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!
Bruce Moffat, our very own CVN Nature Photography group coordinator will be presenting at this month’s general meeting. He has prepared a handful of wildlife vignettes collected over the past 7 years on Vancouver Island. Each of these shorts will be played with Bruce pausing to describe the experiences and challenges for each of the diverse subjects covered.This presentation includes images first shown as entries in the Comox Valley Photographic Society’s annual Imagefest show at the Sid Williams Theatre. There will be time to ask questions after each short film and following the wrap up. Bruce will bring some of the equipment used to capture his images.Bruce has been an avid photographer since his teen years and has focused on nature photography for the past 20 years. He has been published regularly in the local CV Land Trustcalendars and 4 of the last five CV Collective magazines here in the valley. His latest published shot is featured on this month’s cover of Scout Life magazine. ... See MoreSee Less
Comox Valley Nature is pleased to announce that Sophie Johnston has been awarded the Brandt Research Grant. This is a $5,000 grant in support of her field research on coastal areas of north Vancouver Island. Sophie is currently a PhD Student at the University of British Columbia.The intertidal zone ecosystem is critically threatened by ongoing climate change. Sophie’s PhD research is documenting the effects of ocean acidification on intertidal marine communities in the Johnstone Strait, British Columbia.The goal of her research is to investigate how a dominant ecosystem engineer shapes marine community structure along a gradient of ocean acidification.Ocean acidification not only alters the morphology of limpet species by increasing shell erosion, but can also increase their thermal sensitivity, limiting limpet grazing efficiency and survival in the intertidal zone. Thus, the effects of ocean acidification on such ecosystem engineers could result in large-scale, rippling impacts on marine communities, from microscopic algae to top predators.The results of this research will be of particular interest to residents who inhabit areas near or along the Johnstone Strait and those interested in the trophic level effects of ocean acidification i.e., the reduced growth of herbivores, barnacles, mussels, and oysters can affect the population sizes of predators like sea stars and otters.For more information on this grant and CV Nature in general, visit our website at cvnature.ca ... See MoreSee Less
CVRD News: Watershed Awareness Days: Discover Where Your Water Comes From 🫗The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) invites the public to explore the Comox Lake Watershed during Watershed Awareness Days, taking place from May 26 to 30, 2026. This week-long event features guided walks, lakeside talks, presentations, and family-friendly activities. It’s a unique opportunity to experience the watershed firsthand and learn how it sustains the health and wellbeing of the entire Comox Valley community.Read the full story here 👉 comoxvalleyrd.ca/connect/news/watershed-awareness-days-discover-where-your-water-comesView all the FREE* events here: www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/connectedbywater*Some events require registration#ComoxValleyRD ... See MoreSee Less
Bruce Moffat, our very own CVN Nature Photography group coordinator will be presenting at this month’s general meeting. He has prepared a handful of wildlife vignettes collected over the past 7 years on Vancouver Island. Each of these shorts will be played with Bruce pausing to describe the experiences and challenges for each of the diverse subjects covered.