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Walk in Ornamental Gardens and Forest Trails in Stanley Park – May 25, 2024

Walk in Ornamental Gardens and Forest Trails in Stanley Park – May 25, 2024

Submitted by Nina Shoroplova Twenty or so of us Nature Vancouver members gathered on the plaza above Lost Lagoon and the Nature House for this tree-identification walk through one ornamental garden and several forest trails in Stanley Park.  With people picking out which plant they wanted to see from my list of trees, shrubs, and native herbaceous plants growing along the route, we soon had the morning planned. We stopped at the black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Tortuosa’, and admired its…

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June bird walk at Jericho

June bird walk at Jericho

Cloudy but dry skies welcomed us to the park as the group met up at the wooden bridge over the pond. Our small group of 6 consisted of a couple of new birders who joined us for their first Nature Vancouver outing. Right away we enjoyed some pleasant views of a male Wood Duck transitioning into eclipse plumage, a singing Western Tanager, and a flock of 8 Cedar Waxwings before we even finished sigining waivers and introductions. Proceeding around the…

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2024 Annual General Meeting

2024 Annual General Meeting

The 106th Annual General Meeting of Nature Vancouver was held on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at 7:00 pm at Hewett Centre Hall, Unitarian Church, 949 West 49th Avenue (49th & Oak) Vancouver. Some of the members attended the meeting online via Zoom. The draft minutes of the 2023 AGM and, the draft financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023 were approved. The President and the Treasurer’s report were presented. The following members were elected to the Board of Directors…

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2024 Hugh Hamilton Memorial Scholarships

2024 Hugh Hamilton Memorial Scholarships

Undergrad Scholarship – Emma Kingsland Emma is currently completing an undergraduate degree at Simon Fraser University in Resource Environmental Management with a minor in Biology.  Emma was a Co-Lead on the Year of the Salish Sea Initiative which was created in an effort to improve the health and management of the Salish Sea and raise awareness about the importance of healthy marine ecosystems. Through her volunteer work Co-leading the Year of the Salish Sea initiative Emma was asked to serve…

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2024 Nature Vancouver Scholarships

2024 Nature Vancouver Scholarships

Undergraduate Scholarship – Caitey Gilchrist Caitey’s early years were spent catching insects and making puzzle pieces from Ponderosa pine bark. While she had an innate connection to nature, she also had a creative spark that drove her into a career in graphic design. After a decade of working in various marketing roles, she felt that something important was missing from her life, and decided to hike the West Coast Trail. After a week’s immersion in lush forests and estuaries, she…

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Galiano Island Hike – May 4, 2024

Galiano Island Hike – May 4, 2024

Submitted by Bettina Matzkuhn. Trip leader Bettina Matzkuhn met her group of seven at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal. The weather was overcast and windy, but quite warm and pleasant for walking. We tried the “Bluffs Peak” trail, which meant a quick hike up to the bluffs and backtrack down to continue on to Mt. Galiano. The Warbler Road route is better as one gets to enjoy the length of the bluffs. Return trip was approximately 15km. We saw the bright…

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Birding Iona Beach Regional Park – April 27, 2024

Birding Iona Beach Regional Park – April 27, 2024

Submitted by Jan Lowcock. Grey, rainy, windy weather set the stage for the Iona Beach Regional Park bird walk led by John Chandler and Jan Lowcock. Our group of 10 included several new birders who had attended the beginning birder Welcome Walks. They have earned their stripes by birding in wet weather. We identified 49 species in total, a few of which were seen and heard after we had completed the larger group walk. The trip began with a survey…

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Stanley Park Seaweeds with Dr. Bridgette Clarkston

Stanley Park Seaweeds with Dr. Bridgette Clarkston

Saturday, April 13, 2024 was a perfect day to explore the seaweeds in the sandy and rocky intertidal area off the Empress of Japan Figurehead in Stanley Park. The unpredictable rainy weather dissipated providing us with a bright day for our intertidal exploration. The spring tides are in their extreme ranges now, meaning that the lower low spring tide level (LLW) at 16:11 PDT had an elevation of a mere 0.7 m. The meet-up time at the Spray Park was…

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Merritt Birding Trip April 20 -21, 2024

Merritt Birding Trip April 20 -21, 2024

Submitted By Thomas Plath April 20th Fifteen keen participants met at the McDonald’s in Merritt for an afternoon and morning of birding. After the customary sign in and organization of people and overnight gear we were able to accommodate everyone in five vehicles. We headed up to our first birding area – the Interior Douglas-fir/Lodgepole Pine forest of the Interior Plateau south of Kamloops. The numerous small meadows inundating the montane forest make this prime habitat for Great Grey Owl….

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Nature Vancouver 2024 Annual Photo Show

Nature Vancouver 2024 Annual Photo Show

Introduction The Nature Vancouver 2024 Annual Photo Show, a beacon for the community’s shared love for nature and photography, concluded with remarkable success. The event, held April 25th at the Hewett Centre Hall, Unitarian Church, was a testament to the enduring spirit of the organization’s members and their commitment to capturing the essence of the natural world. Participation Overview Total Photographs Received: 154Total Members Contributed: 38Total Votes Cast: 172Total Voting Members: 29 Event Highlights The event was graced by the…

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