One Month to go – Rene Savenye Scholarship deadline – June 3, 2016. Application Link
FGM 2016 – Prince George, September 22-26, 2016 – Schedule and Registration will be posted May 9 (Subject to change)
Bird Blitzs – Robson – June 3, 2016 Manning, June 17-19, 2016 need more information, please refer to your Spring magazine or email
AGM 2017 – Lillooet – May 4 – 7, 2017 – Details in Fall 2016 Magazine
The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of British Columbia
The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of British Columbia is now online! More than 1500 high-quality maps and graphs show precisely where each species occurs, how common it is, and which types of landscapes it breeds in. The atlas is packed with innovative, user-friendly features, and is an entirely free new resource designed for almost everyone – from environmental professionals and researchers to birdwatchers, educators, and students. With 630,000 records of 320 species, it is now the go-to source of bird information for environmental assessments, and is informing purchase and management priorities for conservation and industrially-managed lands. The dataset is also being widely used for academic research. Special thanks to the 30 authors, 20 editors, 45 coordinators, 1300 dedicated field volunteers, 30 photographers, and 150 generous partners and supporters!
Issue 49
Date June 2016
Spring in the Alpine
BCnature Spring 2016 Magazine is still available online
The BCnature Summer Magazine will be available for download in the “members only” area at the end of May. 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.
May is the Great Canadian Birdathon
During the month of May, thousands of Canadians from coast to coast will participate in the Great Canadian Birdathon. Visit the Birdathon page of Bird Studies Canada’s President Steven Price to show your support! You can join Steven and the rest of our loyal Birdathoners by registering yourself. By becoming a participant or supporter, you’ll raise the critical funds we need for conservation, and encourage more Canadians to discover the fascinating birds around us.
Birdathoners have chances to win incredible prizes! Our grand prize is an amazing birding vacation from Eagle-Eye Tours. Additional prizes from our generous sponsors Armstrong Bird Food, Celestron, Eagle Optics Canada, and Vortex range from bird seed to optics.
Sign-up is easy. Just visit our website to get started on your personal webpage today!
Interesting Sites and News Tidbits
Available now – Brand new “Loon” poster being circulated by Lillooet Field Naturalists – Here is the link for a download copy.
Geothermal Energy – Why aren’t we using more of it – Read about it here
The Kokanee sport fishery on the Kootenay Lake’s west arm will be ‘catch-and-release’-only Article here
An interesting site is promoting a Tick Removal product. This product was brought to the attention of BC Nature by one of its Naturalists club and is not endorsed by BC Nature, however, if you wish to explore it for more information, please do so.
Proponents behind B.C.’s Northern Gateway pipeline ask for three-year extension Vancouver Sun Article
Recovery Strategy for the Wood Bison (Bison bison athabascae) in Canada posted on the Species at Risk Public Registry (SARA) for a 60-day public consultation period Link
A thought provoking Article on Site C
What BC Residents Have and Have Not Been Told About Site C Dam and Electricity Prices. From Powell River – Great article
From the Outdoor Recreation Council
Kootenays – Outdoor Recreation Council of a Crown Land Tenure application for a License of Occupation for Adventure Tourism. The public is invited to comment. Responses are due by May 28 (Please note: The short period for responding is due to delayed notification by this office). – Adventure Tourism – Commercial Recreation – Guided Mechanized Cat – skiing December through April – Near Ymir BC on Mt Elise. Link for information
NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE OUTDOOR RECREATION COUNCIL OF BRITISH COLUMBIA TIME & DATE: 9 AM TO 2 PM, SATURDAY JUNE 11 LOCATION: YARROW COMMUNITY SCHOOL, 4595 WILSON ROAD, YARROW, NEAR CHILLIWACK
Interior – Please note that the deadline for comments on the final draft of the South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park Management Plan has been extended to June 13. The BC Parks website will be updated to reflect that shortly.
Get Involved with World Rivers Day!
Interested clubs can organize an event with their members and (if applicable) their local streamkeeper and waterkeeper groups. World Rivers Day is celebrated on the last Sunday in September. Learn more here
To Unsubscribe , please contact the BC Nature Office. All email addresses are protected from misuse by BC Nature by way of off site storage on a secure server. Questions or comments? Contact us via Email to BC Nature
(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...