Prince George Naturalists Club

PGNC News & Notes, April 17, 2024

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday May 8
PGNC Curlew Field Trip, 9 a.m. Sunday April 21
PGNC Hudson’s Bay Wetland Cleanup, 9 a.m. Sunday April 28
PGNC Nature Walk and Intro to eBird, 9 a.m. Saturday May 4
REAPS Annual General Meeting, 2 p.m. Saturday May 4
FWCP: Deadline to submit applications to join the Board: Monday June 3, 2024
About this newsletter

Club News and Events

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

Thank you to everyone who is joining the PGNC or renewing memberships for 2024.

Your membership supports the Prince George Naturalists Club and BC Nature, our parent organization, in all their good work.

E-Transfer is available by sending to PrinceGeorgeNaturalistsClub@gmail.com and it goes directly into the Club’s bank account. No secret word is needed. Payments by cheque can be mailed to Prince George Naturalists Club, PO Box 1092, Prince George BC V2L 4V2.

Memberships run from January 1 to December 31. Cost is $25 per calendar year for individuals, $40 for a family, and $15 for students. Benefits of membership: Subscription to the online version of BC Nature magazine, liability insurance coverage for Club work parties and field trips, and access to popular events limited to Club members only. Add $5 if you wish to receive a printed version of the BC Nature magazine in the mail.

“To be a naturalist is to be joyful, inquisitive, and at home in the world. To be home is to treat every life form as a family member”: Marina Richie.

PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday May 8

The next Executive meeting will be on Wednesday May 8. All members are welcome to attend. If you wish to attend, send an email to the Club at princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com to obtain meeting details.

PGNC Curlew Field Trip, 9 a.m., Sunday April 21

Join us for the annual field trip to see curlews. Meet under the Spruceland Shopping Centre sign near the bus stop for waiver signing. For more information contact us at princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com.

PGNC Hudson’s Bay Wetland Cleanup, 9 a.m. Sunday April 28

PGNC Nature Walk and Intro to eBird, 9 a.m. Saturday May 4

Other Events and News

REAPS Annual General Meeting, 2 p.m. Saturday May 4

The Recycling and Environmental Action Planning Society (R.E.A.P.S.) AGM will be at the Bob Harkins branch of the Prince George Public Library from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday May 4. The Society is seeking passionate, dedicated individuals to join the Board to bring a collaborative, joyful, and energetic approach to bolster their work for a green sustainable community where people and the planet thrive.

You will obtain valuable volunteer experience that looks great on your resume; share your skills, time and expertise; meet and network with others who are active in the recycling community; help green your local community; learn new skills and create a better work-life balance.

Our board provides leadership and oversight for our programs and activities. Directors collaboratively represent the interests of our members and the broader community.

For more information on the positions email volunteer@reaps.org. Contact the R.E.A.P.S. office at 561-7327 and check out our website at www.reaps.org

FWCP: Deadline to submit applications to join the Board: Monday June 3, 2024

The Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program is seeking a new public board member for the Peace Region Board. If you’re interested in fish and wildlife, have experience working with stewardship groups, and are ready to help make important decisions about our work in the Peace Region, apply by Monday, June 3 to join our Peace Region board. We hope to welcome a new public board member this summer.

For more details see this link: https://fwcp.ca/join-peace-region-board/

About This Newsletter

The newsletter is sent from the PGNC mailing address: princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com. We welcome contributions from members and supporters about matters of interest to naturalists. Feel free to send stories and links to princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com.

PGNC News & Notes, March 23, 2024

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday April 10
PGNC Curlew Field Trip, Sunday April 21
Ferguson Lake – Wetlands: donate today!
BIMBY: Butterflies in My Back Yard
About this newsletter

Club News and Events

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

Thank you to everyone who is joining the PGNC or renewing memberships for 2024.

Your membership supports the Prince George Naturalists Club and BC Nature, our parent organization, in all their good work.

“To be a naturalist is to be joyful, inquisitive, and at home in the world. To be home is to treat every life form as a family member”: Marina Richie.

PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday April 10

The next Executive meeting will be on Wednesday April 10.All members are welcome to attend. If you wish to attend, send an email to the Club at princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com to obtain meeting details.

PGNC Curlew Field Trip, 9 a.m., Sunday April 21

Other Events and News

Ferguson Lake – Wetlands: Donate today!

The Nature Trust of British Columbia is fundraising to raise $650,000 to protect 129.2 hectares (319 acres) of wetland, riparian forest, and mixed forest ecosystems. The property, known as Ferguson Lake-Wetlands, is located in the city of Prince George and in the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation. The deadline to raise the funds is Sunday March 31, 2024 and an update on this is coming soon.

The land is adjacent to the Ferguson Lake Conservation Area, a 31 hectare conservation area owned by The Nature Trust of BC. With the purchase of Ferguson Lake-Wetlands, the contiguous protected land will expand to be 160 hectares. These private conservation parcels are connected to provincial Crown land parcels, forming a natural wildlife corridor and increasing connectivity within the region. Ferguson Lake – Wetlands has merchantable timber value and its purchase will ensure that its mature and old growth riparian forests and wetlands are protected in perpetuity.

Considerable information on the importance of the Wetlands for waterfowl and animals is available here, along with a Give Today link: https://www.naturetrust.bc.ca/our-projects/ferguson-lake-wetlands

If anyone has questions or interest in donating they can contact Emma Liffen, Director of Development, Marketing and Communications at info@naturetrust.bc.ca or toll free at 1-866-288-7878.

BIMBY: Butterflies in My Back Yard

BIMBY is back! More than 300 volunteers from diverse backgrounds and locations in BC became BIMBY Seekers last year. Together, they made 8,400 observations, to formulate policies to protect vulnerable butterfly species in B.C. For more information on BIMBY see this link: https://tinyurl.com/374dksay.

Butterfly findings are posted on iNaturalist at https://inaturalist.ca. There’s also a Facebook group, BIMBY Community Science.

About This Newsletter

PGNC Annual General Meeting, Thursday March 21, 2024, 7 p.m. at Studio 2880

Message from Angelina Joiner, PGNC President: We are looking for volunteers to serve on our executive. If you have ever thought you would like to make a difference, consider donating your time to us! We would love to welcome you to the board. You can have no board experience or lots of board experience, either way, you can help!

Board members must be members of the Prince George Naturalists Club. You would only need to commit a minimum of two hours per month. The rest would be up to you. We have been running a rather small executive and the executive functions best with around 12 board members, so we would love to add some new members this year.

If you would like to learn more or you can’t attend the AGM but would like to join our board please, contact us at princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com or on Facebook or Instagram @ PGnaturalists. Hope to see you at our AGM and presentation night!

PGNC News & Notes, March 14, 2024

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
PGNC Annual General Meeting, Thursday March 21, 7 p.m. Studio 2880
PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday April 17
NRESi Colloquium, Friday March 15, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., UNBC Room 7-238 and online: Habitat ecology of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) during a period of cyclical change in prey abundance
NRESi Colloquium, Forest Systems, and plant reproduction and nutrition after herbicide use – Dr. Lisa Wood, PhD, RPF: archive link
About this newsletter

Club News and Events

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

“To be a naturalist is to be joyful, inquisitive, and at home in the world. To be home is to treat every life form as a family member”: Marina Richie.

PGNC Annual General Meeting, Thursday March 21, 7 p.m. at Studio 2880

PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday April 17

The next Executive meeting will be on Wednesday April 17. All members are welcome to attend. If you wish to attend, send an email to the Club at princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com to obtain meeting details.

Other Events and News

NRESi Colloquium, Friday March 15, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., UNBC Room 7-238 and online: Habitat ecology of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) during a period of cyclical change in prey abundance

Presentation by Shannon Crowley, MSc, Ecological Monitoring Coordinator, John Prince Research Forest: Cyclical change in the abundance of snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) can strongly influence the distribution and habitat use of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and sympatric carnivores. However, we have very little understanding of the effects of natural and anthropogenic landscape change on that predator-prey dynamic. That includes the effects of accelerated and large-scale salvage harvest in north-central BC. We used a combination of non-invasive survey methods such as camera traps and hair snags (66 sites; 2015-2016, 2020-2022) as well as GPS collars (n = 17; 2020-2022) to assess the habitat ecology and status of Canada lynx populations. We conducted this research during two contrasting periods of hare abundance and in an area impacted by accelerated salvage harvest. We observed differences in the distribution, abundance, habitat use, and overlap of lynx, hares, and sympatric carnivores between the two periods. We found that forest cover/structure was a driving factor influencing these patterns and that the importance of riparian edge habitat increased during the low in hare abundance. We will discuss the implications of our findings to habitat management and population monitoring of Canada lynx. This talk is co-sponsored with the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.

Here’s the link to the UNBC colloquium webcasts: https://www2.unbc.ca/nres-institute/colloquium-webcasts

NRESi Colloquium, Forest Systems, and plant reproduction and nutrition after herbicide use – Dr. Lisa Wood, PhD, RPF: archive link

On March 8, Dr. Lisa Wood made a presentation that provides important information for experts and the general public. Glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) are used across the globe. Often areas surrounding treatment zones are prone to unintended herbicide exposure and suffer the impacts of sublethal contact. Research out of The Plant Lab at UNBC shows that there is residual glyphosate in forest plants years after applications take place. We are accumulating information about what role this residual herbicide ingredient plays in the larger function of forest ecosystems of northern BC and Alberta. Using controlled trials at the IK Barber Enhanced Forestry Laboratory and through surveying and sampling in operationally managed forests we have observed that the rate of glyphosate degradation in plant tissues is dependent on climate conditions such as temperature and photoperiod. We have also observed that residue persistence in plants is dependent on perennation type, as it relates to the rate of litter/nutrient cycling. We understand that the impacts to ecosystem function are significant at least one full year after applications, with effects to floral and fruit production, pollen viability, fluorescence of flowers, and insect community composition. We hypothesize that GBH residues and these ecosystem changes lead to changes in space use by other organisms such as fungi, microbes, birds, and mammals which are currently under investigation or will be investigated over the next 5 years. Changes in communities, and in the way individuals and/or populations use treated areas, is no doubt due to overall change in habitat and food quantity and quality. The presentation is available for viewing on the UNBC Archive at

https://video.unbc.ca/channel/NRES

About This Newsletter

We welcome contributions from members and supporters about matters of interest to naturalists. Feel free to send stories and links to princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com.

PGNC News & Notes, March 7, 2024

PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday March 13
PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
PGNC Annual General Meeting, Thursday March 21, 7 p.m.
Friday March 8, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Room 7-238 and online. NRESi Colloquium, Forest Systems, and plant reproduction and nutrition after herbicide use – Dr. Lisa Wood, PhD, RPF
About this newsletter

Club News and Events

PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday March 13

The next Executive meeting will be on Wednesday March 13. All members are welcome to attend. If you wish to attend, send an email to the Club at princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com to obtain meeting details.

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

Thank you to everyone who is joining the PGNC or renewing memberships for 2024. Your membership supports the Prince George Naturalists Club and BC Nature, our parent organization, in all their good work. E-Transfer is available by sending to PrinceGeorgeNaturalistsClub@gmail.com and it goes directly into the Club’s bank account. No secret word is needed. Payments by cheque can be mailed to Prince George Naturalists Club, PO Box 1092, Prince George BC V2L 4V2.

“To be a naturalist is to be joyful, inquisitive, and at home in the world. To be home is to treat every life form as a family member”: Marina Richie.

PGNC Annual General Meeting, Thursday March 21, 7 p.m.

Save the date for the PGNC Annual General Meeting on Thursday March 21 at 7 p.m. More details coming soon!

Other Events and News

Friday March 8, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Room 7-238 and online. NRESi Colloquium, Forest Systems, and plant reproduction and nutrition after herbicide use – Dr. Lisa Wood, PhD, RPF

Glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) are used across the globe. Often areas surrounding treatment zones are prone to unintended herbicide exposure and suffer the impacts of sublethal contact. Research out of The Plant Lab at UNBC shows that there is residual glyphosate in forest plants years after applications take place. We are accumulating information about what role this residual herbicide ingredient plays in the larger function of forest ecosystems of northern BC and Alberta. Using controlled trials at the IK Barber Enhanced Forestry Laboratory and through surveying and sampling in operationally managed forests we have observed that the rate of glyphosate degradation in plant tissues is dependent on climate conditions such as temperature and photoperiod. We have also observed that residue persistence in plants is dependent on perennation type, as it relates to the rate of litter/nutrient cycling. We understand that the impacts to ecosystem function are significant at least one full year after applications, with effects to floral and fruit production, pollen viability, fluorescence of flowers, and insect community composition. We hypothesize that GBH residues and these ecosystem changes lead to changes in space use by other organisms such as fungi, microbes, birds, and mammals which are currently under investigation or will be investigated over the next 5 years. Changes in communities, and in the way individuals and/or populations use treated areas, is no doubt due to overall change in habitat and food quantity and quality. Here’s the webinar link:

https://www2.unbc.ca/nres-institute/colloquium-webcasts

About this Newsletter

PGNC News & Notes, February 18, 2024

PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday February 21
PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
Report: PGNC Swan & Eagle Count, Sunday January 21
PGNC Annual General Meeting, Thursday March 21, Spruce City Wildlife Fish Hatchery
Thursday February 22, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Zoom. Are we Prepared for the Zombie (Fungi) Apocalypse?
Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWPC) Events
About this newsletter

Club News and Events

PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday February 21

The next Executive meeting will be on Wednesday February 21. All members are welcome to attend. If you wish to attend, send an email to the Club at princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com to obtain meeting details.

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

“To be a naturalist is to be joyful, inquisitive, and at home in the world. To be home is to treat every life form as a family member”: Marina Richie.

Report: PGNC Swan & Eagle Count – Sunday, January 21

The delay with the Swan Count paid off! On Sunday, January 21, six eager naturalists were able to enjoy the waterfowl with the milder -8 C weather and open roads. Much of the river was still frozen from the very cold temperatures the week before. This concentrates the swans.

A conservative count of 65 Trumpeter Swans were seen and heard along the Crooked River, north of Prince George. Cold springs keep much of the river open in the winter, even during -40 C temperatures. We haven’t had numbers like this since the late 1980’s.

Short snowshoe forays off the roads paid off with a mix of waterfowl. As well as swans we saw American Dipper, Common Goldeneye, Mallard, one Bufflehead, one Hooded Merganser, one adult Bald Eagle, two Belted Kingfishers, one Downy Woodpecker, and the ubiquitous Common Raven. Small birds were noticeably absent, with only a couple of Black-capped Chickadees calling.

It snowed up until the night before so not much for tracks, but a set of ermine tracks and a set of moose tracks provided excitement along one un-ploughed road.

Thank you to everyone who came out to make this a great day! Report by Sandra Kinsey. Photos by Angelina Joiner.

PGNC Annual General Meeting, Thursday March 21, Spruce City Wildlife Fish Hatchery

Save the date for the PGNC Annual General Meeting on Thursday March 21 at 7 p.m. at the Spruce City Wildlife Fish Hatchery. More details coming soon!

Other Events and News

Thursday February 22, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Zoom. Are we Prepared for the Zombie (Fungi) Apocalypse?

Zombie fungi are a group of ascomycetes, all formerly in the genus Cordyceps, that parasitize insects (and a few other organisms). The fungi often alter the behaviour of the insects, to the benefit of the fungi, essentially turning the insects into ‘zombies’ under the control of the fungi. Though zombie fungi are best known from tropical and subtropical ecosystems, there are a number of species known from BC, and from Clayoquot Sound. These zombi fungi are the basis of the popular video game, and subsequent television series, ‘The Last of Us’.

About our Speaker: Dr. Andy MacKinnon is a forest ecologist who lives in Metchosin BC. His fields of study include BC’s native plants, fungi and lichens. Andy is co-author of Mushrooms of British Columbia , and of six field guides to plants of western North America. He is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University, and past President of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society. Andy is going on the 11th year of co-teaching RES’s “Mushrooms of the West Coast’ with the RES.This event is sponsored by the Raincoast Education Society. The Zoom link is here:

http://tinyurl.com/2u9dwc5n.

Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWPC)

The FWCP is running a series of information sessions in early 2024. Here are details about one in the Peace Region.

Improving fish passage in our Peace Region, Friday, February 23, at 12 p.m. PST

For registration see this link: https://fwcp.ca/events/

About this Newsletter

PGNC News & Notes, January 21, 2024

PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday February 14, 2024
PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
BC Nature Magazine paper version now costs $5 a year
NCENBIRD is up and running again!
Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWPC) Events
BC Nature Webinar, Thursday February 8, 6 to 7 p.m.
Ferguson Lake Wetlands
About this newsletter

Club News and Events

PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday February 14, 2024

The next Executive meeting will be on the evening of Wednesday February 14. All members are welcome to attend. If you wish to attend, send an email to the Club at princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com to obtain meeting details.

BC Nature Magazine paper version now costs $5 a year

BC Nature has found it necessary to charge $5 a year to each member if they wish a paper version of BC Nature magazine. If you would like to receive a paper version of BC Nature Magazine, send $5 to the PGNC by e-transfer, along with your membership renewal, to princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com. The club’s membership person will adjust the database so you receive your paper copy in the mail.

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

Memberships run from January 1 to December 31. Cost is $25 per calendar year for individuals, $40 for a family, and $15 for students. Benefits of membership: Subscription to the online version of the BC Nature magazine, liability insurance coverage for Club work parties and field trips, and access to popular events limited to Club members only. Add $5 if you wish to receive a printed version of the BC Nature magazine in the mail.

“To be a naturalist is to be joyful, inquisitive, and at home on the world. To be home is to treat every life form as a family member”: Marina Richie.

NCENBIRD is up and running again!

In 2020,Telus bought our host ISP, ABC Communications. Without any warning to us, Telus decommissioned everything ABC Communications at the end of October, 2023. That meant no more NCENBIRD, no more access to the subscription list, no more access to stored messages.

To sign up for the new NCENBIRD send an email to ncenbird@googlegroups.com OR sjkinsey@direct.ca OR bstevent@telus.net and we will subscribe you directly. Any questions can be sent to Bob or Sandra.

Other Events and News

Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWPC)

The FWCP is running a series of information sessions in early 2024. Here are details about two in the Peace Region.

Spatiothermal ecology of Arctic grayling in the Parsnip River Watershed (UNBC’s Colloquium Series), Wednesday, January 24, at 12 p.m. PST.
Improving fish passage in our Peace Region, Friday, February 23, at 12 p.m. PST

For registration see this link: https://fwcp.ca/events/

BC Nature Webinar, Thursday February 8, 6 to 7 p.m.

BC Nature invitation: Join us for an evening with Dr. Jennifer Bonnell to learn about her new book Stewards of Splendour: A History of Wildlife and People in British Columbia. This one hour webinar will begin with a conversation between Dr. Bonnell and retired wildlife biologist Tom Ethier, then move to an open question period at the end. Please note: This event will be recorded and posted afterwards if you are not able to join at this time. Here’s the link to the registration: http://tinyurl.com/4nh6s6s8

Ferguson Lake Wetlands

Prince George Naturalists Club has a long history of connection with the Ferguson Lake Nature Reserve. The Club worked with the BC Nature Trust to establish the Reserve in the 1990s. The Nature Trust is now raising funds to protect 129.2 hectares of wetland, riparian forest, and mixed forest ecosystems next to the Ferguson Lake Conservation Area owned by the Trust. For more information see: https://www.naturetrust.bc.ca/our-projects/ferguson-lake-wetlands

About this Newsletter

PGNC News & Notes, January 6, 2024

PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday January 10
PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
Swan & Eagle Count, Sunday January 14
Report: PGNC Christmas Bird Count, Sunday December 17
Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWPC) Events
About this newsletter

Club News and Events

PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday January 10

The next Executive meeting will be on Wednesday January 10. All members are welcome to attend. If you wish to attend, send an email to the Club at PGNC princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com.

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

Thank you to everyone who is joining the PGNC or renewing memberships for 2024.

Your membership supports the Prince George Naturalists Club and BC Nature, our parent organization, in all their good work.

Memberships run from January 1 to December 31. Cost is $25 per calendar year for individuals, $40 for a family, and $15 for students. Benefits of membership: Subscription to BC Nature magazine, liability insurance coverage for Club work parties and field trips, and access to popular events limited to Club members only.

“To be a naturalist is to be joyful, inquisitive, and at home on the world. To be home is to treat every life form as a family member”: Marina Richie.

Swan & Eagle Count – Sunday, January 14

Sandra will lead the first field trip of 2024 to the Crooked River to count swans and eagles. The annual count is largely carried out by car, and walks are fairly short. The best temperature for conducting this survey is –20 C! But, we will do our best with whatever we get this year. Meet for a 9 am departure under the central green Spruceland Shopping Centre sign for waiver signing. Bring lunch and snowshoes, and keep an eye on weather forecasts so you can dress appropriately. For more info, email sjkinsey@direct.ca or phone at 250-963-8381.

Report: PGNC Christmas Bird Count, Sunday December 17

Report by Cathy Antoniazzi. The 56^th annual Prince George Christmas Bird Count took place on Sunday, December 17, 2023. A record number of forty-six field participants in eighteen groups scoured the count circle and seventeen feeder watchers kept a close eye on their feeders for birds. Thankfully, conditions were much better than last year when the temperature was -24C and the bitter cold north wind won’t soon be forgotten. This year, the skies were grey and some areas had fog but it was a balmy -1 or -2C for a lot of the day. There wasn’t much snow on the ground and still water and ponds were frozen, but the rivers and the slough were open. Birds were spread out and birders had to work to find them. A good descriptor of this is that ten groups reported Mallards. A lot of the feeder watchers complained that they had fewer birds than usual.

Forty-five species were found which is lower than the twenty year average of forty-seven. It became evident over the next few weeks though that a lot of birds were missed. Rough-legged Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Steller’s Jay, and American Robin were missed on count day, but seen during count week. A lot of birders were out birding on New Year’s Day to get an early start on their 2024 year list and turned up Common and Barrow’s Goldeneye, Northern Pintail, Killdeer, and Rusty Blackbird that were totally missed, but were likely present, on count day.

There weren’t many notable finds. After being absent last year, it was good to see some grosbeaks and Common Redpolls. There were a lot of woodpeckers seen, including a record number of Downy Woodpeckers. House Finch and American Goldfinch numbers remain high. Despite the warm weather, not many migrants lingered. A Purple Finch, a White-throated Sparrow and a Varied Thrush were noteworthy.

The biggest difference from last year’s count was the change in Bohemian Waxwing numbers. 8212 were seen last year. Flocks this year were small and only 322 birds were seen. The drought affected the berry crop and the bears ate a lot of the fruit in town. It would be hard for 8000+ waxwings to find enough to eat here this year.

A big thank you to everyone who gave up a day the week before Christmas to take part!

See the attached jpeg for the final tally.

Other Events and News

Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWPC)

The FWCP is running a series of information sessions in early 2024. Here are details about two in the Peace Region.

Spatiothermal ecology of Arctic grayling in the Parsnip River Watershed (UNBC’s Colloquium Series), Wednesday, January 24, at 12 p.m. PST.
Improving fish passage in our Peace Region, Friday, February 23, at 12 p.m. PST

For registration see this link: https://fwcp.ca/events/

PGNC News & Notes, November 29, 2023

PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday December 13
PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
PGNC Christmas Bird Count, Sunday December 17
Caribou from Many Perspectives: Preserving a Species Through Creative Thinking (NRESi Colloquium broadcast)
About this newsletter

Club News and Events

PGNC Next Executive Meeting, Wednesday December 13

The next Executive meeting will be on Wednesday December 13. All members are welcome to attend. If you wish to attend, send an email to the Club at princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com to obtain meeting details.

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

Thank you to everyone who is joining the PGNC or renewing memberships.

Your membership supports the Prince George Naturalists Club and BC Nature, our parent organization, in all their good work.

“To be a naturalist is to be joyful, inquisitive, and at home on the world. To be home is to treat every life form as a family member”: Marina Richie.

PGNC Christmas Bird Count, Sunday December 17

The Prince George Christmas Bird count will be held on Sunday, December 17 this year—less than a month away. The Naturalists Club had the first count in 1968 so this will be the 56th! For more information on what a Christmas bird Count is check out: https://www.birdscanada.org/bird-science/christmas-bird-coun t.

Cathy Antoniazzi is compiling again this year and she has contacted last year’s field participants. If you didn’t take part last year but would like to this year, contact Cathy at canton1@telus.net, to get assigned to an area. There is room for a few more participants. (You don’t have to be an expert birder to participate–just enjoy spending a day looking for birds.)

If you live in the count circle, see Birds Canada page at https://tinyurl.com/yck3yspw, and if you have a feeder, please consider counting your birds on the 17th. That would be really helpful. Please let Cathy know ahead of time if you are counting your feeder birds. The field groups need to know who is counting so the birds don’t get counted twice. (Cathy is in the process of contacting last year’s feeder watchers)

Hoping for a much warmer day than last year!

Other Events and News

Caribou from Many Perspectives: Preserving a Species Through Creative Thinking

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) are an iconic Canadian species, even gracing the Canadian quarter. For Indigenous peoples they have been an essential part of their culture and seasonal round, although that role is under threat. Caribou are identified as needing special management actions across Canada due to declining populations, and BC Woodland Caribou are a Blue Listed species, considered to be “at risk”. Caribou represent many things; efforts towards caribou conservation must be equally diverse and creative. West Moberly First Nations Chief Roland Willson and WMFN Elder Diane Desjarlais discuss WMFN and Saulteau First Nations efforts to bring the Kinse-Za Caribou herd back from the edge of extinction, while creating new protected areas. Alice Henderson, biologist, suspense novelist, and author of A Ghost of Caribou (a suspense novel), will discuss using fiction to raise awareness of, and public interest in, caribou and their conservation. Finally, Dr. Libby Ehlers, Director of Conservation Science for the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative will discuss the role of the ecologist in supporting conservation efforts.

This broadcast is well worth watching: https://video.unbc.ca/media/NRESi+Colloquium+-+November+24th,+2023+-+Diane+Desjarlais,+Libby+Ehlers,+Alice+Henderson,+and+Roland+Willson/0_seh701rm/23996

About this Newsletter

The newsletter is sent from the PGNC mailing address: princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com. We welcome contributions from members and supporters about matters of interest to naturalists. Feel free to send stories and links to princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com.

PGNC News & Notes, November 14, 2023

PGNC Next Executive Meeting: Wednesday December 13
PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
Report: PGNC Caribou Viewing Field Trip, Saturday November 4
PGNC Nature Photography Slideshow and Social Gathering, Wednesday November 22, UNBC Room 5-154, 7 to 9 p.m.
PGNC Christmas Bird Count, Sunday December 17: Save the date!
Report: PGNC Caribou Viewing Field Trip, November 4
Nick Hamilton – Reintroduction of Bison and long-term effects of prescribed burning practices in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area: now on video
Friday November 17: NRESi Colloquium, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., UNBC Room 7-238 and online. See full details below.
Change of how you can now receive your BC Nature magazine
About this newsletter

Club News and Events

PGNC Next Executive Meeting: December 13

The next Executive meeting will be on Wednesday

December 13.

All members are welcome to attend. If you wish

to attend, send an email to the Club at princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com to obtain meeting details.

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

It’s never too late to renew our memberships in the Prince George Naturalists Club. Thank you to everyone who is joining the PGNC or renewing memberships.

Your membership supports the Prince George Naturalists Club and BC Nature, our parent organization, in all their good work.

E-Transfer is available by sending to PrinceGeorgeNaturalistsClub@gmail.com and it goes directly into the Club’s bank account. No secret word is needed. Payments by cheque can be mailed to Prince George Naturalists Club, PO Box 1092, Prince George BC V2L 4V2.

“To be a naturalist is to be joyful, inquisitive, and at home on the world. To be home is to treat every life form as a family member”: Marina Richie.

PGNC Nature Photography Slideshow and Social Gathering, Wednesday November 22, UNBC Room 5-154 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Join us for a Club nature photography slideshow and social gathering on Wednesday evening, November 22 at UNBC in Room 5-154 in the Library building. UNBC requires paid parking (via change or card), even in the evening.

We’d love to see a bit of what YOU saw that delighted you over this past year. Contact Dave Leman (rhino@ecovisions.ca) if you would like to contribute any photographs to the slideshow and share a little about your nature adventures with the rest of us. You may submit from 1-15 photos, preferably in jpeg format, in sufficient resolution to display well when projected. Your photos should be submitted by email to Dave Leman (rhino@ecovisions.ca) in small quantities – 2 to 3 per email – to ensure they are received. The photos should be received by Dave by Monday, November 20^th.

PGNC Christmas Bird Count, Sunday December 17: Save the Date

Save the date! More information to come soon on the Club’s Christmas Bird Count.

Report: PGNC Caribou Viewing Field Trip, Saturday November 4

Twelve people braved the rain and joined us as we traveled north to see the caribou. (At least it wasn’t snowing, like last year. ) Thank you to Lauren and Doug for teaching us about caribou today and answering all of our questions! It’s so great to have this special opportunity near our community! Thanks for coming and big thanks to those who donated to the Club (photo by Angelina Joiner).

Doug Heard provided this information: Members may want to have a look at the Kennedy Siding caribou livestream [live only from ~8am to 1pm]

Live Cam

Other Events and News

Nick Hamilton – Reintroduction of Bison and long-term effects of prescribed burning practices in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area

This NRESi Colloquium, dated October 27, is now available on video: https://tinyurl.com/b66cvtwc

Friday November 17: NRESi Colloquium, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., UNBC Room 7-238 and online. Retaining Trees in logging operations leads to biodiversity benefits, rapid forest recovery and climate change mitigation: an analysis of long-term, replicated sylvicultural trials in British Columbia

Please find a text version of the abstract here: https://www2.unbc.ca/events/78901/nresi-colloquium-reduced-intensity-logging-bc-carbon-and-biodiversity-benefits-dr-michelle-venter

link to our colloquium webcasts: https://www2.unbc.ca/nres-institute/colloquium-webcasts

Change of how you can now receive your BC Nature magazine

BC Nature has sent notifications to your clubs and we have also posted notification in our magazine (Summer and Fall); Effective for January 2024, we have implemented a $5.00/per household surcharge for the mailing of the BCnature magazine via Canada Post. We understand that this will take a full year to be fully implemented due to the different expiry dates of your membership in the different clubs/organizations, but we hope that those who are on the fence about receiving paper versus electronic, can give it a try with the winter magazine and then let their membership directors know of their intent for 2024 (sooner than later).

Mailing costs are now almost 10k a year, we collect some of the print/set up charges through your annual dues (which we bill your clubs for), and instead of telling all that we will not longer print the magazine, we are asking for a very small subsidy of the mailing costs. Much like a user/pay charge!

If you have comments, questions, or wish to make the change immediately, please do not hesitate to contact us direct at info@bcnature.ca or if you haven’t had a chance or time to review the interactive e-version, here is the link to the Summer 2023 edition. You do not need to sit in your office in front of your desktop computer to read the interactive version, you can download both electronic version to your tablets, laptops, or phones for a portable copy with all the ease of page turning with a swipe of your finger tips and you are able to see related videos and live links that are found in some of the articles/advertising. Give it a try! Thanks for helping out!!

About this Newsletter

The newsletter is now sent from the PGNC mailing address: princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com. We welcome contributions from members and supporters about matters of interest to naturalists. Feel free to send stories and links to princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com.

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