Deadline for Club Applications for “Club Support” Grants – January 31, 2015. See Website for grant application criteria
Deadline for Resolutions to be presented at the AGM – 2015 is February 28, 2015. Please view details and the “how to” on this Page on the BC Nature Website
Deadline for BC Nature Award Nominations – Nominate a worthy candidate from your club today! February 28, 2015 – Criteria for awards Link Here
Tofino Camp May 1 – 6, 2015. Registration details in the Winter BCnature Magazine.
AGM 2015 – Salt Spring Island – May 7 – 10, 2015. Registration information in Winter BCnature issue and BC Nature Website.
August 20 – 23, 2014 – Chilcotin Gold Bridge Camp – details to follow in Spring 2015 Magazine
Rene Savenye Scholarship applications should be in prior to May 30, 2015 – see website for application.
September 6 – 12 – Tatlayoko Camp – Registration Sunday March 15, 2015
DONATE There is still time to make a donation to BC Nature or to the BC Naturalists’ Foundation. Both are charitable organizations and if your donation is in the mail before December 31, your tax receipt will be dated for 2014. Or you can donate online through the BC Nature website.
Club Support Grants Reminder the deadline to apply is January 31, 2014. The online application is available on the BC Naturalists’ Foundation page of the BC Nature website. NOTE that any member club of BC Nature is eligible to apply.
FGM 2015 Cancelled
We were not successful in partnering with a BC Nature Club to host a 2015 FGM. Due to this cancellation, we will be looking at getting the Club Directors together in another format in September. In the meantime, there will be a BC Nature Camp hosted in the Chilcotins, along with a Harrison Camp in October/November. Details to follow.
Issue 38
Date December 2014
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Seasons Greetings from the Office
The office will be closed from December 23 – January 5, 2015. We sincerely hope you have a great Holiday Season. Any and all queries will be handled upon my return.
Surprised?
CBC News Posted: Nov 28, 2014 1:53 PM ET| Canada’s laws to protect endangered species are failing, study finds 86% of country’s at risk species stay at same risk level or have deteriorated over time
The Canadian government may be shirking its legal responsibility to protect endangered plants and wildlife, a new study suggests.
Scientists found that 86 per cent of legally protected species in Canada either maintain the same level of risk or have deteriorated over time.
“What’s at risk is biodiversity in Canada,” says Dr. Brett Favaro, a research scientist with Memorial University’s fisheries and marine institute, in an interview with Quirks & Quarks. “Extinction is forever … If something goes extinct, this is millions of years of evolution that we’re losing.”
Conservation News
LNG development threatens B.C.’s wilderness and wildlife – Read Article Here
Environment Canada Study Reveals Oilsands Tailings Ponds Emit Toxins to Atmosphere at Much Higher Levels than Reported – Read Report here
Geothermal Offers Cheaper, Cleaner Alternative to Site C Dam: New Report Read Here
Interesting Sites and Articles
Clamouring for new mollusk: researchers say new species one-of-a-kind find Link
Sable Island horses may face extinction, Parks Canada report warns – link here
A “Go pro” being put to good use – Prince William Sound – Humpback Whale mass bubble feeding Link Here
Christmas Bird counts abound – please refer to this website for a location near you!
Young Ornithologists Workshop information
Dear Naturalist Clubs, Schools, Bird Observatories and interested parties across Canada: Now is the time to start getting our teen birders excited about the 2015 Doug Tarry Young Ornithologist Workshop. Please use the enclosed information in your newsletter or announce the program and awards at your next meeting.
Thank you for your help in bringing this unique educational opportunity to the attention of your membership and students. For more information click here. Prospective participants are also welcome to contact me directly for more information.
This article not from S.A.R.A. – but might soon be – “Chinook salmon could be wiped out by 2100, new study claims” – Read Here
Bird Studies Canada – 2 December 2014 – Population declines over the last four decades, in combination with a variety of threats, led the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) to assess three bird species as Special Concern. At their fall meeting held in Ottawa from November 23-28, COSEWIC assessed the status of the Red-necked Phalarope, Cassin’s Auklet, and Ancient Murrelet. The latter two species are colonial seabirds that nest in burrows on islands in British Columbia. Their ground-nesting habit exposes adults, eggs, and nestlings to intense levels of predation from introduced predators, like rats and raccoons. Although predator control has been exercised successfully on some islands, ongoing surveillance and control of introduced predators are needed to maintain these seabird species in western Canada. Visit the COSEWIC website to learn more about these status assessments, as well as those for the 33 other species of flora and fauna that were assessed at the meeting.
We are trying to start up a New Campbell River Club
Campbell River- 1pm Saturday March 14, 2015. Presentation with John Neville, “Avian Carpenters : Canada’s Woodpeckers”
Where: Museum at Campbell River – 250-287-3133 x33 Let your friends and family know that this is happening – all are welcome!
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.