Hope Mountain – Manning Park Bird Blitz – June 15 – 17, 2018 – Email for more info.
FGM 2018: Kelowna – Hosted by Central Okanagan Naturalists Club – September 20 – 22, 2018 – Registration and more info
Harrison Hot Springs – Harrison Eagle Field Camp – November 20 – 25, 2018 – More info below
Harrison Hot Springs “Eagle” Field Camp Registration
Harrison Eagle & Salmon Camp – Registration has commenced via telephone (604 985 3057) or email. There are some spots left in this camp running from November 20-25, 2018. Organized by the Chilliwack Naturalists, this camp is “chock-a-block” full of Natural History in the beautiful area of Harrison Hot Springs. Where the sun always shines!! (Yes even in November)
If you wish to register via email, please include your full name and telephone. If you are registering other people, please include their details as well. A registration form and fact sheet on this wonderful camp will be emailed to you.
Issue 66
Date June 2018
Hummingbird
BCnature Summer Magazine available now online for members only.
Please email if you wish to change from Canada Post Mail to the electronic version for future issues. Physical magazines are due to your mailboxes soon.
Park Enhancement Fund Grant proposals now being accepted
To All BC Nature Clubs: Proposals are now being accepted for Park Enhancement grants up to $5000.00. Many of you have projects that you would like to do in your local BC Parks.
Funding Criteria
•Maximum funding request is $5,000 per project.
•Projects must be completed and reported on by March 31, 2019.
The following types of volunteer projects are eligible for funding:
•Conservation initiatives
◦e.g. invasive species removal
◦e.g. ecological monitoring
◦e.g. shoreline cleanups
•Recreation initiatives
◦e.g. purchasing adaptive recreation equipment (e.g. TrailRider)
◦e.g. construction of small park facilities (e.g. docks, boardwalks)
◦e.g. interpretive programs and signs
•Community Events
◦e.g. Celebrating Parks Day
◦e.g. Hosting a Bioblitz
All applicants will be reviewed by BC Parks staff and successful applicants will be notified by June 30, 2018. To apply, please fill out the application form and submit to .
Take part in the Great Canadian Bumble Bee Count
Take part in Friends of the Earth’s Great Canadian Bumble Bee Count from July to August, 2018. Our downloadable Bumble Bee Census Card for Eastern or Western Canada will get you off to a buzzing start.
Just like governments need a census to know what’s happening with its citizens, as well as their homes, families and jobs, we think bumble bees need their own census. Not enough is known about wild, native bees in Canada, and what scientists do know is worrying. By taking part, you’ll learn about over 40 species of Canada’s bumble bees and ways you can help them.
Record your bee observations here. Or if you prefer to do observations on other critters
Kinder Morgan Pipeline: Updates and Opinions
Here is everything you need to know about Ottawa’s plan to (maybe) buy the Kinder Morgan pipeline: After months of trade wars, threats and backroom wrangling, Finance Minister Bill Morneau on Tuesday announced the government’s plan to get the Kinder Morgan pipeline built. Continue Reading
John Horgan: ‘It doesn’t matter who owns the Kinder Morgan pipeline, the risks remain’:“We will continue to fight for B.C.’s interests and stand up for our people, our province, and our future”, writes the B.C. premier. Continue Reading
Edmonton’s blue-collar workers cautiously hopeful over pipeline progress:“It’s good to see there is something positive coming down the road”. Continue Reading
NatureKids BC is Hiring
From NatureKids BC:
We are seeking an experienced fund development specialist to join our team for the next year. This contract position is part-time (22.5 hrs/week) and is home-based in BC.
Damaging audit of fossil fuel fracking in northern B.C. surfaces after 4 years: The report about caribou protection was sent anonymously to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Continue Reading
From the Outdoor Recreation Council:
Provincial Caribou Recovery Program
The federal government is initiating conservation efforts for caribou under the authority of the federal Species at Risk Act, and the Province is expected to reduce threats to caribou herds and their critical habitat. As a result, the provincial government is developing its Caribou Recovery Program, which is intended to be a long-term commitment that will include all BC caribou herds. In November 2017, the provincial government and the Government of Canada published a draft Section 11 Agreement, to articulate actions both parties will take over the next five years to support recovery of self-sustaining populations of the Southern Mountain Caribou in BC. To participate in the discussion, visit engage.gov.bc.ca/caribou or email .
38th Annual BC Rivers Day: September 23, 2018
From the Outdoor Recreation Council:
Join us in celebrating BC Rivers Day on September 23, falling on the fourth Sunday in September and coinciding with World Rivers Day. Please let us know about activities and events you may organize, and register your event online to spread the word.
This issue is as important as ever. In March 2018, the Outdoor Recreation Council released its 2018 endangered rivers list. Steelhead-bearing rivers along with “Heart of the Fraser” are among BC’s endangered rivers. Other threatened waterways listed include the Fraser, Thompson, Chilcotin, Gold, Seymour, Cowichan, Peace and Kettle rivers.
Counting Down to Vancouver Congress and Festival
With less than three months to go, momentum for the 27th International Ornithological Congress is ramping up. The Congress will take place in Vancouver from August 19-26, 2018. Early indications suggest that this enriching learning experience will be extremely well attended.
The Vancouver International Bird Festival will be taking place at the same time, featuring a range of events, walks, presentations, and more. Check out the Festival website for full details.
Interesting Links
Curious swan thinks Global News camera is for the birds: Video
Goose attacks US soldiers in hilarious video – Daily Mail: Video
Wildlife Habitat Features – Guidance Document for Conservation: Link
As wildfire season moves long, stay updated on the current wildfire situation: Link
☀️ 💦 What a great way to wrap up the summer with a splash! We're joining our large community of folks who love and care for our watersheds. Come celebrate and learn--and chat with MARS and meet one of our wildlife ambassadors on the glove. Look for our green tent.It's wonderful opportunity to get to know the special community organizations who steward the natural systems and beautiful landscapes that surround us. Discover key land, water, and climate issues facing our community, find out how you can get involved, and learn more about the long standing stewardship of K'omoks people, the original keepers of this land. Explore restoration and habitat enhancement projects, salmon cycles, drinking water, forests, creeks, wetlands and estuaries - and so much more. Start the day with Yoga by the River, participate in watershed art projects, enjoy kids activities, take in some hands-on learning, or join a guided walk - all looking out over the Puntledge River. Uncover all the ways we are truly Connected by Water in the Comox Valley.Look at these activities!🧘 Gentle Flow Yoga for the River (bring a mat!) with Annicia 9:30-10:30 am💦 Lake Park Society - Environmental Games for Kids - all day🌀 Woven by Water - Participatory Watershed Art with Plants are Teachers - all day🥒 Luke the Cuke - Pop Up Poetry, Games and Riverside Antics 9 am -1 pm🚶 Morrison Creek Guided Walk 11 am - Meet at Morrison Streamkeepers Tent🎶 Reverberation Song Circle - join in and sing 12 noon🎨 Intro to Field Drawing with Lyndsay 1:00 pm - Meet at Cumberland Forest tent🎻 Music for the River w/ Cam Boyce - to close the dayFamily Watershed Day is presented by the members of the Comox Valley Conservation Partnership and their community partners. K'ómoks First Nation Project Watershed Plants Are Teachers Cumberland Forest Comox Valley Nature CV Land Trust & Conservation Partnership ...
The CVN photo group met last night for its September meeting and here are a few of the photos we shared with one another.Species and photographer shown in each photo... ...
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 ...