Author Archives: Sybille Haeussler

Salmon Smart Speaker Series – stories of life in our Watershed

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The Buck Creek Canfor Hatchery and Nature Centre is hosting a series of evening presentations in November, in partnership with aRocha Canada and the Pacific Salmon Foundation.  Click on the links or photos below to view a poster for each presentation.

Presentations are held on Tuesday evenings at 7pm, at the Hatchery/Nature Centre in Houston. Turn North on Hwy 16 opposite PetroCan/7-Eleven. Turn right 140 m after the railway tracks (NOT the first right immediately after the tracks).

Nov 5 – Water and Landscape: Balancing agriculture, fisheries and forests – Marvin Strimbold, Rancher and Forest Steward

Nov 12 – The Future of Salmon in the Morice Watershed – Ian Sharpe, Aquatic Scientist, MWMT

Nov 19 – Boots In the River Conservation – Marjorie Lieuwen, Conservation Science, A Rocha Canada

Nov 26 – A Local Perspective on the Steelhead of the Morice/Bulkley – Missy Moure, Lodge Manager/Guide, Bulkley River Lodge

DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR BATS THIS HALLOWE’EN WEEK

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Halloween is coming and that also means it’s Bat Week in the Bulkley Valley and elsewhere around the world.  BC’s Community Bat Program has a variety of suggestions for making our valley a safer place for bats who are struggling with a negative public image along with several significant environmental challenges.

  1.  Celebrate bat week:  Learn about the 15 species of bats that live in BC by visiting
    www.bcbats.ca, going to the library, hosting a bat party, visiting an educational display or attending an event in your area.  In Smithers, check out the Bat Poster at the Willowvale Wetland, or sign up for Bat Trivia, October 30th at Smithers Brewery MORE DETAILS HERE.

Photo by Paula Rodriguez de la Vega.

2.  Little Brown Myotis are endangered due to White-nose Syndrome, a disease that has decimated bat populations in eastern North America. Report winter bat activity or dead bats to  www.bcbats.ca.

Photo by Greg Michalowski.

3.Clean out your bat box in fall or winter while the bats are away hibernating.

Photo by Marge Sidney.

Opportunity to Review & Comment on Forest Stewardship Plan for Wetzin’Kwa Community Forest

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Hello to all club members from Anne Hetherington.

Any BV Naturalist members that wish to review and comment on the Wetzin’kwa Community Forest Corporation’s Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP), can do individually by September 8, 2024 or contact Anne Hetherington for a collaborative review prior to August 30. This is the public opportunity to have input into our local Community Forest and learn about forest landscape planning progresses for the Bulkley and Morice Timber Supply Areas.

Included in the attached notice from Sam Coggins, Wetzinkwa Manager, is a cover letter, a copy of the draft Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP), supplemental information and 3 maps.

Additional information about Wetzin’kwa Community Forest can be found on the links below to their website including the current FSP and a web-map showing the community forest boundary and values in the community forest:
* Wetzin’kwa website [1]
* Wetzin’kwa current FSP [2]
* Wetzin’kwa web-map [3]

Paper copies of the FSP and FSP Supplemental Information and maps will be available at Silvicon Services Inc., 3560 Victoria Drive, Smithers BC.

BC Nature wants your feedback on its new (draft) Strategic Plan

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BC Nature (the Federation for all Naturalists Clubs in BC) has changed dramatically in the past two years, with a new Executive Director Stewart Guy and expanded staff. As a result its two primary reference documents – the Strategic Plan and the Policies & Procedures Manual have been extensively revised.

All participating clubs including BV Naturalists now asked to review the attached draft Strategic Plan.

1. Please provide specific feedback on the format and content of the draft plan.

2. What caught your attention and what impression has it left with you?

3. Do the four goals and their outcomes capture the essence of what you believe is the focus of BC Nature? If not, why not?

4. Is the Club voice properly and well-represented? If not, please be specific.

5. Other comments.

Please send your comments to our club at info@bvnaturalists.ca by February 20, 2024 so that we can include them in our letter to BC Nature.

Revised Policy & Practises manual will soon be posted on the BC Nature website.

 

Water Detectives – Youth Citizen Science Series

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Edge Learning Centre in Smithers is hosting a youth Citizen Science Series.  The first installment (Water Detectives) takes place Jan 29 – March 11, 2024

Heather Potkins: 
Heather is as a dedicated educator with a background in outdoor experiential education, climate change education, and guiding wilderness expeditions. She has experience as an educator at Vancouver Outdoor school working with neurodiverse youth, homeschooling families, and distance learning schools which has grown her values in mentoring and fostering holistic and engaging learning experiences.
She is not only an experienced educator but also a creator and innovator who thrives on building new programs, designing curriculum, and bringing fresh ideas to life. In recent years, she has actively pushed the boundaries of experiential climate change education as an expedition guide with Fireside Adventures and has played a pivotal role in a team developing a BC education-accredited course focused on climatechange education. She is committed to pursuing this vision further and dedicating her time and  efforts to crafting programs that not only educate but also empower and deeply engage youth in the realm of impactfulclimate change education and action!
Who: youth aged 9-13 (with flexibility based on maturity)
What:  Water Detectives: Youth Citizen Science Adventure
Where: EdGE Learning Centre: 3637 16th ave, Smithers
When: Session 1: Jan 29th- March 11th (no session Feb 19th for Family day Holiday)
When: Monday 12:30pm-2:30pm- Homeschool youth session (9-13yrs- flexible this program could easily be adjusted for older learners…)
Monday 3:30pm-5:30pm- Afterschool youth session (9-13yrs- flexible this program could easily be adjusted for older learners…)
Why: To inspire youth aged 9-13 (with flexibility based on maturity) to become water detectives, exploring water quality and climate change through games, crafts, and hands-on activities.

Min: 9 students must reach a minimum number of participants to run. Max 12 students.

Investment: $150 for this Series  (Sessions 1 to 6)
Program Outline: 
Session 1: Water Detectives Kick-off (Jan 29)
  • Icebreaker games and team-building activities held outdoors + community contract
  • Craft: Designing personalized detective data observation booklets with sections for drawings, notes, and observations.
  • Introduction to the concept of citizen science.
  • Overview of local water bodies with a map exploration game and group puzzle activity
  • No data collection in this session.

Session 2: Winter Water Sampling Quest (Feb 5)Storytelling session and group game: Water forms Outdoor demonstration of winter water sampling tools from the Water Rangers Winter Testkit.Guided learning on the purpose and usage of each tool.Potential for snow water sampling to explore winter water quality and imputing data into notebooksQuick data collection session at the Bulkley River.

Session 3: Outdoor Data Detectives Adventure (Feb 12)
Outdoor component: Nature-based game related to water quality or environmental observation.
Quick data collection session at the Bulkley River.Introduction to online data input tools using the Water Rangers platform.Data Code-Breaking Challenges: Solving puzzles related to water quality data.Session 4: Water and Climate Change Expedition (Feb 19)Outdoor component: Nature-based game related to water quality or environmental observation.
Quick data collection session at the Bulkley River.Science Experiment: Making climate change dioramas representing the water system using recycled materials.Climate Change Charades: Acting out climate change scenarios related to water.Session 5: Plastic Hunt and Cleanup Challenge (Feb 26)Arrival activity: Kids bring plastics they’ve cleaned up over the course of the week.Outdoor microplastics scavenger hunt and plastic cleanup walk using the Water Rangers Microplastics Educational Toolkit.
Outdoor game sorting Challenge: Sorting collected items into recyclable and non-recyclable categories.
Craft: Creating microplastics sculptures using recycled materials.Microplastics Bingo: Identifying different types of microplastics (extra if time…)Session 6: Project Showcase and Celebration (Mar 4)Craft: Designing presentation boards showcasing their findings and crafts.Group project preparation time, focusing on creativity and collaboration.Showcase: Youth present their findings through skits, posters, and crafts, followed by a celebration outdoors.Certificate ceremony with personalized “Water Detective” certificates.Outdoor component: Group reflection and discussion near the Bulkley River.

Printable pdf available here:
Water Detectives Youth Citizen Science

January-February 2024 Local Events of Interest to Bulkley Valley Naturalists

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The Bulkley Valley Museum and Smithers Art Gallery are presenting two events sure to be of interest to local naturalists.

The Babine Lake Mammoth and BC Megafauna

Wednesday, January 10, 2024 – 7 pm
Smithers Old Church
presentation by SFU doctoral student Laura Termes
free admission, all are welcome

Laura’s presentation occurs in conjunction with the BV Museum’s current exhibit on the Babine Lake Mammoth (read more here) – This exhibit closes on January 25.

_______________

Fabulous Forests and Marvellous Mushrooms
January 30 – February 24 at the Smithers Art Gallery & BV Museum

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Royal BC Museum (RBCM) travelling mushroom exhibit

The BV Museum and Smithers Art Gallery are teaming up to bring you this exciting exhibit combining a travelling exhibit from the Royal BC Museum and the 2024 BV Community Art Show, featuring forests and fungi art and craft work throughout both spaces, showcasing our community landscapes and artistic talents.
(The RBCM mushroom exhibit will remain at the BV Museum until May 31 2024)
(read more here)

It’s Bat Week again

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This week is International Bat Week (Oct 24 – 31).  Check out the events happening across North America, plus tons of cool videos and bat-themed project ideas here: https://batweek.org/

In honour of our spooky flying friends, the Canadian Bat Box Project has released this very comprehensive report on bat boxes.  Everything and more that you ever wanted or needed to know. Download it here: Best Management Practices for the Use of Bat Houses in the US and Canada

And now for some photos:

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From a brief history of bats (Canadian Wildlife Service blog post)

Little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus). This is the bat common found in the Bulkley Valley. (Jason Corbett photo).  During its lifetime it eats millions of mosquitos and other insects.

The fringe-lipped bat (Trachops cirrhosus) is definitely not found in the Bulkley Valley – it lives in Central and South America. Also known as the frog-eating bat, it is believed to secrete toxic chemicals absorbed from the skin of its prey from the warty bumps on its chin. (Jose Gabriel Martinez Fonseca photo)

Bats of North America – New Report (April 2023)

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Bat Conservation International has released its first ever “States of the Bats of North America” report and, although the website is fantastic, the news is anything but.

Little Brown Bat

The Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) – our most widespread and common bat is endangered in Canada due to white nose syndrome (Charles M. Francis photo).

Over half (52%) of the 154 species of bats found in North America are at risk of populations declining severely in the next 15 years. In Canada, where we only have 17 species of bat, the situation is worse, as only 3 of those species are ranked as “Apparently Secure”.  The remaining species are either considered “Vulnerable” (11 species) or “Imperiled” (3 species).

Bats in Canada face many threats.  White nose syndrome has spread rapidly across the US and Canada killing 9 of 10 little brown bats and northern long-eared bats while they hibernate during the winter.  The fungus that causes this destructive disease was recently detected in bat guano near Grand Forks, BC, —evidence that it has now spread into our province.  Please contact the BC Community Bat Program or the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (1-800-663-7867) with any information on the location of winter bat roosting sites, unusual behaviour, such as flying during the day, and observations of dead bats.

Other major threats include habitat loss (destruction of their roosts and foraging habitats in forests, rural and urban areas), extreme weather associated with climate change, and collisions with wind turbines.

We Need Bats
Bats benefit society. As voracious consumers of insects, bats help farmers and keep forests healthy. Bats inspire innovation and creativity from scientific discoveries and new technologies to visual arts and literature, and even superheroes.
Spectral Bat

The spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum) is the largest bat in the Americas. Considered “Imperiled”, it lives in southern Mexico, where it hunts rats, birds, and bats. (Price Sewell photo).

Conservation works best when people are empowered with data. By working together, we can ensure their survival.

The North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) unites scientists, resource managers, policy-makers, and bat enthusiasts to work together to understand how bats are doing (nabatmonitoring.org).  Everyone has a role to play. Being a bat enthusiast builds support for wildlife conservation and the policies and actions that protect our natural world for a better future.

There are many ways to support bat conservation with your actions, your choices, and your voice:

CREATE AND PROTECT BAT HABITATS IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

EXPLORE NATURE RESPONSIBLY

  • Avoid disturbing bats during hibernation or when they have pups in summer
  • Report bat observations to your wildlife agency
  • Respect cave and mine closures and advisories
  • Practice clean caving and climbing by decontaminating all gear

CHOOSE CLIMATE-FRIENDLY AND GREEN OPTIONS TO HELP THE PLANET, INCLUDING BATS…

  • Reduce your energy use and carbon footprint
  • Use sustainable forest products
  • Buy organic and local
  • Choose bat-friendly tequila

SPEAK UP FOR BATS

  • Be a bat enthusiast on social media and with your friends and family
  • Share with others the importance of bats and bat conservation
  • Support conservation efforts and policies that protect nature and wildlife
  • Become a bat biologist and work for bat conservation

Learn More by Reading the State of the Bats Report
https://digital.batcon.org/state-of-the-bats-report/2023-report/?mc_cid=adf17adabf&mc_eid=90918fc1a4

Or, check out Canada’s Bat Box Project
https://wcsbats.ca/Our-work-to-save-bats/Batbox-Project/BatBox-Project-Canada-wide

 

Pollinator Tips for Bulkley Valley Gardeners and Farmers

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Back in March 2022, Aija White presented to the Bulkley Valley Naturalists on the 2021 results of her PhD research on plant pollinators in agricultural settings across the Bulkley – Nechako Region, and how they, and we, might adapt to maintain these vital connections within our food and ecological support systems as the climate changes.

Aija White

For those who are interested in learning more about the important plant pollinators that inhabit our region, and how we can adapt our landscapes, croplands and home gardens to make them more hospitable to pollinators as our climate changes, there are now several informative reports available.

  1. Summary Brochure: What’s Pollinating Crops in BC’s Central Interior

Did you know that there are over 200 species of insects and spiders that we depend upon to pollinate our crops in the Bulkley-Nechako Region?  Among them are at least 63 species of pollinating bees, over 60 species of hover flies, and at least 30 different types of pollinating moths and butterflies?

Hover (Syrphid) fly pollinating Fringed Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia fimbriata). Bonnie Jungclaus photo

2.  Pollinator Assessment and Agricultural Crop/Climate Analysis

This 82-page report by Aija and her UNBC supervisor Dezene Huber provides a comprehensive review of what is known about how pollinators are responding to climate change, full details on the 2021 results of field sampling from Telkwa to the Robson Valley, and many links and publications to assist in pollinator habitat enhancement.

Bumblebee pollinating red raspberry. Tina Portman photo

3. Selecting Plants for Pollinators in the Fraser Plateau (and Bulkley Valley)

This 2019 publication from Pollinator Partnership Canada provides detailed guidelines tailored to BC’s central Interior describing how to enhance pollinator habitat in your home garden, farm property or neighbourhood, with contributions from our local bee guru Lynn Westcott.

Bumblebee pollinating stonecrop. Lynn Westcott photo

 

 

Update on the BC Field Ornithologists Meeting in Smithers, June 24-26

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To local birders wanting to participate in the BC Field Ornithologists June 24-26 meeting in Smithers

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We’ve been asked to pass on a message that they welcome local birders but for COVID and liability insurance reasons all participants must sign up as members of the BC Field Ornithologists, and conference participants, in advance.
Please see Marian Porter’s full message below.

The BC Field Ornithologists welcome all local birders and naturalists from the Bulkley Valley as BCFO members and registered conference attendees. It is important that we know who will be at the conference since the number of people on each field trip will be limited, and we want to make sure there are enough field trips and leaders to accommodate everyone. Due to Covid some people may not want to carpool and parking may be limited at some sites. Having fewer people on each field trip will ensure participants may keep a safe distance if they wish and there is a better chance everyone will be able to see and hear the birds. Our organization has liability insurance that only covers members, which is why our activities have only been available to our membership, and this is especially relevant for our field trips. We will need to have a precise count of people who will be using the conference room if Covid cases continue to rise and the provincial government reinstates restrictions regarding  maximum numbers allowed at gatherings. We will also need to know the vaccination status of each person if this occurs. I look forward to meeting and birding with the naturalist community in Smithers and the Bulkley Valley.
Sincerely,
Marian Porter