enbridge Information, articles,updates
Check out some of these links – they may assist you in your presentation, keep you
informed. Warning – not for the faint of heart, but do yell at your monitor – it will help to reduce the frustration!
Earth Matters Article
Vancouver Sun – B.C.’s sovereignty threatened by aggressive push for Enbridge Article
Robyn Allen blog site – There are several article here worth reading!
2012 Funding Requests from the Park Enhancement Fund (PEF)
Connecting with Communities
What is the PEF? The Park Enhancement Fund (PEF) is an account where money is
collected and is to be used for the purpose of enhancing BC Parks. Where does PEF get its funding from? The account can accept donations, bequests,
earn money through merchandise sales and the Discover Camping Reservation
Service, and earn interest on unspent balances. PEF can offer tax deductible
receipts to donors. How much PEF funding is available for 2012? For 2012, a total of $200,000 is available for regions ($40,000 per region). The $200,000 is divided into two portions: • $100,000 for visitor experience and
recreation initiatives. Divided equally, each region has up to $20,000. •
$100,000 for conservation initiatives. Divided equally, each region has up to $20,000. What can this PEF funding be spent on? • Volunteers –
priority will be given to initiatives with a volunteer component (includes
activities and recognition). The funding can also be spent on events and
initiatives that support the following: • Healthy living • Conservation
(e.g.,support for Ecological Reserve Wardens, nature education, invasive species
control, restoration, science/ research, etc.). • Attracting new and current
visitors (e.g., learn to camp and learn to fish initiatives, youth events,
multi-cultural events, accessibility projects,events, celebrations, etc.). •
Partnerships and sponsorships Eligible expenses include: • Supplies, materials,
signage • Financial contribution to a local group or Park Facility Operator who
is organizing an event or initiative • Fees in support of community outreach
(e.g. hosting a booth at a local tradeshow) What can PEF funding NOT be spent on? An event or initiative in which vote funding, funding from another ministry, or funding from the core ministry budget is used. How can my park/region access funding? Please see attached form. All funding requests
must be approved by the regional manager (who is also the spending authority).
Please fill out a separate form for each request. Once signed off by regional
manager please send completed forms to Jim Gilliland, Manager of Marketing and
Partnerships in the Visitor Services Branch, ( ,
250-356-6831).
Note: Promotional material and prizes will be sent to regions
to help support 2012 events and initiatives
The Sea to Sky Gondola Corporation has made applications to the Province for the
authorizations required to construct and operate an aerial gondola that would
originate from a staging area situated on private land adjacent to Highway 99
and pass through Stawamus Chief Park to a ridge-top viewing area on Crown land
above the park. This includes an application to modify the Stawamus Chief Park
boundary to allow for a 20-metre wide corridor, approximately 1.2 kilometres in
length, to function as a right-of-way for the construction of seven towers and
the gondola to traverse the park. This proposal would involve removing 2.36
hectares from Stawamus Chief Park. No lands are proposed to be removed from
Shannon Falls Park. If the boundary amendment application is supported and an
amendment to modify the boundary is introduced into the Legislature and
subsequently passed, the lan! ds removed from the park would be established as a
protected area under the Environment and Land Use Act and remain under the
jurisdiction of BC Parks.
Proposals for boundary adjustments are guided by
the Cabinet approved Boundary Adjustment Guidelines Policy, Process and
Guidelines link , and do not necessarily involve amendments
to management plans (which is a different process), though management plans
would be considered in the review of any boundary modification application. The
boundary adjustment policy clearly describes that it is the proponent, in this
case the Sea to Sky Gondola Corporation, that must establish the case to adjust
a protected area boundary and bear the associated costs. Additionally, the onus
is on proponent to assess the level of support or opposition among the key
community, local government and public groups, and provide that information to
BC Parks for its consideration. Our website for Stawamus Chief Park link has a notice describing the proposed amendment and
provides a link to the Sea to Sky Gondola Corporation’s internet site where
information is available at this link and public comments are welcome at
this link . We understand that the Sea to Sky Gondola Corporation has
undertaken significant public, local government and stakeholder consultation in
2011 and 2012, including upwards of 80 meetings and community open houses
regarding the proposal, and also held numerous discussions regarding the
proposed boundary changes. Currently, I understand that there is a high degree
of support for the proposal within the local community and the District of
Squamish, as well among numerous stakeholders and the Squamish First Nationand
Tslei! l-Waututh First Nation.
Support Yinka Dene’s Freedom Train Petition!
President John Neville has signed the petition opposing the Enbridge Northern Gateway
Pipeline. Could you take a minute and add your name for this extremely
worthwhile cause. Please review the email sent out:Hadih to all our allies, As you’ve probably heard, the Yinka Dene Alliance is leaving this Sunday
on our Freedom Train to the Enbridge AGM on May 9 in Toronto. We are travelling
across Canada to enforce our legal ban on the Enbridge Northern Gateway oil
pipelines and tankers project, and to stand up for our freedom to choose our own
future. A large delegation of Yinka Dene people will travel with allied First
Nations from our traditional territories all the way to Toronto, with events in
Jasper, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Winnipeg along the route. In Toronto we will
take the Save the Fraser Declaration directly to Enbridge’s leadership, and to
financial observers, at Enbridge’s annual shareholders meeting. A representative
from the Coastal First Nations will also bring their Declaration. Among the key
purposes of this journey is to raise up our opposition on the national stage, to
project strength, and to reinforce the message that this project is not going to
get built. We need your help. We have created a petition – Petition Link – specifically for the Freedom Train as we gather support and interest across the country. We hope that you will share it
with your considerable lists and encourage your supporters and members to sign
on. We have not made this sort of a request to you before. We are taking an
effort to reach out to as many people Canada-wide as possible, and hopefully
beyond our normal base of support. As you know, the Yinka Dene Alliance is not a
list-building organization and our authority not depend on endorsement by those
outside of our communities. However, we know that people are supporting First
Nations in this fight and we would like to be able to show it in numbers. The
list generated will be used rarely, but strategically, in the future. We hope
that you will help us in this regard, and hopefully soon so that we build a fast
head of steam on this petition as we set out on our journey, and prior to it.
Spreading the word on Freedom Train: We also encourage you to personally, and as
organizations, share and spread the goings-on from the Freedom Train. We will be
blogging from the road and uploading videos, and there will be press conferences
in Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto. We have been honoured by the way that our
allies have respectfully shared the news from the Save the Fraser events, and
other Yinka Dene Alliance and broader Indigenous events, in this struggle. We
will be tweeting from @yinkadeneA5, and using the #freedomtrain and #enbridge
hashtags. Thanks for your assistance. If you need to reach us on the road, you
can reach us at or
Petition link again: http://freedomtrain2012.nationbuilder.com/ Freedom train
website: http://freedomtrain2012.com/ Mussi cho’
Follow up to AGM Resolution – Responsible Cat
Ownership
Although there’s been, and will continue to be, plenty of ups and downs in this ongoing
initiative, I’m happy to report two positive new developments:1) The BC SPCA,
officially supportive of Cat Licensing and Responsible Cat Ownership for the
past year and a half, has taken another step forward in their public
communication throughout the province via newsletter and television spots for
adopt a pet. They are now specifically stating the need for and importance of
cat owners keeping their cats indoors, ensuring spay/neuter and ID, and either
supervising any outdoor cat time to keep them from harming birds and wildlife,
or using a cat enclosure. Although these measure are only logical and
responsible behaviour to all of us and the many responsible cat owners already
out there, it’s a significant piece of public education for any cat (or dog)
owner who needs additional help or motivation to change their behaviour. I’ve
attached the link re: BC SPCA’s new messaging and hope you’ll circulate it
beyond this email. Perhaps an update on this or related educational piece in BC
Nature Magazine or local newspaper? With baby bird season right around the
corner, I’m sure some of your local newspaper editors would be happy to get
something from you and your local group. They LOVE timely pieces that get the
community engaged. Read Article Note: If you have time, a brief note of
acknowledgement (to Craig Daniell, CEO BC SPCA) for this public messaging would
reinforce this positive approach. Craig’s email: 2)
Within the next two weeks I’m meeting with some key contacts in the veterinary
community to discuss the need for BC Veterinarians to assume more of a
leadership role on this issue. With their expertise and critical role in the
community, Responsible Cat Ownership could advance to a much higher level
throughout the province in 2012. They could even sell vet approved cat
enclosures and other enrichment products for happy, healthy indoor cats. So much
opportunity with this shift in focus and so many benefits for cats, birds and
wildlife!
If any of you care to offer input or ideas on this for my
meetings, please feel free. And if BC Nature could, in any way, encourage the
BCVMA to consider this approach, that could prove helpful.
Thanks for your time and your valuable advocacy and support over the past couple of years. What
a difference you have made!
Sherril Guthrie
The University of British Columbia Herbarium, Beaty Biodiversity
Museum, is giving the Grimmia Workshop toughed by Roxanne Hastings on May 9-10,
2012
This two day bryophyte workshop will concentrate on the genus Grimmia, one of the
most diverse and abundant group of mosses that grow in western North America.
This complex and often difficult genus is not easily keyed out using a
traditional dichotomous key. During the workshop, the instructor will present a
series of tables breaking the genus into four easily recognized subgenera, thus
making identification easier and reliably accomplished by comparing a diversity
of characters. Through lectures and hands-on experience participants will learn
the key characters of Grimmia that are critical to using the tables and
dissecting techniques that will maximize the probability of correct
identification. Participants are encouraged to bring collections of Grimmia with
them to work on during the workshop.Roxanne Hastings is the Curator of
Botany at the Royal Alberta Museum. She received her Master’s degree in Plant
Ecology from the University of Alberta (1984) and her current research focuses
on moss systematics and floristic biogeography as related to continental drift
and the structure of ancient continental landscapes. She has contributed
treatments of Grimmia and Coscinodon to the treatments of bryophytes in the
Flora of North America North of Mexico and has published five new species in the
Grimmiaceae and one new lichen taxon. Currently Roxy is working on several new
treatments of Grimmia from California.
Workshop fee $175.00 (cheque payable
to the UBC Herbarium) Class limit: up to 15 persons Registration deadline May 1,
2012. If you are interested, please, contact Olivia Lee: or
UBC Herbarium Dept. of Botany University of British
Columbia #3529-6270 University Blvd. Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6T 1Z4
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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.