The Exploration Place – Prince George Naturalists Club

PGNC News & Notes, April 20, 2022

PGNC Spring Cleanup at Hudson’s Bay Wetland, Sunday April 24, 9 a.m. to 12 noon
PGNC Spring Nature Walk, Cottonwood Island Park, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Saturday May 7, 2022
PGNC Volunteer Opportunity: Website/Social Media Committee
PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
Report on Curlew Field Trip, April 16
Monday April 25, 6:30 p.m. Rivers in the Sky: Unravelling the Atmospheric River Phenomenon
Tuesday April 26, 7 p.m. The Amazing Diversity of Pink Mountain, on Zoom
Wednesday April 27, 6:30 p.m. MDT, Jasper National Park Annual Public Forum
NatureKidsBC 2022 Toolkit, Powerful Plants: seeking a contractor, application deadline April 30, 2022

Club News and Events

PGNC Spring Cleanup at Hudson’s Bay Wetland, Sunday April 24, 9 a.m. to 12 noon

The PGNC will host a cleanup at Hudson’s Bay Wetland from 9 a.m. to 12 noon as part of the City Prince George Spring Cleanup Day. We will meet at the small Hudson’s Bay Wetland parking lot on Queensway Street. Gloves and garbage bags will be provided. Bring water and a snack.

For more information contact Sandra Kinsey at sjkinsey@direct.ca, or phone 250-963-8381.

For information about the City’s annual spring cleanup, including Safety Guidelines, see the City’s website at: https://tinyurl.com/2p8p3hh7

PGNC Spring Nature Walk, Cottonwood Island Park, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Saturday May 7, 2022

Join us for a spring nature walk at Cottonwood Island Park! Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the south parking lot by the canoe shelter. For more information please contact us by email at princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com, or on Facebook or Instagram @PGnaturalists.

PGNC Volunteer Opportunity: Website/Social Media Committee

The Executive has established a new Website/Social Media Committee for the club. We will be meeting via Zoom for the foreseeable future. We will be discussing what we would like to see and ideas to better the website and our social media pages (Facebook and Instagram). We already have a few members, but we want to see if anyone else from our membership is interested in joining. The more voices and ideas, the better it will be.

Requirements:

1. You must be a current paid-up member of the PGNC. If you are interested in getting involved but aren’t a member yet, you can check out our membership page on the website. https://pgnc.wordpress.com/membership/.

2. You must have a keen interest in the future of the club and it helps if you are familiar with computers, BUT that is not required. We just need your ideas, you don’t need to be the one to implement them.

3. You must commit to attending our regular committee meetings or at least commit to sending an email to President Angelina Joiner at princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com, if you can’t attend. Communication is important!

If this sounds like something you are interested in, please let us know. If you need more info please contact Angelina.

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

Thank you to everyone who is renewing memberships or joining the PGNC. Information on payment options is available any time at: https://pgnc.wordpress.com/membership/. 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 BC Nature magazine, liability insurance coverage for Club work parties and field trips, and access to popular events limited to Club members only. Unfortunately, Spruce Capital Feeds has had to discontinue the 10% discount it gave to Prince George clubs.

Club Reports

Curlew Field Trip, April 16, 2022

Our first field trip of the year was a little walk to see the Long-billed Curlews at Shelley, east of Prince George. It was a nice warm and sunny morning, despite my phone telling me it was -9 when I left my house. We had 15 participants and we saw 16 Curlews in total. It’s really hard to count curlews when they are walking and flying all over the place. Other highlights of our walk were several Bald Eagles circling and many people had great looks at an American Tree Sparrow. It was nice to stand on the road beside Walrath Marsh and watch all the Geese and Ducks and listen to all the birds singing while soaking in the sun. Thanks to those who were able to come out with us. It was great to meet some new people and put some faces to names I had known for a while. For a detailed species list of birds observed click here, https://ebird.org/checklist/S107210868. (Report and photos by Angelina Joiner, with thanks to Christina Cutbill for the Long-billed Curlew photo).

Other Events and News

Monday April 25, 6:30 p.m. Rivers in the Sky: Unravelling the Atmospheric River Phenomenon

The Exploration Place Virtual Adult Speaker Series presentation is by Dr. Stephen Dery, Professor, Environmental Science Program at UNBC: https://www2.unbc.ca/people/dery-dr-stephen. The presentation will introduce the phenomenon of atmospheric rivers and discuss their impacts on BC.

Registration is required. For more information and registration see: https://theexplorationplace.com/2022/03/08/program-template/

Tuesday April 26, 7 p.m. The Amazing Diversity of Pink Mountain, on Zoom

Pink Mountain appears to have one of and possibly the highest concentration of rare species in British Columbia. A number of the plants are red and blue listed (rare) in the province and almost all are rarely seen because of their normally difficult to access high elevation habit. Added to that are the complex adaptations that allow these plants to thrive in a seemingly impossibly harsh environment. For the plant enthusiast, there is no more interesting location than Pink Mountain.

Bio: Ron Long had a thirty six year career as the sciences photographer at Simon Fraser University. In the early 1970s Ron developed a serious interest in the native plants of British Columbia – an interest that has grown and expanded in the decades since. Ron has served as president of the Native Plant Society of BC and has been active with the Vancouver Natural History Society, VanDusen Botanical Garden and the UBC Botanical Garden. Since retiring Ron has travelled to plant hotspots around the world and keeps busy during his time at home preparing and giving talks to natural history societies and garden clubs throughout BC. Since 2010 he has coordinated research aimed at protecting and preserving Pink Mountain.

Wednesday April 27, 6:30 p.m. MDT, Jasper National Park Virtual Annual Public Forum

Parks Canada is pleased to invite you to Jasper National Park’s virtual Annual Public Forum. This event provides the opportunity for Parks Canada to report on highlights of the past year and coming priorities for Jasper National Park. Please join us for presentations, a question-and-answer session, and the chance to connect with Parks Canada staff.

The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. MDT with Jasper Field Unit Superintendent Alan Fehr’s year-in-review address, followed by presentations focused on the caribou recovery program, wildfire risk reduction, and an update from the Indigenous Relations team. The question-and-answer session will start at 7:30 p.m.

More information, including the meeting link, the 2021 Annual Report and a detailed agenda will be available soon.

NatureKidsBC 2022 Toolkit, Powerful Plants: seeking a contractor, application deadline April 30, 2022

Nature Kids BC is looking for a contractor to work with them to design their 2022 toolkit/resource kit. In 2021 the focus was on salmon. In 2022 it’s all about the power of plants in fighting climate change and empowering BC families to be part of the solution by improving their backyards, balconies and local green spaces. The focus is on native plants and stewardship through education, games and activities. The detailed job description is available by contacting Christina Chowaniec, Program Directors, NatureKidsBC at christina@naturekidsbc.ca. For more information on NatureKids BC see the website at https://naturekidsbc.ca. Deadline to apply is April 30, 2022.

PGNC News & Notes, March 24, 2022

PGNC Executive News
PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
Monday April 4, 2022, 7 p.m. PGNC Special Drawdown BC online event for members concerned about climate change
Friday March 25, 3:30 p.m., UNBC Room 7-212, NRES Institute and UNBC Student Chaper of the Wildlife Society (TWS): Recovering sea otters increase eelgrass genetic diversity, and show how restoration of species interactions can support resilience
Monday March 28, 6:30 p.m. Key Biodiversity Areas, The Exploration Place, virtual adult speaker series
Tuesday March 29, 7 p.m. on Zoom. Pollination and Pollinators: The love affair between pollinators and flowering plants
Do you have a backyard available for insect research?

Club News and EventsPGNC Executive News
The Executive met via Zoom on March 23 and confirmed the appointment of the Club’s officers: President Angelina Joiner, Vice-President Caitlin Zvanovec, Secretary Diana Corona Castro, Treasurer Sandra Kinsey, and BC Nature Director Dave Leman. The Executive plans to meet regularly to plan Club activities and events.

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
Thank you to everyone who is renewing memberships or joining the PGNC. Complete information on payment options is available any time at: https://pgnc.wordpress.com/membership/. 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 BC Nature magazine, liability insurance coverage for Club work parties and field trips, 10% discount on some bird seed purchased at Spruce Capital Feeds, and access to popular events limited to Club members only.

Monday April 4, 2022, 7 p.m. PGNC Special Drawdown BC online event for PGNC members concerned about climate change

Are you concerned about the impacts of climate change, and are you looking for ideas on ways you can help make a positive contribution to the problem? PGNC members and supporters are invited to attend a one-hour online event by Drawdown BC, specificially designed for our Club. Maximum registration is 40 participants. Anyone wishing to attend should email Dave Leman at dave@ecovisions.ca. Dave will build the participant list and send out Zoom meeting details to attendees a day or two ahead of the event.

What is Drawdown BC? It’s a volunteer-run organization dedicated to the education and engagement of ordinary citizens about some already identified climate solutions required to reverse global warming. See https://drawdownbc.org for more information.

In November 2021, BC Nature sponsored a 5 week series of online sessions put on by Drawdown BC. Drawdown BC relies on information and principles from Project Drawdown.

Project Drawdown’s stated mission is to help the world reach “drawdown”—the point in the future when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline, thereby stopping catastrophic climate change—as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible. More information on Project Drawdown is available here: https://drawdown.org/about

Other Events and News

Friday March 25, 3:30 p.m., UNBC Room 7-212, NRES Institute and UNBC Student Chaper of the Wildlife Society (TWS): Recovering sea otters increase eelgrass genetic diversity, and show how restoration of species interactions can support resilience.

On Friday, March 25th, 3:30 pm, the NRES Institute, in partnership with the UNBC Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society (TWS), will be presenting Dr. Erin Foster (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) who will be giving the virtual presentation “Recovering sea otters increase eelgrass genetic diversity, and show how restoration of species interactions can support resilience”.

Presenter is Dr. Erin Foster (Fisheries and Oceans Canada). Most knowledge about the role of predation in the workings of nature is ecological, focused on how predation influences community structure. However, many predators disturb plants and substrates when foraging. Some types of disturbance can increase genetic diversity, which can in turn influence species’ potential for adaptation and resilience. In this seminar, I will discuss how my colleagues and I tested the idea that sea otter (Enhydra lutris) digging – a foraging behaviour used to excavate prey from eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows – could cause disturbance, potentially influencing eelgrass reproductive strategies and genetic diversity. Sea otters once ranged across the Pacific Rim, but were driven to near-extinction by the mid-1850s. Sea otters are recovering in parts of their range, causing a mosaic of areas with and without otters, which we used to design a natural experiment comparing meadows from areas where otters were present for decades, a few years, or were absent. We found that eelgrass allelic richness and genotypic diversity were, respectively, 30 and 6% higher in meadows where otters were established for 20-30 years, than where they had recently arrived (<10 years), or were absent. We infer that otter digging disturbs eelgrass, increasing flowering compared to vegetative reproduction, and provides conditions for seed set and growth. We tested if meadow size, depth, and temperature affected eelgrass genetic diversity, but found the association between otters and eelgrass was strongest. When sea otter populations were severely reduced, their effects on eelgrass genetic diversity were lost. Our findings highlight an underappreciated evolutionary process by which sea otter recovery can contribute to ecological resilience, and illustrate a novel consequence of trophic downgrading that may apply broadly across systems where large fauna have been functionally eliminated. I will discuss these potential implications, and approaches we may use to evaluate such ideas.

This talk will be available to attend in-person in Room 7-212* or Online via the link below. Dr. Foster will be presenting remotely.

*Please note: Masks are recommended for those attending in person as per UNBC Policy. Thank you for your understanding.

Also note that at the request of the speaker this talk will not be recorded and thus won’t be able to put in the NRESi video archive for later viewing.

The best way to ensure access to the NRESi and FWCP webinars is to sign up for the NRESi weekly newsletter which contains all the access information for each event. If you would like to receive NRESi’s newsletter, updates on events and other announcements, please contact Al Wiensczyk at Al.Wiensczyk@unbc.ca or Art Fredeen at: Art.Fredeen@unbc.ca.

If you’re unable to access a webinar on the day it’s broadcast, here’s the link to the archive: https://video.unbc.ca/channel/NRESI/

Monday March 28, 6:30 p.m. Key Biodiversity Areas, The Exploration Place, virtual adult speaker series

The Exploration Place is hosting a virtual adult speaker series on March 28 on Key Biodiversity Areas. KDAs are sites that contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity. Ian Adams, BC Coordinator for Key Biodiversity Areas, will lead a presentation on what KBAs are, how they are recognized and what happens next. For more information about the topic and the presenter, and to register for this event, visit The Exploration Place website at https://tinyurl.com/badefvm9

Tuesday March 29, 7 p.m. on Zoom. Pollination and Pollinators: The love affair between pollinators and flowering plants.

Presented by the David Douglas Botanical Garden Society. Speaker is Paul van Westendorp, Apiculture Specialist for British Columbia. Register in advance for this meeting at REGISTER HERE or go to https://www.ddbotgarden.bc.ca Upcoming Events. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Paul was first introduced to bees and beekeeping about 60 years ago. His ongoing fascination with bees and their critical role in agriculture and the environment led to agricultural science studies at UBC with employment as summer student with the BC Ministry of Agriculture in the 1970s. After UBC, Paul was involved in apiculture research at the Agriculture Canada research station at Beaverlodge Alberta for several years. In the mid-1980s he moved to Uganda to manage an apiculture development project under the auspices of CARE International. Its objectives were to train subsistence farmers beekeeping management and generate supplemental income. He returned to Canada in 1987 and was appointed Provincial Apiarist of Alberta. When the equivalent position in BC became available in 1989, Paul was appointed BC’s Provincial Apiarist.

While honeybees have always been the prime focus of BC’ Apiculture Program, issues related to other pollinators including bumble bees, orchard bees and leafcutter bees have also been part of the portfolio. Familiarity with stinging insects and their behavior made it obvious for the Asian Giant Hornet file being assigned to the Apiculture Program. For details about BC’s Apiculture Program extension and educational services, please visit www.gov.bc.ca/apiculture and www.gov.bc.ca/foodforbees.

Do you have a backyard available for insect research?

Special request from Claire Paillard, Master’s Student at UNBC: I am a UNBC Master’s student looking to sample insects in the back yards of Prince George residences this summer. I am looking for yards with lawns, and with little or no pesticide use. It would involve me setting up five small pitfall traps spaced a meter apart in your yard. A pitfall trap is a small cup in the ground that traps insects. I would come by every two weeks between late May to August to collect specimens, giving you advance notice each time. This research would help teach us about how urbanization is impacting insects in Prince George and tell us what native and introduced species we can find right under our feet. If you are interested in providing a small amount of space in your yard this summer, please contact me at paillard@unbc.ca.

PGNC News & Notes, March 11, 2022

The PGNC Welcomes New Board of Directors
Monday April 4, 2022, 7 p.m. Special Drawdown BC online event for PGNC members concerned about climate change
Join BIMBY, the great BC butterfly search by March 14
Monday March 28, 6:30 p.m. Key Biodiversity Areas, The Exploration Place, virtual adult speaker series
Do you have a backyard available for insect research?

Club News and Events

The PGNC Welcomes New Board of Directors

The PGNC elected a new slate of directors at the AGM on March 3. Directors are Diana Corona Castro, Lauren Elviss, Sandra Hepburn, Angelina Joiner, Sandra Kinsey, Dave Leman, Cara Snell and Caitlin Zvanovec. Three of the new directors are UNBC students and a fourth will be attending UNBC in the fall. The Board is planning to meet soon on Zoom so everyone can get acquainted and build a work plan for the coming year. The officer positions will be filled at a future Executive meeting.

Monday April 4, 2022, 7 p.m. Special Drawdown BC online event for PGNC members concerned about climate change

In November 2021, BC Nature sponsored a 5 week series of online sessions put on by Drawdown BC. Drawdown BC relies on information and principles from Project Drawdown.

Join BIMBY, the great BC butterfly search by March 14

BIMBY (Butterflies in My Back Yard) is an ongoing effort to track the abundance and diversity of butterflies in B.C. If you live in BC, love butterflies and enjoy hanging out in nature, this project is for you. From February 28 to March 14, the David Suzuki Foundation will recruit volunteers to help document butterfly species in their communities starting in April.

In an April webinar, BIMBY volunteers will be trained to use iNaturalist (an app that allows people to identify plant, animal and insect species with smartphones and record information for researchers and other citizen scientists). Volunteers will then meet monthly from May to September. School participants will be invited to join a schoolyard BIMBY Bioblitz in June. Keen volunteers will also be trained to document butterflies along specific walking routes during the season.

If you are interested in joining the BIMBY project, please fill out the registration form at davidsuzuki.org/bimby by March 14.

The B.C.–based citizen science campaign is hosted by the David Suzuki Foundation on the iNaturalist platform, in partnership with UBC zoologist Michelle Tseng and UBC Botanical Garden associate director Tara Moreau. According to UBC’s E-Fauna B.C. website, at least 184 butterfly species can be found in the province, the most diverse in the country. Tseng says the latest data also show 10 of 19 endangered insects in B.C. are butterflies.

Like other wild pollinators, butterflies in B.C. are threatened by pesticides, climate change and habitat loss. The BIMBY project team hopes the data collected in 2022 will help present a clearer picture of B.C. butterfly health and help inform conservation efforts. According to Moreau, apart from using citizen science to create a baseline and document butterfly abundance and diversity in B.C., it is important “to see how this work can help to halt the loss of biodiversity and prevent extinction of species in B.C. These are the big global biodiversity goals for the next decade, and it would be great to showcase how we can connect baselining butterflies to halting their extinction.”

Monday March 28, 6:30 p.m. Key Biodiversity Areas, The Exploration Place, virtual adult speaker series

Do you have a backyard available for insect research?

PGNC News and Notes, May 4, 2021

Hudson’s Bay Wetland Nature Park
PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
Monday May 10, 6:30 p.m. The Exploration Place, Virtual Adult Speaker Series: Freshwater Misfits That Fit So Well
Peace Region of the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program Supports Mugaha Marsh Bird Banding Station
Have your say in the future of Jasper National Park

Club Events and News

The PGNC is currently not scheduling any outdoor events or activities due to the pandemic. We are hopeful that this will change in a fe w weeks if restrictions are lifted. In 2020 we were able to hold physically distanced work parties at Hudson’s Bay Wetland Nature Park, Carrie Jane Gray Park and Wilson Park. We are looking forward to doing similar work in 2021.

Hudson’s Bay Wetland Nature Park
This is an excellent time to go for a nature walk at Hudson’s Bay Wetland Nature Park in downtown Prince George. The Fraser River is rising rapidly, filling the channel between the river and Queensway Street with water. Young salmon seek refuge in the flooded channel during spring freshet.
On your walk you may see beaver, muskrat, fox and other mammals. The Park is a haven for birds, especially at the pond area west of Queensway. A Great Blue Heron and a Northern Shoveler were spotted recently. A long list of Wetland birds can be found on eBird: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L445353
The PGNC maintains four viewing platforms: two east of Queensway and two west of Queensway. Each platform has interpretive signs that describe the birds, mammals and fish that rely on these waters. Be sure to visit all four and enjoy what you find at each site.
There are several ways to access the Nature Park including the Heritage Trail, The Exploration Place parking lot, and the small parking lot on Queensway across from Regents Crescent.

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

Club members continue to renew their memberships online at https://pgnc.wordpress.com/membership/ or by mail. New members are also joining the Club. This support is much appreciated. Memberships can now be paid using eTransfer. No secret word is needed. Just send the e-Transfer to PrinceGeorgeNaturalistsClub@gmail.com and it goes directly into the club’s bank account.
BC Nature has changed how individual Club membership lists are kept so anyone more than three months in arrears will not receive BC Nature magazine or BC Nature’s monthly eNews.

Memberships run from January 1 to December 31 and are available online any time. Cost is $25 per calendar year for individuals, $40 for a family, and $15 for students. Information including payment by PayPal is available at: https://pgnc.wordpress.com/membership/. Payments by cheque can be mailed to Prince George Naturalists Club, PO Box 1092, Prince George BC V2L 4V2.

Benefits of membership: Subscription to BC Nature magazine, liability insurance coverage for Club work parties and field trips, 10% discount on some of the bird seed purchased at Spruce Capital Feeds, and access to popular events limited to Club members only.

Other Events and News

Monday May 10, 6:30 p.m. The Exploration Place, Virtual Adult Speaker Series: Freshwater Misfits That Fit So Well

This is a free online event. Registration is required: https://tinyurl.com/b5kx2cc9As some of the world’s rarest species, freshwater semi-aquatic mammals live in some of their most threatened habitats. Along with well-known species, such as the platypus, beavers, the common hippopotamus, and otters, more than 140 species of mammals around the globe make freshwater habitats their home.

This talk introduces you to how semi-aquatic mammals from around the world thrive in the intermediate realm between fully aquatic and fully terrestrial species. Their physical and behavioural adaptations have perplexed scientists for centuries and pushed our understanding of evolution along the way. Semi-aquatic mammals also show us the precarious nature of our natural world, and how concerted conservation efforts can overcome even the most daunting challenges.

Dr. Glynnis Hood is an ecologist and Professor of Environmental Science at the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus in Camrose. Before signing on with the university, she worked for 24 years in various protected areas, from Canada’s west coast to the subarctic. In July 2007, she left a 19-year career with Parks Canada’s warden service and followed her passion for teaching and research. Her research interests include aquatic ecology, wildlife ecology, and natural resource management. She is the author of Semi-aquatic mammals: Ecology and Biology and The Beaver Manifesto.

The Exploration Place is pleased to acknowledge that CBC Daybreak North – Northern British Columbia is the official media sponsor of the Adult Speaker Series. https://www.cbc.ca/

Peace Region of the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program Supports Mugaha Marsh Bird Banding Station

PGNC volunteers help with bird banding every fall at the Mackenzie Nature Observatory which operates the Mugaha Marsh Sensitive Area Bird Banding Station on the Parsnip Reach of the Williston Reservoir. The FWCP has awarded a grant of $20,475 in support of year 4 of a long-term, multi-year project that will add to 20-plus years of bird monitoring data. The 2021 data will provide important information on breeding bird population trends, distribution, and health, which can guide species conservation and habitat enhancement initiatives in the region.

Have your say in the future of Jasper National Park

Jasper National Park is pleased to resume its public consultation for the park management plan. A draft management plan for Jasper National Park has been created, using feedback from the initial phase of Indigenous and public engagement in 2019, and based on the success of previous plans. To hear what we’re planning for the next 10 years, please join us at a virtual information session. Virtual information sessions:

Wednesday, May 5, 2021, 1:30 pm–3:00 pm
Thursday, May 6, 2021, 6:00 pm–7:30 pm

Register for a session at letstalkmountainparks.ca/Jasper or email pc.opinion-jasper.pc@canada.ca.Sessions are identical.

What is a management plan? A management plan is the road map that guides Parks Canada’s work in your national parks. Topics in Jasper National Park’s draft management plan include:·

Ecological integrity (conservation, species at risk, invasive species, fire management, human-wildlife conflict)·
Managing visitor use·

Development and the community of Jasper·

Indigenous relations
Management plans are prepared in consultation with the public and Indigenous peoples. For complete details and response deadlines, go to: https://www.letstalkmountainparks.ca/Jasper

PGNC News & Notes, February 27, 2021

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
Report: Two Excellent February Events
Trans Mountain Expansion Project Reconsideration: Deadline March 1
Wednesday March 3, 12 noon, “Dammed if we don’t: Exploring opportunities to restore connectivity in rivers and streams and why it matters”
Friday March 5, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. NRESi Colloquium, Dynamics and Restoration of Whitebark Pine Ecosystems at their Northwest Limit
Saturday March 6, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Northern BC Virtual Seedy Saturday
Moose Winter Tick Monitoring Program

Club Events and News

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

We are very grateful that Club members continue to renew their memberships online or by mail. New members are also joining the Club. This support is much appreciated.

BC Nature has changed how individual Club membership lists are kept so anyone more than three months in arrears will not receive BC Nature magazine or BC Nature’s monthly eNews.

Other Events and News

Report: Two Excellent February Events
On February 8, Dr. Hugues Massicotte gave an overview of the challenges of studying fungi and explored some of the insights he has made over the years with colleagues at UNBC, including the intriguing myco-heterotrophic plants and the opportunities of myco-prospecting in northern BC. Over 100 people enjoyed his informative and entertaining presentation. Thanks to The Exploration Place for sponsoring this online presentation as part of their Virtual Adult Speaker Series.

On February 10, conservation specialist Rich Weir gave an online presentation on “A Tale of Two Populations: Why Are Fishers in the Peace Different from 200 km Away?” Just over 80 people watched the webinar which was sponsored by the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program and NRESi at UNBC. A PGNC club member reported that it was an A++ presentation both for the content and the presentation style of the speaker. It’s now available for viewing at the NRESi Colluquium archive: https://video.unbc.ca/channel/NRESI/

Trans Mountain Expansion Project Reconsideration: Deadline March 1

The Province of BC is seeking public comments on the Draft Provincial Reconsideration Report. Deadline to submit comments is March 1, 2021. For full information on the reconsideration report see:
https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/consultation/trans-mountain-expansion-project-reconsideration/

Wednesday March 3, 12 noon, “Dammed if we don’t: Exploring opportunities to restore connectivity in rivers and streams and why it matters”
Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program and NRES Institute Special Colloquium Presentation. Presenter is Dan Kraus, Senior Conservation Biologist, Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Ecological connectivity and wildlife corridors are often considered for terrestrial wildlife, but in many places in Canada it is our aquatic ecosystems that are most impacted by habitat fragmentation. Migratory fishes that depend on access to spawning and nursery habitats are often impeded by dams and other obstructions, including road-stream crossings. These barriers can compromise stock and species diversity, result in losses of annual recruitment and reduced production and harvests. Fragmentation of aquatic habitat connectivity can also impact nutrient flows, riparian processes and spread invasive species. Fortunately there are many actions that can help us to better understand and improve aquatic habitat connectivity. Using examples from the Great Lakes basin and case studies from the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Dan will explore some of the approaches to mapping and prioritizing barrier removal and the challenges and opportunities of reconnecting aquatic habitats.

Dan is the Senior Conservation Biologist with the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s national office. He is an expert on Canadian biodiversity and conservation and has recently written reports on a variety of topics including freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas in Canada and species at risk legislation. Dan also co-authored biodiversity conservation strategies for all four Canadian Great Lakes, co-led the first conservation assessment of Great Lakes islands, and prepared the State of the Great Lakes indicator on aquatic habitat connectivity. His current projects include developing Canada’s first list of nationally endemic species, a review of biodiversity in Canadian cities, and an assessment of biodiversity, threats and conservation responses across southern Canada. Dan often shares his passion about nature and the importance of conservation, and his editorials have appeared in media across Canada. He is a councillor on the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution, a member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, Deputy Chair of the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario and was a founding board member of the Ontario Invasive Plant Council. In his spare time, he is currently researching the socio-ecological drivers of wildlife extinction and recovery at the University of Waterloo. Prior to NCC, Dan worked with Parks Canada and as an environmental consultant. Dan lives at the headwaters of Bronte Creek in the Lake Ontario watershed where he enjoys chopping wood and raising happy chickens.

Friday March 5, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. NRESi Colloquium, Dynamics and Restoration of Whitebark Pine Ecosystems at their Northwest Limit
Sybille Haeussler, Adjunct Professor, UNBC, Smithers and Alana Clason, Post-doctoral Research, Bulkley Valley Research Centre, Smithers are the presenters. Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), western Canada’s first officially endangered tree, reaches its northwest limit in our backyard, the mountains of north central BC. Its huge, nutritious seeds are dispersed by a bird –the Clark’s Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana)–rendering it particularly vulnerable to a changing environment. Fifteen years ago, against the backdrop of BC’s devastating mountain beetle epidemic, the Bulkley Valley Research Centre in Smithers began a collaborative research program to better understand the dynamics of this curious tree species, and to develop practical techniques for restoring healthy whitebark pine ecosystems. For full background on this webinar see: https://tinyurl.com/52w94nu9

Members of the PGNC have found that the best way to ensure access to the NRESi and FWCP webinars is to sign up for the NRESi weekly newsletter which contains all the access information for each event. If you would like to receive NRESi’s newsletter, updates on events and other announcements, please contact Al Wiensczyk at Al.Wiensczyk@unbc.ca or Art Fredeen at: Art.Fredeen@unbc.ca.

If you’re unable to access a webinar on the day it’s broadcast, here’s the link to the archive: https://video.unbc.ca/channel/NRESI/

Saturday March 6, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Northern BC Virtual Seedy Saturday
The PGNC has participated in Seedy Saturday events for many years. Sponsored by Prince George Master Gardeners and David Douglas Botanical Garden Society, the event is going online this year. Host is Seeds of Diversity. SIGN UP HERE: https://tinyurl.com/b9xsuhax After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Moose Winter Tick Monitoring Program

The Province is running a Moose Winter Tick Monitoring Program from January 1 to April 30. Provincial wildlife biologists are asking for our help in promoting moose health and controlling potentially-deadly winter moose tick infestations. It’s easy to participate. All you need are keen eyes and a love of the great outdoors. Here’s the link to the survey information: https://tinyurl.com/y2ayhbl6

PGNC News and Notes, February 7, 2021

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
Monday February 8, 6:30 p.m. Dr. Hugues Massicotte, “Planet fungi, underground connections and myco-prospecting”, The Exploration Place Virtual Adult Speaker Series
Wednesday February 10, 12 noon, Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program presentation, “A Tale of Two Populations: Why Are Fishers in the Peace Different from 200 km Away?”
Friday February 12, NRESi Colloquium, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Survival How? Pandemics, Transgressions and Education for the Anthropocene. Dr. Alex Lautensach, School of Education, UNBC
Seedy Saturday Online, February 19 to 21
Trans Mountain Expansion Project Reconsideration
Moose Winter Tick Monitoring Program
Request for information on Erythranthe lewisii / Mimulus lewisii

Club Events and News

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

We are very grateful that Club members continue to renew their memberships online or by mail. New members are also joining the Club. This support is much appreciated.

BC Nature has changed how individual Club membership lists are kept so anyone more than three months in arrears will not receive BC Nature magazine or BC Nature’s monthly eNews.

Other Events and News

Monday February 8, 6:30 p.m. Dr. Hugues Massicotte, “Planet fungi, underground connections and myco-prospecting”, The Exploration Place Virtual Adult Speaker Series
In this presentation, “Planet fungi, underground connections and myco-prospecting”, Dr. Massicotte will give an overview of the challenges of studying fungi, and will explore some of the insights he has made over the years with colleagues at UNBC, including the intriguing myco-heterotrophic plants and the opportunities of myco-prospecting in northern BC.

Dr. Massicotte retired as Full Professor from the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), Canada, in the summer of 2020 and is now Adjunct Professor with the Ecosystem Science and Management Program. He remains fascinated by the natural history of fungi and plants, and still feels he knows far too little about them.
Attendance is free but advance registration is required. Here’s the link to the registration information you need to enjoy this talk by one of the Prince George Naturalists Club’s favourite presenters: https://tinyurl.com/2mbv6yku

Wednesday February 10, 12 noon, Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program presentation
Join carnivore conservation specialist Rich Weir for “A Tale of Two Populations: Why Are Fishers in the Peace Different from 200 km Away?” Find out about one of the rarest mammals in the Peace Region, the key role fishers play in local low-elevation forests, and what is being done to conserve their habitat.
Known to have among the fastest burst speed of any land mammal in North America and an unequaled ability to prey on porcupines, fishers are a housecat-sized carnivore that live around us in the forests of central and northern BC. Fishers are one of the rarest mammals in the Peace and Williston regions, but they play a key role in low-elevation forests throughout these areas. Come hear Rich Weir talk about this fascinating species and learn about what is being done in the Peace and Williston regions to conserve this vital part of our forested ecosystems. Rich Weir is the Carnivore Conservation Specialist for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy in Victoria. Fascinated with ‘all the little killers’ since an undergraduate student, Rich has done field studies on fishers across BC over the past 30 years and is a leading expert on the species. This event is funded by the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP). The FWCP is a partnership between BC Hydro, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, First Nations, Public Stakeholders and the Province of BC, to conserve and enhance fish and wildlife in watersheds impacted by existing BC Hydro dams.
The presentations are free, and no pre-registration is required. Contact al.wiensczyk@unbc.ca to request the passcode and get the Zoom link.

Friday February 12, NRESi Colloquium, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Survival How? Pandemics, Transgressions and Education for the Anthropocene. Dr. Alex Lautensach, School of Education, UNBC
The CoViD-19 pandemic has caught much of humanity by surprise, despite repeated warnings by the scientific community. Yet, the pandemic also represents a multidimensional learning opportunity. It illustrates the human predicament in the Anthropocene in its exponential growth patterns and dynamics. Based on his latest book, Dr. Lautensach will interpret the Anthropocene as a period of population anomaly and transition, governed by significant choices and patterns of behaviour regarding resource use and ‘development’. Education in the sciences, the social disciplines and the humanities can contribute significantly to our successes or failures with respect to the environmental, socio-political, economic and health-related challenges to future human security. A crucial potential influence comes from cultural learning at the individual and collective levels, particularly involving cultures learning from each other.
Contact al.wiensczyk@unbc.ca to request the passcode and get the Zoom link.
To see the full schedule of NRESI/FWCP webinars from now until April, check this link: https://www2.unbc.ca/nres-institute/colloquium-series.

Members of the PGNC have found that the best way to ensure access to the webinars is to sign up for the NRESi weekly newsletter which contains all the access information for each event. If you would like to receive NRESi’s newsletter, updates on event and other announcements, please contact Al Wiensczyk at Al.Wiensczyk@unbc.ca or Art Fredeen at: Art.Fredeen@unbc.ca.
If you’re unable to access the webinar on the day it’s broadcast, here’s the link to the archive: https://video.unbc.ca/channel/NRESI/

Seedy Saturday Online, February 19 to 21

BC’s First Collaborative Virtual Seedy Saturday Conference: Seed Saving. Want to know more about saving seed for yourself and others? Join FarmFolk/City Folk and Seedy Saturday organizers on February 19 to 21. For details and registration information see: http://www.bcseeds.org/2021-bc-seedy-saturday-virtual-conference/

Trans Mountain Expansion Project Reconsideration

Moose Winter Tick Monitoring Program

Request for information on Erythranthe lewisii / Mimulus lewisii
Message from Mackenzie Urquhart-Cronish, PhD student, Botany Department, UBC, to the PGNC: I am a PhD student studying the geographic distribution and natural history of the native plant pink monkeyflower (Erythranthe lewisii or Mimulus lewisii). The Prince George region is the North-Eastern range limit for E. lewisii and I am looking to compile a list of current occurrence records to identify potential sites where I would apply for permission to conduct minimally invasive sampling of leaf tissue (to be used to extract DNA for genomic analyses).

While there are a few Herbarium records from the region, many are over 20 years old. Erythranthe lewisii is a riparian plant species and populations are prone to environmental disturbances (e.g., flooding), so older records are less reliable. So far, I know of current occurrence records in Kakwa Provincial Park (iNaturalist with images and coordinates), and have heard that the plant might occur in Evanoff Provincial Park along Fang Mountain Trail (but have not seen any photographic evidence, herbarium collections, or GPS coordinates from populations within the Park). If your organization is able to put me in touch with any local Botanists or Native Plant experts in your region, I would be grateful.
Note: If you have information or photos you would like to share, you can send them directly to Mackenzie at murquhart@zoology.ubc.ca.

PGNC News and Notes, Nov. 8, 2020

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
Monday November 9, The Exploration Place, 7 p.m. Virtual Adult Speaker Series, The Muskwa-Kechika Management Area
TWS Student Chapter 2020 Photo Contest: deadline November 13
Friday November 18, NRESi-sponsored Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, noon to 1:30 p.m. Navigating the Uncertain and Difficult Road to Restoration and Recovery of Klinse-Za Caribou
Project FeederWatch, November 2020 to April 2021

Prince George Naturalists Club Events and News
No in-person Club events are in the works at this time due to the pandemic. The Club is happy to promote virtual events sponsored by other organizations. See below for details.

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
Club members continue to renew their memberships online or by mail. New members are also joining the Club. This support is much appreciated. BC Nature has changed how individual Club membership lists are kept so anyone more than three months in arrears will not receive BC Nature magazine or BC Nature’s monthly eNews.
Memberships are available online any time. Cost is $25 per calendar year for individuals, $40 for a family, and $15 for students. Information including payment by PayPal is available at: https://pgnc.wordpress.com/membership/. Membership cheques and forms can also be mailed to PGNC, PO Box 1092, Prince George BC V2L 4V2.
Benefits of membership: Subscription to BC Nature magazine, liability insurance coverage for Club work parties and field trips, 10% discount on some of the bird seed purchased at Spruce Capital Feeds, and access to popular events limited to Club members only.

Other Events and News

Monday November 9, The Exploration Place, 7 p.m. Virtual Adult Speaker Series, The Muskwa-Kechika Management Area

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

The Muskwa-Kechika Management Area (M-KMA) in northern British Columbia is globally significant for its size, special resource management, and cultural and ecological values. These characteristics were secured in perpetuity through the British Columbian Government’s M-KMA Act in 1998. However, low public awareness and engagement is seen as a threat to the M- KMA’s effectiveness and longevity. By using a mixed methods approach, this research explores the role of awareness and engagement in safeguarding the M-KMA using interviews and a media review, both of which have informed a public survey. This presentation will explore the contemporary challenges facing the M-KMA and will share some preliminary results.

About the presenter: Originally from the Lower Mainland, Rachelle Linde moved to northern BC for the educational opportunities available at UNBC in the Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management Program. A series of exciting and variable summer jobs in the environmental education and recreation world eventually led Rachelle back to her love for research. Now, Rachelle is a UNBC graduate student in the Masters of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies program studying public involvement and approaches to engage citizenry in place protection

We are pleased to acknowledge that CBC Daybreak North – Northern British Columbia is the official media sponsor of the Adult Speaker Series. https://www.cbc.ca/Listen to CBC Radio Daybreak North the morning of November 9 to hear a short interview with the evening’s presenter

TWS Student Chapter 2020 Photo Contest: deadline November 13

From UNBC’s Student Chapter of The Fish and Wildlife Society: Our annual calendar contest is here! Submit your best wildlife and/or fisheries photo for a chance to be featured in our 2021 calendar! Submissions will be open November 2-13 on our yogile album. Cost to enter is $5/photo (maximum 5 photos per person). $1/extra photo for sutudent chapter members, $2/extra photo for non members. Photos should be 8×10. Voting will be held for people’s choice and top 3 on November 20th. Proceeds from the calender sales go to support Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter! Please send us an email at tws@unbc.ca if you have any questions! For more details follow this link: http://tws.unbc.ca

Friday November 18, NRESi-sponsored Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, noon to 1:30 p.m. Navigating the Uncertain and Difficult Road to Restoration and Recovery of Klinse-Za Caribou
The Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) sponsored NRESi colloquium will be taking place on Wednesday, November 18^th from noon-1:30 pm. The presenter for this special colloquium is Dr. Scott McNay, Senior Wildlife and Forest Ecologist, Wildlife Infometrics, Inc. Scott will be giving a talk entitled, “Navigating the uncertain and difficult road to restoration and recovery of Klinse-Za caribou.” While there are no examples of caribou populations that have been fully recovered from near extirpation, that is the objective shared by Canada, British Columbia, and two First Nations communities for the Klinse-Za caribou herd. Having used direct population management to successfully avert extirpation of the herd in the short-term, restoration of human-altered caribou habitat is now the fundamental management action being used to achieve a self-sustaining population. But the way to achieve the necessary restoration is fraught with uncertainty and socio- and economic-challenges. I will discuss why restoration is so fundamental to recovery, what habitat restoration actually is, what some of the implementation challenges have been, what we have accomplished so far, and what is left to achieve.

This event is funded by the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP). The FWCP is a partnership between BC Hydro, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, First Nations, Public Stakeholders and the Province of BC, to conserve and enhance fish and wildlife in watersheds impacted by existing BC Hydro dams. Please email Al.Wiensczyk@unbc.ca to obtain the passcode and then click the link below to join the webinar:https://ca01web.zoom.us/j/62202042284 Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): Canada: +1 647 374 4685 or +1 647 375 2970 or +1 647 375 2971 or +1 778 907 2071 or +1 204 272 7920 or +1 438 809 7799 or +1 587 328 1099 or +1 613 209 3054

Project FeederWatch, November 2020 to April 2021
Looking for something to do this winter that’s both inspiring and useful? Join the North America-wide flock of bird lovers who participate in Project FeederWatch as citizen scientists. You don’t even need a feeder. Here’s the link to get you going: https://feederwatch.org/about/project-overview/

PGNC News and Notes, October 16, 2020

Friday October 16, NRESi Colloquium, 3:30 p.m. Webinar: Supplemental Feeding and Endangered Caribou Populations
Monday October 19, The Exploration Place, 7 p.m. Virtual Adult Speaker Series, The Impact of Climate Change on Mountain Ranges
2020 Phenomenal Mushroom Season

Prince George Naturalists Club Events and News
No in-person Club events are in the works at this time. The Club is happy to promote virtual events sponsored by other organizations. See below for details.

Other Events and News

Friday October 16, NRESi Colloquium, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Webinar: Supplemental Feeding and Endangered Caribou Populations

The presenter for this colloquium is Doug Heard, RPBio, Adjunct Professor, UNBC, who will be giving the talk “Can Supplemental Feeding Promote Growth in Endangered Caribou Populations? A Test of the Aesop Hypothesis”Increased predation risk may be preventing caribou from surfing the green wave, compromising their nutritional status and contributing to population declines. To test that hypothesis, we fed high-quality food pellets to free-ranging caribou in the Kennedy Siding herd each fall for 6 years. Supplemental feeding appeared to increase population growth. Was Aesop right in concluding that “It’s better to eat simply in peace than to feast in terror”?
Please contact Al Wiensczyk, Research Manager at Al.Wiensczyk@unbc.ca for the webinar link and passcode.

Monday October 19, The Exploration Place, 7 p.m., Virtual Adult Speaker Series, The Impact of Climate Change on Mountain Ranges

Please note* Zoom link will be available one hour prior to the event.

Presenter is Dr. Joseph Shea, Assistant Professor, Environmental Geomatics at UNBC. Mountains are the proverbial canary in the coal mine when it comes to climate change, and the impacts of climate change on high elevation regions will be felt far downstream. Mountain glaciers and snowpacks are critical sources of seasonal streamflow and soil moisture. Mountains provide unique habitats and ecological niches and support a huge range of biodiversity. And mountains are seeing some of the greatest rates of warming observed on the planet. This talk will focus on ongoing and future research in mountains both near and far, identify how and why mountains are changing so fast, highlight the challenges in collecting data from high elevations, and hopefully generate a mountain of discussion. About the presenter: Born and raised in Southwestern Ontario, Dr. Joseph Shea has moved from the Hamilton “Mountain” to conduct research on snow, ice, and water in mountain ranges around the planet. His research is focused on measuring and modelling the impact of climate change at high elevations, and the application of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS, aka drones) and satellites for change detection. After completing his PhD in 2010 and conducting post-doctoral research at UNBC, he spent 4 years in Nepal with his family working in the Himalayas before returning to Prince George. When he’s not parenting three fantastic kids he trail runs, mountain bikes, and skis, and can be occasionally seen around town performing with his band The Ebbs. We are pleased to acknowledge that CBC Daybreak North – Northern British Columbia is the official media sponsor of the Adult Speaker Series. https://www.cbc.ca/

2020 Phenomenal Mushroom Season
Mushrooms in Prince George are well covered this morning by a layer of wet snow. Here’s a link to a September 28 article about one of the best years ever for local fungi lovers: https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/news/wet-weather-later-frost-extends-mushroom-season-1.24211567

PGNC News and Notes, August 5, 2020

Prince George Naturalists Club, Invasive Plant Cleanup, Carrie Jane Gray Park, Saturday August 8, 9 a.m. to 12 noon
Prince George Naturalists Club, Weed Pull, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday August 15, Hudson’s Bay Wetland
PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
A Wolverine Experience

Prince George Naturalists Club Events and News

Prince George Naturalists Club, Invasive Plant Cleanup, Carrie Jane Gray Park, Saturday August 8, 9 a.m. to 12 noon

Come on out on Saturday August 8 to help remove invasive Himalayan Balsam at Carrie Jane Gray Park in Prince George. This pretty pink flower grows so well it crowds out our native species. We don’t want the seeds floating down the channel toward the Fraser River. It’s an annual that dies off in the fall, leaving the stream bank open to more erosion. For more information about Himalayan balsam and common tansy see: http://nwipc.org/invasive-plants

Long pants, long-sleeved shirts and sturdy, water-proof footwear are recommended (no sandals or open-toed shoes) as we may be working in wet areas. If possible, bring your own hand tool for cutting off flowers and seed heads, work gloves and a personal water bottle. Bring personal hand sanitizer if possible. Long bladed trimmers are also useful. The Club will provide garbage bags as well as extra work gloves and clippers if someone needs them, and also sanitizer for disinfecting tools. The work is suitable for adults and teens.

We will meet in the small gravel parking lot behind the ball diamonds to sign a waiver and review how to remove the plants. There are two access roads from Massey Drive. The first is north of the new firehall currently under construction. The second is at Laverdure Way, behind the YWCA, past the horseshoe pits, then follow the paved road. You’ll see us in the small gravel parking lot at the far end of Carrie Jane Gray Park. This event is open to members and non-members. We’re hoping to get at least ten people out to help as there is lots of room for social distancing. For more information, email Sandra at sjkinsey@direct.ca, voice: 250.963.8381 and text: 250.617.8381.

Prince George Naturalists Club, Weed Pull, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday August 15, Hudson’s Bay Wetland

The Prince George Naturalists Club will hold another weed pull at Hudson’s Bay Wetland to remove common tansy and other invasive plants. We will be working at the Club’s observation deck located east of Queensway and north of the channel.

Club members (and potential Club members) are invited to meet in the parking lot at The Exploration Place at 9 a.m. for waiver signing and a quick introduction to techniques for removing tansy. For those arriving after 9 a.m., the observation deck is also accessible from the foot of Ingledew Street at 20th Avenue. There is space for parking and a gate into Lheidli T’enneh Park. You will see and hear us on your right as you walk in on the paved path.

Bring your favourite hand tool for cutting off flowers and seed heads, or your favourite shovel for digging tansy, as well as work gloves and a personal water bottle. Participants should consider wearing long pants and sturdy footwear as the tansy is growing in long grass. Bring personal hand sanitizer if possible. The Club will provide garbage bags, extra work gloves, and clippers if someone needs them, along with disinfectant for cleaning gloves and tools. The work is suitable for adults and teens. There’s work for all levels of ability and there’s lots of room for social distancing. For more information, email Sandra at sjkinsey@direct.ca, voice: 250.963.8381 and text: 250.617.8381.

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

The Executive is very pleased that Club members continue to renew their memberships online or by mail. BC Nature has changed how individual Club membership lists are kept so anyone more than three months in arrears will not receive BC Nature magazine or the monthly eNews from them.

Memberships are available online any time. Cost is $25 per calendar year for individuals, $40 for a family, and $15 for students. Information including payment by PayPal is available at: https://pgnc.wordpress.com/membership/.

Benefits of membership: Subscription to BC Nature magazine, liability insurance coverage for Club field trips, 10% discount on bird seed purchased at Spruce Capital Feeds, and access to popular events limited to Club members only.

Other Events and News

The Exploration Place Weekly Challenge for Citizen Scientists

The Museum is running a weekly Nature Challenge for citizen scientists in conjunction with BC Parks Foundation. Lisa Connor of The Exploration Place just posted this week’s challenge called Clownin’ Around. Here’s the information: Finishing up International Clown Week has us wondering just how many jesters can be found in nature. From fish to funny antics of squirrels, we think this is a great way to tickle our funny bones by having you send in your thoughts, photos and videos depicting clowns found everyday clowning around making you laugh and smile. Points will be awarded for all submissions to be traded into our Nature Exchange upon reopening.

Information about the weekly challenges is available at The Exploration Place Nature Exchange Facebook group. Nature Exchange “encourages people of all ages to appreciate nature and learn about the biological and physical components of our environment, through observation, background research, and responsible collecting”.The Prince George Naturalists Club will be participating in the Museum’s weekly Nature Challenge, with more details to come soon.

A Wolverine Experience

From Mike Nash: Attached is an image of a rare encounter with a wolverine while I was descending off Little Shovel Pass on the Skyline Trail last week. It ran across scree in the gully just below me and up to the snow patch on the other side, where it sprawled in the snow to cool off. This was my third wolverine sighting in 42 years of roaming the mountains of western Canada. It was fairly close for a wolverine sighting at about 150 metres initially, ranging to 200 metres at the snow patch. Of my other two sightings, one was much more distant from a high ridge in Erg Mountain Provincial Park and the other was an astonishing face-to-face (two metre) standoff while bushwhacking around an alpine lake below Viking Ridge in BC’s Sugarbowl-Grizzly Den Provincial Park. This latest one was in between distance wise.

PGNC News and Notes, July 22, 2020

PGNC Weed Pull, 9 a.m. Sunday July 26, Hudson’s Bay Wetland
PGNC Annual General Meeting
PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals
The Exploration Place closed until spring 2021
City of Prince George Seeking Feedback on Pidherny Recreation Site
Two Revitalized Trails in the Inland Rainforest
The Exploration Place Weekly Challenge for Citizen Scientists

Prince George Naturalists Club Events and News

Prince George Naturalists Club Weed Pull, 9 a.m. Sunday July 26, Hudson’s Bay Wetland

The Prince George Naturalists Club will hold its first weed pull of the year, to remove common tansy and other invasive plants at the Hudson’s Bay Wetland. Club members are invited to meet in the parking lot at The Exploration Place at 9 a.m. for waiver signing and a quick introduction to techniques for removing tansy. Bring your favourite hand tool for cutting off flowers and seed heads, or your favourite shovel for digging tansy, as well as work gloves and a personal water bottle. Participants should consider wearing long pants and waterproof footwear, and bring personal hand sanitizer if possible. The Club will provide garbage bags, extra work gloves, and clippers if someone needs them, along with disinfectant for cleaning gloves and tools. There’s work for all levels of ability and there’s lots of room for social distancing. The work is suitable for adults and teens. For more information, email Sandra at sjkinsey@direct.ca, voice: 250.963.8381 and text: 250.617.8381.

Prince George Naturalists Club Annual General Meeting

The pandemic lockdown in March meant that the Club’s Annual General Meeting had to be postponed. We will be looking for a suitable venue that meets all the requirements for in-person gatherings during the pandemic.The current Executive is serving until a date can be set, hopefully in the fall and with an in-person meeting rather than online.

The current Executive includes Vice-President Heather Meier, Treasurer Sandra Kinsey, Secretary Anne Hogan, BC Nature Director Dave Leman, David Breault, Blaire Smith and Sandra Hepburn. There are currently three vacancies on the Executive. Anyone who would like to participate in the Executive now can email princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com for details. Essential business is being conducted by email until the Executive can meet again in person.

At this time in the Club’s history it’s important for new people to get involved and provide leadership to the Club. We encourage Club members to think about volunteering for the Executive.

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

Members continue to renew their memberships online or by mail. BC Nature has changed how individual Club membership lists are kept so anyone more than three months in arrears will not receive BC Nature magazine or the monthly eNews from them.

The Exploration Place closed until spring 2021

The Exploration Place has been a valuable partner with the PGNC since 2013 when the Club held its first monthly presentation nights at the Museum. We were sad to learn that the Museum will not be re-opening its doors until spring of 2021 as staff work on renovating the galleries, access points and interpretation. For all the details see the Museum’s recent media release: https://tinyurl.com/ybtpg7h7. We are very grateful for all the support the Museum has provided to the Club over the past seven years and we look forward to working together again next spring. In the meantime we expect to work on virtual projects together.

Other Events and News

City of Prince George Seeking Feedback on Pidherny Recreation Site

The City of Prince George is seeking feedback from the public about the use of one of the City’s increasingly popular outdoor recreation destinations. In recent years, Pidherny Recreation Site has seen a steady increase in visitations from outdoor recreation enthusiasts, such as hikers, dog walkers, and mountain bikers in particular, including visitors from out of town.

Full details including links to a survey and an interactive map are here: https://news.princegeorge.ca/en/news/city-seeking-feedback-on-pidherny-recreation-site.aspx Feedback will be accepted until August 4.

Two Revitalized Trails in the Inland Rainforest

Conservation North and Save-The-Cedar League have been working this summer to revitalize the Morkill Old Growth Cedar Trail and the Goat River Canyon Trail. Detailed directions to access these trails are on the Conservation North website: https://conservationnorth.org/fresh-trails/

The Exploration Place Weekly Challenge for Citizen Scientists

The Museum is running a weekly Nature Challenge for citizen scientists in conjunction with BC Parks Foundation. Last week the Challenge celebrated World Snake Day on July 16. Information about the weekly challenges is available at The Exploration Place Nature Exchange Facebook group. Nature Exchange “encourages people of all ages to appreciate nature and learn about the biological and physical components of our environment, through observation, background research, and responsible collecting”.The Prince George Naturalists Club will be participating in the Museum’s weekly Nature Challenge in August, with more details to come soon.

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Prince George Naturalists Club Events and News

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