AGM 2013 – Along the Fraser – Adapting to
Change Abbotsford-Mission Nature Club – May 2-5, 2013 – Details in Winter
Magazine and our website
January 15 Registration for Tofino Camp -April 27
– May 1, 2013 – Tofino Camp – Registration details in Winter Magazine and our website
January 31, 2013 – Submission date close for Club
Support Grants for BC Naturalists Foundation Grants.
February 28, 2013 – Deadline for BC Nature Awards
nominations.
Skagit Valley Bird Blitz – May 10-12, 2013
Manning Park Bird Blitz – June 14-16,
2013
Website Updates
We are working hard to finish up access to the “members
only” area – we should be up and running within the next week to 10 days. In the
meantime, your BCnature winter magazine has been sent to you and on the mailing
address label is a number on the top left hand corner – this will be your access
and password to the members only area. An update will go out to all clubs when
the site is up and running and have no worries, if you do not have your
magazine, if you are a BC Nature member, we will have your number on file. Thank
you for your patience!!
Issue
27
Date
November 2012
Will Spring Ever
Come?
Christmas Social
For
any members who are in the North Vancouver area on December 11, BC Nature office
is holding our Christmas Social. We invite you to drop in between 3:00 pm – 6:00
pm. Please bring an appie or sweet to share. We wish you all a happy and safe
holiday season. BC Nature – 1620 Mt. Seymour Rd., North Vancouver, BC Please
RSVP – 604 985 3057
Let’s Halt the Expansion of Dirty Coal Exports!
Did
you know that the Greater Vancouver area is at risk of becoming the biggest coal
exporter in North America?
Coal-fired power plants in the US have been
shutting down due to environmental concerns. As a result, pressure from American
coal producers who now want to sell to Asia have resulted in a slew of coal port
expansion proposals on the Pacific coast.
Weaker environmental regulations
in Canada mean that US producers are now eyeing BC ports as a gateway to Asian
markets for their dirty coal. Right now the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
(Port Metro Vancouver) is considering two proposals to increase coal exports. If
approved, the proposed Fraser Surrey Docks Direct Coal Transfer Facility would
handle up to 4 million metric tons (Mt) per year, with the potential to increase
to 8 million Mt per year. Another proposal from North Vancouver’s Neptune Bulk
Terminals hopes to expand coal-handling capacity by 6 Mt to allow for a total of
18 Mt of coal exports from the terminal each year. Combined, these expansions
have the potential to export of the equivalent of over 154,000 railcars full of
coal per year—enough to build a train stretching the distance from Vancouver to
Mexico. And that’s not even counting the existing export capacity of the
region’s ports!
Accelerating coal exports from BC would be a huge step in
the wrong direction, and would have serious implications for local communities,
our climate and for future generations. The mandate of the Port Authority is to
“operate with broad public support in the best interests of Canadians”. But
instead, they have been quietly moving to approve these projects with little
public input. We say that expanding BC’s coal exports to facilitate the burning
of fossil fuels around the world is not in anyone’s best interest. That’s why
we’re asking you to please WRITE NOW and send a letter to the Planning
Department at Port Metro Vancouver, urging them NOT to approve coal expansions
at the Fraser Surrey Docks and Neptune Terminals. Yesterday, a wide array of
prominent groups and individuals from both Canada and the United States signed
onto an open letter to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, urging
decision-makers to fully consider the serious global warming implications of the
proposed increase in fossil fuel exports. How can Vancouver become the “Greenest
City” in the world with such a huge amount of fossil fuel pollution being
shipped through the region’s own ports? Experts from all over the world have
warned that not enough is being done to reduce pollution from burning fossil
fuels, and that the window of opportunity to avoid catastrophic climate change
is rapidly closing. Please help spread the word, and insist that the Port
Authority do the right thing—for the health of our local communities, and for
the global climate—by stopping the increase in coal exports from BC’s coast!
Contact information: Public Affairs – 604.665.9066 or Fax 1.866.284.4271 Email
to: Address: 100 The Pointe, 999 Canada
Place, Vancouver, BC V6C 3T4
On going Enbridge Information, articles,updates
Breaking
down yet another attack on Canada’s environmental laws article here.Artists for an oil free
Coast – read all about it hereFrom the Vancouver Sun – Second
shipping incident in two days heightens concerns read more
About Town – Upcoming Events
YNC
– The Christmas Bird Count for Kids is a winter bird count for young birders.
Saturday Dec 8, 2012 – Register here
The adventure begins with an indoor session including
demonstrations and activities to practice using binoculars, learn about birds
and how to identify them.Each participant (and accompanying parent) will be part
of a small birding team, led by an experienced birder, and will conduct a 1-1.5
hour survey in Stanley Park recording the number of bird species and individuals
seen. After the survey, all teams will re-group for lunch (bring your own) and
we’ll tally up the bird numbers and compare sightings!
This family program
is suitable for children ages 5-12 * note children must be accompanied by an
adult (parent, grandparent or guardian)
What to bring: – A parent or adult
with you for the day. (They will help with facilitating, driving and logistics
during our bird count.) – Binoculars and bird field guide if possible (otherwise
provided) – Warm clothes, rain gear and appropriate footwear – Your own bagged
lunch, water and other personal items
Program co-sponsored by Bird Studies
Canada, the Young Naturalists’ Club of BC and the Stanley Park Ecology Society
Registration is on a first come first serve basis.Registration is open
for River Restoration Northwest’s 12th annual Stream Restoration Symposium to be
held at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, WA (USA) February 5 to February 7, 2013. To
register please visit here
The Healthy Forests – Healthy Communities
The
Healthy Forests – Healthy Communities: A conversation on BC forests (HFHC)
initiative has continued to acquire and communicate the views of communities and
experts on what needs to be done to achieve forest and community sustainability.
Recommended actions (“Strategic Action Plan”) on the identified community issues
have been developed. We encourage you to review the draft posted on the HFHC website ,
send us your comments email – and ask the
politicians running in the May 2013 election what they are going to do, if
elected. Additional community input will be provided during the upcoming
November Community Workshops to be held in a number of communities across BC. A
final report will be distributed in January-February 2013. MAKE YOUR VOICE
HEARD.
Interesting Sites and articles
A
member Blog on Skagit
Thinking of travelling this winter –
guide to “Green” Travel
Marine e-Atlast Launched –
view website here
Beyond the Beetle – News release here
Amazing Osprey Video – website here
Oil Sands truth website
We
have recently installed a ‘subscription to e-news’ on the Office of the
Ombudsperson’s website If you or your members are interested in receiving
notifications of a release of a systemic investigative report, updates on
recommendations and periodic news from the Office of the Ombudsperson we invite
you to sign up.
No Man is an island – watch here
Backyard Birdwatchers Wanted!
If
you feed birds in your yard each winter, why not turn your hobby into research
that supports bird conservation? By joining Project FeederWatch and sharing
information about which birds visit your feeders between November and April, you
can help scientists at Bird Studies Canada and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
track changes in bird numbers and movements.
Project FeederWatch begins on
November 10 and runs until early April. Taking part is easy! Just count the
numbers and kinds of birds at your feeders, and enter the information on the
FeederWatch website (or on printed forms). Last season, 2565 Canadians
participated, and another 13,000 people in the United States. For only $35.00 –
your participation would be gratefully accepted!
For more information –
Visit the “Explore Data” section of the FeederWatch website to find the top 25 birds reported in your region and
bird summaries by state or province. There are four ways to register for Project
FeederWatch in Canada: • Fill out the online form at this website • Email • Write to: P.O. Box
160, Port Rowan, Ontario N0E 1M0 (enclose a $35 cheque to Bird Studies Canada) •
Call Bird Studies Canada toll-free at 1-888-448-2473
Parks are a valuable economic contributor in our
province
BC
politicians learned firsthand earlier this month about the many economic
benefits of parks beyond conservation, including tourism and other business
development. On October 1st Chloe O’Loughlin, Director of Terrestrial
Conservation, made these points to the Province of British Columbia’s Select
Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. To read the full
presentation, please click here
Salmon Farm Leases – Land only
Justice
Bruce Cohen just released his Final Report on his 3-year, $26 million commission
into the 17-year decline of the Fraser Sockeye. Cohen Report
I want to share Cohen’s incredibly strong
wording within the confines of his mandate, which was specific to the Fraser
sockeye. Clearly, however, Fraser sockeye are not different from other salmon in
their vulernability to the array of farm salmon pathogens.
I will write more
detail in my blog soon, but I wanted you to know the good news as soon as
possible. The Cohen report includes: •Salmon farms have the potential to import
exotic viruses and amplify endemic ones •There should be an immediate freeze on
farm salmon production on the Fraser sockeye migration route •DFO should be
relieved of their duty to promote salmon farms •Mitigation into the impact of
salmon farms on wild salmon should not be delayed and should be carried out in
the absence of absolute certainty •DFO must assess ALL research done on the
impact of farm salmon on wild salmon and if found greater than minimal, the
industry must be prohibited from operating on the Fraser sockeye migration
route! •Siting criteria has to be revised to include wild salmon migration
routes.
As this report is tabled, you should know the Province of BC is in
the process of renewing many salmon farm leases. The Province of BC remains the
landlord of the industry even though regulation has become federal. If BC offers
this industry long term leases, Justice Cohen’s recommendations and our $26
million will be wasted. The Province cannot at this point offer these lease
renewals without consulting with the Fraser First Nations, because the salmon
they have rights to are swimming through effluent from the salmon farms, Cohen
is specifically reporting on.
I am actively researching exotic salmon
viruses, but if these leases are renewed in the next few weeks, there will be
little chance of the Cohen recommendations being acted on. This report is the
result of a massive amount of work, I especially thank my lawyers Lisa Glowacki
and Greg McDade – they went the extra mile and beyond! There is something you
can do now. I have created a petition in honour of Cohen’s work asking Permier
Clark not to renew the salmon farm leases to the sea floor of BC. If you step up
and share it widely, there is a chance our children will have wild salmon in
their lives, and honestly it looks like there are tough times ahead, they will
need everything we can leave them. View here.
In celebration of hope and thanks to you Mr Cohen
for seeing the difficult truths,
Alexandra Morton
Plastic – Midway Island
This
may not be suitable for young children to see. Nature is able to recycle most
naturally occurring substances through decay and decomposition. But plastics are
made by humans to be resistant or even immune to natural processes. Some day
natural selection may produce organisms that can metabolize plastics, but that
is likely to be a million or more years, if ever. In the meantime discard
plastic finds its way to the oceans. In the Pacific Ocean, an ocean current
moves in a giant circle called a gyre which is located near Midway Island. The
Pacific Gyre has concentrated millions of tons of discarded plastic of all
shapes and sizes which can be ingested by marine life including sea birds.To see what happens to sea bird chicks that are fed plastic detritus by
their attentive parents go to the following website.
Porbeagle Sharks – Atlantic Canada – Need your Help!
Porbeagle
sharks are one of the most endangered sharks in the Atlantic Ocean. Since 1961,
their population has declined by 89%. Yet, on November 12th, Canada will stand
in front of 47 other countries to defend its right to keep fishing this
endangered shark. Canada is now the only country on the Atlantic ocean directly
targeting this shark and is allowing thousands to be caught as ‘bycatch’ in
fisheries for other fish. Sign our petition asking Gail Shea, Canada’s Fisheries
Minister, to join the international consensus and protect the porbeagle,
Canada’s shark. When you sign an email will be sent directly to the Minister.
Big Wild Giveaway
Big
Wild Bucks is back for 2012! Each year, MEC and The Big Wild give five Canadian
conservation projects the chance to receive $10,000 in grants. We’ve chosen five
environmental groups from across the country and we need your help doling out
the dough. The finalists are: • Pacific Wild • Nature Canada • Our
Incredible World • Sentiers pédestres des 3 monts • Friends of Kananaskis
Country The project with the most votes receives $5000. The second place group
receives $3000, and the third place group receives $2000. Vote here
Jobs and Growth Act (Bill C-45)
Mr.
Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to yet another budget omnibus bill.
I suppose I should not use the word “pleased”. I want to first make a few
comments on the subject of omnibus bills and what we have seen in this one year.
We essentially have seen budget 2012 used as an excuse for the tabling of 900
pages of legislation largely unrelated to the budget itself. This exercise is
both illegitimate and undemocratic in combining 70 different bills in Bill C-38,
allegedly related to budget 2012, and now 60 different bills in Bill C-45.See
full speech Here
Protect Northern Waters – Sign the Petition!
Dear
friends and allies, Under pressure from the shale gas industry, the BC
government is moving to “clear the backlog” of pending permanent water licence
applications in northeast BC. The result of the these licences will be the
removal of nearly 10 billion gallons of water from northern rivers, lakes and
streams EVERY YEAR for up to 40 years. This water will be used for fracking and
will not be returned to the environment–it will be contaminated and disposed of
in deep oilfield injection wells. BC is making these decisions blind. They do
not have the necessary data. They are not measuring or tracking the effects of
fracking on the environment. They have not informed or consulted the public
about the effects of water loss and fracking. Their sole basis for decision
making is the needs of industry. We are calling on you to help us send a message
to the Premier that these licences cannot go forward until BC implements proper
water management planning and public consultation on water use and shale gas
development in BC. Please sign the petition at: Website
PLEASE HELP PROTECT BRITISH COLUMBIA’S WOLVES
The
BC government has pulled a fast one. The draft Wolf Management Plan was released
on November 14, and the deadline for public input is December 5. There is now a
little more than 1 weeks to respond. You can download it from the government website link . But for those who don’t have the time to read
and digest 49 pages of material, we offer this rather long analysis.
The
draft Management Plan honestly admits that wolves play a key role in healthy
ecosystems, that 11 years of killing wolves in caribou habitat has not resulted
in more caribou, and that current figures for wolf populations are unreliable.
It speaks of maintaining balance between conservation of wolves and killing
them, and claims the goal of ensuring “self-sustaining populations” of wolves.
Yet the Plan clearly intends: 1.Increased killing of wolves to please the
rancher lobby. 2.Intensified killing of whole wolf packs under the pretext of
saving mountain caribou. 3.Embedding hunter and rancher lobby groups in
partnership with BC’s Conservation Officer (CO) Service. The government has made
severe budget and staff cuts to the CO service, now this is the next step:
putting vested interests in control of managing our wildlife.
And the deck
has been loaded towards helicopter killing with the claim that this is the most
efficient and “humane” way to go about protecting caribou. Let’s be really
honest: allowing ranchers to have open season on wolves and shooting whole packs
from helicopters with automatic weapons takes us back to the ignorant, cruel
days when wolves were called “vermin” and viewed as rats to be killed anywhere,
any time, by anybody. And despite the talk of “balance”, the draft plan offers
no management actions to recognize other values of wolves such as their
intrinsic worth as living things, their role in maintaining healthy ecosystems,
and their tourism/wildlife viewing values.
This draft Plan would enshrine
the government’s War on Wolves in formal policy: a policy based on scapegoating
wolves for problems caused by people; a policy that would continue our cultural
misbeliefs that constant shooting and trapping of wolves is the only way to
treat them.
Already, more wolves are being killed than at any time since
kills began to be recorded in 1976. According to the draft Plan, the number of
recorded kills hit an all-time high for that period during 2011,with 1,400
wolves killed. But many, if not most wolf kills are not reported.RECOMMENDATIONS 1.Extend the deadline for public input to January 30, 2013.
2.Set aside large areas of the province where wolves are protected from any
killing, so that wolves can develop natural packs and behaviour, which will
provide benchmarks for scientific research and as areas where people can watch
wolves. 3.NO helicopter killing of wolves. 4.NO leghold traps or snares. 5.By
the draft Plan’s own admissions, 11 years of killing wolves to save caribou have
not increased caribou. These programs have failed and should be stopped. 6.The
government has acknowledged that the chief reason for mountain caribou decline
is loss of habitat. A secondary reason is snowmobiling and heli-skiing in winter
habitat. To save caribou the government should 1) stop logging old-growth forest
in mountain caribou range, 2) ban snowmobiles from winter range (current bans
are inadquate and not enforced), and 3) roads built in caribou range need to be
obliterated to prevent easy access by predators. 7.Return to former species
licence, quotas, bag limits, restricted seasons, and mandatory reporting of
kills for hunting wolves. 8.Continue government programs for compensating
ranchers for losses to wild predators. 9.Fund an adequate Conservation Officer
Service. The Conservation Officer Service should not partner with vested
interests such as ranchers; this is the foxes running the chicken coop.
10.Practice prevention by providing education and incentives to improve
protection with fences, guard dogs, shepherds, etc. As of the date of this
Action Alert you have Only a few days to make a comment at: Government request
for comments
To celebrate our 60th anniversary we invite you to come for a guided stroll on the Courtenay Riverway Heritage Walk with a member of Comox Valley Nature on April 24, 10 am -noon. Learn about the history of this area, including how the former sewage lagoon has become one of the most popular walking spots in the Comox Valley. Check out the restoration work that has replaced invasive plant species and added more native plants, shrubs and trees that is being done by Comox Valley Nature in partnership with the City of Courtenay. Hear why invasive plant species are so damaging to the ecosystems. Enjoy the view from the "lookout" over the estuary and be reminded how important the estuary is to the web of life.REGISTRATION required on our events page cvnature.ca/events An easy 1 km walk on a wheelchair accessible paved path. Dress for the weather and bring a water bottle Sorry, no dogs. This event is free, but donations are welcome.For more information, add your name to a wait list or to cancel your reservation email: . ... See MoreSee Less
To celebrate our 60th anniversary Comox Valley Nature is offering this opportunity to get together with knowledgeable birders to share skills and learn more about birding in the Comox Valley.This outing is designed for beginners, but birders of all levels are welcome. Experienced birders will help with identifying species, equipment, useful apps, and field guides. Both CVN members and the public are welcome on this walk at the Courtenay Airpark which will be on a wide smooth pathway for about 2km round trip. Bring binoculars if you have them. Dress for the weather. Warm clothing necessary – it’s often windy there! Please leave pets at home.Register through our events page at This event is free. Donations welcome.#birding#comoxvalley#iba#courtenay airpark ... See MoreSee Less
To celebrate our 60th anniversary we offer this opportunity to learn more about Garry oaks in the Comox Valley.Vanier Nature Park is home to a small grove of Garry oak trees which is being stewarded by Comox Valley Nature. These oaks are at the northern extent of their range, and are a remnant of a culturally modified ecosystem that once covered 160 square kilometres in the Comox ValleyThis walk will be lead by Geologist Bob Hauser and Forester Terry Lewis. They have spent many hours in the park removing invasive holly. Terry and Bob will look at the work in progress in the grove and share their unique perspective on this forest, with a focus on soil science and tree species.The Vanier Nature Park project is being co-managed by Comox Valley Nature and the City of Courtenay with funding from the City of Courtenay, BC Nature and the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. Registration required through The walk is partially on level ground with some gentle to moderate uphill walking on a forest trail that has some uneven footing. No dogs please.For more information, to add your name to a wait list or to cancel your reservation, email: Details of the meeting place will be sent to registrants. Please be at the meeting spot at least 10 minutes before the walk starts to sign in. ... See MoreSee Less
To celebrate our 60th anniversary we invite you to come for a guided stroll on the Courtenay Riverway Heritage Walk with a member of Comox Valley Nature on April 24, 10 am -noon. Learn about the history of this area, including how the former sewage lagoon has become one of the most popular walking spots in the Comox Valley. Check out the restoration work that has replaced invasive plant species and added more native plants, shrubs and trees that is being done by Comox Valley Nature in partnership with the City of Courtenay. Hear why invasive plant species are so damaging to the ecosystems. Enjoy the view from the "lookout" over the estuary and be reminded how important the estuary is to the web of life.