Our 2016 FGM will be held in Prince George from September 22 – 25, 2016. The pricing on some FGM items has changed. Visit our website for an updated registration form and read here more information.
Our 2017 AGM will be held in Lillooet from May 4 – 7, 2017. Registration forms will be available in our Winter magazine and online in the future. Stay tuned!
Are you BC Nature’s next Secretary?
In late September, the Secretary position in BC Nature’s Executive will become vacant. We are looking for a volunteer who is willing to take up this job. The appointment would be for two years, and may only be renewed twice. As Secretary, you would be a full member and an Officer of BC Nature.The Secretary’s major responsibility would be to take the minutes at Executive meetings (six times/year), Board of Directors meetings (twice/year), and General meetings (twice/year), and, if desired, to participate in the meetings. Two of the Executive meetings and all of the Board and General meetings will take place during conferences that are usually in early May and late September. The other four Executive meetings are done by phone or Skype.
For more information on the position and how to apply, visit our website here.
Issue : 52
Date : August 2016
A chipmunk.
The BCnature Fall 2016 Magazine will be out in September!
However, the Summer 2016 issue of the magazine is still viewable in the “members only” area of our website. If you do not have your password or access name, please email the office for your information (). For those that currently receive the magazine via Canada post mail, your name as it is written on the label and your password (top left corner) are your access to the members only area.
Canada’s freshwater laws need your help!
We have an important opportunity to impact the future of Canada’s freshwater rules and laws. Until August 31, the Government of Canada is looking for input on improving national and environmental regulation, including a potential review of the many laws that govern federal oversight of our waters.
If you would like to have your voice heard, take 5 minutes and submit your views on the importance of enhancing freshwater rules. To learn more or complete the government’s questionnaire, click here.
About Town
Sept 8: The Unique and Curious Kelps of British Columbia w/ Louis Druehl and Nature Vancouver @ UBC Botanical Gardens. Learn more here.
Sept 9: Vancouver’s target of 100% Renewables by 2050: Just Another Pipe Dream? w/ Mark Jaccard @ SFU’s Wosk Centre. Learn more here.
Sept 10: Botanical Drawing of Fruits, Nuts, and Trees @ UBC Botanical Gardens. Learn more here.
Sept 11: Treefest @ Riverview Hospital Grounds. Everyone is welcome to attend! No registration required. Learn more here.
Sept 15: Boss Mosses of the Pacific Northwest w/ Kem Luther and Nature Vancouver @ UBC Botanical Gardens. Learn more here.
Sept 15 – 18: Bamfield Fungus Festival in Bamfield. Learn more here.
Sept 17: Alpine Garden Club of BC Fall Sale @ Floral Hall, Van Dusen Botanical Gardens. Learn more here.
The Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC (FMCBC) wants your help in documenting problems to highlight the lack of funding for BC’s provincial parks. These problems include things like broken or missing signage, damaged bridges, trail damage (braiding, roots, broken boardwalk), campground problems (outhouses, tent pads, food storage), excessive litter or dumping, motorized vehicle use, and overflowing parking lots.
Here is what the FMCBC wants you to do (as described in the link below):
Step 1: Go for a hike in a BC provincial park. Step 2: Keep an eye out for any the issues mentioned in the article linked below, or others you see, and take some photos. Step 3: Email them to and/or tag them on Twitter/Instagram with #fundbcparks. Remember to say which park you were visiting!
It’s that bear time of year again! Check out this Parks Canada page for more information on how to stay bear safe while out exploring nature or camping.
If you would like to view recent bear (or other wildlife sightings) near you, visit this link for an interactive map.
(THIS EVENT IS FULL, join the waitlist through our events page) Comox Valley Nature invites you to a special opportunity to learn and connect with K'omoks First Nation storytelling, benefiting the KFN culture department. Pamela Mitchell, Culture Manager for KFN, has created a workshop around the legend of Dzunuk’wa the wild Woman of the Woods. Kwakwak’wakw oral tradition tells of a giantess that lives in dark forests and has thick messy hair, a black face and full red lips.This workshop is a great way to learn about local Indigenous traditions through a hands-on project that creates lasting memories about the K’ómoks First Nation culture. For this project we will be creating a wild woman ornament; you will colour the iconic red lips and face of the wild woman and hand-spin the wool for the crazy wild woman hair. While we work on our ornaments, Pamela will read her version of the wild woman story.This project takes about 1-1.5 hours. Workshop fee is $36 which includes the cost of a supply kit. Proceeds go to the KFN Culture Dept.Register through our CVN events page.https://comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/events/ ...
Drawing on the Salish Sea: A Zoom course in support of the Mitlenatch Island Stewardship Team (MIST)Have you wished that you could keep a nature journal or paint the life around you? During three Zoom sessions you can explore how to quickly capture wildflowers, inter-tidal life and birds You’ll learn how to draw quickly and accurately, starting with simple shapes, then using some refining techniques, which will help you draw with less frustration!You’ll look at materials: papers, pens, and coloured mediums like pencil crayons. Then you’ll jump into watercolours with a simple palette and mixes as well as quick watercolour techniques you can use in the field or at home. All the lessons will be accompanied with downloadable notes.You will finish the course ready to start your own Nature Journal.Zoom recordings will allow you watch the sessions at your convenience during the course and for a month after we wrap up. About Mitlenatch Island:Mitlenatch Island is a small rocky island that sits between Campbell River and Powell River, in the Salish Sea. Cast in the rain shadow of Vancouver Island, its flanks are clad in golden grasses and its meadows host an explosion of spring wildflowers. Anchored where tides rush in from the north and south, rich waters encircling the island teem with fish; intertidal life flourishes and thousands of seabirds nest on cliffs, in rocks, and on open ground. It’s shores provide refuge for mother seals with their pups, and haul out for sea lions in the winter. In recent years Humpbacks have returned to nearby waters, to feed on krill and schooling fish. With so much life, much of it on exposed nesting areas, the island has a special vulnerability. The Mist volunteer wardens are in place for the summer months to welcome people to the island (which is accessible by boat only) and to relate to visitors the natural and human history of the island. For 25 years Alison Watt has spent a week on the island in the summer, as a volunteer warden. Her journals are full of Mitlenatch sketches. She finds it a delight and a privilege to return each year to this jewel of the Salish Sea. MIST is a special organisation which works closely with BC Provincial Parks to ensure that Mitlenatch Island remains a haven for the plants and animals of the Salish Sea.Sign up and donate through www.alisonwatt.ca/drawing-on-the-salish-seaFor more information on Mitlenatch Island visit www.mitlenatch.ca/mitlenatch-island...
Comox Valley Nature invites its members and the public to CVN’s October general meeting, where you can hear the following keynote presentation by our guest speaker: Birdbrains – Smarter than you think- with Sandra Milligan Once dismissed as “birdbrains,” birds are now recognized for their remarkable intelligence. Sandra explores the evolution of our understanding of avian neuroanatomy, focusing on local species. Through engaging stories and videos, Sandra explores how birds solve problems, use tools, express empathy, and communicate with rich vocabulary – inviting you to see these creatures with newfound respect and wonder.Sandra Milligan has been teaching university level biology at North Island College for over twenty years. With graduate degrees in neuroscience, she’s now a generalist, naturalist, and lifelong learner. In Campbell River, she’s a recognized environmental advocate and public educator. Her passion for birding has evolved into a deep interest in avian behaviour and intelligence. Drawing on her neuroanatomy background, Sandra has followed the growing research on bird cognition, confirming what many intuitively felt – birds display an extraordinary range of intelligent behaviours. Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 3 pm in the main hall of Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive, Comox. Members of the public welcome.This will be an in-person only meeting. We will not record the presentation on this occasion [this is a correction to previous information].As always, there will be a break after the presentation with a chance to meet new people and socialize with old friends. Tea, coffee and treats will be available (by donation).A brief meeting follows. Reports from some of our interest groups and projects are an opportunity for guests to learn more about what we do. ...
It's that time of year! A couple of off leash dogs have been seen romping at the confluence of Morrison Creek and the Puntledge River. Dogs get quite excited to see those big chum. The chum do spawn right at the mouth of the creek, salmon eggs are very sensitive to disturbance so paws, or feet, in the creek kill eggs. Keep your dog on a leash, especially if you do not want a smelly dog! Dogs like to roll in dead fish. Salmon spook, be a quiet calm wildlife paparazzi. ...
Fish Walk!!! ( Well, not really...but don't miss this chance to follow their journey!)Join the Morrison Creek Streamkeepers for a walk along Morrison Creek, starting at its confluence with the Puntledge River in Puntledge Park, to watch salmon spawning after their remarkable journey back from the ocean. Register here: form.jotform.com/262924316992264...