Browsed by
Author: Kelly Sekhon

IN MEMORIAM – JO ANN MACKENZIE

IN MEMORIAM – JO ANN MACKENZIE

By Viveka Ohman Jo Ann MacKenzie, a past member of Nature Vancouver, and White Rock & Surrey Naturalists’ Society, passed away in July 2025, at the age of 93. Jo Ann and her husband, Hue MacKenzie lived in Ottawa, and belonged to the Ontario Field Naturalists. Both had acquired 5,000+ species of birds in their lifetime. After retirement, in 1983, they moved to Vancouver and joined Nature Vancouver. They regularly participated in birding field trips and Birders’ Night programs. This…

Read More Read More

2025 VANCOUVER CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

2025 VANCOUVER CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

Report by Michelle Baudais The weather for the 69th Annual Vancouver Christmas Bird count was cool (6-7C) and overcast, with a few scattered showers and moderate winds of 10-25 km/h. Our team of 218 volunteers counted a total of 119 species on count day, including 47,772 American Crows and 4376 American Wigeon (more than double last year’s number). More than 99,000 individual birds were counted in total. Notable rarities found were a Tufted Duck, a White-faced/Glossy Ibis, and a Harris’s…

Read More Read More

IN MEMORIAM – ROBERT (BOB) GRANT HOLDEN – 1942-2026

IN MEMORIAM – ROBERT (BOB) GRANT HOLDEN – 1942-2026

By Waltraud (Wally) Kiel My beloved Bob, passed into the beyond after a lengthy dementia illness on February 8, 2026. To paraphrase David Suzuki lamenting his father’s imminent death, he said to his scientist son, to think of his molecules floating in the breeze transforming into new life.  Bob became an active member of Nature Vancouver in 1992. He was a UBC Forestry graduate and first learned about native plant species under a favourite professor at Mesachie Lake field school….

Read More Read More

IN MEMORIAM – JOHN COOPE 1931 – 2025

IN MEMORIAM – JOHN COOPE 1931 – 2025

By Susan Fisher On December 27, John Coope – scientist, naturalist, mountaineer, trail-builder, husband and father, and a long time member of Nature Vancouver – died at home. His wife Marian, his two children, and his grandchildren were by his side. John had been suffering from cancer for many years, but up until the fall of 2025, he carried on without any apparent diminution of energy. A founding member of the Jericho Stewardship Group, John came to every work party…

Read More Read More

CHRISTMAS GIFT

CHRISTMAS GIFT

by Nigel Peck and Susan Garber One often thinks it’s only adolescent males who overestimate their capabilities, underestimate the hazards and get themselves into risky situations. On occasion though, even septuagenarians can make those mistakes. Such was the case yesterday on Christmas Day in New Zealand near Wellington on the Escarpment Track from Paekākāriki to Pukerua Bay. It’s not that we were foolhardy in that we did research the walk beforehand on multiple sites with extensive consultation with our trip planner,…

Read More Read More

BUS TRIP TO CHEAM LAKE WETLANDS REGIONAL PARK

BUS TRIP TO CHEAM LAKE WETLANDS REGIONAL PARK

Trip report by Cynthia Crampton  On September 25th, 24 members of Nature Vancouver, travelled by a chartered bus, to spend the day at the Cheam Lake Wetlands Regional Park in Rosedale, near Chilliwack. Members of Chilliwack Nature club, Fernando and Paulina Selles who also volunteer in the park, were our guides. Another volunteer showed our group some newly hatched Turtles, which were to be released later in the Day. We all enjoyed a day of birding and exploring.

EASY URBAN BIRDING AT VANIER PARK

EASY URBAN BIRDING AT VANIER PARK

Trip report & photos by Christine Balkwill Our small group of 6 started out on a cool, overcast day from the north end of Kits Beach.  We had some intermittent rain but not enough to spoil the birding.  A Pacific Wren called from the bushes while we completed introductions and we quickly found a trio of sparrows near the old totem pole site – Golden-crowned, White-crowned and Song.  We took our time identifying a lone drake Mallard in eclipse plumage…

Read More Read More

BIRDING IONA BEACH REGIONAL PARK

BIRDING IONA BEACH REGIONAL PARK

Trip report by Jan Lowcock The September 28th birding field trip, led by Jan Lowcock and John Chandler, at Iona Beach Regional Park began with light winds and cloud cover, slowly breaking way to sunny skies by the trip’s end. A group of 13 set out from the parking lot, scoured the outer pond and southern inner pond from the walkway. The ponds held a few species of dabbling ducks, Pied- billed Grebes and American Coots. Three large flocks of…

Read More Read More

IN MEMORIAM – WILLIAM JAMES (BILL) MERILEES

IN MEMORIAM – WILLIAM JAMES (BILL) MERILEES

A BORN NATURALIST July 19, 1940 – 18 June, 2025  by Margaret Bear Bill was among Nature Vancouver’s most distinguished naturalists, constantly adding to our knowledge of the natural world. He was also among our most prolific writers contributing many articles to the Discovery Journal, for various newsletters, as well as writing several reference books published for a wider audience. He wrote about a great variety of subjects including mammals, botany, marine biology – and of course birds – where it ostensibly…

Read More Read More

BIRDING ALONG TRANS CANADA TRAIL

BIRDING ALONG TRANS CANADA TRAIL

Trip Report and Photos by Doug Cooper Seven participants enjoyed the morning of June 15th exploring a kilometre or so of the Trans Canada Trail as it climbs up and east from Penzance Drive in north Burnaby.  The main trail and accompanying side branches go through a healthy mostly undisturbed stretch of mixed secondary growth forest.  We saw and heard a total of 33 species of birds and found a few blooming wildflowers, despite the proximity of the trail to…

Read More Read More

Nature Vancouver