FGM Cranbrook – Sept 19-22, 2013. Registration and Outings and Presentation information is now available at the BC Nature Website
BC Rivers Day – Sept 29, 2013 Look for events in your community
Club Grant Applications – Deadline January 31, 2014
BC Nature Awards Nominations – Deadline February 28 2014 Nominate a worthy member today
Issue 33
Date June 2013
Prince George Request for Proposal
Request for Proposals for Consulting Services – Development of a Master Plan for a Nature Interpretation & Outdoor Learning Network – Any interested parties – please refer to this Link
Comments to BC Government Re: proposed changes
1) The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations is inviting the public to review and comment on proposed visual-quality objectives and scenic areas in the Kootenay Lake portion of the Selkirk Resource District. The deadline for comments is August 15. Please follow this link for details
2)The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is offering funding for organizations planning to participate in the environmental assessment of the Brucejack Gold Mine project approximately 65 kms north of Stewart. Deadline for applications is July 6. Please follow this link for details.
3)The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency must decide whether a federal environmental assessment is required for the proposed Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project in British Columbia. To assist it in making its decision, the Agency is seeking comments from the public on the project and its potential effects on the environment. Please follow this link for details.
4) Murray River Coal Project – Public Comments Invited Please follow this link for details.
5) The Lac Du Bois Grasslands Management Planning Team is looking for input into the development of the draft management plan. They are specifically looking for information on the recent land additions and the Tranquille Special Feature Area portion of the protected area. For more information on the planning process and to provide your input click here .
6)Management planning projects have been initiated for Kikomun Park and Dean River Conservancy . More information on active management planning processes can be be found by visiting the BC Parks Management Planning Page .
Solve the puzzle – current energy debate
You cannot solve a puzzle without seeing the big picture. And in Canada’s current energy debate, sadly, the family cat got on the table, knocking most of the pieces to the floor, while toddlers argue over the three remaining pieces shouting “Mine!” Those pieces are the oil sands and while we maintain an obsessive focus on them, other elements crucial to our energy security, economic prosperity and our future as a planet are being neglected at Canada’s cost and peril. If all the key pieces of Canada’s energy future “the climate crisis, a prosperous economy, labour issues, east-west connectivity, energy efficiency, technological innovation, federal-provincial relations” were jigsaw pieces on our collective family table, it would be worthwhile to find the picture on the box the pieces came in. The cover of the box, a glorious sustainable energy roadmap, would depict where we want to be, with: a meaningful carbon reduction plan; phasing out coal across the land; bringing in energy conservation and efficiency standards; producing far more energy from renewable sources; applying cleantech solutions broadly; paying attention to energy security; and shifting from a strategy of rapid export of unprocessed product to managed production at a steady rate of upgraded and refined product, with value-added creating far more employment in oil production while energy efficiency targets create jobs everywhere in overhauling our built infrastructure. You cannot solve a puzzle when you do not see how the pieces fit together. In the case of the current energy debate, the dialogue is so devoid of content that one cannot dignify the noise by calling it debate. Back to that Canadian family table with all the jigsaw pieces we need to fit together, sadly, the family cat got on the table knocking most of the pieces to the floor, while toddlers argue over the three remaining pieces shouting “Mine!” To read the rest of the article visit this Link Article by Elizabeth May
Interesting Sites and articles
ebutterfly site Link
View a 3-minute video about freshwater in BC and the need for a new Act. The video features WWF Freshwater Ambassador Scott Niedermayer and a song by the Great Lake Swimmers. The youtube link to ” Water for Nature, Water for People” is here: Youtube link
Globe and Mail article on the recent Kinder Morgan pipeline oil spill near Merritt, BC
Orcas make rare visit to Vancouver harbour – Link. And a second link
Haida Gwaii Whale Watching Biologists Spot Rare Species link
The mother country turns on salmon farming – Alexandra Morton – link
About Town – Upcoming Events
Richmond Raptor Festival – August 18th For more information, check out this link Registration is now open for the 20th annual Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup – September 21 – 29
The Lower Mainland Green Team is working with the Corporation of Delta to remove the invasive plants ivy and lamium at Ladner Harbour Park on July 28th. To sign up and details click Here. Tools and gloves provided, no experience necessary
The Fascinating World of Bears – July 3, 2013. A slide presentation with biologist David Cook about the natural history and biology of bears. For details, visit here
CPAWS loves the South Okanagan-Similkameen!
CPAWS-BC’s campaign to achieve a national park in the South Okanagan-Similkameen is full steam ahead, including the filming of a short film and a tour by CPAWS national Board and staff. Having the opportunity to connect with locals and why they want their grasslands protected put wind in their sails. We believe that levels of local support are approaching the critical mass needed to move this forward. Read more here: link
Enbridge Hearings – Final Testimony
Rejecting Northern Gateway pipeline opens Canada to economic disaster, hearing told. Read more: Link
Rejecting Northern Gateway risks disaster, Enbridge lawyer. link
Press release for final Enbridge arguments from BC Nature and Nature Canada
Bird Studies Canada looking for volunteers – Lewis Woodpecker Survey
Bird Studies Canada, BC Nature, and the Canadian Wildlife Service are initiating a project to survey Lewis’s Woodpeckers and their nesting habitat in southern British Columbia. Volunteers are needed to conduct the following surveys this summer: 1) Habitat Ground truthing (basic and quick habitat review); 2) Lewis’s Woodpecker (LEWO) “point counts” (counting LEWO at predetermined locations); and 3) Casual observations of LEWO and opportunistic nest checks. Depending on your schedule, the time commitment could involve as little as one morning, or many days. Point counts must be completed between June 15 and July 15. Ground truthing surveys can be completed any time of the year within prescribed LEWO habitat. Some survey locations are near towns, while others require more driving; we’ll work with you to select a suitable route (close to your home or areas you plan to visit.) If you’re interested in volunteering, or have more questions, please contact the project coordinator for your area of interest. For Thompson-Nicola, Boundary, and East Kootenays, call Bird Studies Canada’s Christopher Di Corrado at 1-877-592-8527 or email . For Okanagan-Similkameen, contact Lisa Scott, Wildlife Tree Stewardship Program, at or (250) 404-0115.
BC Beached Bird Survey: Call for Volunteers
The British Columbia Beached Bird Survey is a long-term volunteer-based monitoring program that collects information on the causes and rates of seabird mortality. Many thanks to the 250 volunteers who have conducted over 3000 surveys and walked more than 7000 km of BC’s beaches since 2002! In total, 1204 beached birds of 67 species have been reported. Gulls, Northern Fulmar, Common Murre, and waterfowl have been the most abundant, accounting for 60% of the birds recorded. Bird Studies Canada is seeking volunteers for the program. Surveyors conduct monthly beach walks during the last week of the month, looking for bird carcasses that have washed ashore and signs of oiling. Advanced birding skills are not required, and the program is suitable for anyone who enjoys walking their local beach. The information gained helps us understand causes of seabird mortality, and identify which species are most vulnerable. We have many vacant beach routes in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo-Qualicum, and Ucluelet-Tofino, and we are happy to set up new routes elsewhere in BC. Please contact Karen Barry (email ) for information or to sign up.
Join the Comox Valley Conservation Community for a day long celebration of the watersheds and waterways that connect us all in the Comox Valley!Learn about restoration and habitat enhancement projects, salmon cycles, drinking water, forests, creeks, wetlands and estuaries – and so much more. Art projects, kids activities, volunteer engagement opportunities, hands on learning and guided walks – all looking out over the beautiful Puntledge River.Comox Valley Nature will be there with our new outreach tent. Come by and say hello, and try our bird identification game. We can also show you why native plants are best for your garden, and how to spot invasive species.Pack a picnic and stay for the day! Saturday Sept 19th from 9 am – 3 pmin Puntledge Park 1111 1st , Courtenay ...
In her memoir, Pacific Northwest author Caroll Simpson recounts the highs and lows of running a remote fishing lodge on her own following the untimely death of her husband, and of falling in love with the natural world. Simpson tells stories of living in the remote wilderness and managing the lodge, becoming an accidental environmental activist, fending off wild animals, working as an angling guide and finally, fighting off a proposed mining operation and participating in the development of a government land management plan as a spokesperson for the wilderness tourism industry.While Simpson welcomed paying guests at Ookpik Lodge, unwanted house guests included a woodchuck, a pack rat, and martens. Simpson constantly had to watch out for grizzlies, moose, and cougars. Storms and extreme weather also provided fodder for hair-raising tales. All this makes for wonderful storytelling.Caroll’s story is essentially a love story. In an essay for Sierra Club, Simpson wrote: “I developed an immense passion for flora and fauna. Just walking back and forth on the 300’ dock several times a day, I was exposed to the unbelievable beauty of the northern spectrum of water life: the golden eagle soaring above, the osprey and kingfisher diving and coming up with fish for their hatchlings, the muskrats and otters looking for an easy meal, the tireless beaver working into the late evening sunsets. All of these creatures and more expressed their generational ownership of this small piece of the world. In return each was given my utmost respect and admiration…As I listened to the loons at the end of each day and the owl and the wolf in the night, I felt blessed to be witnessing such beauty. “On September 20th, join Comox Valley Nature and Save Our Forests Team for an afternoon of storytelling about this remarkable time spent living on a remote British Columbia lake.The event is being held at the Comox United Church Hall. (250 Beach Drive, Comox) Admission is by donation. Doors open at 2:30; the event begins at 3:00 p.m. There will be time for Q&A after the presentation, as well as books available for purchase. Tea/coffee and cookies - including forest-themed cupcakes - will be available for a donation.Join us, and prepare to fall in love. ...
🎟️ Get your tickets to the Project Watershed 2026 Keeping It Living Dinner today! projectwatershed.ca/2026-keeping-it-living-dinner/Every ticket holder makes a difference. 💙 🎟️ Get your tickets to our 2026 Keeping It Living Dinner today! projectwatershed.ca/2026-keeping-it-living-dinner/When community and local businesses invest in conservation, our entire ecosystem benefits. Ticket sales directly support habitat restoration, scientific research, and environmental education, while the generosity of our sponsors helps offset event costs, ensuring that more of the funds raised can go directly toward this important work. Thank you to our incredible sponsors and dinner attendees for believing in the power of community-led conservation. Odlum Brown Community and Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, 40 Knots Winery, CNB Together, we're keeping our watersheds living. 🌿 Hope to see you September 12, 5 - 8 pm at 40 KNOTS Winery #KeepingItLiving #ProjectWatershed #CommunitySupport #Conservation #ComoxValley ...
The City of Courtenay is developing a long-term vision for Bill Moore Park and Dogwood Park to guide future improvements. To help guide these decisions, three initial concepts have been developed, and there is an opportunity for you to offer your input.The latest survey on the City website engagecomoxvalley.ca/bill-moore-and-dogwood-park asks for feedback on three concept plans and specifically which concept you prefer. The three concepts present a range of recreation possibilities and there is room on the survey for your comments.Dogwood Park is a 2.32‑hectare nature park featuring mature forested areas, natural habitat and a small wetland. Only Concept A will maintain the intact forest areas in Dogwood Park. Concepts B and C propose increased recreation in the park including an off leash dog park, disc golf course, pump track (a purpose built track for children’s cycling) and nature play areas. While the planners may say that no trees or few trees will be taken down to accommodate this, the under-story will not survive this level of trampling and fragmentation. The trees as well as all the wildlife who now call that area home will disappear over time. For those of us who value this forest, Concept A is the only option that makes sense.Dogwood Park is one of the few islands of green for many, many blocks. It provides habitat for wildlife, shade, retains water and acts as a carbon sink. On the architect's base plan of current conditions it is now characterized as an "underutilized space". The City has heard from sports enthusiasts but not nature lovers. Let them know why you value an intact forest and your connection to it. The survey is open until Sept 15. ...
The Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation (CCIPR) wants the federal government to establish a regulatory body for the horticultural industry and create a national database identifying invasive plants and their risks in different regions. "Even if we don't prohibit them, we need to let the public know when there is potential harm," said CCIPR co-founder Cathy Kavassalis. "We do this on other products, and we should do it on plants too. It's just common sense."In July, Nanaimo council passed a motion to pursue a bylaw amendment restricting the sale of plants on a list maintained by the Invasive Species Council of B.C. A week later, Surrey moved to ban sales by businesses including nurseries, large retail chains and florists. Kavassalis said a problem that could be addressed at higher levels of government is being pushed down to municipalities."These are all patchwork solutions that, in some ways, just waste a lot of resources," she said. The CCIPR says a national database could give provinces, territories, retailers and gardeners a shared source of information about which plants pose risks in different regions. Kavassalis also wants invasive plants removed from shelves or clearly labelled.For more on this story visit www.cbc.ca/news/science/invasive-plants-sale-federal-regulation-9.7312362 or see our link in bio ...
Join the Comox Valley Conservation Community for a day long celebration of the watersheds and waterways that connect us all in the Comox Valley!Learn about restoration and habitat enhancement projects, salmon cycles, drinking water, forests, creeks, wetlands and estuaries – and so much more. Art projects, kids activities, volunteer engagement opportunities, hands on learning and guided walks – all looking out over the beautiful Puntledge River.Comox Valley Nature will be there with our new outreach tent. Come by and say hello, and try our bird identification game. We can also show you why native plants are best for your garden, and how to spot invasive species.Pack a picnic and stay for the day! Saturday Sept 19th from 9 am – 3 pmin Puntledge Park 1111 1st , Courtenay