Nature Vancouver

The Vancouver Park Board is piloting 37 hectares of naturalized wildflower meadows in parks, golf courses and boulevards throughout Vancouver this year. Intense lawn management practices can result in less plant diversity and less critical nesting habitats and food sources for important local species. By creating naturalized meadows in urban settings, the flowering plants will attract beneficial insects, butterflies, bees and birds, create soil conditions more conducive to tr...ee growth, and create landscapes that are more resilient to changing climate. The reduced mowing will also mean a reduction in carbon pollution. The move is part of Vancouver Park Board’s VanPlay Master Plan, which calls for more naturally managed landscapes in parks, and it also supports the Climate Emergency Action Plan and the Climate Adaptation Strategy. Data and observations will be collected from these pilots and a summary will be reported back to the Park Board. Here’s how you can support our naturalized spaces: https://vancouver.ca//vanplay-parks-and-recreation-strateg

The BCWF's Wetlands Education Program (WEP) is pleased to announce our 2021 workshops! The WEP team will host several in-person workshops throughout BC this summer and many virtual events this Summer and Fall. To abide by Provincial Health Orders, we urge that participants only register for events within their health region. In-person workshops will be a blend of virtual and hands-on learning. With limited class sizes, outdoor learning, and COVID-safety procedures, participan...ts will learn about wetlands in a fun and safe way. Virtual workshops will be hosted through Zoom. Participants will have the opportunity to explore wetlands from the safety of their own homes in 360 virtual tours and learn about wetlands through games, interactive activities, and expert guest speakers. Please find the program and registration details below: https://bcwf.bc.ca/wetlands-program/

"Below, you can read about some season highlights. Stay tuned for the Regional Roundup and trends from the 2020-21 season, coming up in Winter Bird Highlights (the Project FeederWatch publication) and BirdWatch Canada (Birds Canada’s members’ magazine). We are happy to report that species that show irruptive behaviour (northern species that periodically move south when their food sources are low) had a big showing this past season across Canada, with particularly large numbers of Pine Siskins in British Columbia, and Common Redpolls in Eastern Ontario and Québec." - Bird Canada

"An adult male yellow-breasted chat is shown in this undated photograph on lands protected in collaboration between the En'owkin Centre and Penticton Indian Band with support through ECCC. The rescue from near extinction for a little yellow bird hinges on the wild rose in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, a researcher says." - CTV News