Rene Savenye Scholarship deadline – June 3, 2016. Application Link
FGM 2016 – Prince George, September 22-26, 2016 – Schedule and Registration will be posted May 1, 2016
Bird Blitzs – Skagit – May 6-8, 2016 Robson – June 3, 2016 Manning, June 17-19, 2016 need more information, please refer to your Spring magazine or email
BC Nature Members and drones in Parks – Your Experience
In recent months, BC Nature has been in touch with the BC Ministry of the Environment to request that the Ministry develop regulation concerning the recreational use of drones in provincial parks. The Ministry has indicated that they are examining this issue and that it would be helpful to have examples of experiences BC Nature members have had with drones in parks.
If you have had an experience with drones in a park or natural area in BC that you would like to share with the Ministry of Environment, please send details to me via email at Email I will collate this information and provide it to the Ministry.
Issue 48
Date March 2016
When will Spring be back?
BCnature Spring 2016 Magazine is now available online
The BCnature Spring Magazine is now available for download in the “members only” area. 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.
Keep cats safe. Save birds lives. Build Healthier Communities
It’s better for cats. It’s better for birds. It’s better for people. For more information, contact . John Neville says: Cats are killing 1.4 billion birds per annum worldwide. If we wish to go on seeing and hearing birds, we need to keep our cats indoors and safe. Make sure you watch “the Messenger” a new documentary film about declining songbirds. The Messenger Documentary Link
The Squamish Environment Society is very proud of our new website which was created by Rachel Shephard and lots of little elves. View Here
About Town
Spread Your Wings for Bird Conservation – Link
The Microsemi Science Fair Fun Run – The annual Science Fair Fun Run is the largest timed 5K fun run in the province and is now a major event in Vancouver. Teams of five or more are welcome to register now, and can customize their technical t-shirts with a team logo. Families can meet science fair participants, view science fair projects and enjoy activities provided by Microsemi and other sponsors as they await the results and prizes at the awards ceremony. In addition, all registered Fun Run participants are entered into the grand prize drawing and will receive free admission to TELUS World of Science on race day.Adults 19 and older can register before the early bird deadline of April 30 for only $40, while those 18 and under can register for only $25. Entrants can also participate in the 1K Mini Fun Run for children with an accompanying adult, with an entry fee of $20 each. To register online, visit www.sciencefairs.ca/funrun. All proceeds from the event go to The Dr. Michael Smith Science Fair Endowment to support the promotion and development of The Science Fair Program throughout the province.
“2015 marked one of the most exciting and successful years yet for British Columbia students at both the national and international Science Fairs, with three of the top four Grand Awards at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Fredericton, New Brunswick, two awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and gold medals at the Taiwan International Science Fair in Taipei,” said Patti Leigh, executive director, SFF BC. “By participating in The Microsemi Science Fair Fun Run, our community helps encourage young people like these students to pursue careers in science and technology—and to become tomorrow’s innovators.”
The 12th Annual Wild ARC Open House! BC SPCA Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC), Victoria – Link
Conservation Issues in our Province
Fish habitat worries stalls approval of B.C.’s Pacific NorthWest LNG project – Link
Against Port Expansion in the Fraser Estuary – Link
Helping children connect with our natural world. for information on how to Knowledge-share with the children of your local nature Kids, please visit this Link
Love bees — especially the wild ones!
By the David Suzuki Foundation – Many environmental campaigns over the past 50 years have aimed at getting people to care for imperilled species in wild, far-off places. The focus in Canada has often been on large, photogenic, culturally important animals, with bonus points for campaigns that include alliteration, bumper sticker-friendly slogans and plush toys. This has been a sensible and often successful strategy. Over the past few years smaller, charismatic critters closer to home have buzzed into the spotlight: bees. About a decade ago, beekeepers in Europe and North America started noticing serious declines in honeybee populations. Bees have lost much of their natural habitat to urbanization and industrial agriculture and face increased stress from climate change-related drought and severe winters. These threats, coupled with the global spread of diseases and pests and a dramatic increase in the use of agricultural pesticides like neonicotinoids, have resulted in unprecedented losses for beekeepers. (Because bees and other insects provide ecological services like pollination, it makes no sense to declare war against all just to eliminate or control the few nuisances.) For complete article – see this Link
Federation of BC Naturalists (BC Nature) join call to protect Central Walbran Valley – See more at: this Link
BC’s 2016 endangered rivers list targets key waterways by region
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Bruce Moffat, our very own CVN Nature Photography group coordinator will be presenting at this month’s general meeting. He has prepared a handful of wildlife vignettes collected over the past 7 years on Vancouver Island. Each of these shorts will be played with Bruce pausing to describe the experiences and challenges for each of the diverse subjects covered.This presentation includes images first shown as entries in the Comox Valley Photographic Society’s annual Imagefest show at the Sid Williams Theatre. There will be time to ask questions after each short film and following the wrap up. Bruce will bring some of the equipment used to capture his images.Bruce has been an avid photographer since his teen years and has focused on nature photography for the past 20 years. He has been published regularly in the local CV Land Trustcalendars and 4 of the last five CV Collective magazines here in the valley. His latest published shot is featured on this month’s cover of Scout Life magazine. ... See MoreSee Less
Comox Valley Nature is pleased to announce that Sophie Johnston has been awarded the Brandt Research Grant. This is a $5,000 grant in support of her field research on coastal areas of north Vancouver Island. Sophie is currently a PhD Student at the University of British Columbia.The intertidal zone ecosystem is critically threatened by ongoing climate change. Sophie’s PhD research is documenting the effects of ocean acidification on intertidal marine communities in the Johnstone Strait, British Columbia.The goal of her research is to investigate how a dominant ecosystem engineer shapes marine community structure along a gradient of ocean acidification.Ocean acidification not only alters the morphology of limpet species by increasing shell erosion, but can also increase their thermal sensitivity, limiting limpet grazing efficiency and survival in the intertidal zone. Thus, the effects of ocean acidification on such ecosystem engineers could result in large-scale, rippling impacts on marine communities, from microscopic algae to top predators.The results of this research will be of particular interest to residents who inhabit areas near or along the Johnstone Strait and those interested in the trophic level effects of ocean acidification i.e., the reduced growth of herbivores, barnacles, mussels, and oysters can affect the population sizes of predators like sea stars and otters.For more information on this grant and CV Nature in general, visit our website at cvnature.ca ... See MoreSee Less
CVRD News: Watershed Awareness Days: Discover Where Your Water Comes From 🫗The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) invites the public to explore the Comox Lake Watershed during Watershed Awareness Days, taking place from May 26 to 30, 2026. This week-long event features guided walks, lakeside talks, presentations, and family-friendly activities. It’s a unique opportunity to experience the watershed firsthand and learn how it sustains the health and wellbeing of the entire Comox Valley community.Read the full story here 👉 comoxvalleyrd.ca/connect/news/watershed-awareness-days-discover-where-your-water-comesView all the FREE* events here: www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/connectedbywater*Some events require registration#ComoxValleyRD ... See MoreSee Less
Bruce Moffat, our very own CVN Nature Photography group coordinator will be presenting at this month’s general meeting. He has prepared a handful of wildlife vignettes collected over the past 7 years on Vancouver Island. Each of these shorts will be played with Bruce pausing to describe the experiences and challenges for each of the diverse subjects covered.