Robson Bird Blitz – June 6-8. Please contact Gail Ross – for further information or to sign on.
Deadline to apply for Rene Savenye Scholarship by May 30, 2014
Manning Park Bird Blitz – June 20 – 22, 2014 – please visit Hope Mountain Centre for further information
FGM 2014 – Hosted by the Shuswap Naturalists – September 25 – 28, 2014. Salmon & Shorebirds – Incredible Journey Registration will be in the Summer Magazine
Club Grant Applications and BC Nature Awards by Jan 31, 2015
Tofino Camp – May 3-6, 2015 (Check out is May 7)Details to follow in Fall Magazine
AGM Resolutions deadline February 28, 2015
AGM 2015 Salt Spring Island May 7-10, 2015 – Details to follow in Fall Magazine
Updates Tofino Camp was a great success, such so, another one is planned for May 2015! Nicola Valley Camp is full with a waiting list. Wells Gray Park – The Alpine Trek is Full (Thank you!) but there is still space available for the Wells Gray Camp – 2 spots remain. Please contact Kamloops Naturalists – to reserve your spot.
Volunteers Needed
Barn Swallows Study Greg Ferguson, a biologist and member of Nature Vancouver, is undertaking a project to inventory and monitor the status of Barn Swallows in BC this summer, with a particular focus on the Lower Mainland region. If you are interested in knowing more about this project or volunteering please visit this website Link or contact Greg at
As part of this project he will be having a day of training on Saturday, May 31st in South Langley near Campbell Valley Regional Park. For more information on this training and how to participate, please visit: Link Here
Interesting Sites and articles
The Effects of Radiation on Flora & Fauna – Link
Sweeping study aims to find why salmon stocks collapsed MARK HUME, VANCOUVER — The Globe and Mail, Monday, May. 19 2014 . Link Here
Saving Wild Salmon Link Here
Ocean Planning Link Here
National Conservation Plan
The federal government launched on May 15th the National Conservation Plan which aims to provide a more coordinated approach to conservation efforts across Canada with an emphasis on enabling Canadians to conserve and restore lands and waters in and around their communities, and making it easier for citizens living in cities to connect with nature. Building on the conservation measures announced in Budget 2014, the National Conservation Plan includes funding of $252 million, primarily over a five-year period (2014 to 2019) for a variety of conservation initiatives:
• $100 million over five years to the Nature Conservancy of Canada to secure ecologically sensitive lands
• $37 million over five years to strengthen marine and coastal conservation
• $3.2 million over five years to support the development of a complete national inventory of Canadian conservation areas
• $50 million over five years to restore wetlands
• $50 million over five years to support voluntary actions to restore and conserve species and their habitats
• $9.2 million over five years to connect urban Canadians to nature
• $3 million over three years to Earth Rangers to expand family-oriented conservation programming.
Read more at Link Here
About Town
Ongoing Event:Every Wednesday, Tending the Garry Oak Preserve
Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve, Duncan, 9 am – 12 p.m. Link Here
Thursday July 24 8:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
Restoring the Sand Spit: Removing invasives from James Island James Island, Sidney Link Here
Saturday May 31, 2014 & Wednesday July 9, 2014, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Weed & Wildflower Walk in Victorias Inner Harbour, Matson Lands Conservation Area, Esquimalt Link Here
Saturday June 7, 2014, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Planting Garry Oaks: A day of transplanting these charismatic oak trees Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve, Duncan Link Here
Monday June 9, 2014, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Butterflies of Beautiful British Columbia Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve
Closest Place: Duncan, Vancouver Island Link Here
Wednesday June 25, Wednesday July 16 & Sunday July 27, 2014, 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Searching for Seeds: Native seed collection in Garry oak woodlands Chase Woods Conservation Area, Duncan Link Here
WildResearch Butterfly Monitoring Workshop 2014
Registration is open for WildResearch’s third annual Butterfly Monitoring Workshop, once again taking place at the beautiful UBC Botanical Garden The workshop will consist of an indoor classroom session, and an outdoor field techniques session. Participants will learn how to catch, handle, identify, and monitor butterflies, how to follow protocols for and contribute to the BC Butterfly Atlas a citizen-science project, and how to garden to attract butterflies.
When: Saturday, June 7, 2014
Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where: UBC Botanical Garden
Registration is FREE, and gets you free admission to the UBC Botanical Garden. E-mail with the Subject “Register for Workshop” in order to reserve a spot.
Nanaimo bird expert killed in crash
By Chris Bush – Nanaimo News Bulletin
posted May 21, 2014 at 8:00 AM
A motor vehicle accident has claimed the life of a man well-known in Nanaimo’s bird watching community. Ryan Cathers, 21, organizer of the annual Nanaimo Christmas Bird Count, died in a collision near Westlock, Alta., on the weekend. Police said Cathers died Saturday at about 4:30 p.m. when the northbound vehicle in which he was collided head-on with a southbound semi tractor-trailer rig on Highway 44 about one kilometre south of Westlock. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by Westlock RCMP. His cousin, Chris Cathers, said Ryan Cathers had recently graduated from Vancouver Island University and had taken a job with a wild bird research organization in Alberta. Chris Cathers described his cousin as caring, compassionate and the go-to person for birding in Nanaimo. “The world needed more people like him,” Chris Cathers said. Colin Bartlett, owner of the Nanaimo Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store, said Ryan Cathers worked at the store for three years prior to leaving for Alberta and described his death as tragic. “He was just up there, what, two weeks,” Bartlett said. “It was his first time away from home and it was all new to him. He was a little homesick, but he was having fun.”
Enbridge – Kinder Morgan Updates
Enbridge Northern Gateway is Causing More Rumours than Lady Gaga
By Nikki Skuce, Senior Energy Campaigner, ForestEthics Advocacy Link Here
Cullen hits trail for coasts
Steve Kidd/Penticton Western News Link Here
Pipeline politics fault of Ottawa inaction
Stephen Ewart/Calgary Herald Link Here
News from Canadian Parks and Wilderness (CPAWS)
Changes to the B.C. Park Act threaten integrity of protected areas
Earlier this week, the B.C. government passed a bill into law that puts the province’s entire parks system in jeopardy. Bill 4, the Park Amendment Act, introduces changes that allow the province to issue research permits for industry looking to build pipelines, logging roads, and other industrial infrastructure in provincial parks.
CPAWS is calling on the B.C. government to reverse Bill 4 immediately, and maintain the integrity of our parks.
Stand up against these changes to the B.C. Park Act! *Take action TODAY to keep our parks protected, as they should be. Link Here
Connecting to nature in our national and provincial parks
The Canadian Parks Council recently published a report called “”Connecting Canadians with Nature: An investment in the well-being of our citizens”” which highlights the importance of our national, provincial and territorial parks in getting us back outside and connecting with the natural world.
Canada’s parks have a vital role to play in connecting us with nature*, and are among the best places for us to fully experience all of the benefits derived from spending more time outdoors.
Check out the report here Link Here and read our latest blog Link Here on collaborating for a more nature-connected Canada.
There are 100's of toadlets migrating across the trail systems in Cumberland Forest. Please note the trail closures, and share this post.Major trail closures. Please do not use the west side of the network, see the map. Tens of thousands of toads are dispersing in all directions west and south of Alan Lake. SoBo No Michi is closed Sykes Bridge area is teaming, Perseverance Creek is also extremely busy. The south side of Alan Lake is also covered with toads. We have closed all access via Davis lake main to Perseverance Creek, the Potholes, Sobo No Michi etc. All trails that come down the west side back to Perseverance area are closed. Please do not go into that zone for the next few days. Hopefully we will be clear to roll by the weekend.Please respect all signage at the trail access points and in the CRI car park, informing you of up-to-date information of trail closures and the migration routes.Please share and reshare. Cumberland Forest Village of Cumberland ... See MoreSee Less
Dont miss these upcoming presentations, giving insight into wildlife rehabilitation, bird intelligence and the lives of coastal wolves: ... See MoreSee Less
A new club; "The Friends of Eagle Bluffs Forest Society" has just joined BC Nature: