Skagit Bird Blitz – May 9 – 11, 2014 (Further information in Spring Magazine)
Deadline to apply for Rene Savenye Scholarship by May 30, 2013
Manning Park Bird Blitz – June 20 – 22, 2014 (Information in Spring Magazine)
FGM 2014 – Hosted by the Shuswap Naturalists – September 25 – 28, 2014. Salmon & Shorebirds – Incredible Journey
AGM 2014 – Victoria, BC – your hosts Victoria Natural History Society and the Rocky Point Bird Observatory
“Registration is now open for ‘Coastal Connections’ the Annual General Meeting of BC Nature to be held in Victoria May 1 – 4, 2014, hosted by the Rocky Point Bird Observatory and the Victoria Natural History Society – Link here . There will be a wide range of interesting talks, inspiring field trips, a banquet, reception at the Bateman Centre and lots of opportunities to meet like-minded naturalists. Don’t miss it!”
Issue 40
Date March 2014
CAMPS 2014
Updates Tofino and Nicola Valley Camps are full with a waiting list. Wells Gray Park – Please note instructions below – Phone in instructions, costs etc. Updated.
Wells Gray Camp
March 30 Sign up – see instructions below Hosted by the Kamloops Naturalists, this camp is sure to fill up quick. To that end, please review the details below: Wells Gray Park – Camp 1 – August 14 – 17, 2014 This four-day camp allows people to explore the wonders of Wells Gray Provincial Park. Day trips and talks include, flora and fauna, fire and ice (volcanos and glaciers), the pioneering experience and the Clearwater River. Dynamic trip leaders will make this a worthwhile adventure for all participants! Price $300.00 * * Price includes all meals, outings – Accomodation is separate and is listed on our website. To reserve your spot – Registration – 10:00 am – March 30, 2014- Teresa Corboy – 250-376-7505 Wells Gray Park – Alpine Trek – Note Date Change: August 13 – 17, 2014 – Price Reduced to $795.00 (+GST) Registration – 9:00 am – March 30, 2014 – Teresa Corboy – 250-320-0889
Please note: Registration Phone numbers and times are different but the date is the same! Please specify when calling for your camp reservation – “Alpine Trek” or “Park Camp.”
Good News
Year of Talk – “New Park on Quadra Island” – $5.85-million deal purchases land to link two existing park. Read More
Emergency Order in Place – Feb. 2014 to protect the Sage Grouse, For Alberta & Saskatchewan Link Here
Modernizing BC’s Water Act – New Water Sustainability Act Introduced – Link Here – Read all about the strengths and weaknesses of the new Water Sustainability Act Link Here
Court rules federal government acted ‘unlawfully’ in delaying recovery strategies for at-risk species – Read More Here
20 March 2014 – After an extremely successful first year, the British Columbia Shorebird Survey returns this summer. The project was launched in 2013 by Bird Studies Canada and Simon Fraser University to study Western Sandpiper abundance and behaviour with help from Citizen Scientists. The 2014 surveys will occur on the weekends of July 19-20 and August 16-17 at several sites around Vancouver, Victoria, Eastern Vancouver Island, Tofino, and Washington. We’re looking for volunteers able to commit to two to three days of surveys, lasting two to three hours each day. There will be a volunteer training session from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 at Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, BC. To learn more, register as a new or returning volunteer, or sign up for the training session, visit the BC Shorebird Survey webpage. If you have questions, please contact Karen Barry () or David Hope ().
About Town
Citizens Against Port Expansion – Public Meeting – Saturday April 5, 2014 Here is the Link for further information.
Webinar – Which Price is Right? Pricing Water and BC’s new Water Sustainability Act – Monday March 24, 2014 for information on submissions please visit this Link for further information
Earth Hour on March 29 – Turn your lights off – Link for further information
Protecting the Great Bear Presentation Night – March 29 – Ross Beaty Lecture Theatre, University of British Columbia. For REgistration information – Link Here Admission by Donation.
14th Annual Riversheds Forum – April 11-13, 2014 – Yale, BC – For Registration information – visit this link
The Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative is hosting an event in Whistler on April 8. I hope you can join us! It’s going to be a great night featuring PBS & BBC Host and Narrator Chris Morgan, and BC Ministry of Environment’s Large Carnivore Specialist Tony Hamilton. “A Night with Grizzlies” – for registration information visit Link Here
Kamloops – “Brush With Nature” – Nature Conservancy of Canada – BC Join us on April 2 to learn more about Napier Lake Ranch and how you can help protect this incredible grassland property. for more information
Activities for your Children or Grandchildren involving nature – Summer Camps
SUMMER CAMPS at VanDusen Botanical Garden – Link Here
Soaring Eagle Nature School – Visit Link
Letter to the Editor – From February Enews”
Sir: You stated, “I’m sure all of us are pleased that the Prosperity Mine Project has been turned down again.” Do not assume all of us are pleased. Poverty is a much greater health risk to the people of Williams Lake than the Taseko Prosperity mine would ever be. The role of BC Nature should be to use its skills to work with the mine to help create a viable tailings pond not just to say no to every development. By the way have you investigated whether Fish Lake really is worth fishing in? Anecdotal evidence is that it has few fish. Member Parsons.
Take a Minute and nominate A BC River
The Outdoor Recreation Council of BC (ORC) will publish its 2014 Endangered Rivers List in April. Rivers included in the List will be those on which public recreation is considered by ORC’s Endangered Rivers Committee to be the most endangered or threatened. The Committee will review nominations from members of ORC’s member organizations and other individuals active in outdoor recreation. Persons or organizations making a nominations are requested to provide as much of the information listed below as possible. Public recreation which might be threatened or endangered might include fishing, canoeing, kayaking, birdwatching, hiking or just walking by the river.
To make a nomination please go to: Link Here OR go to the home page of the Outdoor Recreation Council website at www.orcbc.ca and follow the links
In 2013 the Peace River was nominated by more than 200 individuals and organizations as a result of which it headed the 2013 list by a wide margin and the environmental assessment process for the proposed Site C dam on the Peace is now under way. In 2014 we are looking for nominations for threatened rivers other than the Peace, such as the Similkameen (high dam proposal south of Princeton) and the Fraser (toxic waste plant near Chilliwack). There will undoubtedly be others! And the more nominations the better so we can develop a comprehensive and informative list.
Your Executive and Conservation Committee Hard at Work
Conservation Letters sent and received to March 21, 2014 Off Road Vehicle Act – Bill 13: Letter to Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations Minister Steve Thomson thanking him for introducing this Bill and encouraging quick passage of this Bill which will require the display of a visible numbered plate on all ORVs. Sent March 7, 2014. Water Sustainability Act: Replied received March 7, 2014, from provincial Ministry of Environment, Assistant Deputy Minister with comments on the letter BC Nature sent November 15, 2013 regarding focus to modernize this Act. Cohen Commission on Fisheries: Reply from Provincial Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations, Minister Steve Thomson, in response to our letters of December 23 and November 13, 2013 to the Premier. The reply dated March 4, 2014, addresses BC Nature’s concerns over implementation of several of Justice Cohen’s recommendations on Fraser River sockeye. (Also note there was a reply January 21, 2014 from Federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Shea to BC Nature follow-up correspondence of November 29, 2013, regarding implementation of Cohen Commission recommendations.
To remove your name from our mailing list, please contact the BC Nature Office email us here All email addresses are protected from misuse by BC Nature by way of Blind Carbon Copying these notices. Questions or comments? Contact us via E-mail us at BC Nature
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...
Thanks to community support, a property in Deep Bay is now protected, safeguarding its mature forests, salmon streams and diverse shoreline.Now, we’re helping restore this land so it can regenerate into a healthy forest.Join the Comox Valley land Trust and WolfTree for a hands-on day to rehabilitate the former homestead by planting trees and shrubsIf you'd like to volunteer your time, the work party is Sunday, October 25th, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.Meet at Rosewall creek Provincial Park parking lot at 9:50 to carpool to the deep bay restoration site.See this link or link in bio to register and for more information: www.jotform.com/form/262826298698277...
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