Here

BC Nature
2015 Annual General Meeting
Living by the Salish Sea
Protecting our Eco-region
May 7 - 10, 2015
Hosted by Salt Spring Trail & Nature Club
BC NATURE
2014 ANNUAL REPORT
Annual General Meeting – Salt Spring Island - May 7 - 10, 2015
Presidents Report
Conservation Report
Education Report
Office Manager’s Report
Parks & Protected Area
Treasurer’s Report
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Regional Reports
Kootenays
Lower Mainland
Northern B.C.
Thompson-Shuswap-Okanagan
Vancouver Island
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Project Reports
Harnessing Nature Knowledge
Important Bird Areas (IBA’s)
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Reports from BC Nature Representatives
BC Breeding Atlas Report
Coalition for Licensing and Registration of ORV’s
Invasive Plant Council of BC.
Nechako Environmental Enhancement (White Sturgeon)
Outdoor Recreation Council
Public Conservation Assistance Fund
South Coast Conservation Programs__________
South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program
Other Reports
BC Naturalist’s Foundation
Camp & Field Activities
Young Naturalist’s Club of British Columbia
Executive Committee, Members Clubs and Club Directors
Member Count per Club
Financial Statements December 31, 2014
Thanks You Donors
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Cover Photographs - Nieke Visser
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President’s Report
Submitted by Kees Visser
he Annual General Meeting at Salt Spring is my first meeting as your President. Looking back over the last year,
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it has been a steep learning curve, and my education continues on a daily basis. My thanks to all the Committees,
Project Coordinators, BC Nature Representatives, our Office Manager and not to forget my fellow Executive mem-
bers. BC Nature has been able to stay the course and show some membership growth; all this, not withstanding
while faced with a not so conservation friendly Provincial and Federal Government.
There are still a few areas of concern that we will need to address, mainly our aging membership, and therefore
lack of younger members. This lack of younger members, translates to a shortage of volunteers able to do all the
essentials for BC Nature: “Know Nature and keep it worth knowing.”
Over the last year, I have been working with a small committee (Jim Morrison, Gwyn Thomas and Janet Pattinson)
on a new five year Strategic Plan. This new plan, will address BC Nature’s major concerns and some workable solutions. The plan is on the agenda to be approved at this AGM and will be available on our website for our members
and BC Nature Club Directors.
Our BC Nature Foundation is doing very well with your investments steadily growing. This year $16,000 has been
granted to ten clubs. Bev Ramey, the Foundation President, will report on this in her AGM 2015 report. (Page
Lots of hard work continues on our ongoing projects, BC Important Bird Areas (IBA) and Harnessing Nature
Knowledge, details of which you will find in this AGM report. Thanks to the gaming grant and our surplus BC
Nature Funds we are able to continue to fund these two important initiatives. Krista Englund, former contractor for
IBA has now gained full time employment and has left IBA. I would like to thank her for her work both as a professional and as a volunteer. At the same time, please join me in welcoming our new IBA coordinator, James Bradley.
Krista Kaptein and Bill Kinkaid continue their important work for Harnessing Nature Knowledge. Their ongoing
efforts can be viewed on our website ( www.bcnatureguide.ca). I have forwarded this portion of our website to BC
Parks and the Ministry of Environment.
On-going improvements and additions can be seen in the BCNature magazine, the BC Nature website and Natures
Voice (BC Nature e-news) Social media continues to evolve and our Facebook Page and Twitter feed, although
available, are still in their infancy.
Your Executive has been kept busy with a multitude of conservation issues (in conjunction with the Conservation
Committee) and our Education Survey, which was developed by the Education Committee has brought on some
surprising results. Both Committees are making great strides, but will have to keep moving forward while facing
growing pressure on our environment. When you read the Conservation and Education Reports by their respective
Chairs, Rosemary Fox and Margaret Cuthbert you will be more appreciative of their work.
The Environmental Law Centre (ELC) and our special representatives for both the Northern Gateway pipeline
(Rosemary Fox) and the Transmountain extension ( Elaine Golds) are busy keeping track of our intervenor status.
Enbridge has stopped their TV ad campaign on the Northern Gateway, but I notice that Kinder Morgan is ramping
up their TV ad campaign on Transmountain. We have been granted leave by the Federal Court of Appeal to proceed
to challenge Cabinet’s approval of the Northern Gateway project. For the Transmountain project two rounds of
questions were posed, but as usual, with inadequate responses. Later in September oral hearings will begin, but no
cross-examination will be allowed; a first for the NEB. We are also very concerned about the Roberts Bank expansion, looked after by our special representative Trevor Jones. As you can see ELC and our representatives are keeping very busy; many thanks to them.
Late this summer, I intend to travel to the Cariboo and Pacific Northwest and will be visiting a number of our
clubs, and towns where we have no clubs yet; I will present on some geology topics and of course BC Nature. Then
later in October I will be in Princeton and Osoyoos. Clubs in these areas are having some difficulties and I like to
encourage our membership to support these clubs. In November, I intend to visit Comox and Campbell River.
Unfortunately, there will be no FGM this year. As an alternative, I would like to encourage our members to attend
the Nature Canada AGM being held in Sidney, from September 24 to 26. This is not a BC Nature event, but I understand that the Victoria Natural History Society will be assisting in the program.
For 2016, we will have an AGM in Comox, and an FGM in Prince George. I am convinced that both conferences
will be a great success, and I would like to thank the Comox Valley Naturalists Society and the Prince George Naturalists Club for their willingness to organize these events.
The 2015 AGM on Salt Spring Island promises to be great event and success with rather large program of trips,
workshops and presentations. Last word is that there are approximately 170 members registered, it will likely end
up being over that number. Welcome to Salt Spring Island! 
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Communications Committee
No report
Conservation Report
Submitted by Rosemary Fox & Various Conservation Committee Members
Mount Polley Mine - Submitted by Fred McMechan
esearch is ongoing toward determining the effects of the August 4, 2014 breach of the Mount Polley tailings
storage which resulted in the spilling of 25 million cubic metres of mining effluent and scour material into the
waters of Quesnel Lake.
At the end of January, 2015 an independent panel of mining engineers, commissioned by the provincial government, to assess the physical reasons for the spill determined that a weakness in the foundation of the dam was a
significant factor. They also found that the outside slopes of the dam were too narrow and steep so that the buttressing of the dam was inadequate.
The UNBC Quesnel River Research Centre is also active in monitoring the effects of the disaster. Since this event
the Centre is tracking the behavior of the sediment plume which spread across the lake. It will also plan to track
other unknowns such as the effect of the breach on the food web.
Experts hired by The Secwepemc Tribal Council are overseeing the work done by the experts hired by Mount Polley Mine.
Still to be determined are the human causes of the dam failure. Will the government adequately address its role in
this disaster? Also to what extent did the management of Mount Polley Mines contribute to this event?
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Northern Gateway - The controversial Northern Gateway pipeline proposal to transport tarsands oil to Kitimat for
export to Asia received federal government approval in June 2014, subject to 209 conditions. In April 2014, the town
of Kitimat held a non-binding plebiscite on the Northern Gateway project, in which 58.4% of Kitimat residents voted
against the project, and 41.6% voted in favour. This must have been quite a blow to Enbridge and its supporters,
and since giving its approval in June the federal government has been very quiet on the subject. Now, people are
beginning to wonder if the federal government is quietly allowing the Northern Gateway project to wither and die.
Meanwhile, the April 2015 spill of bunker oil from the cargo vessel M/V Marathassa into Vancouver’s scenic English
Bay has reinforced public concern over government plans to greatly increase the export of oil from BC ports.
Site C - BC Government approval of the controversial Site C dam in December 2014 has not put to rest the decadeslong controversy over the project, including not only the loss of wildlife habitat, but, perhaps even more significant
in this particular instance, the loss of valuable agricultural land in a province that had very little to begin with. The
case against Site C includes its predicted huge cost which the public will bear through increased rates, and the failure of BC Hydro adequately to consider alternatives, such as BC’s geothermal reserves, even though it was urged to
do so by the Joint Review Panel.
South Okanagan Similkameen National Park Update - Submitted by Eva Durance
A telephone poll on the proposed South Okanagan Similkameen National Park (SOS) national park was conducted
of 501 randomly selected people in the two affected provincial ridings and the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen March 9 - 13 by McAllister Opinion Research. Results show that local support for the park has increased in
the past five years (when an identical survey was held) from 2:1 to over 3:1, and opposition to the national park had
reduced markedly to just 21% . Support cuts across occupational, recreational, age, gender, and political lines giving
the lie to the naysayers’ attempts to polarize the issue.
Some key results are:
• 79% of ranching and farming households and 67% of households that participated in riding ATVs and snowmobiles supported the national park proposal.
• Almost nine out of ten residents (89%) polled felt the protection of endangered species was an important priority for the region.
• Upwards of eight of ten residents (79%) said that regional MLAs should follow the lead of local Chambers of
Commerce, tourism associations, regional governments and First Nations who all support re-engagement in the
park process.
While the SOS National Park Network committee members are delighted at these results, the reaction of the Boundary MLA, Linda Larsen, was predictably negative and in a letter to the Oliver Daily News, Minister of Environment
Mary Polack said that the government has no plans to reopen the park discussion.
Trans-Mountain Pipeline - Submitted by Elaine Gold
n partnership with Nature Canada, BC Nature is an intervenor in the Trans Mountain Expansion National Energy
Board hearing. In mid January, intervenors had their second opportunity to submit questions, i.e., “information
requests” (IRs) to Trans Mountain. The BC Nature IR consisted of 125 pages of detailed questions. The majority
(117 pages) of this submission was prepared by our two marine bird experts, Caroline Fox and Anne Harfenist, with
the help of our lawyers; they focused on a large number of extremely detailed issues relating to marine birds. I prepared eight pages of draft questions which were then edited by one of the lawyers at U Vic, Mark Haddock.
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As a volunteer for BC Nature, I have focused on terrestrial issues related to the proposed provincial park crossings as well as potential impacts on some Metro Vancouver Regional Parks. These proposed crossings include Finn
Creek Provincial Park, North Thompson River Provincial Park, Lac du Bois Protected Area, Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park as well as Surrey Bend Regional Park and Colony Farm Regional Park. The pipeline will not actually cross
Colony Farm Park but the open fields of that Park have been proposed for use as a pipeline assembly area for the 1
km-plus section of the pipeline that must be drawn under the Fraser River. To my mind, the most egregious of these
proposed crossings is Lac du Bois which, unfortunately, the City of Kamloops has indicated is their preferred pipeline construction location to avoid disturbing urban development closer to the highway where the original pipeline
right of way is located.
Trans Mountain had a deadline of February 18 to respond to our IRs. This time around, unlike last spring, there
was not an opportunity for us to review their responses and submit a second round of questions/clarifications. Our
only permitted response this time was limited to filing a notice of motion with regard to the inadequacy of their
responses – this was filed February 26 along with a 112 page document which pointed out why and how their
responses to our IRs were considered inadequate.
The next major step in the process will be to submit written evidence. The deadline for submission of this is May
27 (although all these deadlines keep shifting). After that, no more new evidence can be submitted. Oral hearings
will begin in September 2015, but details on where they will be held and the length of time intervenors can take to
present their arguments have not yet been made available. If a portion of the hearing is held in Vancouver, I will
try to be present…if I am allowed to attend. Similar to the Enbridge hearings, it would not surprise me if the public
was only allowed to view a live screened presentation. It is also important to note questioning and cross-examination of witnesses (a critical part of a judicial process) will not be allowed during the oral presentations.
In general, I have found my limited participation in this process to be frustrating. As we all know, the hearing
process is flawed and quite biased. In addition, the responses provided by Trans Mountain do not inspire confidence. For example, when asked if they will respect the bird nesting season or fisheries window to avoid impacts
on fish and wildlife during construction, their responses are tempered by weasel words such as “where possible” or
“where feasible”. We all know what that means. In addition, because the possible construction periods are so far in
the future, details that could provide us with some assurance regarding, e.g., restoration of native grasslands after
construction remain worryingly absent.
To provide some perspective, a fairly large number (about 400) of intervenors were approved to participate in this
NEB hearing. However, through a perusal of the website, I note that many of them have not taken advantage of the
opportunity to fully participate in this process. I worry this may leave gaps in the process and some issues could
remain unaddressed.
Wetlands ~ Submitted by Peter Ballin
ev Ramey attended the Wetland Stewardship Partnership meeting on January 30, 2014. Two issues became the
priorities: Habitat Mitigation or Compensation, and Outreach. Other discussion topics included an engagement
strategy to build political will to conserve and protect wetlands, and coordination of existing wetland mapping.
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On Mar 11, 2014, the Water Sustainability Act was introduced into the BC Legislature as Bill 18.
Bev Ramey raised questions about the restoration proposal for the Point Grey Tidal Marsh on behalf of BC Nature.
Two WSP subcommittees met on the phone to discuss Engagement & Political Will and Mapping.
On January 21 2015 Greg Ferguson represented us at the WSP meeting, where discussions centered upon member
projects, the new Water Sustainability Act, the Canadian Wetland Strategy, the Wetlands Action Plan, the Green Bylaws Toolkit, Mitigation, Public awareness and engagement, Mapping, and opportunities provided by the National
Wetland Conservation Fund.
Greg and Peter, amongst other BC Naturalists, attended the February 2 BC Wildlife Federation Wetlands Program at
Burnaby Lake, a large gathering where a number of Lower Mainland wetland issues were discussed. 
Education Report
Submitted by Margaret Cuthbert & Education Committee
ommittee members have been hard at work on behalf of club members and have accomplished:
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1. A BC Nature Education Survey for all Clubs was sent out in January 2014 with a request for their input in to
the educational activities, products and accomplishments of their club.. This information is to assist BC Nature
in assessing how we can be of assistance in the future . 44 Clubs responded with our final request in March to
the remaining clubs. Our draft report will be submitted to the Executive and BCN Club Directors at the AGM.
Unfortunately, our report is missing some responses , but the overall response rate was 83%. We hope to have
input from all clubs in our next request for information.
2. An education plan was developed with a Terms of Reference and Work Plan for the newly formed Education
Committee.
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3. An increase in the Rene Savenye Scholarship (RSS) award from $1,000 to $1,500 was approved due to the high
costs of post secondary fees. The applicants for the 2014 BC Nature RSS were evaluated by the RSS subcommittee and the 2014 recipient was Jeremiah Kennedy, a most worthy student (please see the article in the Fall
Magazine 2014).
4. The Committee reviewed BC Nature’s role in the BC Science Fairs and implemented the follwoing changes:
a. A criteria change for the BC Nature award now emphasizes outdoor projects and reaches a greater number of students - BC Nature Award Grades 6 - 8 • $75 and Grades 9 – 12 • $75; to be awarded at each British
Columbia Regional Science Fair to the best natural history project done by a student(s) in Grades 6 to 8 (junior) and Grades 9 to 12 (senior). This includes studies of any aspect of natural history, conservation of natural
habitats and/or natural species. An outdoor, nature monitoring or conservation project is strongly encouraged.
b. the development of a BC Nature Science Fair awards promotional flyer that the Science Fair Foundation
sent out to school districts and teachers for all Regional Science Fairs. Promotional materials including information about BC Nature advertised the Provincial Awards to their teachers, students and educational community, for solicitation of judges, for community support for fund raising and for general awareness within
the community. This promotional materials were included in the September mailing to each of the 500 BC
schools.
5. Proposed BC Ministry of Education Curriculum changes have been monitored and responded to by Lenny Ross
on behalf of the BC Nature Education Committee to the Minister of Education and more recently to the BC Science Teachers Association by Christie Mayall.
6. The committee launched the "Naturalists as Mentors" program in the fall of 2014. Since, we in BC Nature,
highly-value outdoor education and teachers have little time to work with students outside the classroom, the
Education Committee has requested BC Nature members continue to participate in their Regional Science Fairs
as judges but to also consider being involved with one or more students and their teachers as Science Project
Naturalist Mentors. Naturalist members have a tremendous knowledge to share and a desire to see youth in
nature; this is an opportunity for youth to participate with a naturalist and/or a member club to conduct outdoor
citizen science, surveys etc. This is also an opportunity to engage more youth to know their local club and BC
Nature. Naturalists as Mentors is not limited to Science Fairs but to numerous opportunities in the community
and schools to be engaged with youth in nature.
7. The committee supported the Lieutenant Governor’s "Stewards of the Future" initiative with Penney Edwards
and Anne Stewart attending an initial meeting. Anne submitted an article to the BC Nature Magazine, Spring,
2015. One club, Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society, is supporting two teachers with their project as a pilot of the
program. Anne also recommends that BC Nature develop a list serve or email alert system to clubs and teachers.
8. The Education Committee provided initial input and reviews to the Strategic Plan 2015–2020 followed by a submission of measures of success for the final plan.
9. The Education Committee has put forward a motion to the Executive and Club Directors for clubs to provide
an update on club educational activities when they submit their annual report. This input is an important communication tool that will keep the BC Nature Education Committee current with what clubs are offering in
nature education and their needs.
10. A committee member attended the Greater Vancouver Regional District Science Fair Awards to present the two
regional awards on behalf of BC Nature.
11. The Committee has reviewed all the historical education files pre-1995 from the office and prepared a one page
summary from those files. The files are now archived.
12. Ongoing reporting of the Education Committee to the Executive for meetings and the member clubs through
the BCNature magazine and BC Nature Website.
Office Manager Report
Submitted by Betty Davison
he office is humming along at a good pace. Our first magazine of the year is completed and hopefully on your
coffee tables or on your computer screens, our financial year-end is complete and efforts are under way to complete this report and the Summer BCnature magazine and then it's time to pack up our display units and head off to
the AGM on Salt Spring. I look forward to seeing lots of familiar faces and being educated on all things "nature."
For those that have never attended an AGM or FGM, you're missing out on a lot of great information in all things
nature. The outings are great and there is a lot to be learned from the presentations.
This was the first year that we instituted annul billings for the clubs based on the membership numbers as per our
database. For the most part, it went smoothly and the majority of clubs had no discrepancies in member numbers.
This new system enables us to pay our insurance premiums on time and keeps the BC Nature records synchronized
with the individual club member numbers.
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We had a computer crash in January and were able to recover all of our data and programs fairly quickly at minimal cost. It was a good wake up call to back up all the records more frequently than what I had been doing. It was
a pretty quiet time without a computer!
Last summer we were lucky to have a summer student manning the office for both outstanding projects and summer relief, Shanna Sinclair, was very efficient in keeping the office up to date and was of great assistance to the IBA
program. We are blessed to once again to have gained funding for a summer student for 2015. This year, we will
share our summer student with the Young Naturalists Club (who we share an office with). 
Parks & Protected Areas Report
Submitted by Don Guild
he year has been very busy, starting with the passing of Bill 4 — 2014 Park Amendment Act, passed on March 24,
2014, its provisions giving the government sweeping new powers to allow filming in any BC Park as long as the
filming is not detrimental to the recreational values of the park and to issue research permits to inform decisions about
the feasibility of park or conservancy "boundary adjustments" which could remove lands for infrastructure or any
number of purposes. BC Nature sent a strongly worded letter to the Honourable Mary Polak, Minister of Environment,
asking her to rescind this legislation.
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Boundary Adjustment Applications - Note: BC Parks posts all such applications at: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/
PBAProcess/ :
Stage 2 Park Boundary Adjustment Application 2 Invited - Kleanza Creek Park. Dediluke Land Survey Inc. on
behalf of the owners of Block A, District Lot 6639, Range 5, Coast District, submitted a Stage 1 boundary adjustment
application respecting Kleanza Creek Park. The Minister has invited the proponent to develop a Stage 2 boundary
adjustment proposal. The proposal requests that 0.17 ha. of road be removed from the park and be designated as
legal access to District Lot 6639, Block A, Range 5, Coast District. This application would remove 0.17 ha from the
park, but will also add more land to it through road realignments and decommissioning. Not controversial, so no
objections.
Kinder Morgan Canada submits Stage 2 Boundary Adjustment Proposal for their pipeline twinning project, Edmonton to Vancouver: Kinder Morgan Canada has submitted their final Stage 2 Boundary Adjustment proposal and a
summary of the feedback received during the public consultation period that ran from August 29, 2014 to October 12,
2014. This application is fraught with many problems, one of the most significant being the proposed pipeline transecting Lac Dubois Grasslands Protected Area. Elaine Golds is making the case for BC Natures dire concerns through
the Environmental Law Center, UVic. to the National Energy Board. A letter to Honourable Mary Polak, Minister of
Environment regarding the Kinder Morgan pipeline twinning project across BC, impacting Bridal Veil Falls Provincial
Park, Finn Creek Provincial Park, Lac Dubois Grasslands Protected Area and North Thompson River Provincial Park
with "boundary adjustment" considerations, was sent October 6 2014.
STAGE 2 Park Boundary Adjustment Application Received - Nahatlatch Park and Nisgaa Memorial Lava Bed Park
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has submitted its Stage 2 boundary adjustment application with
respect to Nahatlatch Park. The application requests that approximately 1.2 ha. be removed from the park for the
purpose of a land exchange with the Boston Bar First Nation. This is largely an access issue and involves a proposed
land-swap with First Nations in what appears to be a win-win situation; no response from BC Nature.
Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Ltd. has submitted its Stage 2 boundary adjustment application and a supplemental filing to the Stage 2 boundary adjustment application with respect to Anhluut'ukwsim Laxmihl
Angwinga’asanskwhl Nisga'a (Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Park). The application requests that approximately 63.5
ha. be removed from the park to enable the construction and operation of a natural gas pipeline.
Update: Stage 2 Park Boundary Adjustment Application - Opportunity for Public Comment August 22, 2014. No
submission from BC Nature on this application to date.
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI)application to remove Cosens Bay Road from Kalamalka Lake
Park. MOTI is hosting an open house about a proposed boundary adjustment at Kalamalka Lake Park on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014 in Vernon.
BC Nature submitted an objection to this road removal application because it would give too much discretion to
MOTI for safety concerns over environmental values and BC Parks would lose the legal right to protect ecosystem
values.
BC Parks released its Draft Ski Resort Policy applying to Cypress, Mount Seymour and E.C. Manning Provincial
Parks. This is from their website:
• BC Parks has considered the comments received on the Policy Intentions Paper that was posted from May 15 to
June 29, 2014. BC Nature responded, expressing concerns about the extension of the park use permit term for
such resorts from 50 years to 60 years and also wanted much more emphasis placed on the natural values of the
parks and their preservation when ski resort expansions or changes in operation are being considered.
• The draft Ski Resort Policy was developed considering the feedback received on the Policy Intentions Paper. The
draft Ski Resort Policy has been posted below for public review and comment. The public comment form deadline is now past (extended to April 21, 2015.) BC Nature continues to express the same initial concerns plus a
few new ones and is hoping to meet with BC Parks on these issues.
Park Draft Management Plans
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Hamber Provincial Park, nestled in the western flank of Jasper National park is 25,137 ha. in size (it once was
1,000,000 ha., but that's a story in itself!). This park is difficult to access except by float plane, making it a very
pristine area. BC Nature responded with concerns about the Eastern Brook Trout in Fortress Lake and a small
commercial operation which serves this fishery, keeping wilderness values through very low impact use and
protecting wide ranging species at risk such as Mountain Caribou and Grizzly Bear by managing adjacent lands
very conservatively.
Trout Creek ecological Reserve, within District of Summerland boundaries in the Okanagan, is a 75 ha. reserve
established to protect a representative sample of the dry southern interior grassland ecosystem. To its credit,
BC Parks has extended the deadline for public response from April 13 to May 15, 2015. BC Nature is preparing
a response at this time, but except for some municipal zoning conflicts and its small size, there are few issues
because the reserve is fulfilling its role very well. 
Roberts Bank
Nothing to report at this time
Treasurers’ Report
Submitted by John Troth
he 2014 operating fund budget approved by the board showed a projected deficit of $1,060. The 2014 operating fund
closed with a surplus of $15,789. Increases in revenue stemmed principally from strong attendance at the AGM and
FGM and additional camp revenue. AGM and FGM revenues and expenses along with Camp revenues and expenses
were reported on a gross basis, whereas in the past Camp revenue and expenses were reported on a net basis. This
adjustment was made primarily for administrative reasons relating to the tracking of GST refunds. BC Nature was on
target for fundraising, taking in $16,847 against an expected $17,000 and we hope this keeps up. Expenses were also
on target, with no glaring differences from budget, with the exception of a few office and award supplies that will be
used not only in 2013 but also in future years. AGM/FGM and Camp expenses were higher than in years past but this
was primarily related to gross versus net basis reporting (mentioned previously). The income (as opposed to revenue)
earned from the AGM/FGMs and Camps were both greater than in 2013. At December 31, 2014 the operating fund had
$16,853 available for use in future periods. Planned transfers of funds from the operating fund to internally restricted
funds caused the reduction in the operating fund when compared to the prior year. Restricted Funds As at December
31, 2014 BC Nature had the following funds available for use • Externally Restricted Grants of $65,316 • Externally
Restricted Donations of $23,794 • Internally Restricted Funds of $70,825. Details can be found in the 2014 Financial
Statements (Page 40), reviewed by Reid Hurst Nagy Inc. 
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Regional Reports
Kootenays Regional Report
Submitted by Joan Snyder
ver the past year there have been some organizational changes in the Kootenay Region. Greg Ross has stepped
down as our Coordinator and passed the "file" to me. Greg has been a valued naturalist mainstay in the region
for many years and will continue to contribute through his Rocky Mountain Naturalists club to our regional activities. We currently have only three clubs in the Kootenays: West Kootenay Naturalists’ Association, Rocky Mountains
Naturalists and the Fernie Naturalists. A BCN club directors meeting via Skype was held last fall under Greg’s direction and I hope to have a follow-up meeting in May or June of this year. Congratulations to Ron Lenz for stepping
up to be the new Director for Fernie Naturalists, we look forward to talking with you soon.
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Reports of the activities of the Rocky Mountain Nats. and the West Kootenay Nats. are listed below. The Fernie
club is primarily organized for field trip activities and the Christmas Bird Count which I hear was a great success.
Last year the Rocky Mountain Naturalists Club lost a long time valued member, Elsie Hammond, and Elsie’s family
requested that donations be sent in her memory to be shared with the three Kootenay clubs. The clubs in turn set up
these donations through BC Nature, with the total donations to date of $ 645.00. Each club is eligible to receive 1/3
of the total amount for their individual projects. The Rocky Mountain club has claimed their portion of the Fund to
create a new club brochure. 
Rocky Mountain Naturalist (RMN)
Submitted by Greg Ross
he Rocky Mountain Naturalists continue to be a very busy club, although many of our members are aging as in
most BC Nature Clubs, we have had a strong infusion of younger and middle-aged members. Our club executive has completely changed this year giving a new perspective to many things. Many regular outings now include
trips on skis, snowshoes or walking over crusty snow forests and fields.
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Even though we still have our regular meeting only once every two months, we are very active in getting together
for outings and counts, including; two Christmas Bird Counts, one in Kimberley and the other in Cranbrook with
others coordinated to be available in Fernie and Elkford. Our Winter Seekers Challenge gets us ready for the Little
Big Day competition with teams exploring all areas of the Kootenay River drainage area.
Our annual Memorial Crocus Walk in the spring, is to remember the accomplishments of our members that have
passed. Our annual beach potluck is a good time to relax and meet with those who have not been out much.
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Our pet project, the stewardship of Elizabeth Lake suffered huge losses last year with the flooding of our main
trails. Being unable to walk or work in the affected area we lost the spring and summer, we were only able to do the
necessary repairs in September and October. The cattails rose with the flooding and moved to the north end next to
the trails and bird blinds leaving us in a real quandary.
This year we have created a web site, www.rockymountainnaturalists.org that helps keep our members up to date as
well as encouraging new interest from community members to participate in our activities and meetings. A long
term RMN member, Elsie Hammond, passed away last spring and her family requested that donations be made in
her name for the Kootenay clubs. Our clubs share of these donations has been used in creating a brochure that is
also designed to bring in new members. 
West Kootenay Naturalists’ Association
Submitted by Joan Snyder
s of February this year our club had 86 active members. We now have only six general meetings per year on
the last Monday evening of alternate months. With our unpredictable weather in the winter, travelling to the
more remote locations can be difficult and sometimes impossible, our meetings are rotated among Nelson, Trail and
Castlegar venues so that everyone is able to attend at least one meeting near their home town.
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Our meetings have a business component to discuss various activities and issues that the club may wish to become
involved in. We usually have a guest speaker on different topics. This year we had talks on the local Yellow-breasted
Chat habitat study, another one on the local amphibians and reptiles that live in the area, the oil spill in Lemon
Creek in the local Slocan Valley by the Slocan River Stream Keepers and a lively presentation by Dick Cannings
about the natural history of B.C. and his new edition of British Columbia- A natural history of its origins, ecology, and
diversity with a new look at climate change. We also had weekly outings throughout the year on foot, skis or snowshoes
depending on conditions. Currently the club has no specific projects but we do provide some support (through
donations) to the Selkirk College Endowment Fund and the Creston Wildlife Management Area. A few of our members will be leading hikes at the Creston Valley Bird Fest on May 8 - 10 so unfortunately none of our members will
be on Salt Spring Island during that time. 
Lower Mainland Regional Report
Submitted by Jude Grass
t has been a very busy year for all the twenty clubs in the Lower Mainland Region.
Conservation issues are still forcing all clubs to spend more time fighting issues for the environment rather than
getting out an enjoying nature. Ongoing issues such as the Lower Mainland Delta Port Expansion and the ongoing
devouring of the farmland to large subdivisions and more people. The Sunshine Coast and the Squamish-Whistler
Areas have similar pressures on their green spaces. Most of the clubs in the Lower Mainland have also been contributors to the various pipe line and LNG proposals by writing letters or attending many meetings.
I
Most of the clubs are also working hard to grow their membership through offering nature workshops, inviting
public to evening programs and on their field trips, and by getting into their local papers promoting their various
activities. Many of the clubs are also involved with their local governments, (Regional Districts and Municipalities)
by serving on parks or environment committees and volunteering at local events.
I am seriously trying to put together a Regional Meeting for the Lower Mainland Clubs for October 24, 2015 and
would like one of the LM clubs to agree to host, or at least find a meeting place where we could hold a one day
meeting. The Objective would be to:
1) find out what each club is doing
2) to discuss conservation issues
3) our educational programs
4) how we can communicate better.
I welcome all suggestions. 
Abbotsford-Mission Nature Club
Submitted by Hank Roos
o far this year, our club has had a variety of good speakers and topics and we have enjoyed some well attended
field trips. We have also been encouraged by seeing the signing up of eight new members.
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On January 27, two members of our executive attended an all-day networking event organized by the Fraser Valley Conservancy and Hope Mountain Centre. Thirty-three organizations with an environmental focus and local
government parks departments from Langley to Hope gathered to network and learn of each other’s vision and
activities in our region.
An evening workshop in March “Conservation through Citizen Engagement on BC’s South Coast” organized by
the Fraser Valley Conservancy and South Coast Conservation Program was attended by 13 of our club members.
The main focus was Endangered Species and Citizen Science.
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The project that continues to keep us quite busy is the work we carry on at Willband Creek Park, in partnership
with the City of Abbotsford Parks and Recreation and the students from Abbotsford Christian Middle School. This
habitat improvement project which kicked off last year with a successful grant application by our club and the City
has continued. With input from our club executive we have selected additional planting sites that are currently
covered by Reed Canary Grass, and we planted approximately 500 native shrubs and tree species. Executive member, Ken Summers (a field biologist), mapped the site, overlaid it with a 4 metre grid and located and presented the
planting materials needed. The City purchased and delivered the materials and which were planted over a two-day
period by four classes of middle school kids last fall. On the same site, infill planting of another 600 or so trees and
shrubs were added by two classes of kids this past March. The planting event was well organized by the Fraser
Valley Watersheds Coalition and the funding through Federal grant money that they had applied for in partnership
with the Fraser Valley Conservancy and Abbotsford-Mission Nature Club who was to provide “child labour”.
In addition to a commitment to engage all nine classes (six completed), this years school project at Willband will
see us working with a teacher or parent, along with five - seven year old children for a few hours every week placing wood chips, supplied by the City, as a mulch around all the newly planted trees and shrubs, or work at invasive plant removal.
We are excited about ongoing and future opportunities on this site with our three-way, City, School and Club
partnership. We are currently planning an additional 30 swallow boxes to be assembled by a class of Grade five
students, a barn owl nest box in the shape of a miniature hip roof barn elevated up on a pole on one of the park’s
islands, a wharf, interpretive signage and ultimately carry out our long term dream of building a “nature house”.
We are looking forward to our remaining monthly club meetings and programs especially our May meeting
where we will invite our two selected winners of the Fraser Valley Regional Science Fair to display and present their
research projects and receive their prize money
We are honoured as a club to participate on August 19 when a special tribute is planned to honour the life and
amazing contributions to BC’s wildlife knowledge by Glenn Roderick Ryder an honorary member of our club.
Burke Mountain Naturalists (BMN)
Submitted by Elaine Golds
nce again, we had another busy year as we entered our 26th year as a club. As of April, our hiking group is
looking forward to another year of challenging and not-quite-so challenging hikes. Led by our President, Ian
McArthur and Mark Johnston, we have found such hikes provide a good opportunity to recruit new and younger
members. Our membership has also been bolstered through Ian being hired by the City of Coquitlam to offer shorter hikes to local areas. Several residents participating in these hikes have become BMN members. Our membership grew by 20% in the past year. At our AGM last December, our Silent Auction raised $1500 which was donated
for the restoration of the educational Mossom Creek Hatchery in Port Moody which was destroyed by a devastating
fire in late 2013.
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We continue to monitor and maintain almost 300 chickadee and swallow nest boxes. Bear vandalism has resulted
in the removal of some boxes while others were placed on longer poles beyond the reach of bears. A more costly
alternative has been to use a micro-mesh metal screen to wrap some of the power poles on which some of our boxes
are also installed. The metal screen prevents bears from climbing.
Our members led a number of public nature walks including events at Colony Farm Regional Park and DeBoville
Slough. We also participate in the annual Christmas Bird Count as part of the Pitt Meadows count circle. We are
looking forward to launching our new checklist for Colony Farm Regional Park with a species count of over 200
birds (up from the 150 on the checklist prepared in the 1990s by a longtime club member. Our thanks go to Larry
Cowan and his team of volunteers for compiling the new checklist.
Another project has been the preparation of a Children’s Nature Guide to the Tri-cities area. This project, now
completed with only the printing to be completed, was achieved under the thoughtful guidance of our Vice
President, Christina Saremba. This booklet, dedicated to the memory of Danny Grass, will be officially launched
at our May meeting. The entire print run of about 1000 booklets of 40 pages each will be distributed free of charge.
We will also post the booklet to our website so that others can print it for themselves.
Last September, we hosted a rally at Colony Farm Regional Park to oppose the proposed use of its fields by Kinder
Morgan for assembly and testing of the portion of the pipeline that will be drawn under the Fraser River. This rally
attracted over 200 people to the Park who signed a petition that was sent to Environment Minister Mary Polak and
copied to Kinder Morgan.
Some of our members received prestigious award this past year. In November, Don Gillespie, a long time and
intrepid trail-builder, tour-giver and all-round super volunteer won the Wilderness Committee’s Eugene Rodgers
environment award for all that Don has done to protect parks and support environmental awareness. Two of our
members, Dr. John Reynolds and Dr. Rob Butler were the 2015 recipients of the Vancouver Aquarium’s Murray A.
Newman Ward for significant achievement in Aquatic Research and Aquatic Conservation, respectively. In addi-
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________
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tion, one of our members, Laura Dupont, was elected to Port Coquitlam Council in the municipal elections this fall
where she will be a good advocate for the environment.
Our Conservation-Education Committee also had a busy year and submitted comments on the Chines Integrated
Watershed Management Plan, the City of Coquitlam’s Parks Master Plan, the City of Port Moody’s, Park Master
Plan among a number of other local issues. We also wrote a number of letters to government including on the issue
of Kinder Morgan’s proposed park crossings, proposed regulations that would deregulate the use of pesticides for
marine aquaculture, a letter of opposition to the proposed expansion of Fortis gas pipeline to supply the Woodfibre
LNG facility in Squamish and a letter of concern to Metro Vancouver regarding their proposed waste water permit
for washing thermal coal for export purposes.
Our club has its origins in the campaign to protect Pinecone Burke Park and Colony Farm Regional Park – finally
accomplished in 1995. These were two important issues which garnered much media attention at the time and
brought us a number of new members. Thus, we were pleased last fall to learn that the provincial government
intends to finally move forward with the long-awaited development of a Management Plan for Pinecone Burke
Provincial Park. An initial meeting with stakeholders was held last November. Since then, our members have been
working with BC Parks to upgrade and enhance some of the more popular trails in the Park. We will be hosting a
public hike and celebratory event on the 20th anniversary of park declaration on June 7, 2015. For more details, see
www.bmn.bc.ca 
Chilliwack Field Naturalists (CFN)
Submitted by Janne Perrin
he Chilliwack Field Naturalists Club (CFN), like many other BC Nature clubs, are experiencing a declining
membership but in spite of this we remain active and vibrant. At the helm of CFN is Dr. Fernando Selles who is
into his second term as President. Helen Turner, long time BC Nature club director (2006-2013), stepped up to VicePresident at our 2015 AGM.
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In 2014 we continued our stewardship of the Camp River (Slough) Wildlife Area that was, in 1994, donated to
Nature Trust by Cornelius Kournossoff. It is leased to BC Ministry of Environment and stewarded by the CFN, led
by Lee Larkin and Denis Knopp, 30-year club members. In 2012, a BC gaming grant funded diversification of shrub
habitat carried out in 2013. We have applied to BC Hydro for a 2015 spring planting of plants for pollinations in the
field section of the site. In 2013, The Nature Trust aided the CFN in the purchase of a trailer to transport our steward's tractor/brush cutter. Blackberry control is an ongoing task and we host a “coffee cutters” session once a month
where members participate in maintenance of the land and the bird boxes, followed by coffee at our local Callicarpa
Café at Minter’s Garden Centre. Thankfully the Ministry saw fit to have the noxious Japanese Knotweed treated in
2014. In spring 2015, Nature Trust had the property surveyed and contracted site fencing of 1200 metres of high tensile fence, and two improved gates. This secured the property and added 0.3 ha. of land. With the help of the Eastern
Fraser Valley Young Naturalists Club, bat boxes were built and have been erected, as well as many replacement
swallow boxes and several wood duck boxes which resulted in two fledged broods of wood ducks. Our stewards
are experimenting with a plexi-glass flap on the swallow boxes to stop house sparrows from moving in.
Valerie Whetter (November 1919 - July 2011), a 1971 founding member of our club, endowed us nearly $10 000 in
2014. Our members have agreed that Valerie would have wished us to use the money as we see fit to for the benefit
of our club. Thus we have implemented an annual Valerie Whetter memorial speaker series featuring renowned
BC Naturalists. Our first speaker on April 21, 2015 is Richard Cannings who will be speaking on British Columbia’s
Natural History. The event is by donation and open to the public.
Throughout 2014-2015 we featured monthly speakers and field trips. Jude and Al Grass spoke to us on “Woody
Ways”, Cliff Jury of Wild birds Unlimited, “Backyard Feeders”, Scott Denkers our secretary and executive director
of the Hope Mountain Centre for Outdoor Learning. “Monitoring Water Quality in the Upper Skagit”, Dr. Jonathan
Hughes of UFV on Holocene-Anthropocene Transition in the Fraser Valley” and at our 2015 AGM, Wild Research’s
Christine Rock "Citizen Science". Field trips included our annual blackberry walk on the south Vedder, trip to
Reifel Sanctuary, Eagles at Harrison Bay, Fish Trap Creek, McDonald Park, Great Blue Heron Reserve and the UBC
endowment property on Thacker Mountain. Upcoming trips to the Bert Brink Wildlife Area and to the Stein Valley
are planned. CFN is working on cooperating with other Fraser Valley clubs for joint outings and in this capacity
have shared their yearly overview.
In cooperation with Greg Ferguson, former CFN member, and our president, Fernando Selles, the CFN is using
a BC Naturalists Foundation Grant to study Swallow Ecology and Conservation in the Fraser Valley. We thank the
Foundation for the grant. An inaugural public meeting took place April 9, 2015. In addition to the BC Naturalists
Foundation grant, CFN wrote letters of support for Nature Trust to Environment Canada for the survey & fencing
at Camp River Wildlife Area and for Environment Dynamics Inc. to BC Hydro for mapping eco-systems in the Jones
Creek/ Wahleach Watershed Basin.
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The conservation front continues to have many issues. We have tried to concentrate our energies. We have commenter status for the Trans Mountain Pipeline project and are active in opposition to the proposed Aevitas Inc.
hazardous material treatment plant, which would be built immediately adjacent to the most productive stretch of
the Fraser, the world’s greatest salmon river. We also wrote letters of concern to two local municipalities and the
Ministry of Environment on the Sasquatch Provincial Park Boundary Adjustments. Our president spearheads these
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________
conservation issues. Annabelle Rempel’s conservation overview reports are now posted to our website. Annabelle
has chaired our conservation portfolio since 1988 highlighting concerns in the Fraser Valley. That is awesome to say
the least! Thank you Annabelle. 
Delta Naturalists Society (DN)
Submitted by Ursula Easterbrook
he Delta Naturalists Society lost a long time member, John Whittaker, who passed away at the age of 91 on October 27, 2014, at Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock. He was an avid traveller and birder and represented the DN
as a Director for many years.
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The DN have had a busy year again, with Tom leading the weekly Casual Birder Outings and representing DN
on the Boundary Bay Park Associations board with Metro Vancouver Parks. He also leads a quarterly Bird walk for
Birds on the Bay for Boundary Bay PA. Terry Carr has been setting up and getting volunteers to man the educational display tables set up for DN at Boundary Bay Park and at community events; he was also instrumental in finding
a larger venue for our meetings as we were bursting the seams at the old Cammidge House meeting room. We now
meet at the Lutheran Benediction Church on the first Tuesday of the month. Jim Ronback has been working at saving the Fraser by actively working against the Jet Fuel storage depot and therefore tankers coming up the Fraser, as
well as the very high and powerful transmission towers threatened for Point Roberts.
A Committee was struck to lobby the Delta Council to promote a bylaw on tree retention and maintaining and
monitoring tree removal rather than the current system of just permitting tree removal. A Bird Strategy Subcommittee was struck. It will co-operate with Delta Tourism to review the best practices similar to the ones presented
by Vancouver and Surrey, and to work on a report which will be given jointly by DN and Delta Tourism to Delta
Council. The Vancouver Bird Strategy is on-line. Anne Murray has volunteered to head the committee with the
assistance of three or four volunteers.
Ursula has been working on her usual Spring presentations: Birds in Focus a month-long exhibition of bird photographs and - a Visual Presentation was held on March 21 and the Photo workshop on April 19; both were very
successful. The other spring events are our participation in the 3rd Annual Delta International Migratory Bird Week
- May 1 - 26, 2015 with another month-long exhibition, this time bird and habitat paintings, photographs accompanied with a May lecture, featuring prominent scientists on endangered environments. May 10 is the Mothers Day
Tea with the Birds at Cammidge House, featuring educational displays, Boundary Bay Park walks and a lecture on
Restoration of Burns Bog by Don DeMill.
Our website is ably maintained by Ken Borrie; the AV equipment by Jonathan Mwenifumbo and the monthly
speakers by Ursula Easterbrook - and an interesting lot they have been. 
Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society (FoSB)
Submitted by Marg Cuthbert
olunteers continued to contribute an immense amount of their time, knowledge and resources for project goals
in the Boundary Bay watershed. FoSBS hosted a similar number of events in 2014 and again offered a World
Wetlands Day event this past Jan 31.
V
We’re hosting eight events this year as a part of Surrey’s Environmental Extravaganza mid-April to mid-June:
• Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup April 29
• International Migratory Bird Day May 10,
• Coastal Native Plants and Birds along the Shore - May 24
• Shorekeepers citizen science workshop the weekend of May 15
• Be a Beach Hero Beach Walk - May 31,
• World Ocean Weekend that will be kicked off with our first World Nature Night June 5 focussed on the
nature of Argentina. Sunday, the World Ocean Day Festival featuring our Sing It Wild song writing contest.
• Discover Marine Creatures and Eelgrass Meadows in Boundary Bay - June 6
Last year’s events were well attended and we expect so again this year. Birds on the Bay & Beyond has continued
to be very popular with the public and numerous other groups collaborate to be promoted and offer free nature
viewing opportunities to lower mainland communities. This year a final decision was made to discontinue the
printed brochure calendar due to the onerous hours required to format and the high costs of printing. All of our
partners events for the program are promoted on the website events calendar at www.birdsonthebay.ca and widely
distributed bookmarks (rack cards) and posters. We conducted in partnership with the Lower Mainland Green
Team and City of Surrey Parks on an invasive removal at Blackie Spit March 7 with a salt marsh/ shoreline cleanup.
We also participated in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup April 26 at Blackie Spit covering the salt marshes and
more sensitive beach areas and though we do cleanups at each organized invasive removal and planting, our next
formal event is another Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup scheduled for September 19, again at Blackie Spit. Our
Shorekeepers citizen science program was a success with 30 volunteers participating in the training workshop and
over fifty in the surveys in 2014. In 2015, its 12th year, the training workshop is May 15 – 17 and the annual surveys
for five further sites this June. Our FoSBS volunteers again participated with the Fraser Delta Spartina Removal
Working Group in Boundary Bay with a focus on Blackie Spit, where our volunteers removed 25 bags of Spartina
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________ 10
anglica at 50 lbs. each! This year they will map and monitor the site, remove clones if necessary and participate further as the need arises.
Invasive removals at all of our project sites went very well: the Little Campbell River Forest Trail Species at Risk
project, the Rene Savenye ESA at Blackie Spit, the Little Campbell Estuary project and the two native plant demonstration garden projects. We planted also over 400 trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants in 2014 and planted the Little
Campbell estuary in early May of this year. The 2014 Beach Hero Marine Interpretive Program suffered from a
severe shortage of funding and it was the support of BC Nature, the BC Naturalists’ Foundation, the TD Friends of
the Environment Foundation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and City of White Rock that allowed us to be present on
the beach. Three part-time interpreters, with the help of volunteers, were able to reach approximately 2500 community members from May through August with important outreach activities – interpreted beach walks, presentations and public education events about the local marine environment of Boundary Bay, beach etiquette and personal safety, crab and fishing regulations, and shellfish harvest closure. Interpreters report illegal activity to DFO.
The program focuses on engaging families and is well received by the public, and is a fun, rewarding experience for
the Interpreters. This year we have been very fortunate to receive a club grant from BC Nature and the BC Naturalists’ Foundation and a donation from Choices Markets to conduct the 2015 program. We are currently gearing up to
lead the school groups on interpreted walks through May and June. It has also been with a sense of achievement
to participation in the formation of the Fergus Watershed Biodiversity Reserve and the passing of its’ Management
Plan by City of Surrey Council this past March. FoSB 2014 Annual General Meeting was held November 9 with a
Volunteer and Project Partner Appreciation Event in the afternoon. We appreciated over seventy five volunteers for
their contributions for the 2014 year with luncheon, prizes, gifts and speaker/photographer John Gordon sharing his
bird images. This year our event will be October 18 and we welcome all interest and participation. Our volunteers
make all the difference! 
Langley Field Naturalists (LFN)
Submitted by Kathy Masse
he summer of 2014 proceeded for the Field Naturalists in its usual laid back fashion, with our well attended summer evening walks, our annual jaunt to Manning Park to view the summer wildflowers and our social pot luck at
the Grass Shack with nature walks led by Al.
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However, on August 6, a massive fish kill was reported at Brydon Lagoon, a nature area special to the Langley
Field Naturalists. Brydon pond, after it was decommissioned as a sewage pond, interested the LFN as an area with
high wildlife value. They petitioned Langley City to designate the area as a Nature Park which happened in 1985.
Using grant money we spent hours enhancing the habitat and building a nature trail. Booms were placed in the
centre of the pond as resting places for ducks and fountains were installed by the city to provide oxygen. The pond
attracted flocks of water fowl and songbirds either as migrants or residents and has brought much enjoyment to
residents over the years. A problem has always existed with the shallowness of the water with its resulting warm
temperature. The fish kill, on a particularly hot August day, was the signal to the LFN to work towards restoring
Brydon Lagoon to a healthy habitat.
The Field Naturalists, along with concerned local residents, organized a walk around Brydon Lagoon for people
interested in the fate of the pond on October 1. As municipal elections were near, politicians were invited as well as
the local press. With a good turnout of interested citizens, a walk commenced around the trails led by Rhys Griffiths and Anthea Farr who gave information on the history and challenges of this important wildlife habitat and the
need to take action to restore the pond, pointing out the near complete lack of waterfowl on the lagoon due to the
fish kill. With such public interest, Langley City created a Brydon Lagoon task force to study the issues and make
recommendations for solutions. The task force includes two Langley Field Naturalists, two members of Langley
Environmental Partners, two Langley City staff members, one from the Nickomekl Enhancement Society, one from
Ducks Unlimited and one from the general public. The group, which has already begun to meet, is reviewing documents and will summarize comments and recommendations with its final report expected to be submitted in June,
2015. Spring 2015 has seen waterfowl return to the pond, but in much less numbers in each species. The theory is
that some of the lagoon’s fish survived the kill to support the lesser population. The task force must continue their
work!
Another ongoing project of the LFN is maintaining and enhancing the Forslund Watson Reserve, managed by
us for many years. The Forslund Watson committee led by Ryan Usinek, has planted six new trees, cleaned out
and repaired nest boxes, and has started a regular bird survey. The Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver
sprayed for Lamium in September with some success. Ryan is working with Ducks Unlimited to build a vernal
pond at the site and construction will begin this summer.
The Marvin Marsh bird survey project is carried out through the year by our members, led by Bob Puls. The survey shows how the bird population is growing and changing in this newly created habitat in Aldergrove Park. It is
designed to eventually provide habitat for endangered Oregon Spotted Frogs. Bob noted that a beaver has taken up
residence and has managed to reverse the planned waterflow! Also our third year of monitoring the Purple Martin
nest boxes at Brae Island in the Fraser River has begun. We are hopeful that this is the year that Purple Martins will
finally find these boxes.
With the goal of finding out what our members enjoy about the LFN programs, what we could do to improve, and
to find out where members would consider volunteering, our Membership Participation Committee designed an
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online survey using Survey Monkey. This was distributed to the membership in early March with the incentive of
prizes. The survey’s responses provided good input with suggestions for improvements, and some willing volunteers who will hopefully take on leadership roles in the future. We are now reviewing the data and the comments.
Each month we had excellent speakers at our monthly meetings. We have enjoyed learning about bird box monitoring by Peter Ward, about amphibians and reptiles in the Fraser Valley by Monica Pearson, Larry Cowan’s Peruvian birding adventure, and finding out why "Life is a Beach” by Leona Breckenridge. The highlight, though, was
having our own members make presentations. In October, John Gordon gave a talk about birding in the Okanagan
with his usual excellent photographs and clear directions of where to see these birds. And in November, Sharon
McVeigh, interested us with a presentation about her recent trip to Costa Rica, not only about the birds, but the culture. We are looking forward in April to Sofi Hindmarsh give a talk called “Hoo else can be hurt by rat poisons?” and
in May, Bob & Sheila Puls will talk to us about their recent trip to South Africa.
Our 14 field trips between September and March, organized by Anne & Gareth, were varied and interesting. At
George Reifel Sanctuary at Brunswick Point in November, we saw Short-Eared Owls, a Wilson Snipe, a flock of Western Meadowlarks, and two American Bitterns were flushed (43 species in all). In March we were led by Phil around
Houston Trail to look for early spring bird migrants along with a focus on mosses and lichens. Complete information
as well as pictures and accounts of all the other trips can be enjoyed by going to Anne Gosses’s blog: https://anneisforthebirds.wordpress.com/
Other highlights are: taking part so far in three bird counts, including our own portion of the Surrey/White Rock
Christmas bird count with over 30 participants, sighting 66 species. A good contingent also took part in the Pitt
Meadow Christmas count and the Derby Reach Brae Island Count at the end of January. The LFN again had our
booth at Campbell Valley Country Celebration. 
Little Campbell Watershed Society (LCWS)
Submitted by David Riley
CWS Partner groups continue to work for the Little Campbell River and its watershed through advocacy, enhancement projects, citizen science and education. Together with our project partners and volunteers, we worked
on Species at Risk monitoring, nest boxes, water sampling, stream restoration, fish counts and invasive plant species
removals and also plantings along the riparian corridor of the river. We hosted numerous educational walks through
the riparian forest and wetlands and participated in the World Ocean Day Festival and other community events.
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Project partners, the Little Campbell Hatchery, hosted eighty school groups in their Salmon in the Classroom
program that included interpreted walks along the stream. There was an issue with no resolution on the over subscription of water licenses which greatly affects flow during a dry summer. Water quality is an ongoing issue that we
continue to monitor; never ceasing sediment dumps are a problem for the fish. Some of the ongoing pollution issues
are being addressed by partners by fencing off the river from grazing cattle and horses, removing invasives, planting
and conducting instream work. Numerous development permit applications in the high density industrial/commercial development in Campbell Heights, the Grandview Commercial Corridor and the Douglas Crossing at 0 Avenue
at the US border continue to be monitored and addressed. Irresponsible dog walkers with dogs off leash still chase
wildlife and leave feces to pollute the watercourse and the receiving bay. The BNR railway trestle was replaced
across the LCR estuary and we were pleased that they did the work from the tracks and not from the sensitive salt
marsh, one of very few salt marsh habitats remaining in Boundary Bay. The LCWS Partners, A Rocha Canada, the
Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club and Little Campbell Hatchery, Langley Environmental Partners Society and Friends
of Semiahmoo Bay Society participated in the formation of the Fergus Watershed Biodiversity Preserve and its management planning process which was recently made official by the City of Surrey Council. 
Nature Vancouver (NV)
Submitted by Cynthia Crampton & Bev Ramey
he draw to membership of NV is clearly the wilderness camps, field trips and Thursday night meetings, as participation in these activities can attest.
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Field trips are held on most weekends, (and occasionally on week days) and often, there are two to three choices of
field trips. They range from hiking along the Sea to Sky, birding, botany and marine biology trips, and some annual
trips, held on the same weekend each year. These annual trips, for example, provide "citizen science" information on
birds and botany observations, recording annual changes. Other field trips are hiking, birding-and-beach cleanups,
birding, botany and marine biology trips. Our leaders provide an invaluable contribution to the Society, and we are
thankful to them.
Wilderness camps are held in July/August. Two one-week camps are organized; each can accommodate 40 people.
Last year, the camp was at Manning Park. We also connect with the park naturalists, if possible, and this year were
able to join in with planting some Whitebark Pine seeds in the burned Skyline One trail. Some of us plan to go back
to see if they germinated.
Thursday night speakers take place from September-April. Each section takes a night - Marine Biology, Birders and
Botany, with a general program on the other nights.
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Our members attend the BC Nature Spring and Fall conferences, enjoying the field trips, meetings and comraderie.
Over 25 members were at the Victoria AGM and the Salmon Arm FGM this past year.
NV continues to provide first aid training on several levels (intermediate to Wilderness and Remote First Aid)
to its field trip leaders. To date, more than 20 leaders have taken courses. It is a considerable investment for NV,
(around $1,500 for the above courses this year) but we feel it can result in peace of mind for both NV and field trip
participants, and is especially important at the wilderness camps.
Further to the above, NV has devised an Incident Report procedure this year, based on the BC Nature form, but
with more details on what information should be recorded. We hope never to have to use it, but if there is an accident or incident on a field trip or wilderness camp, we have protocols and procedures in place. We could share this
report with any club that might find it useful.
NV is thankful to its volunteer Board, field trip leaders and other members who contribute to the enjoyment of
nature.
Squamish Environment Society (SES)
Submitted by Gwen L'Hirondelle
ur Society: SES (previously the Squamish Estuary Conservation Society) was formed in 1982 as a result of a proposal by BC Rail to construct a coal port in the Squamish Estuary. Advocacy efforts at that time resulted in the
creation of a Wildlife Management Area, preserving about half of the estuary. Name changes in 2002 and 2009 reflected
concern for environmental issues beyond the needs of the Squamish Estuary.
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Our aims are to: enjoy nature, share knowledge, and preserve natural ecosystems. We operate in the Upper Howe
Sound region. Through the years, SES has partnered with many environmental and funding organizations to provide programs and services to residents and visitors. We balance program delivery, educational activities, and
advisory and advocacy work. We currently have 59 members, which includes 15 life members.
Our Year: SES continues to focus on preservation of the estuary and ecologically sensitive areas in the Sea to Sky
Corridor. With all the development in the area this has been an ongoing challenge. In the past year our concerns
have been concentrated on the two major LNG projects proposed for our area. One project would construct an LNG
plant at an abandoned mill site on the west shore of Howe Sound just down from Squamish, and if it goes into
production we would have several huge LNG tankers transiting Howe Sound each week. The other project would
expand the pipeline that now carries natural gas from Coquitlam to the mill site to provide capacity for the LNG
plant. At our 2014 AGM, members present unanimously approved a resolution “That the Squamish Environmental
Society (SES) is opposed to the Woodfibre LNG proposal based on our environmental concerns; including the
impacts of fracking, rights of way and impacts in the Squamish Estuary, impacts of the pipeline and infrastructure
through our community and ecosystem, operations of the compressor and cooling systems at the Woodfibre plant
and the impacts of industrial shipping in Howe Sound and global oceans.” Letters about the resolution were sent to
BC’s Minister for the Environment, with copies to all levels of government, the media and other interested organizations. The public comment period for the environmental assessments for both projects has just finished and we
await developments.
Some good news for our estuary has been a remediation project at an abandoned log sorting site. The project will
restore the area to functional estuarine habitat. Tidal channels are being reconstructed and the site is being regraded
to align with the adjacent natural estuary elevations. Our Society is not leading the project, but many of our members have participated in planting native riparian shrubs and trees including salmonberry, hard hack, Sitka Spruce,
Black Hawthorn, and other species that grow in the estuary.
SES held two Citizen Scientist workshops this year to gather local environmental and nature lovers to celebrate,
network and share techniques and strategies of interest to citizen scientists. Last May’s event introduced participants to initiatives in our area, and included discussions on potential funding sources. In March the second gathering focused on our estuary and generated more than 100 questions for further inquiry.
Our monthly Estuary Bird Count continues building on the data we have been collecting since 1992. We thank
the dedicated group of birders who gather these monthly statistics...rain, shine and other!! Two new sightings this
year were 50 American White Pelicans that flew over the estuary on June 20, 2014 and a Great Gray Owl in February 2015. Two rare visitors were a Lewis’s Woodpecker and a Rusty Blackbird. This past summer we revised and
reprinted our Birds of the Squamish Estuary Checklist. For more information, please visit our birding link at http://
www.squamishenvironment.ca/SquamishBirders.
In connection with the environmental assessments for the LNG projects, we provided our bird count data to a volunteer systems ecologist. He hopes to perform a time-series analysis for each species and determine the probability
of a decline.
Our Eagle Watch Program continues to play a cherished role in the community. During December and January,
volunteer interpreters with spotting scopes greet visitors at the Eagle Run Dike on the Squamish River. The volunteers provide information about the eagles and their place in the ecosystem, and explain the importance of ethical
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viewing practices. Our program depends on the enthusiasm and dedication of these volunteers. Coordinators also
provide educational sessions in classrooms and in the field.
Over the years, our annual eagle counts have varied from a high of 3769 in 1994 to a low of 577 in 2003. Since 2008,
the count has been consistently below 1000, except for last year’s increase to 1617. Unfortunately the January 2015
count dropped to 637. Various reasons for the decline were identified, including poor salmon runs and high water
in late November and early December. To add to the challenge, there was poor visibility for the count: the photo at
http://www.brackendaleartgallery.com/EagleCount.html says it all. The bad weather in January as well as the low numbers of eagles caused us to end our interpretive program early this year. Despite that, our coordinators expanded
their school outreach program and continued to build relationships with interested organizations.
Funding for Eagle Watch is always a question for us. We have had municipal and corporate grants during some
years, and visitors to Eagle Run are generous with donations. Our season began this fall with a very successful gala
dinner hosted by the Executive Suites Hotel and Resort, with support from many corporate and individual citizens.
We are hoping that the gala can become an annual event and help provide sustainable funding. Next season will
be our 20th Eagle Watch; we are hoping for favourable salmon runs and weather to provide good conditions for our
wintering eagles.
To end this report, we have a final optimistic note. For some time, we have been aware of the need for a naturalist
program for local children. This year, we have had inquiries from two individuals interested in organizing such a
program, and we look forward to providing support for them. For more information about SES and our programs,
please visit our website at www.squamishenvironment.ca 
White Rock Surrey Naturalists (WRSN)
Submitted by Leona Breckenridge
RSN activities include field trips, trying to thwart plant thieves at the butterfly garden in Centennial Park, participation in the annual Christmas Bird Count, World Oceans Day and Pilgrimage to Burns Bog, support of the
Young Naturalists Club, garbage collection in local forests, and orientation of Surrey’s SNAP team.
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Al Schulze, a member of our executive, has participated for nearly two years in the stakeholder group working
on planning the Fergus Creek Watershed Biodiversity Preserve which will be the first ever preserve in the City of
Surrey. Liz Walker and Al, both keen birders, lead a monthly walk in the Serpentine Fen and try to educate dog
owners, in a non-confrontational way, about the impact their off leash dogs have on wildlife in the fen.
Wim Vesseur represents the club at the Campbell Valley Regional Park (CVRP) meetings. Until recently, Wim
and Tineke Goebertus maintained the butterfly garden. Club members act as hosts and also volunteer at the CVRP
Nature House and participate in their Fall Country Celebration.
Nan Ames has the role of representing WRSN on the Boundary Bay Conservation Committee. Due to the continual
onslaughts of development in the area this is a challenging task.
Harry Paddon, Cath Kyle, Esther Johnson, Alice Steffensen and other members spend hours each year volunteering at the Tynehead and Little Campbell fish hatcheries, helping to raise salmonids and also helping with school
classes. Many WRSN members are also members of Shorekeepers, the FOSBS/DFO citizen science project that
annually monitors six local sites for species and habitat changes.
Conservation chair and Vice President Deb Jack (also President of Surrey Environmental Partners) is actively
involved in many local issues including Surrey’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and the Fergus Creek Preserve.
Deb, Liz Walker and Betty Hall have been active in attempting to limit the road footprint in Green Timbers Park and
trying to establish wildlife corridors in what is a very broken up park.
The club’s Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup project this spring was a long overdue cleanup of the Nicomekl
Riverbank which can only be accessed by land from private property. There was a major amount of un-encapsulated EPS (styrofoam) used as flotation in private docks and marinas on the riverbank. Over three thousand pounds
of EPS was removed in the first cleanup and efforts are ongoing.
Mahara Sinclaire has taken on the task of providing speakers for our monthly meetings and replaces Chuck Belotte
in that role. Thanks to a wonderful array of speakers we have learned about orchids, mushrooms, astronomy, invasive species, climbing Kilimanjaro, birding in the Okanagan and wildlife controls employed at the Vancouver airport. At the break we indulge in an equally impressive array of goodies supplied by members. After the break we
hold our monthly business meeting and, inexplicably, the array of members present is invariably a mere fraction of
those present earlier in the evening. Its one of the many mysteries in nature.
WildResearch
Submitted by Christine Rock
ildResearch’s fifth year has been a year of change and development. The organization has grown to more than
300 annual members, including eight Directors, two committees (Iona Island Bird Observatory Operations
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Committee and the Members’ Services Committee), and a dedicated core group of members that contribute significant time and energy towards supporting our programs.
In 2014, WildResearch invested in raising its public profile and presence in the community at large. The WildResearch Board worked hard towards federal charitable status, and dedicated work led by our Treasurer, Emily
McAuley, steered us successfully through the final stages of the application. Our charitable status gives us the ability to issue tax receipts for donations and to apply for a wider range of funding opportunities. With our recentlyacquired charitable status, WildResearch initiated an endowment fund (WildResearch Foundation) in early 2015
with a generous opening donation, which will ensure a long-term legacy for the organization. In late 2014, WildResearch also entered into a partnership with the Vancouver Airport Fairmont Hotel and Swarovski Optics to
provide birding experience packages to guests staying at the Fairmont. WildResearch Director, Virginia Noble, has
improved the aesthetics and content of WildResearch’s weekly e-newsletter aesthetics with a new newsletter format
and fresh articles about ‘current research in BC and beyond’, and ‘dispatches from the field’. Presentations showcasing WildResearch’s goals and organizational accomplishments were delivered at BC Nature clubs including Nature
Vancouver’s Birder’s Night on October 2, 2014 (presentation by Paul Levesque), and at Chilliwack Field Naturalists
on March 17, 2015 (presentation by Christine Rock). All of these endeavors helped to grow the organization and
improve our ability to reach a wider audience about WildResearch’s mission and objectives.
WildResearch’s flagship program, Iona Island Bird Observatory (IIBO), has continued its year round operation
over the last 12 months. IIBO experienced high volunteer participation and bird capture rates during the 2014 spring
and fall migration monitoring programs. During the Spring 2014 monitoring period, 49 volunteers contributed 1,307
volunteer-hours banding 1,929 new birds of 47 species, and processed an additional 360 previously banded birds.
During the 2014 fall migration monitoring program, 71 dedicated volunteers contributed a total of 1,065 hours banding 1,768 birds of 46 species, and processing an additional 290 previously banded birds. There were many program
highlights at IIBO this year including unusual warblers making their way into our nets; most notable were the Palm
Warbler and the Tennessee Warbler, both of which were firsts for the station. Banding demonstrations and educational opportunities were provided to more groups than in past years, including Girl Guides of Canada, Vancouver
Young Naturalists Club, a first year UBC Biology class, BCIT’s Conservation Biology Class, Fraser Valley University
Ecology class, and Thompson Rivers University Terrestrial Invertebrate Biology class. Partnerships with academic
institutions have also provided additional training opportunities to students who use our ecological data to learn
about how to conduct statistical analyses and answer ecological questions. This spring at IIBO, undergraduate
UBC student, and WildResearch member, Julian Heavyside, collected data to establish migratory connectivity (the
extent to which populations of birds that overwinter together are also present in the same locations on the breeding
grounds) for two sub-species of Yellow-rumped Warbler. We thank 2014 IIBO personnel, Mike Boyd, Paul Levesque,
Catherine Jardine, Jeremiah Kennedy, Ian Thomas, Dan Froehlich, Azim Shariff, Michael Arbeider, volunteer
coordinator Mikaela Davis, and the Metro Vancouver Regional Parks crew for their role in making IIBO a success.
WildResearch’s BC Nightjar Survey is heading into its fifth year and really took flight in 2014. Over the winter of
2014, WildResearch Secretary and BC Nightjar Program Manager, Elly Knight significantly improved the nightjar
survey program by revising the protocol, and expanding the program across BC. We have been fortunate to have
tremendous interest and support in the BC Nightjar Program from citizen scientists all over British Columbia. This
year over 100 volunteers contributed 386 survey hours towards completing 141 nightjar survey routes, and detected
117 individual Common Poorwills, and 764 Common Nighthawks across the province of BC. In May and June,
we held training workshops for motivated and enthusiastic volunteers in the South Okanagan and in the Lower
Mainland. WildResearch Biologist, Virginia Noble also conducted specialized surveys at select routes in the south
Okanagan in order to study the detectability of these two species and ensure the BC Nightjar Survey protocols are
optimized. Audio recording devices (SM2s) were lent to WildResearch from Environment Canada, and Nature
Trust granted land use to deploy them. The data collected by those SM2s are now being analyzed by WildResearch
volunteers using protocols developed in collaboration with the University of Alberta. The results of the 2014 survey
season were summarized in a report written by Virginia Noble and Elly Knight, which included preliminary results
on the detectability of both nightjar species, and has been distributed to our volunteers and nightjar biologists across
Canada, and is publically available on our website. Based on the results of the 2014 Annual Report, WildResearch
has been invited to provide feedback on other nightjar survey protocols in Canada and the United States, and Elly
Knight presented at the Fall 2014 Partners in Flight Western Working Group meeting. The WildResearch BC Nightjar Survey has been mentioned as a current initiative in the federal Recovery Strategy for the Common Nighthawk,
and will continue to collect data to contribute to the conservation of nightjar species. We sincerely thank Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, the South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program, and many naturalists
groups across BC for their support in promoting the program and reviewing the new protocol.
We kicked off the start of its third year of the butterfly program by co-hosting a well-attended Butterfly Identification Workshop lead by WildResearch Treasurer Emily McAuley, with the UBC Botanical Garden in June for 40
participants visiting from Vancouver, to Victoria, to Revelstoke. WildResearch also contributed to the BC Butterfly
Atlas project again this summer by co-hosting a well-attended Butterfly Identification Workshop, organizing group
butterfly surveys in Vancouver and Richmond during May and August survey periods, and by attending Metro
Vancouver's Butterfly Tea Party at Campbell Valley Regional Park in July.
Our fourth pelagic seabird fundraiser on May 11, 2014, with 81 birders aboard the trip from BC, AB, ON, WA. The
bird of the trip included an adult Laysan Albatross that stayed with the ship for some time! At 40 km from shore,
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a Parasitic Jaeger flew in front of the boat. The next exciting species was a small flock of three Wandering Tattlers
- a real surprise! Another exciting bird was a Manx Shearwater, seen from the stern of the ship. On the return trip
back to Ucluelet, we spotted another five Tufted Puffins. Overall, the trip was great. The weather was fantastic: dry,
sunny, and the seas were relatively calm. Many people are to thank for organizing the pelagic trip logistics. Big
thanks to Paul Levesque for organizing the trip, Ian Thomas and Jay Brogan for chumming in the albatross, and
Russell Cannings for spotting and calling out birds.
In addition to the pelagic seabird fundraiser, funding for WildResearch’s programs in 2014 was generously provided through several sources. Mountain Equipment Co-op’s Capacity Building Grant helped fund a new software
system that has improved our communication with members, and is led by WildResearch Director Renae Mackas.
The IIBO 2014 spring migration program was generously funded by the Sitka Foundation, which allowed us to hire
a Bander-in-Charge and Banding Assistant to facilitate the program. We also received a grant from BC Nature and
the BC Naturalists’ Foundation to purchase equipment for a solar panel system IIBO, making direct data entry much
easier during banding operations. WildResearch’s BC Nightjar Survey was supported by an Environment Canada
Science Horizons grant that allowed us to hire our first employee, Virginia Noble, for a six-month period. Generous donations from our members and revenue from merchandise sales also increased the quality of our programing
in 2014. Funds requested towards building community for the 2015 BC Nightjar Survey program were acquired in
early 2015 from BC Nature and BC Naturalists’ Foundation and Bird Studies Canada’s James L. Baillie Memorial
Fund. Without aid from these grants, WildResearch’s programs would not be where they are today!
The sense of community and friendships amongst WildResearch members has been further enhanced through
events like the winter bird identification workshops led by WildResearch Director Jay Brogan, with assistance from
Christopher Di Corrado, Tom Plath, and Sebastián Pardo. WildResearch also contributed to restoration events
organized in partnership with Metro Vancouver at Iona Island Regional Park, with guidance from restoration specialist and WildResearch Director, Sarah Nathan. IIBO work parties organized by the IIBO Operations Committee,
the annual volunteer appreciation party each November thanks to venue space donated by Ana and Pablo Jost, a
supplies (bird bag) making work party hosted by Idiko Szabo, a resume writing workshop for our members, a new
‘adopt a hawk nest’ workshop and pilot program lead by Director Jay Brogan, and quarterly social evenings organized by the Members’ Services Committee.
WildResearch Directors look forward to the coming year and future opportunities to provide training opportunities and conservation projects to our dedicated membership. In addition to maintaining our three main programs
including Iona Island bird observatory, nightjar surveys, and butterfly surveys, we currently have many new and
exciting events and programs in the planning process including our 2015 fall pelagic birding trip on September 20.
For more information on what’s ahead, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, or check our website for regular updates
(www.wildresearch.ca). Thanks to all for a great 2014-2015 ! 
Yorkson Watershed Enhancement Society (YWES)
Submitted by Kathy Masse
orkson Watershed Enhancement Society (YWES) became a Federated Club of BC Nature, joining in May of
2014. Our small active group was formed in 1999 to protect and enhance the Yorkson Creek Watershed located
in Northwest Langley, BC. We work under the umbrella of Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS) a nonprofit group founded in 1993 to achieve the mission of "protecting and restoring the natural environment through
education, cooperation and action” through partnered groups in the Langleys. We worked as a committee under
LEPS called the Yorkson Watershed Stewardship Committee (YWSC), from inception until this past year when we
decided to apply for official society status. We spent time at our meetings discussing the process, choosing our new
name, and filling in the paperwork. We received government acceptance on February 20, 2015 and are now officially
the Yorkson Watershed Enhancement Society. Our formal goal is “to enhance and protect our watershed through
responsible stewardship and community engagement.”
Y
Our busy year from March 2014 to March 2015 began in early April, with our annual fish release of chum fry into
Yorkson Creek in North Langley. This wonderful community event has happened each April for the past 14 years.
Children of all ages come with parents and grandparents to dump bucketfuls of fry handed to them by Yorkson
volunteers, from the back of a DFO truck. The kids are interested and excited, racing back to the truck after each
release to get another bucket!
One of our largest programs is conserving our local salmon populations. This year we obtained permission from
DFO to relocate 100 stranded coho salmon from the mainstem of Yorkson Creek to one of our tributaries, West Munday Creek. We also completed our annual fish count in the Yorkson beginning in late October and into January. This
is the first year we have seen spawning salmon through to our headwaters at 84 Ave. which was very exciting. In all
we counted just over 300 spawning salmon.
Our small group works through the year in stewardship work in our Watershed. We have hosted four work parties with Cummins Diesel, a business that adopted a park in our watershed to remove blackberries, plant trees and
did maintenance mulching and continuing to pull blackberries through the year. We hosted five garbage clean-ups
in our community and removed over five pick-up trucks worth of garbage from the sites. We also hosted a troop of
Brownies and a troop of Sparks to plant trees at one of our local parks. One of our monthly meetings was a working
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________ 16
meeting where we went outside and pulled invasive plants. The YWES also participated in two community events:
Rivers Day and WaterWeeks.
We are now working on a program with local schools to reduce the use of single use plastic zipper bags. These
bags are used to send money and messages back and forth from home to school, with a fresh bag used each time.
This results in a proliferation of plastic around schools, our watershed and in the garbage. With teachers onside, we
have started a campaign of education for kids and parents to begin to use paper envelopes instead.
The YWES is very concerned about the impact of the proposed route in the doubling of the Kinder Morgan pipeline that will go through our watershed. We applied for and received Commenter status. Our president Natal
Cicuto composed the document to be submitted. Input and editing was done by the whole group via email and at
our meetings. Our document lists the concerns about the effect of disturbing our salmon spawning streams during construction and the importance of proper restoration work by Kinder Morgan after project completion. Also
we would like Kinder Morgan to remain committed to ensuring the health of the Yorkson watershed for years after,
with a financial contribution for monitoring. The deadline for submission of our Commenter letter was last September but has been moved forward now to July 2015.
On March 30th of this year our President Natal made a 5 minute presentation at the Township of Langley to raise
awareness of the work that the YWES does in the community. We, as a group, made a good PowerPoint presentation that educated the Council about the location of the watershed and our goals to protect and enhance it. Natal’s
presentation ended with a request that, during any future development projects in the Yorkson Watershed, we
should be consulted to provide input on what we know about the location of spawning sites and means of protecting the salmon. Through questioning by council members afterward, our message seemed well received.
We are enjoying our new membership in BC Nature, especially since we have been receiving the wonderful BC
Nature magazine! 
Northern BC Regional Report
Submitted by Fred McMechan
e had two teleconference calls during the past year on November 18, 2014 and April 8, 2015. These meeting focused on two main sections: 1) business/ information on Northern Regional topics and 2) business/information
about BC Nature. Information about conservation issues and club activities were the main focuses in the first section
and general information about the operations of BC Nature were covered in the second section.
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We were pleased to welcome a new club in our region, the Northern Amphibians Naturalists Society. The remaining part of the report from this region contains club reports submitted by each club.
Northern Amphibians Naturalists Society (NANS)
Submitted by Norma Kerby
ANS is a regional society located in the northwest corner of B.C. Our membership is located from Dease Lake
in the north to Fort Fraser in the east, along Highway 16 west to Prince Rupert, Lakelse Lake, and Kitimat. This
last year, we expanded membership to include the Nass Valley and Digby Island on the Coast. Some of our members are also members of other naturalists societies, such as the Kitimat Valley Naturalists.
N
Over the last year, our Society joined BC Nature, held a well-attended AGM in Terrace, and is in the process of
becoming a Provincially registered society with a registered constitution and bylaws. Our elected Board meets
via e-mail once every two months - a rather interesting process considering the Internet challenges in some of the
smaller communities in the North. We keep in touch with our membership via electronic newsletters, bulletins, and
annual visits.
Over the last year, our Society undertook two primary projects - the ongoing Northwest B.C. Reptile and Amphibian Monitoring Program (NWBC RAMP) and our collections for the Royal BC Museum. NWBC RAMP is a program
designed to increase the number of species records in NWBC through both incidental sightings and long term monitoring sites. Over the last year, a total of 85 monitoring sites reported in through site visits and monthly records by
volunteers. Many monitoring sites have a combination of 3 wooden cover boards and a visual survey. As the cover
boards age, the frequency of use of the boards by long-toed salamanders, northwestern salamanders and roughskin
newts is increasing. Some locations now have resident amphibians which use a cover board as part of their normal
habitat. The low water levels of last spring and summer led to some important observations from the visual surveys
regarding the vulnerability of northern amphibian populations when breeding/rearing ponds are reduced in size.
Another important purpose of NANS is our work with the Royal BC Museum. As the region covered by our
Society has had limited sampling due to costs and accessibility, we collect insects and other invertebrates for the
Museum. Last year, the Museum helped us initiate the use of Berlese funnels to sample soil and litter layers for
more cryptic invertebrates. Using the Berlese funnels has been a bit of a learning curve. This coming summer we
hope to overcome some of the problems, such as too much organic material getting through the screens, and not
enough heat driving the invertebrates down into the collection fluids. Last summer, we also improved our collection methods for other invertebrates, concentrating on very small species of spiders. The warm summer allowed
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volunteers to find several species of beetles and grasshoppers which are normally less common in our cooler climates. In February, we were very fortunate to receive a BC Naturalists' Foundation/BC Nature grant to assist in
purchasing more glass collection vials and Berlese funnel bags for our invertebrate biodiversity project with the
Royal BC Museum.
One purpose of NANS is to assist in projects which increase knowledge about the biodiversity of NWBC. This last
winter, some of our members assisted in maintaining monitoring equipment for a winter bat movement research
project by Dr. Cori Lausen of the Wildlife Conservation Society of Canada. Very low light levels from November to
the end of February meant that the solar powered equipment required more attention than originally expected. We
will most likely continue to support this project in the coming year.
Prince George Naturalists Club (PGNC) ~ Submitted by Sara Sparks
his has been an exciting year for the PGNC in terms of club development, project progress, and a wide variety of
events and activities. Thanks to over 220 hours of volunteer support, the first fully accessible observation deck was
completed for the Hudson’s Bay Wetland Project in the fall of 2014, bringing the project that much closer to Phase 1
completion. A team effort between the club, City of Prince George, and local photographers saw the creation of 3 interpretive wildlife signs that are now posted along the trails for the public to enjoy. More interpretive signs are underway.
Momentum for the project continues, as the club moves forward with plans to upgrade the current walking trails,
create far better wheelchair accessibility, build another observation deck, and rehabilitate and restore the wetland area
in the interest of good stewardship. PGNC is grateful to its financial sponsors and volunteers for having made this
valuable community project a reality.
T
While PGNC members may work hard, they also play (and learn) hard! Since August, members have been gathering at the Exploration Place once a month for some great presentations and lively discussion. Mike Nash and Clive
Keen teamed up to talk about birding in Arizona, Erin O’Brien talked about mate choice in Mountain Bluebirds,
Steffi LaZerte shared her research on Black Capped Chickadee songs, Gina Layte Liston discussed the value of
urban wetlands, while Staffen Lindgren sparked enthusiasm for spiders, and Hughes Massicotte for fungi. This past
year also saw some fantastic member-led field trips. During the summer, there were opportunities to join beekeeping tours at UNBC, as well as a garter snake tour to observe a massive den. Naturalists were brought together for
the Christmas bird count in December, as well as the Swan and Eagle count in January. In March, members toured
the Nechako White Sturgeon Conservation Centre in Vanderhoof to learn about ongoing efforts to help restore the
population of this magnificent species. The tour was immediately followed by an impromptu birding trip that
yielded one count of 1371 Trumpeter Swans and 2 Tundra swans!
In other big news, what may be the club’s second biggest project is currently underway. With much enthusiasm
and excitement, PGNC has recently agreed to host the BC Nature Fall General Meeting in 2016. Plans are currently
underway to create a fantastic setting for presentations and meetings, as well as organize field trips that will showcase some of the best that our region has to offer. We hope to see you there! For more up-to-date information on
club projects and activities, please visit: https://pgnc.wordpress.com/ 
Quesnel Trail and Nature (QN)
Submitted by Lorna Schley
t our AGM in January we voted to change the name of the club to the Quesnel Trail and Nature Club. A major
focus for us is hiking, with several hikes done last summer and more planned for this season. Potlucks are held
3 times a year, Christmas, spring and summer. A few members joined the Christmas Bird Count and we participated in the Quesnel Winter Carnival by running a station.
A
Last summer, a group of us monitored 14 sets of bluebird boxes on our Dragon Lake Bluebird Trail, noting more
bluebirds than the previous year along with a healthy number of tree swallows. We will be monitoring the boxes
again this season. In addition, two members will be monitoring a set of boxes on West Fraser Road.
Our president, Sally, spearheaded an education project on the Western Toad and Migrating Waterfowl. She
designed a brochure and signs to be put up at West Fraser Timber Park near the pond. Three of us volunteered to
help with school groups who visit the pond, encouraging responsible pond dipping and providing information.
Two members also helped with a weed pull in July in the park. Sally also provided input to B.C. Parks from our club
re Dragon Mountain Park Management Planning.
We continue to liase with Baker Creek Enhancement Society, the Climate Action Group, Quesnel Birding Club, and
the Airshed Management Roundtable. 
Williams Lake Field Naturalists (WLFN)
Submitted by Fred McMechan
ur club offered several services and opportunities for members throughout the year. Members participated in
our field trips and attended several presentations presented by guest speakers. We organized and participated
in the Christmas Bird Count. Many of our members continued to provide assistance toward the operation of the
Scout Island Nature Centre. Members were involved in the maintenance and monitoring of the Mountain Bluebird
House Trails in the Cariboo Chilcotin grasslands.
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We fund raised so that our annual club bursary could be given to a graduating high school student with an interest
in the biological sciences. The Young Naturalist Club in Williams Lake offered naturalist programs throughout the
year to children and families.
Communication to our members were provided via the club newsletter, the “Muskrat Express”, and the club website, www.scoutislandnaturecentre.ca. The newsletter was produced by our two co-editors . The co-editors and other
club members submitted articles. The website was updated by one of our executive members.
We operated the Scout Island Nature Centre for another year. During the year we provided nature programs
for children, families, residents and tourists. We also were involved in using the Nature House as an important
interpretive centre, maintaining and enhancing the outside areas, and fund raising. To provide these services we
employed an environmental educator, an administrator, three university students, one preschool teacher, an educator assistant, some high school students. As well volunteers came forward to assist with the Nature Centre operations.
Our club decided to host a BC Nature Field Camp at Tatlayoko Lake in the West Chilcotin September 6 to 11/12,
2015. There is now a full registration with a waiting list. We are presently making final preparations for this event. 
Thompson – Shuswap – Okanagan Regional Report
Central Okanagan Naturalists Club (CONC)
Submitted by Hugh Westhauser
ONC has experienced a very good year. Membership has risen to 239 members. The interest in the club is
thought to be attributable to a higher profile in the greater Kelowna area in part due to conservation issues that
have resulted in four new Parks announced this past year (see below). In addition to conservation issues, club activates focus on traditional hiking (winter cross-country skiing), botany, and birding. A small group is experimenting
using bicycles to get to birding and botany locations. If this proves successful, application will be made to have BC
Natures Insurance cover these activities.
C
Several CONC members provide strong support to the Executive of “Fascieux Creek Restoration Project” which has
many organizations supporting it. A former “ditch of a creek” (Fascieux) ran underground and had been covered
over as it passed through KLO Middle School grounds. Six years ago, students discovered baby turtles extricating
themselves from the sand pits; the pits used by students for jumping. The Environmental Teacher (a member of
CONC) saw an opportunity for outdoor education right on school grounds. Students learned the turtles had come
from the underground creek, laid their eggs in the sand pits to emerge much later. To day, the sand pits are fenced
and protected; the creek has been uncovered; the life history of the turtles understood; numbers of turtles surviving
are known, and all of this research and work is done by students. Each year a new class take up the challenge and
some become enthusiastic environmentalists! These students take the message to the community with presentations
and raise funds. It is a truly a win-win-win situation for all involved. CONC and the Okanagan Water Board have
become strong supporters of this project.
The major highlights this past year have been the establishment of four major Parks around Kelowna, which have
had the support of CONC who lobbied long and hard for some of them.
1. Johns Family Nature Conservancy Regional Park (JFNCRP) which was donated by a local, late brother and
sister Alf and Nancy JOHNS (member of CONC) of 320 hectares of land adjacent to the former Cedar Mtn
Reg. Park, which is now incorporated in JFNCRP, plus two pieces of Crown Land reclassified as recreational;
the whole being connected to the north boundary of Okanagan Mountain Provincial
Park (OMPP). This
area was severally burned during the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park fire. Nevertheless, with the connection to OMPP it provides a significant acquisition and wildlife corridor, particularly as it contains three upper
branches of Bertram Creek.
2. Goats Peak Regional Park (GPRP) within West Kelowna area. It had been identified by CONC many years ago
as containing rare ecological values, but had been acquired for private development purposes. It is a steepedsloped, rugged piece of property that had escaped any early development. It borders on Okanagan Lake and
will protect valuable shore-spawning Kokanee. It was acquired by the Central Okanagan Regional District.
3. Black Mountain/Sntsk’it’nten Regional Park, containing a total of 505 hectares of mostly natural grasslands
on the east side of Kelowna. This was a combined effort of the Central Okanagan Regional District; Westbank
First Nations and the Province of B.C. The dominating feature is the high point on the skyline on the east side
of Kelowna, seen as you cross the bridge. The Regional District purchased privately owned land to make this
park a reality. Westbank First Nations identified the high area as a one time lookout – hence the name – and it
holds significant cultural value for them. The grasslands are rare in this area now.
4. Munson Pond. The City of Kelowna purchased a significant piece of property around this man-made pond,
which is now open fields but bordered by a small grove of rare Black Cottonwood Tress. It has been a hot spot
for birders for many years. The area around the pond will be managed separately and with input of CONC
members.
These parks collectively contain a variety of significant and disappearing ecological values in the Central Okanagan.
19
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________
Most are not yet open to the public as they are studied and management plans developed. Public access will likely
be restricted to trails for hiking purposes, while other habitats remain natural and undisturbed. 
Kamloops Naturalists (KNC)
Submitted by Ken Lipinski
he KNC has kept active over the winter, both in the field or preparing projects for the 2015 season. Our club
participated in the annual Bird Studies Canada Christmas Bird Count on December 21. We had 48 members
participating, and managed to tally up 70 different species when we tallied up the results at the evening potluck
dinner. The most uncommon bird recorded was a Glaucous Gull, standing a few heads taller than it’s ring billed
flock mates. Our winter Swan and Eagle count happened on January 18. Eight brave souls counted 74 trumpeter
swans and 55 bald eagles along the South Thompson River, compared to 260 swans and 30 eagles in 2014. It is probable that swan numbers were down due to slightly higher seasonal water levels, making it difficult for the swans to
access food.
T
Over the winter, we had 50 bluebird nesting boxes constructed to replace those that are damaged or missing. The
new boxes have already been distributed to the 22 volunteers who monitor and collect nesting data from 360 boxes
on a network of trails in the Kamloops area.
March saw the completion of a much anticipated project ; the erection of a remote control camera overlooking an
Osprey nest at Tranquille-on-the-Lake. Visitors who have observed the nest from the farmer’s market below can
look into the nest online at the Kamloops Naturalist Club page on Facebook. Many thanks for the support of many
local businesses, and the efforts of many club members, especially Frank Ritcey for coordinating all the various
government agencies, constructors and techs necessary to get this project online. (Oh yeah, don’t forget the donate
button on our club Facebook site so we can start on our next project; beavercam !)
Some of the funding for osprey-cam came from a new club activity. On April 1 & 2, we guided, (in association with
Thompson Rivers University) thirty six foreign high school students on nature trips along the Tranquille River. The
first afternoon was split between gold panning and a nature walk. These kids haven’t been exposed to wildlife or
any sort of interaction with nature, living as they do in downtown Hong Kong. They were completely fascinated
with a small ant nest beneath an overturned rock, and with bullrush fluff floating in the sunlight. The evening walk
produced more excitement with a full moon and a sky full of stars; some things that the students had never seen in
light polluted Hong Kong. It was rewarding for our club members to see so much fascination and joy with something we might otherwise overlook.
Spring finds the KNC at traditional activities; Adopt-a-Road cleanup at Tranquille pond, Pinepark/Tranquille river
clean up, sandhill crane spring migration field trip near Knutsford, annual Bird Fest day on May 24. Our monthly
meetings this spring have speakers on topics from ants to turtles, culminating with Ontario wildlife photographer
Kyle Blaney at our annual June picnic. 
Lillooet Naturalist Society ~ Submitted by Vivian Birch-Jones
• Our AGM in January 2015 was well attended and we welcomed two new directors to our executive.
• Membership is at ~60 memberships, 35 families and 25 individuals.
• Some keen mountain bikers have joined our Society and we have a started an exploratory initiative – first steps
are talking to the First Nation groups in the area and that conversation has begun.
• Lillooet Hiking Guide, Canyon to Alpine continues to receive positive reviews and sales have been steady. Clearing trails and enjoying hikes were part of our activities. Naturalist and Certified Mountain Guide Wayne Robinson led a series of hikes and offered outdoor recreation classes over the summer and we are drawing up a
schedule for this upcoming season.
• The Walking with Smolts event, in which buses of school children come to the Lower Spawning Channel to tour
educational booths along a natural history walk, was a two day event this year.
• Chris Galliazzo is the coordinator for the Bluebird Box Trail project and led expeditions again this year.
• We hosted the Golden Age hiking group from Vancouver in May, the BC Field Ornithologists in June and the BC
Hydro Fish and Wildlife Compensation program board in July. We are looking forward to hosting the Bowen
Island Naturalists in July 2015.
• We have done further work on our Osprey webcam and hope to have it operational this season.
• We supported a number of successful applications (Eight projects for a value of $370,000) to the BC Hydro Fish
and Wildlife fund for work in the Bridge and Seton watersheds including work on Mule deer, Grizzly bear, Bats,
Whitebark Pine, Fishers, Wolverine, Gates Spawning Channel and a Sekw’el’was project (in partnership with
our Society and Restoration crew), to extend the restoration work from the original Powerhouse site along the
Seton corridor to Seton Lake- an ambitious project that is going really well. Maintenance work continues to be
done at the Powerhouse site, “Sat'atqwa7”. The restoration crew has formed a business, Splitrock Environmental, www.splitrockenvironmental.ca. They are selling native plants and filling contracts for restoration work in the
area.
• A number of public presentations on natural history were held including one by local naturalist Ken Wright on
his work with Yellow-billed Loons in the Arctic - the house was packed for that presentation.
• We are a member of the ‘Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear recovery initiative’ and supported their presentation to
Lillooet Council that resulted in a resolution by Council for Grizzly bear protection.
• The Lillooet Regional Invasive Species Society held their third AGM and their good work continues.
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________ 20
•
•
•
•
•
We participate on the local Chamber of Commerce and promote the economic benefits of our activities, emphasizing the value of celebrating and conserving the biodiversity we enjoy here. This year LRISS and LNS teamed
up to put information and photos on a panel at the kiosk at the entrance to town for visitors to our area – we
also contributed $1,000 towards that project.
We participated in the BC ‘Got Bats?’ project over the summer and assisted with some bat research. We netted
and tagged Spotted bats and we continue to follow them. In October Cori Lausen PhD did a presentation on the
bat research, and brought her adopted Hoary bat "Lilly" to that event.
Some of us had the pleasure of joining the Rivershed rafting trip for a lovely trip between Lillooet and Lytton.
Naturalist Jacquie Lanthier is gearing up for a Fraser River Swim Relay in 2015 – please see www.rivershed.com/
Relay
Our 15th annual Lillooet Christmas bird count was our most successful ever in terms of participation and number of species. Counts also took place in the Hat Creek Valley and the Yalakom.
Biologist Rich Wier presented to us about his Wolverine work in March 2015 along with Larry Davis on Fishers.
Grizzly bear presentations are booked for April 17th. 
Nicola Naturalist Society (NV)
Submitted by Alan Burger
n 2014 our Merritt club ran our first BC Nature event , a Spring Camp (Grasslands & Wetlands) held May 29 –
June 1 at Nicola Ranch. The 24 participants from BC Nature clubs, had three busy days of outings and lectures,
getting to know our local birds, amphibians, wildflowers, First Nations heritage, ranching, grassland ecology and
much more. We thank Highland Valley Copper (Teck) for a generous grant to help bring in expert presenters and
guides. Scrumptious meals were prepared by volunteer cooks Pat Westheuser and Fiona Flook at the Nicola Ranch
cookhouse. Nicola Naturalist volunteers worked many long hours to make this a success. A full report and many
photos are on our website: http://www.nicolanaturalists.ca/
I
At our AGM in September 2014, new director Bob Scafe joined incumbents Alan Burger (president), David
Kerridge (vice-president), Margaret Kerridge (treasurer), Anne Pang (Secretary), Norm Hansen, and Chris Lepsoe
as directors. After five years in existence, we reached an important milestone of over 80 members. Our club is sponsoring a bursary for students in the Environmental Resources Technology program at the Nicola Valley Institute of
Technology (NVIT) in Merritt. Patricia Heisler and Wyatt Smith shared the first award in January 2015.
Our monthly evening meetings featured a members’ slide show September - Doreen Olsen, October: South Okanagan Similkameen National Park Proposal - Dr. Tom Sullivan, November - Woody debris and tree retention: habitat management for wildlife and biodiversity - Norm Hansen, January - Ice dams of the Nicola Valley - Murphy
Shewchuk, February - Dempster Driving - to the Canadian Arctic -, Dr. Dan Durall, March - Identifying mushrooms
of the BC Interior - Bill Merilees, April - Wildflowers - Bob Scafe, May - Travels in Vietnam and Cambodia.
In addition we ran a bird identification workshop, the Merritt Christmas Bird Count and several field outings in
our neighbourhood. Our members participated in wildlife surveys for owls, nightjars, swans, eagles, and Lewis’s
Woodpeckers. Along with the Kamloops Naturalists we are the monitors of the large Douglas Lake Plateau Important Bird Area. Our members gave several presentations to schools.
Our amphibian monitoring project, funded by the BC Public Conservation Assistance Fund, continued in its fourth
year. Along with our professional partners, Biolinx Environmental Research Ltd. from Victoria and BC FrogWatch,
we map amphibians in a 7,200 km2 study area and undertake annual monitoring at selected breeding sites. Working
with BC Parks we also worked to mitigate road kill of migrating Western Toad toadlets at Kentucky-Alleyne Provincial Park near Merritt. In 2014 our members constructed a permanent wooden funnel-fence to guide the tiny toadlets
safely under the road culvert that was installed for their protection. A very satisfying project. 
North Okanagan Naturalists Club (NONC)
Submitted by: Pamela Jenkins
ur Saturday morning nature walks have proved to be very successful. They have been attracting some new members. Each walk is advertised in the local media and anyone is welcome even if they don’t choose to join.
O
There have continued to be hikes or Cross Country ski trips on Thursdays. These activities and other naturalist
interests are in a weekly email, put out by Harold Sellars, who was re elected president at our November meeting.
Last September we moved our meeting place to the Village Green Inn with meetings starting at 7.00 pm, one half hour
earlier.
Gail Loughridge has continued with her humming bird banding program, and Margaret Mackenzie oversees the
bluebird monitoring program. With 18 trails, there are now 452 boxes.
Our Christmas bird count was held on December 21, 2014, ending up for the count at the Bishop Bird Sanctuary,
with birders from other clubs joining us. We arrived at 88 species with 13 000 different heads.
Marnie Williamson looks after our thriving Young Naturalists Club, which is always attracting new members. In
November there were 17 families with 50 young people.
21 ________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________
Our May. 2014, Field Day was held at Goose Lake. Some groups went to other areas to hike, but we ate our lunch
in the rain back at Goose Lake. Our evening banquet took place at the college in a room overlooking Kalamalka
Lake with our speaker, Dr. Jon Corbett on mapping and a history of coastal First Nations peoples.
There is a rattlesnake research project at the Campbell Brown Reserve with biologist Mike Dunn and warden,
Linda (Campbell Brown) Kennedy involved. They have received funding from BC parks and we will contribute
$2,500.00 and find more if it is needed.
In December our meeting becomes our Christmas party with different food, games, nature puzzles skits and a
sing song. Recognition of deceased and honorary members will be recorded for members to view at meetings.
Rod Drennan has taken over the planning for our FGM to be held September 21-24, 2017 
South Okanagan Naturalists’ Club (SONC) ~ Submitted by Joyce Hoglund
n 2014 membership numbers in the South Okanagan Naturalists’ Club dropped slightly with 42 single, 22 family
and 6 associate registrations. Our monthly meetings on the 4th Thursday of the month are well attended. A
monthly column in a local newspaper has been well received and is instrumental in bringing members of the public
to hear the wide range of speaker’s topics offered at our meetings.
I
Various activities are offered by the club both in exploring the South Okanagan and helping to better the wonderful
area that we live in. Highlights include:
• The birding group meets every Thursday. Visitors are welcome
• “Day Rambles” are arranged during the spring, summer and fall
• Club member, Doreen Olson, has been very active in keeping the proposed National Park in the front and centre
• The Young Naturalists’ club now has 30 members participating
• The Conservation Committee continues to keep on top of local issues of concern
• SONC members generously gave financial support to Nature Trust for the Antelope Brush land at Vaseux Lake
• We remain supporters of SORCO, the South Okanagan Rehabilitation Centre for Owls, and the Burrowing Owl
Society
• Many club members are leaders and supporters of the Meadowlark Festival
• SONC supported the remake of the Road 22 Kiosk
• For 25 years our volunteers have maintained the Habitat Garden at Okanagan College
• SONC hosted the Christmas bird count again with many members participating
• The bird survey at the Penticton Golf Club continues
• The Ruth St. John Memorial bursary was awarded to an Okanagan College student
Check out our website at www.southokanagannature.com 
Shuswap Naturalist Club ~ Submitted by Janet Pattison
huswap Naturalists are progressing on many fronts. Here are some examples:
•
• In November 2014, Shuswap Naturalists provided an award to Paul Baker, a local resident and student at
Thompson Rivers University in the Natural Resource Science Management program.
• As a follow up to a presentation by Robyn Hooper of the Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society our club
members will spend a day removing woody nightshade from the marsh area at the lake edge. The CSISS provides leadership in weed removal.
• Our Young Naturalist Club has joined us in the bird box project by engaging in box construction. These bird
boxes will become part of the larger project which includes gathering data which can be used in five years time
to evaluate the population of swallows and bluebirds in our area.
S
One very nice feature of our meetings is a Show and Tell segment. It is an opportunity for members to contribute to
the educational side of our activities and is entertaining as well! 
Vancouver Island Regional Report
Submitted by John Neville
he Club Directors and their clubs have been busy for the last twelve months on Vancouver Island. The Victoria
Natural History Society co-hosted by Rocky Point hosted the 2014 AGM . The Salt Spring Trail and Nature Club
is hosting the 2015 AGM. The Comox Valley Naturalists Society has offered to host the 2016 BC Nature AGM. I
would like to express my personal appreciation for the tremendous enthusiasm of these three clubs and all the other
clubs in the region who are supporting them.
T
The Club Directors held a teleconference meeting on November 4, 2014 to discuss programs and issues around the
region. Following the meeting we assembled a calendar of events for all of the clubs in the region. We have a strong
desire to share and support each others programs and remind all naturalists that they are welcome guests at all BC
Nature Clubs.
One of the combined meetings saw the Pender and Salt Spring Clubs visiting Boundary Bay in the fall. The efforts
of the Comox Club to protect part of the heritage of Hamilton Mack Laing are being well illustrated in the current
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________ 22
BCnature magazine. If you are able to write your letter of support to the Comox City Council it would be appreciated.
During the last twelve months I have been lucky enough to speak at the Pender Island, Salt Spring, South Cowichan, Nanoose Bay and Comox clubs and we joined in at the fun of the summer barbeque at Parksville with the
Arrowsmith club. In January , I was the representative on behalf of BC Nature and the Vancouver Island Region, for
the advisory committee for the proposed National Marine Protected Area for the Gulf Islands National Park.
In March I gave two talks on Woodpeckers to the public in Campbell River. The purpose of these meetings was to
try and start a new BC Nature club in that city. Twenty-nine people gave their contact information to participate in
such a club and a steering committee has been formed. I truly hope they are successful. 
Arrowsmith Naturalists (ANats)
Submitted by Dave Hutchings
ometimes it’s only by looking back over the previous twelve months that one appreciates the multitude of activities which engage a club such as ours. It was an active year.
S
Membership: The past year has seen an influx of new members who have helped us retain a healthy level of membership. At times, our numbers rose to over one hundred and have now settled in to just over ninety. Our executive
has benefited from more club members stepping forward to contribute new ideas and vitality to the club’s operation. Lynne Brookes, our energetic new President, brings a wealth of practical and academic expertise regarding
ecosystems and native plants and birds - to mention only some of her interests. She also teaches local Elder College
courses on native plant communities. Our Vice-President, Elaine Lefebvre, comes to us from a career in the Foreign
Service. Two members - Sue McLean and Sue Wilson - have taken over from Pam Helem to share secretarial duties.
Our new treasurer is Derrick Grimmer, succeeding Carol Anne Philion and Toni Wyckoff takes over membership
from Gail Armstrong. Our thanks to all “retiring” executive members who have served long and faithfully.
We must mention, also, Rosemary and Terry Taylor who come to us from many years with the Vancouver NHS.
You will recognize Terry from his continuing contributions on mosses, lichens, fungi and all manner of native flora
in the BC Nature Magazine. Already, Terry has given presentations to community groups, as well as the ANats,
with Rosemary’s very fine photographs as illustrations. With their commitment to nature, it no surprise that both
Terry and Rosemary have volunteered to serve as club directors.
One of our long-time members who must be recognized is Sandra Gray. At the opening of our Brant Wildlife
Festival, Sandra was presented with a well-deserved award by the Nature Trust of BC “in recognition of her exemplary contribution to the promotion of conservation in our community”. Not only does she organize our community
“Brant-in-the Bay” event, which invites the community to Parksville Bay each March to learn about and view the
annual migration of Brant geese, but Sandra also has coordinated a multi-week Brant goose count for 2015. In addition, for many years Sandra has single-handedly planned and coordinated our Christmas Bird Count and, while it
was active in our area, supervised the WiTS program. She also serves as our club liason contact with BC Nature.
Another of our members, Jeannie Diewold, has obtained a $1680 grant from the BC Naturalists’ Foundation and
BC Nature to prepare permanent signage to identify and label native plants on the regional trail adjacent to her
school in Errington. Lynne Brookes will assist in this project, along with local First Nations and the Regional District
of Nanaimo.
Roger Simms, a past president of the club, has been a yearly contributor to the Baillie Birdathon and, as such,
through his collected pledges has brought to the club some much appreciated funds. Thank you, Roger.
Public outreach continues to be a focus of the ANats. Through participation at Qualicum Beach’s Earth Day activities and the community’s Farmers’ Market, as well as the Errington Farmers’ Market and other events, the club has
a visible presence in the Oceanside Community.
Two of the most important social events for our club members continue to be the annual July club picnic at
Rathtrevor Provincial Park and the potluck dinner which follows the CBC.
Education: A major focus of most clubs is education, and so it is with our club. Lynne Brookes, our President, provides Elder College courses and also has visited local schools - from kindergarten to junior secondary - along with
Ross Peterson and his barred owl “Bardo” from the North Island Wildlife Rehab centre. Alison Bakker continues to
provide exciting programs to an ever-increasing number of Young Naturalists.
Each August, the club participates in Parksville’s “Kidfest”. Our focus there is to provide touch tanks, live specimens and interactive games which acquaint youngsters of all ages with life on our ocean shores. Every spring, on
Earth Day weekend, the club partners with the Friends of Hamilton Marsh to provide youngsters and their parents
with a talk-and-tour through the forest to the marsh, one of the largest on Vancouver Island. At marsh’s edge, Hans
Boerger demonstrates for children the many insect and amphibian species found in the water. And then too, there
are the paper “jumping frogs” which the kids take home. The underlying message of the whole event is to highlight
the importance of wetlands to our watershed and the environment as a whole.
23 ________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________
This summer, the club hopes to participate with Vancouver Island University in a one-day “Bio Blitz” of flora and
fauna in the Mt. Arrowsmith Biosphere Reserve. Hopefully, the event will help to produce an important base-line to
evaluate the environmental and ecological health of our region.
Of course, much of the education component of our activities comes with the presentations at our club meetings
and with our field trips. The annual Mushroom Walk, the visit to Newcastle Island with naturalist/historian Bill
Merrilees, the Honeymoon Bay and Harewood Plains Eco-Reserves, and a land-based aquafarm are but a sample
of our trips. Evening presentations have included such topics as “Ocean acidification and the threat of the marine
foodchain”, “Sea lion populations on our coast”, an Inuit storyteller, Terry Taylor’s “Mosses” and a master’s thesis
research on the Swainson’s thrush.
Stewardship: Much of our stewardship efforts have been, and continue to focus on the Englishman River Estuary.
In cooperation with the Nature Trust, who administer this property, over the past nine years we have carried out a
four-year inventory of bird species on the estuary and worked to remove invasive scotch broom and spotted knapweed. The latter of these efforts is ongoing for at least eight months of the year and involves a small but dedicated
team of ANats.
It’s been a busy year for many of us; hopefully, the next year will be as rewarding.
Comox Valley Nature (CVN)
Submitted by Sharon Niscak
onthly public presentations and weekly nature walks in concert the Birding, Botany, Photography, Wetland
Restoration, Conservation and Garry Oak Restoration groups continues to grow membership and engage residents in a variety of “knowing nature” activities. However, environmental protection and “to keep nature worth
knowing” has its challenges.
M
The Garry Oak Restoration nursery is key to the recovery of sections the Garry Oak ecosystem in the Comox Valley. To assure genetic continuity the Nursery is stocked with acorns gathered from the remnant trees of the original
groves. Comox Valley Nature spent decades attempting to preserve small pockets of the once extensive Garry Oak
meadows in the Valley, which the early surveyors noted “resembled Saanich”. With stock from the nursery it is
now possible to approach and foster stewardship directly with landowners in the community.
Hamilton Mack Laing played a pivotal role in the environmental and natural history of Western Canada. He was
instrumental in building the National Museum of Canada collections and laid the foundation for the ecological
knowledge by collecting, observing and writing. Laing was a school teacher, an artist, an ornithologist, a natural
history collector, with expeditions associated with the Geological Survey of Canada, and a horticulturalist. Settling
in Comox , he observed and recorded his findings as he dug through a midden to build his home, which he called
Baybrook. Laing, the writer, described his new home’s location with “Western blue birds and violet-green swallows
issued in spring… drifts of adder’s tongues and trilliums carpeted the woodlands…and erythroniums spread their
fragile carpets in elegant drifts”.
Laing also developed one of the first nut farms in the region. Using empirical scientific selection he judiciously
selected hazelnuts varieties, researched, grafted and layered to establish a notable nut farm. Mack Laing willed his
home and a considerable amount of cash to the Town of Comox for the establishment of a Natural History museum.
The strategic location of his home overlooking the Comox Bay, Denman Island and the Beaufort Range encompasses
the IBA and views towards the Salish Sea network that in past centuries supported a vibrant Indigenous culture.
Unfortunately The Town of Comox ignored Mack Laing’s wishes and allowed Shakesides to deteriorate and recently
voted to destroy his original home Baybrook. Interestingly Alice Munro Canada’s Nobel author spent many winters
writing at Baybrook. Is Baybrook another chapter in Silent Autumn, the sequel to Silent Midden? Is this to be our
shrouded history, another culture, and our history, curtained by collective dementia? Is this to be the unwritten
pages of Silent Autumn?
CVN was founded in 1966 and is planning for the 50th year anniversary with expectations to host the BC Nature’s
AGM. CVN looks forward to sharing our remaining natural history treasures by hosting BC Nature members from
across our landscape. 
Cowichan Valley Naturalist Club
Submitted by Jane McAllister
he Cowichan Valley Naturalist Club continues to include, educate and inspire our many members and also the
Cowichan community.
T
The Monday morning Coffee House, under the leadership of Genevieve Singleton and Jim and Lyn Wisnia, has
speakers on topics of interest from butterflies to bumblebees. Our Tuesday evening meetings, arranged by Ron
Wall, are popular because of the timely and varied presentations.
We are fortunate to have Derrick Marven lead our weekly Swan and Goose count and there are numerous other
birding trips every month with a growing participation. Our Club is replete with knowledgeable bird watchers who
are always anxious to share their interest with all.
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________ 24
Members of our Society are active in the Somenos Management Committee, Cowichan Watershed Board, Liquid
Waste Management Committee. Ray Demarchi has offered to lead a new Streamkeepers group for our “older
young” naturalists. As well, our members work with GOERT on Bring Back the Bluebird Project.
We sponsored two summer students to work at the Estuary Centre.
Our group is alive and thriving and much credit is to go to Eric Marshall who keeps us well informed of a myriad
of opportunities in our Club and Community. 
Pender Island Field Naturalists (PIFN)
Submitted by Gerald McKeating
e are pleased to report on the activities of Pender Island Field Naturalists (PIFN) for the past year, as follows:
W
September, 2014- Twenty expectant bird watchers arrived at the dock in Victoria at about 10:00 am on September 27,
most from PIFN but two other gulf islanders. The day had started, for most of us, in a bank of fog, but by the time
we left there were clear skies and calm seas. As soon as we left the harbour and passed Albert Head we began to see
Alcids in all directions, with Rhinoceros Auklets, Common Murres and Pigeon Guillemots all in large numbers. The
photographers on board came alive as we approached Race Rocks and the distinct sound and smell of both species
of sea lions and also seals resting and roaring. The small rocklettes were covered with gulls, mostly Mews but also
our first Heermanns. Away from Race Rocks to the Bedford Islands, we saw many gulls and alcids on the water.
Suddenly, a cry of ‘Vultures’!! went up and David Manning gave a great sigh. It seems that September 27 is THE
day to see them and we saw them in immense numbers, with a kettle of around 300 and a giant kettle of more than
600. This was a total treat for all. Returning now along the coast past Peddar Bay, we saw more gulls and alcids and
more Vultures. At the dock we all agreed it had been a glorious day at sea on Fantasea.
November, 2014 - Seven hardy members dared the weather gods to visit the mainland to view snow geese and a
variety of other birds. We were rewarded with a brilliant sunny day and up to 35,000 Snow Geese together in several fields. Wow! An amazing spectacle and, hopefully, one that will continue in the future. Development pressure
on the agricultural lands is intense as anyone coming off the ferry can easily see.
December, 2014 - Christmas Bird Count: Within the count area which includes the islands of Mayne and Saturna
as well as the Penders, 96 species were recorded, two more than last year. Of special note was the tallying of 154
Anna’s Hummingbirds, a new all-time record. Seabirds were more common than usual. The Ancient Murrelet,
rarely recorded on our count, was noted off East Point, Saturna Island, in a flock of 150 birds. Brown Creepers
were counted on all islands but this little bird is often missed, being quiet with a faint call and well camouflaged
against the tree trunks. As in many other years, the Dark-eyed Junco was the most numerous bird counted with
1835 recorded. This bird is a year round resident but numbers climb during the winter months as migrants pour in
from elsewhere. The Dark-eyed Junco is one of the most common birds seen at bird feeders. Surf Scoter, a winter
resident, was the second most common bird noted with a large flock being seen off Mayne Island. Chestnut-backed
Chickadees were number three in total numbers. This species, which should require no introduction to anyone, is
fairly common everywhere. A total of 16,848 individual birds were counted.
Upcoming events in April, 2015 - April 9 will see around 10 members taking a delightful botany walk to view fawn
lilies and Calypso orchids – we are told by our leader, Bonnie Parks, that the numbers are high again this year. April
18 – PIFN will lead a group from Mayne Island to look at some of the interesting spots on Pender Island. These
people are attending the inaugural, Active Pass festival based on Mayne Island.
April 25 – Annual Beach Cleanup, April 30th – Stuart Scholefield, Brooks Point, South Pender, botany walk
May, 2015 - The Salt Spring Island Trail and Nature Club is hosting the annual general meeting of BC Nature. An
excellent program of speakers and field outings has been planned by the organizers. One field trip, on May 7th, will
bring visitors from across British Columbia to experience Pender, Mayne and Galiano Islands. PIFN will host the
Pender segment meeting the chartered water taxi at the Port Washington dock.
Possible and Confirmed Upcoming Events:
June 13 – Boat trip to Haro Strait on the “Fantasea”.
June 25 – Galiano Island
July 20-24 - Cathedral Lakes
September 26 – Race Rocks
October 9 &10 – Mushroom Walk and Talk with Kem Luther
End of October - Boundary Bay
December - South Pender, Stuart Scholefield – winter birds
Projects
Annual Beach Cleanup
Awareness program by having displays at the Farmers’ Market and the Fall Fair, plus Mayne Island.
Christmas Bird Count
Bird Checklist reprinted
The field naturalists maintain a Facebook page. We try to keep it current with notification of upcoming activities
and sightings of interest on Pender. Check it out under Pender Island Field Naturalists. A web page is under development. 
25 ________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________
Salt Spring Trail and Nature Club
Submitted by Nieke Visser
Projects - This was the year of starting new projects:
a. In February, the Shoreline Atlas Project was proposed to the Executive Committee by David Denning and
Leanne Boyer. Applications for funding went out to BC Nature Foundation and the CRD Grant-in-Aid. Both
applications were approved and a total of $4400 in grant money was received. The purpose of the project is to
establish baseline studies of key ecological features of the island shoreline, starting with Ganges Harbour, for
use as a measure of changes in shoreline ecological health resulting from potential influences such as climate
change, increased regional oil tanker traffic, fisheries management decisions, harbour regulations and harbour
use intensity, pollution and run-off issues, etc. The project kicked off in May 2014 and will be ongoing for a
while. The project itself as well as its progress is outlined in David Denning’s annual report
b. In January the Organizing Committee for 2015 BC Nature Conference and AGM met for the first time. The eight
members drew up plan and produced over the course of the year a program that was presented to BC
Nature in the fall. The committee applied for grant at the CRD to offset the costs of renting Artspring. Unofficially I received word that the grant was approved just before Christmas.
c. In June we signed a ten-year operating plan with BC Parks to maintain and improve our four provincial parks.
The project underway is signage on Mt Maxwell, long overdue but now it is going to happen. Please refer to
Herb Otto’s report for the details and future plans for more park upgrades
Presentations: This year we organized presentations
February: Kent Mullinix on Sustainable Agriculture
March: Alison Moran on Hummingbirds
April: David Denning on the Shoreline Project
May: Gwen Mcdonald on Kenya
October: Genevieve Singleton on BC Coastal Plants
November: John Neville on Woodpeckers
On average, 45 people attended with a low of two and a high of 55. Thanks to the ladies who took care of the refreshments, mostly Ann King and/or Marjie Radford, and Lucile Adderley for filling in for Ann and Marjie.
Extracurricular activities - In April we took the watertaxi to Prevost Island. It was well attended and we were
hosted once more by Barbara De Burgh and Sheila Wowchuk. Many thanks to both ladies to take the time off to host
a hike over their beautiful island. for the organizer as well as the experts from the lower mainland who were going
to be our hosts. 
Victoria Natural History Society (VNHS)
Submitted by Claudia Copley
Year in Review
Donations:
• Each year since the establishment of the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary 40 years ago the Victoria
Natural History Society has given them $4,000, and last year was no exception. This year we are supporting the
effort to replace the deteriorating boardwalk through a much more substantial contribution: $75,000. It is estimated that it will take $600,000 to complete the span across the lake with the lifetime material.
• Donations for scholarships, bursaries and the regional Science Fair competition are given annually by the VNHS
to the University of Victoria, Royal Roads and Camosun College for undergraduate, graduate students, and high
school students. This support can be as much as $7,000 in total, depending on the particular year.
• In May 2014 the Society co-hosted the BC Nature Annual General Meeting. Half of the proceeds of the event
went to BC Nature and instead of splitting the other half, VNHS gave all of their share to Rocky Point Bird Observatory for their important projects: $4,000. In the fall we sold used books at the Society meetings and the few
hundred dollars raised from that were also given to Rocky Point.
• Our members have gone out to visit Avatar Grove on field trips, so we knew the value of helping the Ancient
Forest Alliance fundraiser for the construction of a boardwalk at this slippery and, in some places, steep site. So
this past January we contributed another $1000 towards its completion.
• Another popular event that many of our members help out with is the Metchosin BioBlitz. Just as we did last
year, this year we will again contribute $200 to help cover the minimal costs of putting on this awareness-raising
event.
Events/outreach:
We co-hosted four events this past year.
• Along with Rocky Point Bird Observatory, the BC Nature AGM was a major undertaking of the Society that was
very successful: 244 naturalists from all over the province took part. We are off the hook for a decade now (at
least!).
• The 23rd Annual Camas Day event was co-hosted with the Friends of Beacon Hill Park and will be held again
this year on Sat May 2, 2015.
• International Migratory Bird Day was an event co-sponsored by Rocky Point and Capital Regional District
Parks, as well as VNHS. Join us again this year: May 9, 2015 by the nature house.
• Capital Regional District Parks and VNHS also co-sponsored the annual HawkWatch at East Sooke Park, followed by the Society’s member appreciation event: the BBQ Social. Join us again this year as the Turkey Vultures
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________ 26
and an assortment of raptors take advantage of thermals and soar across the Strait.
In addition to the cosponsored events, the Victoria Natural History Society display table was set up at Seedy Saturday, World Ocean’s Day in Sidney, the Swan Lake Native Plant Sale, and the Creatively United for the Planet.
The number of Christmas Bird Count participants, 222, demonstrate the scale and popularity of this annual event
adeptly coordinated by Ann Nightingale, and the monthly Butterfly Counts are now being coordinated by Aziza
Cooper. Last year 3219 individual butterflies were spotted during the count periods, with some species more numerous than they had been for many years.
Through the free Connecting Children With Nature programs offered by the VNHS (co-coordinated by Bill Dancer
and John Henigman), almost 800 children got out into a greenspace near their school to learn more about natural
history. This includes children of all ages and a on a variety of subjects.
More than 100 field trips were offered to our members over the course of the year, including weekly Saturday and
Tuesday birding trips. And each month from September until April the Society has four themed evening presentations (Birds, Botany, Marine, and General Natural History): these were well attended by both members and the
general public and a great way to learn about current research.
Six issues of the Victoria Naturalist Magazine are published each year and for those who prefer it in colour a .pdf
version is available. Sales of the Nature Guide to the Victoria Region and the revised Birds of Victoria Checklist continue
to be steady. We sell them at our evening presentations and at outreach events; as well they are sold through local
bookstores and nature centers. In 2014 approximately one hundred books were sold.
Our website is new! A huge thanks to Adam Taylor for the technical know-how, and to Claudia Copley for the
content.
Committees: The Victoria Natural History Society has representation on or connections with a number of committees and collaborations: the Viaduct Flats Committee, the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary Board, Rocky
Point Bird Observatory, Habitat Acquisition Trust, BC Nature, Esquimalt Lagoon Stewardship Initiative, and the
Young Naturalists Club.
Awards: This year a Distinguished Service Award was presented to Hans Roemer, botanist extraordinaire and longtime member.
Membership: VNHS Memberships are up from last year: 523 households (up from 470) and 730 adults (up from
651).
Upcoming:
• We are working with Ocean Networks Canada and the Friends of Uplands Park to have interpretive signage
about the offshore environment installed at Uplands Park, so stay tuned for more news on that front.
• Another interpretive sign project involves the Friends of Beacon Hill Park and the City of Victoria. This will be
part of an ongoing effort to provide information to the masses of visitors about the area’s critical natural features.
• Our biggest commitment to date is of course the $75,000 towards replacement of the Swan Lake Sanctuary
boardwalk, and we look forward to seeing these improvements this year. We have also pledged an additional
$5,000 to the Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team for the Bringing Back the Bluebirds project for 2015. 
PROJECT REPORTS
Harnessing Nature Knowledge ~ Krista Kaptein & Bill Kinkaid
2015 phase of the Harnessing Nature Knowledge Project has received funding with a grant of $6,000.00 by BC
TheGaming.
The outcome as approved in the work plan is a web-based, map-based tool highlighting nature viewing sites in
British Columbia, intended for users interested in nature viewing – both local residents and visitors.
Overview:
1. The template for the tool is based on the approach of the Comox Valley Naturalists (CVN) online Nature Viewing Guide at http://comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/nature-viewing-guide/ The CVN site was originally developed by
Krista Kaptein of CVN.
2. The BC Nature Viewing Guide website is www.bcnatureguide.ca
3. There are a number of ways in which viewers can access general or detailed information using the maps . On the
main BC Nature Viewing Regions page, icons on a Provincial map indicate sites for which nature viewing information is compiled. On a drop-down menu, a visitor may select from 9 Nature Viewing Regions of the Province.
Each of these regions will have Nature Viewing Areas which can be selected in a further drop-down menu, or
from the icons on the Provincial map. Each of the Nature Viewing Area will have up to 10 numbered , detailed
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Nature Viewing Sites which can be selected in a final drop-down menu, or from the icons on the Area map. The
detailed information for each Nature Viewing Site is presented on its own page, in chart form, with images,
categories of interest, references, links & more.
Completed in 2014:
To date, four regions have Nature Viewing Areas with detailed Nature Viewing Sites:
Thompson/Nicola
Region compiled by Sarah Weaver
27 Nature Sites within 7 Areas. (Done in 2013)
Region compiled by Bill Kinkaid
Lower Mainland Region: now 65 Nature Sites within 8 Areas. (5 sites added in 2014)
Region compiled by Krista Kaptein
Vancouver Island Region: now 61 Nature Sites within 10 Areas. (34 sites added in 2014)
Region compiled by Bill Kinkaid
Okanagan Region: 39 Nature Sites within 6 Areas, including the Boundary and Similkameen districts. 2 sites near Merritt were also added to the Thompson/Nicola Region.
In Progress for 2015:
• Sunshine Coast Region: by Bill Kinkaid: estimate 16 to 18 Nature Sites within 2 Areas (Lower Sunshine Coast
from Gibsons to Earls Cove, and Upper Sunshine Coast from Saltery Bay to Powell River)
• Southeast BC Region: by Bill Kinkaid: estimate between 36 and 45 Nature Sites within 4 Areas (TransCanada
Highway Corridor from Revelstoke to Yoho Park; Columbia Valley area including Kootenay Park, Radium and
Invermere; East Kootenay area including Fernie, Cranbrook and Creston; West Kootenay area including Nelson,
Kaslo, New Denver and Castlegar)
• Northern BC Region: by Krista Kaptein: estimate a selection of 10 Nature Sites in Northern/Northwestern BC:
info has been compiled, but not yet put online: sites include Stewart, Telegraph Creek, Boya Lake, Haines Rd,
Laird Hot Springs, Muncho Lake, Stone Mtn Park.
• Vancouver Island Region: by Krista Kaptein: estimate 30 Nature Sites in the Victoria area. The Victoria club will
assist Krista with compiling the nature information on these sites according to the established chart template.
BC Important Bird Area (IBA) ~ James Bradley
he 2014/2015 fiscal year presented a number of challenges to the IBA program as Krista Englund transitioned out
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of the program, through a post at Bird Studies Canada, and I have transitioned in. Over the course of Krista’s five
plus years overseeing the Caretaker Network, she contributed significantly to its promotion, development and pub-
lic appeal, and I know I speak for everyone at BC Nature in thanking her sincerely for her work and wishing her the
best of luck in her future endeavours. Her efforts to facilitate a smooth transition of responsibilities are also greatly
appreciated, and I hope I have been able to keep step with the program objectives in the past year as she would have
liked.
Since July 2014, the program has continued at a steady pace, with a number of successful achievements, collaborations and targets met.
1. Fall IBA Newsletter produced in Sept 2014.
2. Continuation of MEC outreach and awareness grant objectives with a tour of central and coastal BC IBAs. Letters written to government and industry, presentations delivered, field training and IBA site visits.
3. Successful extension of BC Gaming grant for 2015 ($10,000), and successful request for second instalment of
MEC Capacity Building Grant ($1,900)
4. Continuing follow up of previously drafted South Okanagan IBA Action Plan, with Caretaker workshop and
IBA site visits held on April 13th and 14th in Penticton.
5. Caretaker support through co-application for MEC funding to complete Vaseux Lake IBA bird blind rebuild.
6. Successful pilot of new eBird IBA Protocol at Nanoose-Qualicum IBA. Three threshold counts for trigger species,
participation by seven volunteers, and written coverage in the local press.
7. Successful collaboration with Parks Canada to produce IBA sign for Sidney Spit.
8. Completion of Tofino Site Summary update (implementation pending BSC review).
9. Implementation of IBA mobile app as part of National initiative by Bird Studies Canada, as well as other technical advances in data harvesting for IBA site summaries.
In the coming year, in addition to continuing with programs already running, we will be looking for new ideas
to support IBA promotion, conservation and grant initiatives in support of coastal IBAs, and in Haida Gwaii in
particular. I also hope to complete site summary updates for a number of IBAs in this region, as well as in central
BC, where Caretaker inspired monitoring efforts in the Stuart-Middle-Tachie Rivers IBA promise to provide new
and critical information on winter swan populations. I also hope to continue IBA progress in the South Okanagan
through funding applications to support previously identified priority actions. 
Wildlife Tree Stewardship Initiative (WITS) ~ Jude Grass
Nothing to report
_________________________________________________2014 Annual Report_________________________________________
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Reports of BC Nature Representatives on Committees
BC Breeding Atlas Report ~ Anne Murray
his is a short report as there will be a full presentation about the BC Breeding Bird Atlas at the AGM Conference
– check your schedule and plan to attend!
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The BC Breeding Bird Atlas is almost complete, with many species’ descriptions already published online at www.
birdatlas.bc.ca. This partnership project was designed in 2007 by Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada- Canadian Wildlife Service, the BC Ministry of Environment, BC Nature, BC Field Ornithologists, the Pacific Wildlife
Foundation and Louisiana Pacific Canada Ltd. It teamed a small group of professionals with hundreds of volunteer
birdwatchers and many generous donors from the government, foundation and private sectors.
More than 1,300 volunteer birders took part, organized by an amazing group of 45 volunteer Regional Coordinators. Participants spent five years (2008-2012) logging over 56,000 hours of field data collection―the equivalent of
years full-time fieldwork by one person.
The decision was made in 2014 to publish the data and resulting maps and analysis as an online Atlas, due to the
high cost of printed publication and the lower demand from purchasers. While the lack of a printed book is a disappointment to some of us, the online format allows for great flexibility in the maps, cross-referencing, and links.
The photographs display very well, and all pages are printable as pdf copies. Another advantage is that the production of the French version, a requirement of Environment Canada funding and a key factor in making the bird data
accessible to all Canadians, is made much easier and more cost-effective in the online Atlas than in a printed format.
This online Atlas will be the first and most comprehensive of its kind in the world! The Atlas is now being edited,
copy-edited and posted online as species accounts and maps become available; both English and French versions
are being completed simultaneously. This process should be finalized by the summer.
I should like to recognize the huge contribution to the Atlas over the last seven years by Christopher di Corrado,
without whose tireless organizing efforts and enthusiastic field work the project would not be so close to completion. Christopher left Bird Studies Canada at the end of March and the team wishes him well as his talents and
energy take him in other interesting birding directions. 
Off Road Vehicle Joint Advisory Group (ORV) ~ Joan Best, Bev Ramey
year ago the Off-Road Vehicle Act passed in the legislature on March 24, 2014, marking the culmination of years
of effort to improve management of ORVs. Some naturalists may even remember efforts of the Federation of BC
Naturalists extending back as far as the 1970s when concerns were raised with government officials regarding damage to sensitive habitats.
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The Act requires a one-time registration (and again if vehicle is sold) for all ORVs, including all-terrain vehicles,
Quads, Motorized Trail Bikes and Snowmobiles. Registration incudes the display of a clearly visible numbered
plate or decal. Registration is managed through ICBC, so records are in the provincial data base, accountable and
readily connected with enforcement officials.
There has been a phased approach for implementation. On November 17, 2014 registration ($48) began as a voluntary step. On June 1, 2015, registration becomes mandatory. Poor driving practices by an ORV driver, such as
harassing wildlife, or damaging sensitive habitats, can be reported to Conservation Officer or to RCMP. Wherever
possible, note the plate/decal number.
Others components of the Act will slowly be phased in. The Joint Advisory Group is now working on the safety
regulations, where topics such as design of lights, type of helmets, seat belts, age of drivers/riders, number of passengers, size of vehicles, and training of drivers are being reviewed by the motorized group representatives to
advise government. The Joint Advisory Group will soon be addressing the topic for additional regulations with
respect to defining sensitive areas (alpine, wetlands and grasslands). The regulations will provide only generalized
wording and guidelines. A decision such as whether to close any one specific area would likely be made regionally
following discussions with local stakeholders.
Please visit the website of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operation for further information
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/mof/orv/ 
Invasive Species Council of British Columbia ~ Jude Grass
have been on the Invasive Species Council of BC (ISCBC) Board since 2009 and have attended their regular board
and executive meetings either via conference calls or in person throughout the year. I represent the Conservation
and Wildlife Perspective on their Board where I can include the views of BC Nature about invasive species.
In January each year, the annual ISCBC Forum and workshops are held which focuses on a variety of topics
including, what is being done in other parts of the world, looking at aquatic species both plant and animal, how
to stop invasives coming into BC either along highways or via boat coming from areas where invasive marine life
could be released into our waters, whether fresh or salt and many other topics. This program is open to the public
and details will be posted on the ISCBC website by the fall. Plans for the 2015 programs are now underway.
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In 2014 the ISCBC continued its undertaking of a horticultural program that is working with various nurseries and
growers, and sales outlet to ensure that they do not sell invasive species. Part of that program also focused on educating the public about invasive species; and has developed a program that actually works with nurseries and stores
that sell plants by having them sign on to an agreement not to grow or sell species that are invasive in BC. These
businesses will in turn be monitored to confirm they are invasive free.
I suggest that if you haven’t had a look at the ISCBC website you should spend some time looking at their projects
and their much excellent resource material. http://www.bcinvasives.ca/
You might want to consider having your club, approach your local or regional weed committee (their contact info
is also on the ISCBC website) and see how your club could assist them with public education, or removal projects.
Some of the committees have speakers who are more than willing to come out to your club or community group
and talk about what they do, how to identify invasive plants or other species and how naturalists and the general
public can help.
While not an item for the 2014 year it should be noted that the ISCBC has been working with Girl Guides of Canada and now have developed a badge program for BC around invasive species. Details of the program can be found
on the ISCBC website listed above. 
Nechako Environmental Enchancment (White Sturgeon) ~ June Wood
ou might say that the first operational year of the Nechako White Sturgeon Conservation Centre (hatchery) was
a learning experience. Of the approximately 12,000 eggs hatched, only just over 1,200 fish survived. The young
sturgeon were affected by a common pathogen found in hatcheries, resulting in a large die-off. A combination of
things is thought to have caused the development of the pathogen: high river water temperatures, an issue with
feeding and inexperience in operating the new system. A cooling system has since been installed that should prevent the water temperature issue occurring in the 2015 brood hatch.
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The Recovery Team will release half of the young fish in early April and the remainder will be released the first
week of May by school children. The sturgeon will weigh about one kilogram (2.2 pounds) and be approximately
30 cm long when released. This is much larger than the fry that were released by school children several years, so it
does introduce a level of difficulty.
As part of the Stewardship and Education component of the Recovery Initiative, interpretive materials are being
developed to complement the Conservation Centre. This interpretive information will be on the grounds of the Centre in the form of kiosks and signage. A design is under development for an Interpretive Centre costing in the area
of $2.5 million, but funding for the facility has not been secured at this time.
The boat kit program, administered by the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council and part of the Community Working
Group’s Outreach & Harm Reduction Program, was very successful last season, with 12 releases and only two mortalities.
As for the Nechako River, research is ongoing but changes to the flow to benefit the sturgeon are not under discussion. Recovery of the Nechako white sturgeon is, for the time being, dependent on the hatchery and in-stream
mitigation measures such as physical barriers to deflect sediment from the spawning area at Vanderhoof. Since sediment filling the interstices of the gravel in the spawning beds is thought to be one of the main impediments to successful recruitment, much of the research being carried out by both the NWSRI Recovery Team, as well as UNBC’s
Integrated Watershed Research Program, is focused on determining the sources of sediment that come down the
river. 
Outdoor Recreation Council (ORC) ~ Penelope Edwards
he most important achievement of the Outdoor Recreation Council (ORC) for the past year is its contribution to
the new Provincial Trails Advisory Body (PTAB).
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This is the culmination of Action # 21 from the Trails Strategy for British Columbia, a study report prepared for the
province’s Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. The PTAB’s mandate is to provide advice
on the implementation of the Trails Strategy and the BC Trail program. The advisory body will assist government
to ensure that “implementation is consistent with the intent of the Trails Strategy, and advise government of any
recommended improvements.” The third task, of greatest interest to ORC member organizations is “to provide a
collaborative forum for the many trails organizations and interests to help ensure that the Trails Strategy continues t
meet the needs of all trail users.”
Because ORC represents so many trail user groups in the province, it was and continues to be the key non-government, non-industry organization in the establishment and recruiting of members for the PTAB. The work done over
the past year has included the development of a structure, work that consisted of discussions on the government’s
recommendations, the PTAB composition, development of a recruitment package, recruiting potential members
and ultimately selecting them.
The PTAB held its inaugural meeting on Tuesday, March 10, 2015, in Richmond. The co-chairs are John Hawkings,
director, Recreation Sites and Trails BC and Jeremy McCall, executive director, Outdoor Recreation Council. There
are five members, appointed by ORC, one member representing the BC Wildlife Federation, one from the Wilderness Tourism Association, one from BC Parks and Recreation Association, one from the Ministry of Transportation
________________________________________________2014 Annual Report__________________________________________________
30
and Infrastructure and two from BC Parks. Unfortunately, there is no First Nations representation, although discussions are continuing with the Aboriginal Tourism Association.
ORC also has established its own Trails Advisory Committee that meets, when needed, to discuss issues such as
multi-use trail development, or issues arising from same.
For more information on the Provincial Trails Advisory Body, please visit the ORC’s website, where you will find
the minutes of the Inaugural meeting, as well as minutes of ORC executive meetings. The address is: www.orcbc.ca.
On another matter, ORC has decided not to sponsor/promote its annual Endangered Rivers Program, held annually to highlight rivers at risk in the province. This is a one-year suspension, due to overwhelming support in past
years of the Peace and Fraser Rivers. Voting has been unanimous in recent years for one or both of these rivers, and
few votes for others also considered to be at risk. The ORC executive will re-visit this program for next year. 
Public Conservation Assistance Foundation ~ Darren Copley
hat is PCAF? The Public Conservation Assistance Fund provides small grants to organizations and individuals
who have a conservation project in mind but need financial help to make it happen. Each year since 1974, the
Province of BC and the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation provide approximately $150,000 in PCAF grants to
help implement on-the-ground conservation work, with a particular focus on hands-on, community based and public awareness initiatives. More than 1000 such projects have been carried out under the program so far.
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What kind of activities are eligible? Projects must be of a conservation nature, with priority given to projects that
focus on activities that maintain, conserve or restore native (indigenous) fish and wildlife species and their habitats.
There’s almost no limit to on-the-ground activities we consider, as long as it contributes to the conservation of wildlife and fisheries. Examples include:
•improving spawning grounds •building bird houses •planting shrubs for cover •tagging / monitoring animals
•restoring riparian areas •restoring grasslands •building waterfowl nesting floats and boxes •fencing •improving
winter range
We prefer projects with long-range benefits involving as many volunteers as possible. Grant applications must
be approved before commencing your project. PCAF will not fund proposals retroactively. For further information,
please visit our website - http://www.hctf.ca/who-we-are/about-hctf 
The following list are all the grants issued by PCAF in the last year.
Project Name
31
Project Description
Project Leader/
Organization
Funds
Approved
Tread Protection
for Ancient Forest
Loop
The Caledonia Ramblers plan to take measures that will prevent
degradation of the trail tread on the Ancient Forest Loop
Caledonia Ramblers
Quamichan Creek
Restoration
Restore Quamichan Creek to improve spawning and rearing capacity Quamichan Watershed
for cutthroat trout, and raise community awareness regarding the
Stewardship
fisheries value of this creek.
$10,000.00
Miners Bay Nearshore
Enhancement
Enhance the nearshore ecosystem of Miners Bay, Mayne Island by
Mayne Island Conservancy
installing artificial herring spawning substrate.
$1,500.00
Lake Keepers Training
and Support
Undertake a program called LakeKeepers Training and Support, which
will provide enhanced training and support to volunteers throughout BC Lake Stewardship Society
British Columbia.
$10,000.00
Bird conservation on
East Limestone Island,
Haida Gwaii
This project focuses on involving the community in an island restoration
program in order to protect and enhance the native biodiversity in Laskeek Bay Conservation
Society
Laskeek Bay.
$6,930.00
Vaseux Lake IBA Bird
Blind Reconstruction
In partnership with other conservation and government organizations,
the South Okanagan Naturalists’ Club will rebuild the existing bird The Nature Trust
blind at Vaseux Lake National Wildlife Area
$7,000.00
Bring Back the
Bluebirds
This is Year 3 of this 5-year phase of the project which involves Garry Oak Ecosystems
translocation of bluebirds.
Recovery Team
$3,860.00
Bird Migration
Monitoring and
Community
Education Project
This project is for start-up funds to support the new banding station and
establish the educational component. A key feature of this site is that it
is publicly accessible and will be used for community education about Rocky Point Bird Observatory
bird conservation, as well as gathering valuable data
$10,000.00
Algal Bloom
Monitoring on Cortes
Island
Community members have approached Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI)
to help coordinate a strategic response to this harmful algal bloom,
which poses a threat to the health of these freshwater ecosystems.
Consulted experts have suggested that the first phase of response is
the collection of baseline data through regular testing for phosphate, Friends of Cortes Island
nitrate, and fecal coliform levels. Ongoing monitoring will allow us
to measure the effect of planned remediation efforts that aim to reduce
effluent inputs and improve nutrient uptake in the watershed.
$10,000.00
$7,274.00
________________________________________________2014 Annual Report__________________________________________________
Project Name
Project Description
Project Leader/
Organization
Funds
Approved
Garnet Valley Habitat
Protection Project
Degradation of wildlife habitat and direct impacts to wildlife
(disturbance) in Garnet Valley will be reduced by managing off-road Summerland Sportsmen's
vehicle access. This includes appropriate seasonal closures, signage, Association
scarification and seeding, and outreach to key stakeholders.
$4,760.00
Gorge Waterway
World Fisheries Trust’s “Care of the Gorge” program builds community
stewardship through participative environmental monitoring, as well as
building a baseline of environmental data to help with restoration and World Fisheries Trust
management of the unique values of this waterway.
$4,088.00
East Kootenay Cougar
Inventory
This project will estimate cougar population size and density in East Kootenay Trail Hounds
Management Unit 4 block 22 (southeast of Cranbrook), which has the
Association
second highest number of cougar hunters in the Kootenay Region.
$5,000.00
Pre-winter elk
recruitment in E.
Kootenay
Groups will collect data pertaining to calf elk survival. This data will
allow managers to understand mortality factors in the predator rich East Kootenay Hunters Assoc.
ecosystem we now have in the East Kootenay.
$10,000.00
Radies Wetland
Enhancement
This project includes excavation of an ephemeral watercourse in
order to prolong the time it contains water (for amphibian breeding),
transplant wetland vegetation to the new edges, and plant riparian trees Alison Haney
and shrubs in the surrounding area.
$6,000.00
Urban Watershed
Restoration Initiative
The Urban Watershed Restoration Initiative connects watershed
education and water quality with the invasive plant removal and native Evergreen
planting activities
$10,000.00
Urban biodiversity
education and
demonstration project
The primary aim of this project is to create and restore a Garry Oak
meadow and wetland area to serve as a premier educational and Haliburton Community
Organic Farm
demonstration site for urban biodiversity enhancement
$5,500.00
Peace Bat
Conservation Project
Citizens will build, install and monitor bat houses on their properties to Charlie Lake Conservation
test bat house designs, effective locations and gain information on bat
Society
population trends over the long-term.
$4,500.00
Fishing Forever Abbotsford
Fishing Forever Program
Fishing Forever Bulkley Valley
This project sponsors a one-day fishing event that is designed to
provide the opportunity for physically and mentally challenged people Bulkley Valley Rod & Gun
to catch a fish.
Fishing Forever Vernon
Fishing Forever Program
Fishing Forever Osoyoos
Fishing Forever Program
Fishing Forever Nanaimo
Fishing Forever Program
BCWF Reg. 2
Vernon Fish & Game
$10,000.00
$1,009.00
$480.00
Osoyoos Wildlife Federation
$2,140.00
Nanaimo & District Fish and
Game Protective Association
$3,500.00
South Coast Conservation Program ~ Submitted By Greg Ferguson
014 was my first year as the BC Nature representative to the South Coast Conservation Program (SCCP) Steering
Committee. Prior to my involvement with this Steering Committee, BC Nature didn’t have a consistent representative, although Bev Ramey maintained a connection to the SCCP and this committee digitally.
2
Last year, I attended two Steering Committee meetings on September 11th and December 11th. Both meetings provided a better understanding of the SCCP and how it operates, other Steering Committee members, and how the SCCP
relates to BC Nature, its clubs, and members.
The main functions of SCCP Steering Committee members are to provide feedback and guidance to the SCCP in
its operations. There is also the opportunity for Steering Committee representatives to initiate partnerships with the
SCCP on certain mutually beneficial activities. Currently, BC Nature’s role as an SCCP Steering Committee member
is primarily advisory.
On September 9, 2014, BC Nature provided two letters of support to the SCCP for its application to Environment
Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program and Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) for monies to undertake a project
titled “Protecting Species and Spaces: Conservation through Citizen Engagement” (see below for further information).
This application was successful in obtaining funds from the Federal government, but not from MEC.
As the BC Nature representative to the SCCP, I prepared a document titled “South Coast Conservation Program and
BC Nature: Working Together for Species and Ecosystems at Risk” (see below for further information). This document
was referenced and provided by email to the SCCP and its Steering Committee members in late 2014. The document’s
purpose is to provide an outline of areas where BC Nature and the SCCP overlap and possible future collaborations
________________________________________________2014 Annual Report__________________________________________________
32
among the organizations and/or their members. Tentatively, the June 2015 Steering Committee meeting will entail a
more detailed review of this document that will involve other members of BC Nature (e.g., Jude Grass).
It has been a pleasure serving as the BC Nature Steering Committee representative to the SCCP and I look forward
to a prosperous 2015.
Project Summary - Protecting Species and Spaces: Conservation through Citizen Engagement
Through this project, the SCCP will host stewardship practices workshops for community members and professionals to receive appropriate skills, training, up-to-date tools, and expertise to meet species monitoring and habitat
restoration needs. These workshops will be combined with the application of new mobile and digital resources and
new and updated species fact sheets. The overall aim of the project is to acquire knowledge on local native species and
share information on their habitat requirements and best management practices.
The project will focus on species less well-known or typically not targeted for conservation and restoration, but will
also include Committed on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada listed species. While many of these species are
perceived as common, their habitat requirements are often the same and or support that for more imperiled species.
The project focuses on the South Coast, with a specific emphasis on the Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver area, but
will also complement activities occurring in Howe Sound, Whistler, and Sunshine Coast.
Measures of project success will include the increased level of reporting of species occurrences (common and rare
species) and improved ability of community interests to provide credible and informed input into local planning and
land use issues that can be directly related to the use of SCCP resources and tools.
The project aims to be completed by the end of March or at a maximum the end of April. Further information can
be obtained by visiting the SCCP’s website (www.sccp.ca) or contacting Pamela Zevit, the Program’s Coordinator
([email protected]).
South Coast Conservation Program and BC Nature: Working Together for Species and Ecosystems at Risk
The SCCP and BC Nature share many similar values and goals towards the conservation, restoration, and stewardship of species and ecosystems at risk in the South Coast region of British Columbia. This document summarizes these
commonalities and provides direction on how these two organizations and their members can work collaboratively to
meet their shared values and goals.
Table 1. SCCP and BC Nature common interests in conserving and stewarding species and ecosystems at risk.
Goals
Collaborative Actions
Environmental awareness/education (e.g., share scientific and technical information/practices to conserve or
recover species and ecosystems at risk, foster awareness, appreciation, and understanding of our natural
environment)
- Share information between groups
- Target provincial and local government, land use planning processes, industry, etc.
Research, inventory, and monitoring that contribute to
recovery actions for priority species and ecosystems
- Naturalists interested and good at this goal.
- Possibility of individual naturalist club’s having a focal
area (e.g., municipality) and species and/or ecosystem
Protection, enhancement, restoration, and stewardship
- Implementation of management plan and recovery
strategy actions
Collaboration with other organizations
- Cooperation among BC Nature clubs
- Work with First Nations, industry, private landowners,
etc.
Funding
- Joint project development and application
Summary of strengths, threats, and opportunities for BC Nature based on 2010-2015 Five year strategic plan.
Strengths
High degree of local and professional knowledge and skills
Dedication of volunteers and members
Good educational programming within and among clubs
Strong advocacy
Good communication systems/networks
Organization and delivery of on the ground projects
Good provincial coverage of local clubs
Threats
Lack of staff
Lack of funding for existing and future programs (lack of membership, camps, foundation, etc. support)
Overwork of volunteers
Low membership
33
________________________________________________2014 Annual Report__________________________________________________
-
Greater coordination and communication of member’s knowledge
More skills training for members through field activities, camps, etc.
Need for greater visibility and media presence, and marketing of clubs
Opportunities
Use of new e-communications
Growing public interest in the environment, healthy lifestyles, and nature 
South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program (SOSCP) ~ Submitted by J.E. Bryan
OSCP is a partnership of 50 conservation related organizations. They include government, non-government
(such as BC Nature through SONC), and First Nation organization the En’Owkin Centre. The main purpose
of SOSCP is to conserve natural ecosystems and wildlife in the southern Okanagan by coordinating conservation
efforts of the 50 partners. SOSCP operates at a Landscape Level as opposed to Species at Risk levels to maintain the
rich biodiversity in the SOS. SOSCP is organized into six pillars of work: Habitat Securement, Stewardship, Science,
Outreach, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and Land Use Management. Below is a partial list of SOSCP’s accomplishments for fiscal year 2014 provided and written by Bryn White, Program Manager for SOSCP:
• Completed a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy; working to
integrate Biodiversity Conservation Strategy mapping layers and accompanying guidance in Provincial Government GIS systems, to guide Crown land management and adjudication.
S
•
Participated on the Okanagan Wetland Strategy Leadership Team for Phase II; including cattle/Off-road vehicle
exclusion fencing for a second wetland in the Garnet Valley/Antler’s Saddle north of Summerland (McLachlan
Lake); expansion of exclusion fence at Ritchie Lake.
•
Supported the implementation of a motorized vehicle closure for Garnet Valley/Antlers’ Saddle ungulate winter
range area under the Wildlife Act; partnership with the BC Ministry of Environment, Forests, Lands and Natural
Resource Operations, Summerland Sportsmens’ Association and SOSCP to sign and deactivate routes and trails,
undertake outreach and education to the Off-road vehicle community.
•
Supported public and off-road vehicle stakeholder outreach and extension around ecological values and impacts
from off-road vehicle use in Osoyoos West Bench and Oliver Mountain area.
•
Took next steps in commitment toward establishing a Conservation Fund from Regional District Okanagan
Similkameen Board; budget line item supported for 2015 to engage public through polling and focus groups –
tentative budget line item to support referendum in 2016.
•
Chaired Penticton Creek Restoration Committee –City of Penticton Council appointed Committee to assist the
City of Penticton with addressing failing flood protection infrastructure while increasing fish and riparian habitat.
•
Continued success in funding and administering Shared Environmental Planner project. Shared planner works
to increase local and regional government expertise and capacity for sustainable land use. Planner is advancing
a comprehensive review of all Environmentally Sensitive Development Permit provisions in 5 rural areas in the
region; provides review of development applications and environmental assessments, and provision of ad hoc
environmental expertise and advice where requested.
•
Participated in the Washington State Transboundary Wildlife Connectivity Working Group to assess and increase connectivity for biodiversity throughout our regions.
•
Led “facelift” of Rd 22 kiosk pullout in Osoyoos to match beautiful new interpretive signs. Funding and volunteer time garnered from local businesses, clubs and governments to support landscaping improvements,
invasive plant management, and clean-up of Rd 22 kiosk and IBA area. Bryn White, Program Manager of South
Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program. 
OTHER REPORTS
BC Naturalists’ Foundation ~ Bev Ramey
ince its formation 24 years ago, the BC Naturalists’ Foundation investments have grown to over half a million
S
dollars. The Foundation is pleased to announce this significant milestone. In addition to this capital, the Foundation has distributed over those years $150,000 in grants to BC Nature and its member clubs for conservation and
education projects, mostly for club support grants. As the Foundation’s invested capital grows, its earnings are able
to provide increasing grants annually for naturalists’ projects.
In February 2015 the Foundation and BC Nature provided $15,000 to support projects of ten clubs. These worthwhile projects are:
• Arrowsmith Naturalists - Signs of Forest Stewardship on trailway park near Errington Elementary School
• Chilliwack Naturalists - Swallow Conservation in BC’s Fraser Valley
• Friends of Semiahmoo Bay - Boundary Bay Beach Hero Marine Interpretive Program
• Lillooet Naturalists - Invasive Species Educational Features
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________ 34
• North Okanagan Naturalists' Club - Northern Pacific Rattlesnake Den Population monitoring
• Northern Amphibians Naturalists Society - Invertebrate Biodiversity Collections in Northwestern BC
• Prince George Naturalists - Hudson's Bay Wetland Project - Phase 2
• South Okanagan Naturalists Club - Replacement of Bird Blind at Vaseux Lake
• WildResearch - Community Building for the BC Nightjar Survey
• Williams Lake Field Naturalists - Golden Eagle Inventory & Monitoring, Fraser and Chilcotin Rivers
All these projects involve considerable volunteer time on the part of club members. Several of the clubs raise
funds from other sources and they appreciate the Foundation’s support to leverage these additional funds. The
Foundation is pleased to support these varied undertakings and looks forward to publicizing progress reports.
The Foundation’s AGM and Directors meeting will be held Friday May 8, 2015, during BC Nature’s AGM and
Conference. The annual financial statements for year-end 2014 shows another good year for the Foundation. The
Foundation received donations totaling $3,600 (2013 - $4,000). Investment income net of management fees was
$33,400 (2013 - $41,800). Expenses decreased to $3,600 from $4,800 in 2013 primarily due to a change in annual
appeal format. The format of the Foundation’s net assets has been changed to segregate the donations and bequests
received over the years (the Endowment Fund) from the cumulative revenue net of operating expenses and donations (the General Fund). The Endowment Fund totalling $192,100 (2013 - $188,500) is a restricted fund as donations
and bequests must be retained in perpetuity. The Endowment Fund does not include the capital transferred to the
Vancouver Foundation totalling $191,600. The General Fund totalling $111,300 (2013 - $84,800) is the amount available for future year operating expenses and donations for club support grants.
Foundation Directors continuing their three year terms in 2015 are: Tom Bearss, Bob Handfield, Pat Westheuser,
John Neville, and Kees Visser. Two Foundation Directors have three year terms ending and are prepared to serve
another three year term (Foundation Directors are able to serve three – three year terms), so BC Nature’s Club Directors will be asked to nominate Heather Neville (for a second term) and Bev Ramey (for a final term). Two new volunteers are willing to serve as Foundation Directors and so the BC Nature Club Directors will be asked to appoint
new members to the Foundation, namely Gerald McKeating (Pender Island Naturalists) and David Tsang (Vancouver), and to nominate them as Foundation Directors. David is known to BC Nature members as their Treasurer from
2010 to 2014, and Gerald as president of Pender Island Naturalists. The Foundation Directors will elect its officers at
its meeting on May 8, 2015. If you are interested in volunteering with the Foundation, please contact Bev Ramey 604
224-7689, [email protected] The Foundation welcomes new members, as appointed by BC Nature.
The Foundation wishes to thank its Directors who are "retiring" this May. Janet Pattinson has served as our able
secretary for the past three years. Elisa Kreller became a Foundation member in 2008 and then served two terms (6
years) as a Director and the Foundation’s Treasurer. Frances Vyse has served two terms as Foundation Director (6
years), but also in the 1990s. Frances served as Director and as the president of the Foundation. Dick Stace-Smith is
also retiring as a director after two terms (6 years) and similar to Frances, Dick was involved in the early years of the
Foundation. Some of you will recall in the recent magazine the special thanks letter that was delivered to Dick was
reprinted. Recognition of Dick Stace-Smith is well deserved as he was one of the founding members of the Foundation, as well as one of the founders of the Federation of British Columbia Naturalists. The contributions of all these
Directors to the smooth running of the Foundation, to furthering its mandate, to ensuring its seamless connection to
BC Nature, and to providing clear financial accountability and easily understood policies, is greatly appreciated by
naturalists. The contributions of many people are enabling the Foundation to achieve its goal “to promote the preservation of the natural environment for future generations through conservation, education and research projects”.
This past year the Foundation tried a new approach for its annual appeal, together with BC Nature. You may
recall last fall that the annual appeal was presented to members as an insert in the fall BCnature magazine, rather
than as a separate letter and donation slip which had required an additional large envelope with higher mailing
costs. About $2,100 was saved this fall in mailing costs by the Foundation, and a similar amount by BC Nature.
Donations received remained at about the same level. The one aspect we cannot monitor is whether this form of
appeal will motivate members to name the Foundation in their wills or consider the Foundation in other methods
of planned giving such as naming the Foundation as a beneficiary in RRSPs, RRIFs, life insurances, or remainder of
an annuity. The Foundation would therefore appreciate receiving your comments on whether you think this insert
within the BCnature magazine’ method of the annual appeal is a good approach.
In conclusion, the Foundation is operating efficiently with good oversight provided by Directors. The Foundation
is pleased that the annual grant to BC Nature to support club grants has increased to $11,000. It is indeed a pleasure
for the Foundation, together with BC Nature, to award grants to support club projects for naturalists, and to see the
capital steadily grow. 
Camp and Field Activities ~ Betty Davison
hree very successful camps were arranged and attended by members of BC Nature in 2014. Tofino - Marine ExT
ploration of the Wild West coast: spring Shorebird Migration, Birds, Whales, Bears and Hot Springs was the theme
and was hosted by Anne Gosse and BC Nature. The birding and wildlife spotting was abundant and this camp proved
to be successful for 2015 for its third and final year. Many thanks to Anne Gosse for her hours of commitment spent
on arranging this great camp for the past three years.
Toward the end of May, Nicola Valley Naturalists in conjunction with BC Nature hosted their first camp in the Nicola
Valley. This camp was sold out and also had a waiting list. Twenty four happy naturalists were led on expeditions
35 ________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________
around the Merritt area to observe the flora and fauna of the area. Thank you Nicola Valley Nats for being such gracious hosts and for great birding and frogging in your beautiful area.
In August, Kamloops Naturalists stepped up to the plate and hosted our third camp of the year, "Adventures in Wells
Gray." This sold out event hosted two separate camps in the same time frame, and same venue. For some twenty-plus
members a five-day camp in the park and an Alpine trek in the high alpine of the park for another ten members. Both
were very well received and I have no doubt that if held again, this camp will be sold out on registration. Thank you
to the Kamloops Naturalists for a great event!
For 2015, there are four camps planned. The first camp in May will be the final year for the Tofino Camp, followed up
in August with the Chilcotin Camp, September with the Tatlayoko Camp and the final camp in Harrison Hot Springs
in November. There are many members looking forward to some great "Camps" this year.
In 2016, there are two camps in the works at present, Mittlenatch hosted on Quadra Island and Fraser Canyon hosted
by Chilliwack Field Naturalists. Details will be published in the Winter Magazine and online. For any clubs interested
in hosting a camp, please contact the office at [email protected] for the information booklet. This is a very rewarding experience for both the host club and the members attending. 
YNC / NatureKids* ~ Submitted by Kristine Webber
*NEWS FLASH New Name, Same Game.
ast fall we asked friends and members of the Young Naturalists' Club of BC what they thought about our name-did they like it? Did it clearly describe who we are and what we do? Was it a helpful name when talking to other
people about the YNC? We received LOTS of great feedback and many suggestions for a new name. So we struck a
committee, polled our members and the final result is the new name: NatureKids. By the time you read this we will
be in transition to our new name NatureKids.
L
As this is our 15-year anniversary, it is a great time to build on past successes, and look forward to the next 15
years with a fresh and relevant brand and the same very relevant mission and model. We know it may take some of
our friends and partners time to get used to the new look and name but we are pretty sure you’ll understand as BC
Nature went through a similar process when the name changed from the Federation of BC Naturalists.
YNC/NatureKids is working hard to provide today’s modern and hyper-digital childhood with fun, safe opportunities for children and families to re-connect with nature at a deeply personal level. We know that this is the best
way to ensure the next generation cares for and is willing to speak up and step up for nature.
And we are so glad that you are on this journey with us! Thank you to the many individuals and organizations, especially BC Nature, for contributing to our shared success this past year. It truly has been group effort
with so many dedicated volunteers (club leaders, nature mentors, special event ambassadors, board members and
NatureWILD authors) investing in excess of 7000 hours to bring children and nature together in 2014.
We would like to acknowledge the special long-standing relationship that the YNC/NatureKids has with BC
Nature and that many of YNC/NatureKids Clubs have with their local BC Nature Club. Your gifts whether in time,
dollars or knowledge have enabled rich and varied experiences in nature for young naturalists that are available
nowhere else, and which will enable them to grow up to be strong advocates for nature tomorrow.
Below is a selection of program highlights from 2014:
• 94 Volunteer Club Leaders ran 52 Nature Clubs in schools and communities for 679 families /1500+ children
across BC. 2014 saw a number of new clubs start including club in the Nass Valley serving a community with a
high First Nations population.
• 242 Explorer Day adventures were delivered by volunteer nature mentors and local experts. That represents a
whopping 4840 individual in-nature experiences for children and their families!
• YNC members stepped up for nature restoring or cleaning up 4,751,234 m2, planting 475 indigenous trees,
shrubs or plants and installing 58 structures such as bird, bee and bat boxes for wildlife.
• Four issues of NatureWILD Magazine were produced covering topics such as striped skunks, nighthawks,
marbled murrelet, nurse logs and the passenger pigeon (to name but a few!) and of course the ever-popular
Ask Al (Grass)
• A new educational resource was developed with the assistance of an engaged team of youth. Meet Your
Coastal Rainforest Friends, card deck introduces young naturalists to three different groups of coastal rainforest plants. This resource combines kid-friendly facts and activities, watercolor artwork and photographs.
For further information, including a current club listing, financial statements and Annual report please visit our
website: www.ync.ca.
A reminder that BC Nature members can now contribute to the NatureKids Forever Fund, established in 2012 to
ensure that the NatureKids can continue to provide children with critical early-age outdoor adventures and opportunities to step up for nature now and forever. Contributions can be made online at www.ync.ca or by contacting the
YNC. 
Federation of British Columbia Naturalists
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________ 36
BC Nature Executive Committee and Board of Directors 2014-2015
BC Nature Executive Committee
Position
Name
President
Kees Visser
Past President
John Neville
Director at Large
Bev Ramey
Treasurer
John Troth
Secretary
Claudia Copley
Conservation Chair
Rosemary Fox
Kootenay Regional Coordinator
Joan Snyder
Lower Mainland Regional Coordinator
Jude Grass
Northern BC Regional Coordinator
Fred McMechan
Vancouver Island Regional Coordinator
John Neville
Thompson Okanagan Regional Coordinator
Alan Burger
Parks & Protected Areas Coordinator
Don Guild
Education Chair
Margaret Cuthbert
Communications Director
Penney Edwards
Awards Chair
Pat Westhauser
IBA Coordinator
Anne Murray
Young Naturalists Club President
Vanessa Lee
Young Naturalists Club - Executive Director
Kristine Webber
BC Naturalists Foundation - President
Bev Ramey
Email
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Lower Mainland Region Directors
Abbotsford-Mission Nature Club
Hank Roos
Alouette Field Naturalists
Duanne Vandenberg
Bowen Nature Club
Emily van Lidth de Jeude
Burke Mountain Naturalists
Elaine Golds
Chilliwack Field Naturalists’ Society
Janne Perrin
Delta Naturalists Society
Ursula Easterbrook
Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society
Marg Cuthbert
Langley Field Naturalists
Kathy Masse
Little Campbell Watershed Society
David Riley
Pender Harbour & District Wildlife Society
Joe Harrison
Royal City Field Naturalists
Gareth Llewellyn
Squamish Environmental Conservation Society
Gwen L'Hirondelle
Stoney Creek Environmental Committee
Vacant
Sunshine Coast Natural History Society
Vacant
Surrey Environmental Partners (SEP)
Deb Jack
Nature Vancouver
Cynthia Crampton & Bev Ramey
Whistler Naturalists Society
Kathy Jenkins
White Rock and Surrey Naturalists Society
Leona Breckenridge
WildResearch
Christine Rock
Yorkson Watershed Stewardship Committee
Kathy Masse
37
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________
Kootenay Region Directors
Fernie Nature Club
Bob Livsey
Rocky Mountain Naturalists
Greg Ross
West Kootenay Naturalists’ Association
Joan Snyder
Northern BC Region Directors
Bulkley Valley Naturalists
Anne Hetherington
Kitimat Valley Naturalists
Walter Thorne
Mackenzie Nature Observatory
Vida Tattrie
Northern Amphibian Naturalists Society
Norma Kerby
Prince George Naturalists
Sara Sparks
Quesnel Naturalists
Lorna Schley
Timberline Trail & Nature Club
Meredith Thornton
Williams Lake Field Naturalists
Fred McMechan
Thompson-Shuswap-Okanagan Region Directors
Central Okanagan Naturalist Club
Hugh Westheuser
Kamloops Naturalist Club
Ken Lipinski
Kamloops Thompson Trail Alliance
Richard Doucette
Lillooet Naturalists
Vivian Birch Jones
Nicola Naturalists
Alan Burger
North Okanagan Naturalists Club
Pamela Jenkins
North Shuswap Naturalists Club
Rudy Vervoort
Oliver-Osoyoos Naturalists
Jacqueline Castellarin
Shuswap Naturalists Club
Janet Pattinson
South Okanagan Naturalists’ Club
Joyce Hoglund
Vermillion Forks Field Naturalists
Vancouver Island Region Directors
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Sandra Gray
Comox Valley Naturalists Society
Sharon Niscak
Cowichan Valley Naturalists Society
Jane McAllister
Nanoose Naturalists
Tony Ransom
Pender Island Field Naturalists
Gerald McKeating
Rithet’s Bog Conservation Society
Sharon Forrester
Rocky Point Bird Observatory
Michael Simmons
Salt Spring Trail & Nature Club
David Denning
Victoria Natural History Society
Darren Copley, James Miskelly
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________ 38
Club Listing and member count per club. Numbers for 2015 taken as of April 15, 2015.
Club Name
Total
2014
Total
2015
63
71
105
194
42
73
86
76
209
34
http://www.abbymissionnatureclub.org/
Delta Naturalists Society
Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society
Langley Field Naturalists Society
Little Campbell Watershed Society
Pender Harbour & District Wildlife Society
Royal City Field Naturalists
Squamish Environmental ConservationSoc.
Stoney Creek Environmental Committee
Sunshine Coast Natural History Society
Surrey Environmental Partners
Nature Vancouver
Whistler Naturalists Society
White Rock & Surrey Naturalists Society
WildResearch
Yorkson Watershed Enhancement Society
Kootenays
Fernie Nature Club
Rocky Mountain Naturalists Society
West Kootenay Natrualists Association
Northern BC
Bulkley Valley Naturalists
Kitimat Valley Naturalists
MacKenzie Nature Observatory
88
20
96
8
26
12
41
25
137
7
800
28
90
306
0
94
25
93
10
35
11
57
26
159
7
889
28
91
287
14
http://dncb.wordpress.com
www.birdsonthebay.ca
http://www.langleyfieldnaturalists.org/
www.lcws.ca
www.penderharbourwildlife.com
40
64
108
34
64
92
http://www.ourfernie.com/fernie-nature-club
67
35
39
71
28
28
www.bvnaturalists.ca
Northern Amphibian Naturalists Society
Prince George Naturalist Club
Quesnel Naturalists
Timberline Trail & Nature Club
Williams Lake Field Naturalists
Thompson-Shuswap-Okanagan
Central Okanagan Naturalist Club
Kamloops Naturalist Club
Kamloops Thompson Trail Alliance **
Lillooet Naturalist Club
Nicola Naturalists
North Okanagan Naturalists’ Club
North Shuswap Naturalists Club
0
54
36
14
196
28
116
41
14
139
220
127
13
108
54
113
13
248
122
13
106
79
115
11
Lower Mainland
Abbotsford-Mission Nature Club
Alouette Field Naturalists
Bowen Nature Club
Burke Mountain Naturalists
Chilliwack Field Naturalists
39
Website
http://bowennatureclub.blogspot.com
www.bmn.bc.ca
www.chilliwackfieldnaturalists.com
http://www.squamishenvironment.ca/
www.scec.ca/
https://sites.google.com/site/scnaturalhistorysoc/
www.naturevancouver.ca
www.wildresearch.ca
http://www.kootenaynaturalists.org
http://mackenzienatureobservatory.ca/
http://pgnc.wordpress.com
www.williamslakefieldnaturalists.ca
http://www.okanagannature.org/
http://www.kamloopsnaturalistclub.ca/
http://www.kamloopsthompsontrailsalliance.com/
http://www.lillooetnaturalistsociety.org/
http://www.nicolanaturalists.ca/
http://www.nonc.ca/
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________
Oliver-Osoyoos Naturalists
Shuswap Naturalists Club
South Okanagan Naturalists Club
Vermillion Forks Field Naturalsits
Vancouver Island
Arrowsmith Naturalists
Comox Valley Naturalists
Cowichan Valley Naturalists Society
Nanoose Naturalists
Pender Island Field Naturalists
Rithet’s Bog Conservation Society
Rocky Point Bird Observatory
Saltspring Trail and Nature Club
Victoria Natural History Society
Subtotal
Affiliate Clubs
Life Members
Subscription Members
Direct Members
57
102
130
70
56
102
145
56
99
219
110
58
83
10
98
163
559
5111
14
24
12
96
91
201
104
58
94
10
146
147
683
5546
8
23
11
91
http://www.shuswapnaturalists.org/
http://www.southokanagan.com
http://www.arrowsmithnats.org/
http://www.comoxvalleynaturalists.bc.ca
http://www.naturecowichan.net
http://www.nanoosenaturalist.org/
http://rpbo.org/
http://saltspringtnc.ca
www.vicnhs.bc.ca
41
42
42
43
44
45
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________ 40
41 _________________________________________2014 Annual Report_____________________________
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________ 42
Notes:
Large Increases or decreases in Revenue or Expenses
Insurance Premium Recovery - Increase due to increase to membership base (same for both Revenue/Expenses)
AGM/FGM - 2013 figure is a "net" number, 2014 figure incorporate all income related to AGM/FGM
as well as the expenses. Net Increase is actually 2013: $5966 2014: $7856 - Increase due to large turn
out for the AGM in Victoria and a well run FGM in Shuswap.
Camp Revenue and Expenses: Net profit - 2013 = $3806 2014: $6586.00 - Increase due to one extra camp in 2014
Project Admin Fees Decrease - Very few grants for WiTS in 2014, majority of project admin fees were for IBA
grants and Gaming Grants.
43 ________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________ 44
45 ________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________
46
47
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________
BC Nature wishes to thank our many generous members and donors who assist with our activities,
both through monetary support and through contributions of time and expertise. We also appreciate the support from the several groups and agencies we partner with on our projects and programs.
A huge thanks to the many Executive and Directors who donated to BC nature through their travel
and other expenses.
Thank you to our Donors this past year!
A & K. Young, A. Burger, A. & D. Mackenzie, A. Carson, A. McGill, A. Sleczkowski, A. Knight, A. Griffiths, A. & L.
Murray, A. Hogan, B. Atkins, B. Davison, B. Ramey, B. Merilees, Bird Studies Canada Birdathon, B. Peart
B. & P. Allen, B. Fryer, C. MacMillan, C. Logtenberg, C.Williams, C. Ramey, C. Mikulasik, Chilliwack Foundation,
C. & J. Saremba, C. & S. Betuzzi, C. & B. Kopp, C. Saremba, C. Cyr, C. Visser, D. Hutchings, D. Griffith, D & E. Perron, D. Lazzarin, D. Barratt, D. & R. Boyd, D. Reesor, D. Riley, D. Hurst, D. Jones, D. & L. Knopp-Larkin, D. Webb,
D. Wagg, D. Ward, D. Mueller, D. & J. Phelps, D. Atchison, Dr. W. Langford, D. Vandenberg, E Nichol, E. Mae & E.
Zasburg, E. Benyon, E. Sowerby, E. Golds & B. Brandhorst, E. Lefebvre, E. Coulter, E. Klein, E. Comfort, E. Butterworth, E. Greenwood, Estate of Ron Mayo, E. Williamson, Federation of Prov. Employees, F. Nelson, F. & A. Vyse, F.
& A. Moretti, F. & J. Dwyer, F. J. Powell, F. McMechan, F. Easy, G.. Baker, G. & H. Robinson, G. & T. Bloem, G. McKeating, G. Louise, Gorts Gouda Cheese, G. Ross, H. B. Cotton, H. Roos, H. Rueggeberg, H. Hyde, H. Thompson, H.
Crowley, I. Hunt, IBM Cda., J Boyd or A. Ulstead, J. Van Dyke, James B. Musgrove, James Crimmins, Janet Pattinson,
Janice Hardy, Janice P. Pearce, J. Doering, J. Lucas, J. Geddes, J. Feick, J. Morrison, J. Wisnia, J. Best, J. Buckham, J.
Martens, J. Neville, J. Whittaker, J. Burgerjon, J. Hoglund, J. M. Harrison, J. Bell, J. Simon, J. Cleghorn, K. Wilkinson,
K. Clarke, K. Masse, K. Suzuki, K. & S. May, K. Englund, L. Breckenridge, L. Vigurs, L. Holland, L. Schley, L. Irwin,
L. Farquharson, L. Grants, M. Cuthbert, M. Misner, M. Boyle, M. Hoebel, M. Andrews, N. Braithwaite, N. Krueger,
N. Clare, N. Kerby, P. Jenkins, P. Sinclair, P. MacLeod, P. Mearns, P. Lukaszek, P. Smith, P. or W. Rowat, P. Bysher,
Provincial Employees Fund, R. Butterworth, R. & G. Lunan, R. Griffith, R.& S. Miller, R. Dyer, R. Fulton, R. Watson, R.
Muir, R. Sims, R. & H. Kellerhals, R. Speller, R. Peck, Royal City Naturalists, R. Vervoort, S. Hofmeier, D. Woodhouse,
S. Scholefield, Solution Global Group, S. Olson, S. Hemphill & J. Hornburg, S. & D. Jones, S. Han Goh, T.Masse, TD
Friend of the Envrion., Teck Highland Valley Copper Partnership, T. Forslev, T. Frisk, U. Easterbrook, U. Schuler, V.
Edwards, V. Ttmar, V. Van Veen, V. Birch-Jones, W. Thorne.
Photo: J. Bennett
BC Nature wishes to acknowledge with thanks, the grants
received to assist with our projects from funders, including:
Environment Canada
Federal Human Resources Service Canada
BC Ministry of Environment, BC Parks
Nature Canada
BC Naturalists Foundation
Mountain Equipment Co-op
Community Gaming Grants
Planting of Native Plants bynaturalists from both
South Okanagan and Oliver-Osooyos Clubs.
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________ 48
________________________________________2014 Annual Report________________________________