BC Nature Scholarship deadline for submissions – June 2, 2017
FGM 2017 – Your hosts North Okanagan Naturalists invite you to join them for “Lakes, Grasslands, Forests” in Vernon, September 21 – 23, 2017. Registration information will be in the Summer Magazine and on the BC Nature Website.
Nature-lovers across BC are expressing concern over a proposed new method for managing wildlife in the province. Speaking on behalf of BC Nature, the federation of naturalist clubs across BC, president Dr. Alan Burger said “Our members are alarmed by recent statements by government ministers indicating that wildlife management might be handed over to an external agency supported by special interest groups, specifically hunters and guide-outfitters”. This model of wildlife management will undoubtedly work against the interests of the vast majority of British Columbians, added Burger. For the complete press release, please follow this Link
Issue 58
Date April 2017
Young Osprey – Lillooet
BCnature Summer Magazine
Members receiving or downloading “electronic” pdf versions of our magazine, you will be notifed after the long weekend in May of the availability of the Summer Magazine. Members receiving Canada Post versions (Paper) – can expect to see the magazine in their mailboxes by the first week of June.
About Town Events and outings in your area!
March for Science Vancouver is a local satellite march for the global phenomenon March for Science taking place on April 22, 2017 (Earth Day). We want to ensure that the march is inclusive, with scientists and science supporters from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds. Website for more information or search Facebook for March for Science.
Children and Nature Network Conference April 18-21, 2017, For Events Listing
Interesting Links, Articles and Websites
From the Prince George Citizen – Birding updates from Prince George Article Link
From Coast Mountain News – Ooligan Grease Camp – Bella Coola Article Link
New Species added to the Species at Risk Act (Good news that protection is now afforded these species, bad news that we have to have this protection at all!) Link to Nature Canada Website
Spring brings increasing interest in bat health and public reports of bats
Fortunately for the bats of BC, it has been a quiet winter. The BC Community Bat Program, in collaboration with the Province of BC, is on the lookout for signs of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS). WNS is a fungal disease harmless to humans but responsible for the deaths of millions of insect-eating bats in eastern North America. WNS was first detected in Washington State in March 2016. To monitor the spread of this disease, Community Bat Program coordinators have been collecting reports of unusual winter bat activity across southern BC and ensuring that dead bats are sent to the Canadian Wildlife Health Centre lab for disease testing. To-date, no WNS has been reported in the province.
We are asking the public to report dead bats or any sightings of daytime bat activity to the Community Bat Project (CBP) as soon as possible (1-855-922-2287 ext 24 or )” says Mandy Kellner, coordinator of the BC Community Bat Program. Reports of unusual bat activity will help focus research, monitoring and protection efforts. How can you help? Through Citizen Science, please visit Link
News From Our Peace Region
From the Fish and Wildlife Compensation program
$2.2 million for fish and wildlife Caribou, bats, migratory birds, moose, Bull Trout, Arctic Grayling, and wetland and riparian species will benefit from the 26 projects approved by our Peace Region Board. Work will continue this year as part of our multi-year project to gather data on mercury levels in fish in the Williston and Dinosaur reservoirs. We will also continue our multi-year project to investigate limiting factors affecting moose in the Peace Region, alongside the Provincial moose study. Our Peace Region Board approved approximately $2.2 million for fish and wildlife projects. Read our 2017 – 2018 project list.
More than 100 projects across B.C. A total of 102 fish and wildlife projects, valued at $9.4 million, have been approved by our three regional Boards. The conservation and enhancement projects will start after April 1, 2017 in our Coastal, Columbia and Peace Regions, and conclude by March 2018. Each one went through a three-stage review and evaluation process. And each project addresses one or more conservation priorities from our action plans.
BC Nature AGM and FGM Conferences
For members who have not entertained attending a BC Nature Annual General Meeting (AGM) or Fall General Meeting (FGM) – you’re missing out on some great nature education, presentations and even greater field trips (walks and talks.)
The misnomer in our “conferences” is that participants are not trapped in meetings all day. Instead, the host BC Nature Club transforms these meeting rooms into presentation class rooms and then extends these classrooms to the great “out of doors.” Our BCN club members (local experts) lead walks and talks in their local parks and surrounding area on a variety of nature topics.
A day of presentations from experts in their fields, on a variety local nature topics, followed by a day and a half of field trips are the norm on these conference weekends.
Not to mislead you, there are a few hours of business that must be conducted in order that we carry on as a Society, but even these meetings are very enlightening for nature! Lively discussions on Conservation of Nature and other Nature Related topics are the norm at these meetings.
Think about attending one of these great conferences in the future. What a chance (from a Naturalists Point of View) to be educated on the area of our host BC Nature club town!
Join Comox Valley Nature for a walk to celebrate Comox trees on Saturday, October 3, 2026. We will meet in the parking lot of the Comox Tennis Courts at 1:00 p.m. This 1.5 to 2 hour walk will be led by tree lovers Alora Griffin and Barbara Neilson. The number of participants is limited, and registration is required. RSVP on our events page at comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/events/We will walk beneath the graceful boughs of some of Comox’s glorious trees, while enjoying their surroundings and the ambience they create for us. The trees selected will include examples of all the native trees now protected by the Town of Comox, as well as some exotic trees.We will discuss their biological features and historical significance as we amble along Brooklyn Creek and through Filberg Park and other parts of Comox. The path through Brooklyn Creek is uneven and there are stairs to climb. Bring your curiosity and questions as well as a water bottle and sun or rain protection, if needed. Please wear comfortable walking shoes. Children are welcome but please leave your furry friends at home, except for service dogs.This event is free, but donations are welcome. ...
The Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis laingi) is a top-level avian predator in mature and old coastal rainforests and is considered an indicator species of these habitats, as well as an indicator of forest health and biodiversity.Over half of the global range of this subspecies occurs in coastal British Columbia, where it favours mature coniferous forest. This non-migratory bird needs a relatively large home range that contains a good food supply. Despite some recent habitat protection efforts, continuing habitat loss is predicted, in part because of anticipated short rotation times in forest harvest. On Haida Gwaii, populations are very low and face an added risk from declines of prey species due to forest understory losses associated with high levels of browsing from an introduced population of deer.The Gitsegukla Huwilp of the Gitxsan.have drafted a petition to call for the legal protection of Northern Goshawks. These birds are keystone species in the Skeena Natural Resource Region which covers northwest British Columbia and includes the northern half of the Great Bear Rainforest. The coastal subspecies of Northern Goshawk on Haida Gwaii is the most vulnerable.The petition urges the Province of British Columbia to recognize and implement Regionally Important Wildlife protection for the Northern Goshawk. To sign please go to form.jotform.com/261745367749068For more information on the Goshawk visit www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/cosewic-assessm......
Our partners in conservation; CV Land Trust & Conservation Partnership are crowdfunding to purchase a very ecologically important property in Deep Bay. ...
Comox Valley Nature invites its members and the public to CVN’s September general meeting, this Sunday, September 27th.This month John Neilson will be speaking on “The Challenges in Maintaining an Urban Salmon Population – the Brooklyn Creek Story”Streams in urban environments that support healthy Pacific salmon populations are uncommon, as natural watercourses are often degraded or even buried during the course of development of roads and other urban infrastructure. Of the various Pacific salmon species, coho salmon show special abilities to survive and even thrive in close proximity to human settlements. In this talk, John Neilson reviews the status of coho salmon in the region, and explores the characteristics of this species that promote their resilience. He will also speak of the work of the Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society as they work to conserve the watershed in Comox.Dr. John Neilson has had a 30-year long career as a research scientist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, including leading research on the population status and ecology of bluefin tuna and swordfish in Canadian waters. He was also a member of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), and most recently, led the preparation of the status report on chinook salmon in southern British Columbia. He is the President of the Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society.A brief business meeting follows. Reports from some of our interest groups and projects are an opportunity for guests to learn more about what we do. ...
Hands Off Old Growth, this Sunday October 4th in Simms Park: