Postponed from March 20 (a day that included wind, rain, hail, snow & sun!) four members explored Boyle Point Park & Morrison Marsh on Denman Island. Nature Student blog has a selection of photos. Additional bird highlights were numerous Yellow-rumped Warblers, Red Crossbills, and a Turkey Vulture. Notable plants were the forest of old-growth Douglas-fir, many arbutus & a few Garry oak on the bluffs, & evergreen huckleberry throughout. The 9 km hike included some sections of blow-down along the south bluff, though there are alternative trails.
Posted inField Trips|Comments Off on Nature Outing Report: Boyle Point, March 28, 2013
Six birders met at Elks Park at Kye Bay to check out the gull flocks. There were easily a few thousand gulls scattered over the sandbars on the falling tide. There was also a raft of sea ducks (scoters, long-tails, etc.) a mile or more offshore to the southeast.
After checking out the closer gull flocks most members decided to head over to Pt. Holmes, while the Hardy Two stayed and slogged out towards the reef to check the gulls out that way. Altogether we had six species for the day: thousands of Glaucous-winged, hundreds of Mew, several Thayer’s, a few California, a couple of Herring, and at least one Ring-billed. There was also a flock of about 50 Brant near the reef. No shorebirds seen.
Posted inBirds, Field Trips|Comments Off on Bird Outing Report: Kye Bay, March 18, 2013
AGM 2013 – Along the Fraser – Adapting to Change Abbotsford-Mission Nature Club – May 2-5, 2013 – Registration in Spring Magazine and our website
February 28, 2013 – Deadline for BC Nature Awards nominations. Please contact the office for further information or visit: our website Deadline for BC Nature Resolutions
April 4, 2013 -Rene Savenye Scholarships applications must be sent to the office. Information can be found here
Skagit Valley Bird Blitz – May 10-12, 2013
Mt. Robson Provincial Park Bird Blitz – June 7-9, 2013
Manning Park Bird Blitz – June 14-16, 2013
FGM Cranbrook – Sept 19-22, 2013
A Dark Cloud Hangs Over South Delta
The Fraser delta, on Vancouver’s southern doorstep, is a wetland of international importance, a gathering place for salmon, waterfowl, shorebirds, and whales, and for people. It has rich, productive farmland, some of the best in Canada, yet under the wide open skies, nature struggles for space. Snow geese feed in school yards and orcas swim among container ships. Pumpkin and blueberry fields compete for space with shopping malls, golf courses, and housing developments. The delta landscape, recently designated as a UN Ramsar site for its critical wetland values, is changing rapidly, powered by agencies and policies that destroy the environment and ignore community concerns. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the actions of Port Metro Vancouver, whose determination to push through operational expansions on a massive scale, has many Delta residents enraged. For full Article – view here WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP? YOU MAY NOT LIVE IN DELTA, BUT SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY, THIS WILL EFFECT YOU! WE URGE YOU TO WRITE YOUR LOCAL AND PROVINCIAL POLITICIANS ON THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF THIS MOST VALUABLE LAND.
Issue 30
Date March
Nature Conservancy of Canada needs financial help
A request from IBA – By June 1, 2013 Here is a very exciting opportunity to conserve another 23% of the Kilpoola Lake IBA! Nature Conservancy needs 1.5 million by June 1, 2013 to close the deal on the Elkink Ranch, south block.For background information on how you can help, check out this link
Backyard Bird Count goes Global
Amateur birders record an astounding number of species and individuals in the first ever worldwide avian stock taking. Read Article Here
2013 Endangered Rivers List for BC
2013 marks the 21st annual “most endangered rivers” list from the Outdoor Recreation Council (ORC). The preparation of this list is the most comprehensive initiative of its kind in Canada. It is an accurate snapshot of the issues that face our rivers and those facing the greatest threat to their ecological health. Please join us in this effort to raise awareness and engage all British Columbians in the better management and conservation of our rivers. The compilation of the list will, as it has been in the past, be coordinated by the Outdoor Recreation Council. Nominations are reviewed by a committee who are knowledgable and familiar with the specific threats to BC’s rivers. Mark Angelo, ORC’s Rivers Chair for many years and Chair Emeritus for the Rivers Institute of BCIT, has agreed to continue as the Chair of this committee. The deadline for nominations for the 2013 Endangered Rivers List was Monday March 18th. Please fill out our online form or Download a printable application form. Each year, the Endangered Rivers List is compiled by ORC and released to media outlets across BC and Canada. It receives significant media attention, highlighting the rivers and issues that are most important to British Columbians. To read the results for 2012, simply click on this Bottom of the page
Have a Teenage Birder in your household or neighbourhood?
It is time to start getting our teen birders excited about this years’ Doug Tarry Young Ornithologist Workshop. Please use the enclosed information in your newsletter or announce the program and awards at your next members’ meeting.
Thank you for your help in bringing this unique educational opportunity to the attention of your membership. For more information click here. Prospective participants are also welcome to contact me directly for more information. Deadline is April 30, 2013 For more information Please visit – this link
Pink Mountain Biodiversity Research Initiative – Needs Your Support
Several BC Nature Clubs have learned about Pink Mountain through presentations by Ron Long. Located 120 km north of Fort St. John in northern British Columbia, Pink Mountain is unique for its rich flora and fauna. Preliminary studies on the flora of the summit plateau reveal that Pink Mountain hosts no less than one red listed and ten blue listed plant species as well as numerous rarely seen plants. Two red listed insects are known and research is expected to identify additional listed species. Naturalists can access this unique ecosystem via a rough road that leaves the Alaska Highway at mile 147. The unique biodiversity of Pink Mountain is threatened by a 40-turbine wind farm. A two-year letter writing campaign has made the Provincial Government aware of the special nature of this Mountain, but unfortunately has not resulted in further protection. More work is needed. To this end the UBC Botanical Garden and the Native Plant Society of BC are spearheading a research plan aimed to quantify scientifically the unique aspects of Pink Mountain. The proposed Pink Mountain Biodiversity Research Initiative (PMBRI) is intended to further document the flora and fauna of Pink Mountain. The PMBRI will involve three months of field study followed by several months of lab and herbarium analysis. The research will attempt to cover aspects of ecology, including: plants, soils, birds, bats, butterflies and other insects. A PhD student will coordinate the research, assisted by two undergraduate researchers, and on-site assistance from experienced personnel, including Ron Long. The Botanical Garden will assist with follow-up, and samples will also be provided to the Royal British Columbia Museum and other research institutions that have offered to help with identification of species. You can lend your individual support and/or encourage your club to financially support the Pink Mountain Biodiversity Research Initiative to hire the research students. The University of BC Botanical Garden is managing the donated funds and administering the hiring of the researchers, as well as providing research support. 100% of all donations will be directed to the research on Pink Mountain. A full accounting of funds will be available to all contributing organizations and individuals. At the end of the research period, the scientific report will be submitted to the BC Minister of Natural Resource Operations, the BC Minister of Environment and to all contributing organizations. Personal donations: Please make your cheque payable to the UBC Botanical Garden with the notation “Pink Mountain”. Mail to: UBC Botanical Garden, Att. Daniel Mosquin 6804 SW Marine Drive – Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Club Donations: Please advise either Daniel Mosquin or Ron Long of the amount of your pledge or email them for more information. Daniel Mosquin – email Daniel – or Phone 604-827-5773 Ron Long – email Ron – or Phone 604-469-1651
Interesting Sites and articles
Oregon Spotted Frog – View Video Here
Rare Siamese Crocodiles released into the wild – Link
A New Owl Species of the GenusOtus (Aves: Strigidae) from Lombok, Indonesia Link Here Looking to invest in “Ethical Funds” – here is a good link here
One of the largest Glacier “Calving” incidents ever caught on video > Link
YNC Grassland Monitoring Citizen Science project Field Day at Brunswick Point on BC’s first Family Day! You can read all about it here
Matt Mendenhall of Birdwatching magazine on exciting new discoveries about bird migration. It expands on the sidebar of an article I have in the upcoming issue of Birdwatching magazine – – Link –
Avian Tribe Apart – Source: nytimes.com Scientists and bird lovers delve into the subtle and surprising world of owls. link
About Town – Upcoming Events
Creston Valley Bird Fest – May 10-11, 2013 – Click here for more info
We need your birding skills – Volunteer request here FrogWatch, one of our most popular NatureWatch Program, especially for kids! – information link
Sacred Headwaters gets national enviro-nod, as coal mining troubles loom
From CNW TORONTO, March 6, 2013 /CNW/ – The Tahltan Nation of northern B.C. will be honoured tonight in Toronto with a national “Top 10” environmental achievement award for the recent permanent protection of the “Sacred Headwaters” from natural gas development. The Tides Canada award will be an emotional victory, because it comes at a time when new coal mining projects are also being proposed for the exact same region, and are stirring worries. “Shell Oil may be gone from our traditional lands, but new coal mining proposals are a major concern too,” says Annita McPhee, President of Tahltan Central Council. Last December, Tahltan Central Council, Shell Canada, and the B.C. government announced the end to natural gas exploration in the Klappan region of northwest B.C. Shell voluntarily gave up its tenure for the area. It marked the end of years of negotiations, and a difficult struggle that included protests, road blocks, and elders being arrested. The next steps for the Sacred Headwaters, says McPhee, will be engaging constructively with the coal mining companies. She says she is guided by elders who say economic development must be done sustainably, without poisoning the sacred waterways that are home to wild salmon and moose. “Our concern is, mining companies are proposing to build right in the headwaters. They want to put their tailing ponds right where our people have one of our hunting camps.” “We are not against economic development. We just believe the benefits should far outweigh the impacts.” Off limits, she says are certain ecologically and culturally sensitive zones in the Klappan. However, other areas within Tahltan traditional lands might see copper and gold mines flourish. McPhee will receive the award tonight on behalf of the Tahltan Nation at the Arta Gallery in Toronto. The Tides Canada award for the Sacred Headwaters will be shared with Shell Canada, Forest Ethics, Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition, and the B.C. government. The “Tides Top 10” award is a recognition of the country’s most innovative projects in 2012 addressing environmental and social challenges. “Creating outcomes that work for both people and our planet is tough work” said Ross McMillan, President and CEO of Tides Canada. “But each and every one of the Tides Top 10 is doing just that – they are building the cutting-edge solutions that Canada needs now and for a resilient future.” Fast Facts • Talhtan Central Council represents the Tahltan band and Iskut First Nation on resources issues • Tahltan Nation is comprised of 5,000 members • “Sacred Headwaters” was a name given to The Klappan region by a consortium of First Nations and environmental groups • The Klappan is a valley basin with three wild salmon rivers: the Skeena River, Stikine River, and Nass River
Enbridge Updates
Province peppers fish experts with questions at pipeline hearings link
Oil spills can benefit economy, panel told – – Link
A medical doctor’s speech at the pipeline hearings in Kelowna. Tyee Link Alison Redford, the premier of Canada’s wealthiest province, has encountered a $6 billion “bitumen bubble” on the busy Highway to Hell. – Tyee Article
Earth Day Canada
Nominate your favourite Home Town Heroe – Deadline April 1, 2013 – details link
VAPOUR Update
VAPOR has won round one in saving the Fraser River estuary from toxic and flammable jet fuel! Thanks for all your support, but the battle is not over yet. see press release
Protect our parks!
From CPAWS The federal budget is coming soon, and if it doesn’t include more money for national parks and marine protected areas, we’ll be putting more of Canada’s precious wildlife at risk, and reducing the chances that our children will be able to enjoy the parks as we do today. We need your help to convince the government to reinvest in our precious national parks and marine protected areas. Link Here for more Information Please take a moment to send your letter to Finance Minister Flaherty now
Do you have a river in need of some TLC in your area?
A highly reputable and significant Lower Mainland organization is seeking a suitable project for a fairly large number of its volunteers to take place in May. One possibility they are considering is a river clean up and they are prepared to consider a location anywhere in the Lower Mainland. This is separate and aside from ORC’s 2013 Endangered Rivers initiative for which we will be putting out our request for nominations later this week. If your organization has a suggestion for a worthwhile project which the volunteers of this organization could undertake please advise this office and we will forward your suggestions to the organization concerned. Please contact Outdoor Recreation Council email us here
Posted inBC Nature|Comments Off on BC Nature enews March 2013
April 6 (Saturday) Puntledge Riverfrom Powerhouse Road, Meet 9:30am at Harmston Ave. Leader: Loys Maingon 331-0143.
April 14 (Sunday) Tsolum River flats. A great place to view gorgeous masses of spring flowers. Meet 1pm at Exhibition grounds. Leader: Karin Franzen 250-334-7737 (P)
April 20 (Saturday) Nature photo tips and photo contest. Meet at the bottom of Filberg Road. Leader: Terry Thormin 250-941-5130
April 22 (Monday) Vanier Earth Day Celebration.
April 28 (Sunday) Geology outing (title and place to be determined). Leader: Del Ferguson (non- member guest leader)
May 5 (Sunday) Spring bird count. Contact Carol Muirhead
May 11 (Saturday) Nymph Falls. Meet 9:30am at Harmston Ave. Leader: Steph Nathan 250-334-7701 (P)
May 18 (Saturday) Bear Creek Park. Meet 9:15am at Harmston Ave. or 10am at park entrance. Leader: Mandy Vaughn 250-337-8955.
May 25 (Saturday) Point Holmes beach walk. Meet at boat launch ramp at 12 noon. Leader: John Tayless
As part of a year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, Comox Valley Nature will host a public lecture on the urgent and difficult problem of invasive species control. This is a multi-million scourge which has been identified as a prime source of productivity decline for agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.
This topic illustrates important links between the state of the environment and economic health. Invasive species are a growing burden on government budgets. It is therefore important for the public to understand the policy constraints that local governments face in trying to come to come to terms with the spread of invasive species.
Nancy Hofer is Environmental Planner at the City of Courtenay. She will present a talk outlining the problem and the regulatory options available to municipal government, entitled: Combating Invasive Species – Regulatory options at the Local Government Level. The lecture will be at the monthly meeting of Comox Valley Nature at 7 pm Sunday, March 17 at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton, Courtenay.
She is the first person to hold this position at the City, as it is a newly created position as of three years ago. She is a relative newcomer to the Valley, moving here for the job. She brings to the work a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Conservation and a Masters of Planning degree, both from UBC. Nancy is passionate about engaging with communities to co-create the kinds of places that we can all be proud to call home. She loves working with people and also spending time outdoors. Nancy brings a strong sustainability lens to all aspects of her work, aiming to give a voice to Nature in planning decisions while strengthening community resilience in the face of a complex, dynamic and changing world.
Comox Valley Nature is a non-profit society affiliated to BC Nature which fulfills its educational mandate by hosting monthly lectures, organizing weekly guided hikes and undertaking a variety of environmental projects. Founded in 1966, it is one of the oldest environmental societies on the North Island. Meetings and lectures of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society are held on the third Sunday of most months at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton, Courtenay. Meetings and guided walks are open to the public, including children and youth. Lecture is free, though a $3 contribution from non-members is appreciated. New memberships are always welcomed.
Anyone interested in this lecture or participating in CVNS activities can also contact Loys Maingon (CVN President) at 250-331-0143.
Posted inGuest Speakers|Comments Off on March 17, 2013: Invasive Species Control
Comox Valley Nature is pleased to present the work of two well-loved long-standing members, Jennifer Harrison and Krista Kaptein. Both will make 30 minute presentations prior to the 47th Annual General Meeting of Comox Valley Nature as part of the Rachel Carson Memorial Lecture series, at 7 pm on Sunday, February 17 at the Florence Filberg Centre.
Krista Kaptein is a past president of CVN. She was responsible for the very successful online Comox Valley Nature Viewing Guide which inventories local flora and fauna, and maps the various natural history sites around the valley which the public and tourists can enjoy. She currently manages the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre at Paradise Meadows for Strathcona Wilderness Institute. She will be making a presentation on “Plants of Paradise Meadows”. This is an introduction to the online Paradise Plants ID guideshe has prepared for the public.
Jennifer Harrison’s talk, entitled “Two Naturalists’ Ramble in Costa Rica” will be presenting an introduction to the flora and fauna of Costa Rica. This talk will illustrate the diversity of Costa Rican fauna available to visitors as well as some of the challenges faced by the denizens of subtropical ecosystems.
Comox Valley Nature is a non-profit society affiliated to BC Nature which fulfills its educational mandate by hosting monthly lectures, organizing weekly guided hikes and undertaking a variety of environmental projects. Founded in 1966, it is one of the oldest environmental societies on the North Island. Meetings and lectures of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society are held on the third Sunday of most months at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton, Courtenay. Meetings and guided walks are open to the public, including children and youth. Lecture is free, though a $3 contribution from non-members is appreciated. New memberships are always welcomed.
The forthcoming lectures, from January to May 2013 are part of CVN’s Rachel Carson Memorial lectures honouring women in Environment Studies, and will feature lectures on by scientists specializing in the study of lichens, mycorrhizae, and the impact of dams and invasive plants. This is an educational a series not to be missed.
Anyone interested in this lecture or participating in CVNS activities can also contact us at this website or Loys Maingon (CVN President) at 250-331-0143.
Posted inGuest Speakers|Comments Off on Feb. 17, 2013: Two Local Naturalists Featured
AGM 2013 – Along the Fraser – Adapting to
Change Abbotsford-Mission Nature Club – May 2-5, 2013 – Registration in
Spring Magazine and our website
February 28, 2013 – Deadline for BC Nature Awards
nominations. Please contact the office for further information or visit: our website
Deadline for BC Nature Resolutions
Feb 14 – 18 – Great Backyard Bird Count
April 4, 2013 -Rene Savenye Scholarships
applications must be sent to the office. Information can be found here
Skagit Valley Bird Blitz – May 10-12, 2013
Mt. Robson Provincial Park Bird Blitz – June 7-9,
2013
Manning Park Bird Blitz – June 14-16,
2013
BC NATURE BYLAW CHANGES
BC Nature bylaws are governed by the Society Rules and as
such, we are giving our members notice of changes to our bylaws to be voted on
at the AGM in Abbotsford May 4, 2013. The majority of proposed changes are
housekeeping of verbage based on the structure of BC Nature Executive and our
Federated Club membership. To find the overview and also the marked up copy of
our current bylaws to show where the changes are occuring, please visit our
website. Proposed Bylaw motions can also be found on our website and will also
be printed in the Spring Magazine. A complete list of our current bylaws and the
changes that are being voted on will be posted as well. Please Download here
Issue
29
Date
February
Evening Grosbeak
Participate in the 2013
Great Backyard Bird Count
A
fun, family event in your own backyard! Next GBBC: Feb. 15-18, 2013 You can
create your GBBC account starting Feb. 15 when you enter your first checklist.
Please visit the Great Backyard Bird Count Website
Cats – Cats – Cats
Its
been a flurry of cat activity over the last week to 10 days between BC Nature
and the media. BC Nature has spent alot of time on talk shows, newspaper
articles. Both the original resolution that was presented to the member back at
AGM 2011 and the US Study can be found on our website.
Overwhelming Response to Tofino Club
Due
to the overwhelming response that we received on the BC Nature Tofino Spring
Camp, the good folks over at Barkley Sound Marine in Tofino have opened up
another week. This is not sponsored by BC Nature, but will have many of the same
activities. The camp committee are trying to put the Tofino Camp on again in the
spring of 2014, not only once, but twice!! Stay tuned for further details in the
Fall. Below are the details if you wish to attend the Ecolodge Tofino week on
your own. BARKLEY SOUND MARINE and RAINFOREST FIELD CAMP 2013 SPRING MIGRATION TO BEAUTIFUL BARKELY SOUND Saturday March 23 – Tuesday
March 26, 2013
Join spring migrating Gray whales and seabirds to the
West Coast on a fantastic west coast adventure to Bamfield located in the heart
of Barkley Sound.
The 4-day field camp will include bird and marine mammal
watching, low-tide explorations of beautiful Brady’s beach, walks in ancient
temperate rainforests, and trips to the sea lion colonies and islands of the
Deer Group. Two boat trips allow for off-shore birding, gray whale observations,
and a tour of the Broken Group Islands, Pacific Rim national Park. Evenings will
include informative presentations and films. Bring your favourite slide show or
home video featuring the theme of “Spring Migrations” to win a prize!
Hosted
by the marine educators of the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre Public Education
Centre. 24-36 spaces are available. Registration Dead line is March 2, 2013,
when a 50% deposit is due. Cost: “under construction”
Housing is provided in
the BMSC Buchanan Residence and/or cabins (shared bathrooms). Meals are provided
in the BMSC Cafeteria. The program is scheduled to allow for arrival and
departure aboard the MV Frances Barkley out of Port Alberni (what a great way to
start and end your marine adventure-www.ladyrosemarine.com [250-723-8313]-ask
about group rates). For more information on how to get to Bamfield, visit our
website or give us a call. For more information, please contact: Public
Education Program, Bamfield marine Sciences Centre -250-728-3301 ext 226 or
email: http://www.bms.bc.ca/pubed.html
Need a student this summer for some of your activties – Summer Jobs
Hiring
Service
Canada is offering a Canada Summer Jobs 2013 initiative in which not-for-profit
organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer
employees who create summer job opportunities may receive funding support to
provide students with summer employment. For more information, please see their
website . Please note that the application period is February 1 to February 28,
2013. In addition, if you are looking to fill your summer positions this year,
please consider participating in “Now Hiring!” Fair at UFV on March 13, 2013.
Feel free to reply to this message or call us at 604.854.4507. Thank you. UFV
Career Centre | | 604.854.4507
Tidal energy-generating turbines pitched for Island
waters
Please
view the article written in the “Times Colonist” recently – here On the same page are further links to some
of the Scientific Studies on this subject.
Interesting Sites and articles
This
video is awesome – after you open this link, please hit the small “x” in the
corner to close the “Nag Screen” – Visit this site
Douglas
College hosts free forum on eco-friendly approach to de-bugging your garden –
Saturday, May 12, 1pm, in the Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre, fourth
floor, Douglas College, 700 Royal Ave., New Westminster. For more information –
please visit: website
Public Meeting – February 16
(Tomorrow) – The Second Container Port on Roberts Bank – Where? – Sundance Inn
Banquet Hall – Delta, BC at 2:00 pm For more info please check out this website
By the Riverside Society of BC -Sustainable Living Leadership
Program – For Ages 19 – 35 Students – for more information and application,
please visit here
Creston Valley Bird Fest, scheduled
for May 10 & 11 is brand new. It is to be a celebration of the birds, the
art, and the agriculture of the Creston Valley. Please check out our website: website: and come and join us.
Combine the love of Food with your love
of Nature – “Dine For Nature” – February 25 – sponsored by Pinnacle Hotel in
North Vancouver as a fundraiser for Nature Trust. 15% of the proceeds of dinner
on the 25th get donated! for more information on the Pinnacle – please visit
their website
Recap of – State of Canada’s Species at Risk
Canada’s
independent science body, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in
Canada, released assessments of 42 species this winter, some of which were
reviewed for the first time. Wood Thrush, American Badger, Striped Bass and
others are highlighted in this recap on Nature Canada’s blog.
Enbridge Updates
Doctor
describes Harper government “pathology” at Kelowna JRP – article here
A 16-year-old’s testimony at
Enbridge Northern Gateway JRP – a must read for your children and grandchildren
– Here
Endangered spotted owls reach crisis point
Please
view this thought provoking article in the Vancouver Sun – Article Here
After reading this article,
please read a response below:
Scientists have warned for decades that the
endangered northern spotted owl would become extirpated in Canada unless
sufficient habitat were protected. This has not been done, and the owls are now
on the brink of extirpation. As the article indicates, the prognosis for success
of the government’s approach — captive breeding and release of spotted owls and
culling of barred owls — is not promising. In any event, survival of the owls
through human intervention rather than protecting habitat does not constitute
“recovery,” and was not the intent of the Species at Risk Act. Meanwhile,
logging continues in spotted owl habitat.
“Psssst! Do you need Aleutian Tern for your list?
Check
out this amazing fundraising trip for the Rocky Point Bird Observatory Birding
the Tatshenshini-Alsek River by Raft: June 21-July 4, 2013 Ptarmigan, Aleutian
Terns, Icebergs, Glaciers and more. Rocky Point Bird Observatory and Canadian
River Expeditions have teamed up to develop this exciting birding and rafting
trip. This trip will take us through some of the most spectacular and rugged
scenery in North America and will give us a chance to find some of the iconic
birds of the St. Elias Mountains. The naturalist/birder on the trip is biologist
Dave Fraser who has birded the Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers for the past 18
years. Dave’s bird list and more information are available here
Posted inBC Nature|Comments Off on BC Nature enews February 2013
AGM 2013 – Along the Fraser – Adapting to
Change Abbotsford-Mission Nature Club – May 2-5, 2013 – Registration in
Spring 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
Caribou decline raises alarm
Alarmed by what it sees as a collapse of the mountain
caribou herd, a local group is calling for a moratorium on logging in the upper
Clearwater valley. Yet a government wildlife manager questioned on Monday
whether the southern Wells Gray herd is collapsing or simply in decline along
with other B.C. herds. The Wells Gray World Heritage Committee insists that the
ministry’s own population estimates show a marked decline in the southern herd.
Very few caribou have been seen in southern Wells Gray in the past decade, said
Trevor Goward, a committee member. “I have it on authority … that the southern
herd has collapsed,” said Goward, a lichenologist who studies the lichen on
which the caribou feed through winter. The population count is down by
one-third, from 325 animals a decade ago to roughly 200 today. “That’s a
collapse; that’s as much as I need to know.”
for the full story visit this
link
Issue
28
Date
December – January
Photo Contest
Winners
Thank
you to all of the members who entered the 2012 BC Nature Photo Contest. Winners
will be showcased in the 2013 Spring Magazine. Amazing photographs were entered
into the contest and the judges had a difficult time narrowing down the
selection from 225 to 6! Look for our prize winner to be on the cover of the
Spring 2013 Magazine.
Response to BC Nature Letter on planned Wolf Management
Your
email to the Honourable Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural
Resource Operations regarding the proposed wolf management plan has been
referred to me for a response.
The British Columbia government is committed
to ensuring sustainable wildlife populations and healthy predator-prey
relationships throughout the province. In addition, we are committed to working
with our stakeholders, ranchers and First Nations to manage the impacts of
wolves on livestock and protecting endangered species in British Columbia.The goal of wolf management in British Columbia is to ensure a
self-sustaining population throughout the species’ range and to ensure that
within the biological limits of the species, wolves are available in sufficient
abundance to fulfil their ecological role and to meet the cultural,
recreational, and economic needs of society. The plan indicates wolf populations
are likely stable or increasing across the province and are not considered an
‘at-risk’ species. The current wolf population estimate is approximately 8,500,
which is similar to an earlier estimate of 8100 in 1991.
While there are
strong differing beliefs and values on the management of wolf populations, it is
important that decisions are informed by sound science. Wildlife management
plans summarize the best available science-based information on biology and
threats to inform the development of a management framework. They set goals and
objectives, recommend approaches appropriate for species or ecosystem
conservation, and provide strategic advice. While the proposed plan does offer
some recommended management actions, it does not advocate any particular action
with respect to wolf management. Any future wildlife management decisions will
always be made with conservation of all species, including wolves, as the
foremost priority.
The wolf management plan is a comprehensive plan that
will help inform future government policy decisions. We have received over 2500
comments on the plan and each will be read and considered before the plan is
finalized.
Thank you for writing and expressing your concerns. Sincerely,
Tom Ethier – Assistant Deputy Minister Resource Stewardship
Excellence in Water Stewardship Award
British
Columbians are encouraged to nominate an organization, partnership, business,
community group or institution for the first annual Council of the Federation
Excellence in Water Stewardship Award.
The award recognizes outstanding
achievement, innovative practice and excellence in water stewardship in Canada.
Award recipients will be announced during Canada Water Week on World Water Day
(March 22, 2013). There will be one recipient in each province and territory.Please refer to the BC Nomination Package for more information. Nominations
must be received by January 31, 2013. See this
link for all of the information you will need to nominate a worthy project
or individual.
Protection for Kilpoola Lake Area IBA – Purchase by the Nature
Conservancy of Canada
BC
Nature congratulates the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and its partners on
their recent purchase of two grassland properties totaling 520 hectares within
the 3200 hectare Kilpoola Lake Area Important Bird Area (IBA) near Osoyoos in
BC’s South Okanagan Valley. Full Story here A good Day!
Upper Lillooet Hydro Power Project
Unfortunately,
the Upper Lillooet hydropower project was approved January 10, 2013. Thank you
for supporting the letter. We will continue to work to prevent further impacts
to the Upper Lillooet watershed and grizzly bears in southern BC. A Sad Day!
Interesting Sites and articles
The
Lost Island Of Socotra – the most alien place on earth – Great link
Good Gas, Bad Gas – Interesting article
New Species of ‘Decoy’ Spider Likely
Discovered At Tambopata Research Center, Peru – link here
Do you Tweet ?…. – good Twitter
link found here
About Town – Upcoming Events
Engagement
Organizing Training for BC Freshwater Leaders – Friday, January 25th – Sunday,
January 27th, 2013 – Hosted by the Canadian Freshwater Alliance – Whistler. We
are seeking 15 participants representing groups and organisations working on
freshwater issues spread across British Columbia’s 9 major watersheds (Yukon,
Taku, Stikine, MacKenzie, Nass, Skeena, Coastal, Fraser, and Columbia).
Applicants will be selected to ensure a diversity of participants across issues,
watersheds, group/organisational capacity, and interest. Note small number of
travel subsidies will be available for some selected participants OUTSIDE the
lower Mainland and Southern Vancouver Island on an as-needed basis. details here
Posted inBC Nature|Comments Off on BC Nature enews Dec-January 2013
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
Posted inBC Nature|Comments Off on BC Nature enews November 2012
(THIS EVENT IS FULL, join the waitlist through our events page) Comox Valley Nature invites you to a special opportunity to learn and connect with K'omoks First Nation storytelling, benefiting the KFN culture department. Pamela Mitchell, Culture Manager for KFN, has created a workshop around the legend of Dzunuk’wa the wild Woman of the Woods. Kwakwak’wakw oral tradition tells of a giantess that lives in dark forests and has thick messy hair, a black face and full red lips.This workshop is a great way to learn about local Indigenous traditions through a hands-on project that creates lasting memories about the K’ómoks First Nation culture. For this project we will be creating a wild woman ornament; you will colour the iconic red lips and face of the wild woman and hand-spin the wool for the crazy wild woman hair. While we work on our ornaments, Pamela will read her version of the wild woman story.This project takes about 1-1.5 hours. Workshop fee is $36 which includes the cost of a supply kit. Proceeds go to the KFN Culture Dept.Register through our CVN events page.https://comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/events/ ...
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...
(THIS EVENT IS FULL, join the waitlist through our events page) Comox Valley Nature invites you to a special opportunity to learn and connect with K'omoks First Nation storytelling, benefiting the KFN culture department. Pamela Mitchell, Culture Manager for KFN, has created a workshop around the legend of Dzunuk’wa the wild Woman of the Woods. Kwakwak’wakw oral tradition tells of a giantess that lives in dark forests and has thick messy hair, a black face and full red lips.This workshop is a great way to learn about local Indigenous traditions through a hands-on project that creates lasting memories about the K’ómoks First Nation culture. For this project we will be creating a wild woman ornament; you will colour the iconic red lips and face of the wild woman and hand-spin the wool for the crazy wild woman hair. While we work on our ornaments, Pamela will read her version of the wild woman story.This project takes about 1-1.5 hours. Workshop fee is $36 which includes the cost of a supply kit. Proceeds go to the KFN Culture Dept.Register through our CVN events page.https://comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/events/