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2022  N V Photo Competition 

2022  N V Photo Competition 

Submitted by Ron Long When Roy Edgell started the Vancouver Natural History Society’s annual photography competition many decades ago, his overall plan was so sound that in the fifteen years since Roy retired from the competition there has been no reason to change any of his principles.Roy’s primary objective from the beginning was that the competition would provide an interesting evening for members of the society.With the enthusiastic support of Nature Vancouver’s photographers this principle continues to be fulfilled and…

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Hike to Yew Lake & Bowen Lookout

Hike to Yew Lake & Bowen Lookout

Trip Report by Janet Snell & Lyn Grants This hike on, March 21, 2022, was scheduled to see the early evidence of spring emerging from the snow in the Yew Lake / Bowen Lookout area of Cypress Provincial Park. Instead, we were treated to 20 cm of new snow on top of another recent snowfall. All evidence of spring was obscured, and winter’s grip stayed strong. The creek leading from Yew Lake was nestled in a canyon-like cradle of snow….

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Big Trees of Lighthouse Park

Big Trees of Lighthouse Park

Trip Report by Helen Baker On March 16, Sally McDermott led a group of 13 on a four-hour loop hike through Lighthouse Park. Together we gazed up – way up – at the Douglas Fir and Red Cedar giants and made stops to look out at the ocean at Eagle Point and Juniper Point.  Signs of spring were everywhere – bald eagles flying into the treetops with sticks for nest building, salmonberry buds getting ready to burst and skunk cabbage poking up…

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How to Make a Perfect Bluebird Birdhouse?

How to Make a Perfect Bluebird Birdhouse?

Submitted by Donald Hobson Bluebirds are associated with many positive meanings around the globe. People often view bluebirds as symbols of joy and hope; some think it’s like good news on its way.  Some people believe that bluebirds are symbols of harmony between the living and the dead. Or as Native American Tribes associate bluebirds with spring, prosperity, and even fertility. When bluebirds look to nest? There’s nothing better than having bluebirds nest in your yard. It’s a metric to…

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Vanier Park Bird Walk

Vanier Park Bird Walk

Submitted by Leona Axbey On Sunday, March 6, 2022, we had a bright, sunny day for our bird walk at Vanier Park. There were 12 of us, ranging from experienced birders to beginners, a good combination. Together, we spotted a total of 28 species and 192 individuals. These were all posted on eBird. There was some reminiscing about our departed friend Adrian and what a truly great birder he was.   The first bird to greet us at our meet-up spot was an…

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In Memoriam – Catherine Joan Aitchison

In Memoriam – Catherine Joan Aitchison

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Catherine (Cathy) Aitchison on February 17th 2022. Cathy was the only child of Matthew and Marjorie Aitchison of Winchester, Ontario. At the age of eighteen, Cathy left Winchester and studied Fashion Design in Chicago. Later she moved to London, England where she worked in Graphic Design. She also worked for Thomas Cook, and travelled for five years. Cathy then moved to Vancouver and worked for the Australian Consulate. She…

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Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Update

Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Update

April 4, 2022 – Update President, Nigel Peck sent an email message to the Prime Minister and other ministers. Read the text of the message from THIS LINK. February 27, 2022 – Update – Submitted by Bev Ramey As a result of public demand, the deadline to submit comments to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) has been extended to March 15, 2022. Excellent responses from scientists on impacts from RBT2 have recently been submitted to the IAAC. If you…

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New Brighton Park Restoration – Update

New Brighton Park Restoration – Update

February 15th, 2022 Report and Photos Submitted by Nigel Peck Last week saw the third and fourth invasive species removal work parties at New Brighton Park on Wednesday and Saturday.  With these efforts, twenty three people have now volunteered in the endeavour, with about a third of them participating multiple times for a total of thirty five ‘work party days’. At this point we have cleared about 65% of the Scotch Broom on the hillock to the west of the off-leash…

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Roberts Bank Terminal Two

Roberts Bank Terminal Two

Submitted by Bev Ramey Please contact your MP to express concern about RBT2 – Personal Letters to your MP really do carry weight. Find their address at parliament website OurCommons.ca Comments can be submitted to Impact Assessment Agency of Canada from the following link:  https://www.iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/80054?culture=en-CA. On that website, you will need to log-in to submit your comments. You can register to create a log-in. The deadline to submit comments is March 15, 2022.   You can read comments already posted from:…

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Dual You Love Me? Love Darts and Pulmonate Snails

Dual You Love Me? Love Darts and Pulmonate Snails

Submitted by Caroline Penn A chance encounter with a Pacific Sideband Snail on a hiking trail on the slopes of Mt. Tuam on Salt Spring Island this fall led me to learn about the intriguing reproductive details of these snails. Much like the Cupid (or Eros) of ancient mythology, these snails make use of a love dart during their mating ritual, which enhances their reproductive outcome. The Sideband snail, Genus Monadenia, is already unique in that it is a pulmonate…

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