The Federation of British Columbia Naturalists ISSN 0223 ... · The Federation of British Columbia...

$: The Federation of British Columbia Naturalists ISSN 0223 ... · The Federation of British Columbia Naturalists is an umbrella organization for over 50 naturalist clubs province-\vide,$
The Federation of British Columbia Naturalists ISSN 0223 8842

To Know Nature - And To Keep It Worth Knowing

BC Naturalist is published four times a yearby the Federation of BC Naturalists

425-1367 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BCV6H 4A9

Bulk Mail Registration Number 0448607299

ISSN 0228-8842

Ckodaooa; 6,000

Printed by College Printers, Vancouver

BC Naturalist

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Features Editor: vacantDepartments Editor vacantProduction Editors: Alex Jamieson.Martine Kkassen, Dannie CarsonEditing/Proofing: Sean Mitchell, JohnChandler, Rhys GriffithsAdvertising: Martine Klaassen tel; 604-605-6962 fax: 604-738-7173

DEADLINES FOR 1998AU advertisements and submissions should beforwarded to the FBCN Office by thefollowing deadlines:

Deadline15 November25 January

EditionJanuaryMatchAugustNovember

25 June25 September

Distribution date is the first of the editionmonth.

CONTENTS

Natural HistoryMountain Caribou 3New BC Bird List 4Black-throated Sparrow 5

ConservationConservation Covenants 6Bird Studies Canada 7Multilateral Agreement on Investment 9Parks Legacy Questionnaire 11Endangered Rivers Nomination Form .... 13

Regular FeaturesPresident's Report 15Your Federation is Working for You 16FBCN Foundation 18Notable Naturalists 19Club Chat 20Recent Publications 23Perspectives 29Club List 30Up & Coming 31

Special NoticesFBCN Exploratory Camp 14Fall FBCN Camp Notice 19South Okanagan Camp Notice 22Annual General Meeting Registration....24Special Resolutions Notice 26Fall General Meeting Notice 31

About the Federation of BC Naturalists...

The Federation of British Columbia Naturalists is an umbrella organization forover 50 naturalist clubs province-\vide, representing over 5,300 members. Weare bird watchers, botanizers, hikers, campers and outdoor enthusiasts who arejoined together by our enjoyment and concern for British Columbia's naturalhistory.

The Federation has provided a unified voice for naturalist clubs since 1969whose input is valued and respected throughout British Columbia as reasoned,informed, and non-confrontational.

The Federation of BC Naturalists and Land For Nature are located at: 425 -1367 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V6H 4A9. FBCN tel: 604-737-3057Land For Nature tel: 604-737-3191, FBCN/LFN fax: 604-738-7173 email:[email protected]. Hours of operation 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday-Friday.Visitors and volunteers welcome. Please call first to ensure someone will be inthe office.

FBCN Office Manager: Leslie-Ann DrurnrnondLand for Nature Director: vacant

This Organization is supported by:

Province of British ColumbiaMinistry of Small Business, Tourism and Culture

Maitland and CompanyBarristers and Solicitors

Ross McCutcheon- partner700-625 Howe Street

Vancouver, B.C V6C 2T6

Mahmoud ViraniChartered Accountant

711-4O2 West Fender StreetVancouver, B.C V6ft 1T6

March 1998

Cover: Caribou by

Jonathan Grant

BC Naturalist Page 2

Natural History

Purcell Mountain CaribouResearch - Shedding New Light

The East Kootenay Environmental Society (EKES) has beencoordinating an inventory and research project on themountain caribou (Rangifer tarandus) herd of the southernPurcell Mountains since 1992. The research gathersinformation so that forest managers can maintain caribouhabitat and ensure the survival of mountain caribou in thearea. This is one of the most extensive research programs inNorth America on this species.

Although mountain caribou are an ecotype of woodlandcaribou, they are unique in that they eat only tree lichens formost of the winter and are well adapted to very deepsnowpack conditions. They are a key indicator species for thehealth of old growth forests of the interior wetbelt and are asecologically and symbolically important to this zone as werebuffalo to the prairies. Before 1900, mountain caribou rangedthroughout the Kootenays, into the Okanagan Highlands, northto Prince George, and south into Idaho, Montana, andWashington. Now, much of this range has been lost to humanland use and there are only about 2700 mountain caribou leftin the world. Within thesouthern Purcell Mountains, \between Invermere and theU.S. border, there are less thanone hundred remaining.mountain caribou have evolvedto depend on old growthforests, and because we arecutting down these forests at anunprecedented rate, the caribouare now listed as a threatenedecotype in British Columbia.

Many herds of mountaincaribou, including the one in the Purcell Mountains, havelimited reproductive success and a high natural mortality. Anyincrease in human activity near their habitat could have severeimpacts on their populations. Habitat alteration throughlogging, hydro-reservoir construction, and human-inducedfires have reduced and fragmented the suitable caribou rangeand exposed the animals to increased predation. Poaching andpoor winter recreational practices also threaten caribou.

In the southern Purcells, mountain caribou spend most of theirtime in open, higher elevation old growth forests of subalpinefir (Abies lasiocarpa), Englemann spruce (Picea englemanni)and whitebark pine (Finns albicaulis). During some seasons,caribou can also use old growth stands of cedar (Thujaplicata) and hemlock (Tsuga sp.), or lodgepole pine (Finnscontorta). In summer, caribou graze on a wide variety ofsedges, grasses, and flowers found in alpine meadows andopen forests. In early winter, some caribou move to lowerelevations where the snow is shallow and they can dig through

the snow for evergreen shrubs like falsebox (Pachistimamyrsinites) and grouseberry (Vacciniunm scoparium). Aswinter caribou seek stands of trees where the snow is deep andthe trees well spaced, the extra lift of the settled snowcapallows caribou to reach the abundant lichen found on thehigher branches of the trees.

Thousands of years of evolution have made caribou theultimate winter walkers. Their hooves and dew claws are likesnowshoes in that they spread out as they walk, distributingthe animals weight over a larger area. By digging the sharpedges of their hooves into ice or hard snow, caribou can walkon ice without slipping! Caribou also sport a double-thick furcoat specially adapted for frosty days. The inner layer is athick crimped fur which traps air wanned by the body. Theouter layer of the coat consists of long, hollow guard hairswhich provides insulation. When the guard hairs lie flatagainst the animal's body, they help to shed rain and snow. Inspring, the caribou shed their thick winter coat, the fur comingoff in great clumps, and a new lightweight coat growing in.

Caribou in the Purcell Mountains travel over large areas,inhabiting portions of the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy andthe new Kianuko Park. However, the caribou spend most oftheir time outside of protected areas in the Invermere,

:. Kootenay Lake, and Cranbrook- - •£ Forest Districts. In Cranbrook, only

3% of the useable forest is oldgrowth, most of which is slated tobe logged. Similarly, Buhl Creek (amaj or tributary of theSkookumchuk River in theInvermere District), which is themost important untouchedwatershed where the Purcell herdlives, is also scheduled for logging.

Caribou Management Guidelines inthe Kootenay Region now require

retention of the subalpine parkland and partial retention ofmid-elevation forests in locations that are designated ascaribou management areas. However, even with theguidelines, the amount of logging permitted threatens caribouas critical habitat is lost and the animals become moresusceptible to predation. mountain caribou have evolved adefense strategy of being spread out over a large area andliving in habitats having few other prey species, so theyseldom encounter predators. As logging is pushed deeper intountouched valleys (e.g. Buhl Creek) and into higher elevationsthat formerly had almost continuous blankets of old growth,ungulates such as moose (Alces alces), deer (Odocoileus sp.)and elk (Cervus elaphus) follow. With them come predatorssuch as cougars (Felis concolor) which find caribou to be easyprey. If mountain caribou populations are to be sustained forthe future, Forestry Caribou Management Guidelines must bestrengthened and unsustainable Annual Allowable Cutssignificantly lowered, particularly in the mid and low elevation

March 1998 BC Naturalist Page 3

Natural History

old growth forest habitat It must be recognized that a furtherdecrease in already limited caribou habitat could lead toextirpation of mountain caribou in southeastern BritishColumbia.

The East Kootenay Environmental Society (EKES) is workingin the community and with government ministries to promoteresource extraction and other human activities that respectecological values. In a world of declining biological diversity,we can no longer afford the kind of habitat destruction that wehave seen in the past. Development decisions made todayaffect generations to come; basing those decisions on the bestdata available is the responsibility of this generation.Therefore, EKES is developing a planning tool to ensure thesurvival of a sustainable caribou population within theKootenay Region. By studying the movement patterns andhabitat needs of the mountain caribou, a Multivariate HabitatModel has been developed. By taking into considerationseveral forest cover and topographical variables, this model

can evaluate the value to caribou of any location in each of thefour seasons. The model provides a valuable tool in planningfor resource extraction while ensuring the survival of themountain caribou population.

Historically, caribou gave sustenance to whole cultures ofnative peoples. Furthermore, caribou meat fed railway workersduring the construction of the CP Railway, the voyageurs, thefur traders, and the Klondikers as they opened up Canada'svast wilderness. They are of such national significance that wehave even placed the caribou on the Canadian 25 cent piece.We cannot afford to lose these magnificent creatures and it isgoing to require a major effort by concerned people to ensurethe continued survival of mountain caribou.

Paula Rodriguez de la Vega is a project staff ecologist workingon the Endangered Ecosystems of the East Kootenays and Isassociated with the East Kootenay Environmental Society

New BC Bird List

The Wild Bird Trust (WBT) of British Columbia has recentlypublished their second Wildlife Report entitled BritishColumbia Birds: A Species List - 1997 (Common andScientific Names, Sequence and 4-Letter Codes).

The 22 page report, compiled by Wayne Campbell, lists thecurrent scientific sequence, new common and scientific names(with authorities), and modified 4-letter codes for all 477species of birds in BC. As well, field-identifiable subspecies,such as "Myrtle's" and "Audubon's" warbler and "Red-shafted" and "Yellow-shafted" flicker, are included along witha list of species that have nonstandard 4-letter codes. Over 700birders contributed information for the report.

This important publication will be the standard reference foranyone preparing checklists or reports, carrying out bandingactivities, compiling information, and recording birdinformation in the field.

The publication is available from WBT, 124 - 1489 MarineDrive, West Vancouver BC V7T IBS (tel/fax: 604-924-2581)for $5.00, which includes postage and handling. There is nocharge to participants in Birds in the New Millennium projects.

Submitted by Wayne Campbell

Page 4 BC Naturalist March 1998

Natural History

The Status of theBlack-throated Sparrow In BC

The Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) breeds inNorth America from southeastern Washington and Oregon,southwestern Idaho and Wyoming, western and southernColorado, northwestern Oklahoma, northern Arizona,northwestern New Mexico, and north-central Texas souththrough eastern California to southern Baja California(American Ornithologists' Union 1983). It winters in southernparts of its breeding range and further south into Mexico.

In British Columbia, the Black-throated Sparrow was firstrecorded in 1959 and since then it has been documented anadditional 18 times. The purpose of this paper is to bringtogether information for this species through to September1997 and assess the species' seasonal status in the province.The following records, all of single males, were gleaned fromseasonal reports in Audubon Field Notes. American Birds.technical literature, and correspondence with birdwatchers:

1. Myrtle Lake (Wells Gray Park) 8 June 1959 - 1 adultcollected from a small clearing in heavy forest whilefeeding on the ground at 1,050 m elevation (NationalMuseum of Canada specimen no. 44454). This constitutesthe first record for Canada (Godfrey 1961).

2. Richter Lake (Richter Pass) 15 June 1977 - 1 singing nearlake shore.

3. Near Osoyoos 18 June 1979 - 1 adult clearly seen anddocumented, (correspondence from Richard and MargaretJames to Charles Guiguet on file at the Royal BCMuseum).

4. Spotted Lake (Richter Pass) 27 June 1981- 1 singingadult (Cannings et al. 1987).

5. Pitt Meadows 20 May 1984 - 1 adult well described.6. White Rock 28 May 1984 - 1 adult at 13567 Marine

Drive, seen by many observers and well documented.7. Surrey 10 June 1984 - 1 adult near Barnston Island ferry

landing (BC Photo 970).8. Kimberley 12 June 1984 - 1 studied closely

(Rogersl984).9. Reifel Island 13 June 1984 - 1 adult foraging in low grass

at the Alaksen National Wildlife Refuge in Delta.10. Burton 23 June 1984 - 1 adult moving among rocks on

slope to shrubby lakeshore (T. Burnett, G. Davidson, andL. Van Damme pers. obs,).

11. Pitt Meadows 19 May 1985-1 adult.12. Juniper Point (Lighthouse Park, West Vancouver) 2 June

1985 - 1 adult feeding on grass seeds adjacent to forestedge (BC Photo 1112).

13. Duncan (Somenos Marsh) 18 and 19 June 1 9 9 2 - 1feeding (D, Marven pers. comm.).

14. Maple Ridge 15 to 28 May 1994 - 1 in yard.

15. Maple Ridge 27 to 30 May 1994 - 1 adult in alternateplumage (J. A. Mackenzie pers. comm.).

16. Mount Tolmie (Victoria) 16 June 1994 - 1 adult singing.17. Vernon 3 July 1994 - 1 adult in alternate plumage along

Commonage Road.18. Sechelt 17 to 21 May 1996 - 1 at feeder (BC Photo).

In British Columbia, the Black-throated Sparrow has beenrecorded from 15 May to 3 July. On the coast it has beenfound between 15 May and 16 June and in the interior it hasbeen recorded from 8 June to 3 July. The length of stay rangedfrom 1 to 14 days on the coast and only 1 day in the interior.

In the Pacific Northwest, the Black-throated Sparrow isconsidered a vagrant species. In northern California, it arrivesat breeding sites in mid-April (McCaskie and DeBenedictis1966). Hunn (1978) suggests that occurrences to the north areindividuals that have "overshot the mark during springmigration and have been wandering for some time'. TheBlack-throated Sparrow is not reported annually in BritishColumbia. Following the status designations listed byCampbell et al. (1990), this species can be considered avagrant in British Columbia.

References• American Ornithologists' Union. 1985. Checklist of North

American birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence,Kansas. 877pp.

• Audubon Field Notes and American Birds. 1978 to 1996.Seasonal reports for the northern Pacific Coast region andnorthern Rocky Mountain - Intermountain region.

• Campbell, R.W. 1985. Wildlife atlases progress report-fall1985. BC Naturalist 23 (4); 6-7, 9.

• Campbell, R.W., N.K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J.M.Cooper, G.W. Kaiser, and M.C.E. McNall. 1990. TheBirds of British Columbia. Volume 1. Nonpasserines(Loons through Waterfowl). Royal British ColumbiaMuseum and Canadian Wildlife Service, Victoria. 514 pp.

• Cannings, R.A., R.J. Cannings, and S.G. Cannings. 1987.Birds of the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. RoyalBritish Columbia Museum, Victoria. 420 pp.

• Godfrey, E. 1961. First Canadian record of the Black-throated Sparrow. Canadian Field Naturalist 75:162.

• Hunn, E.S. 1978. Black-throated Sparrow vagrants in thePacific Northwest. Western Birds 9: 85-89.

• Marven, D. 1992. Black-throated Sparrow: New toVancouver Island, BC Birder's Journal Vol. 1 No. 6 pgs.290-291.

• McCaskie, R.G. and P. DeBenedictis. 1966. Birds ofnorthern California. Golden Gate Audubon Society,Berkeley, California.

Linda Van Damme is a naturalist living in Nelson.


Conservation

CONSERVATIONCOVENANTS

A Valuable Tool For NaturalistsAre you a landowner in BC who appreciates the natural valuesof your property and wishes to retain these values inperpetuity? Or do you belong to a natural history clubconcerned that a favourite birding site is in danger of falling tothe bulldozer? If so, consider taking advantage of options nowoffered by provincial legislation encouraging landowners togrant conservation covenants to conservation organizations.

Preservation of the natural environment was visualized whenthe constitution of the FBCN Foundation was drafted in 1991.Two of the purposes of the Foundation were (a) to promotethe preservation of the natural environment for futuregenerations through conservation, research and educationprojects; and (b) to solicit donations of money, land andimprovements thereon, and other property to be used toadvance the purposes of the Society. What was not included asa purpose was the preservation of valuable natural habitat onprivate lands through the use of conservation covenants, onlybecause there was no legislation in place in 1991 that allowedlandowners to grant conservation covenants to a conservationorganization.

Today, member clubs and individual members of the FBCNshould be aware of the conservation opportunities that areembraced in legislation. This article briefly highlights the legalrequirements. Most of the information was gleaned from twopublications: Leaving a Living Legacy: Using ConservationCovenants in BC, prepared by the West Coast EnvironmentalLaw Research Foundation (1994), and Ecological Gifts:Implementing Provisions of the Income Tax Act of Canada,compiled by Canadian Wildlife Service (1997).

The FBCN Foundation frilly supports any initiative bylandowners or member clubs of the FBCN directed towardsprotection of natural features through the provisions ofconservation covenants. Some questions are answered in thisarticle. Should you have further questions, please contact theFBCN Foundation through the FBCN office.

1. What is a Conservation Covenant? It is a voluntarywritten agreement between a landowner and a conservationorganization, in which the owner of the land promises toprotect the land in specific ways. The covenant is filed withthe BC Land Title Office and is intended to last forever. Thecovenant can cover all or just a portion of the landowner'sproperty.

2. When is a Conservation Covenant useful?A covenant is useful in a wide variety of situations, such as(a) protecting ecologically valuable features of the land,

(b) providing a buffer zone adjoining a park or protected area,(c) requiring agricultural land to be used for farming withoutdamaging important waterfowl habitat, and (d) providing abuffer zone to protect riparian habitat from logging takingplace on private land.

3. Is a Conservation Covenant the most appropriatetool? It may not be appropriate in every instance, but it isconsidered appropriate where (a) the owner of the land iswilling to cooperate, (b) there is a conservation organizationwilling to take on the responsibility for the covenant, (c) theowner does not wish to transfer complete title to a registeredcharity, (d) the conservation objectives are capable of beingdefined in terms of specific things that can be done and notdone, and (e) the conservation objectives are long-term.

4. What provisions may be included in aConservation Covenant? All or some of the followingmay be included: (a) provisions with respect to the use of theland, (b) requirements that the land is to be built on inaccordance with the covenant, or not to be built on at all,(c) requirements that the land is not to be subdivided,(d) provisions that the land be protected, preserved,conserved, maintained, enhanced, or kept in its natural orexisting state, in accordance with the covenant.

5. What conservation organizations can hold acovenant? The simplest approach is to have a localconservation organization, such as the local natural historyclub, hold the covenant. A pro vine ially-based organization,such as the FBCN or the FBCN Foundation, could hold acovenant but this is discouraged. It must be remembered thatcovenants are meant to remain in place for hundreds of yearsand a locally-based organization is in the best position tomonitor a covenant. Ideally, any natural history club that isinterested in taking on this task should become incorporatedbut incorporation is not a difficult or expensive process.

6. What if an organization holding a covenantdissolves? A good question, considering that all of us havedifficulty looking ahead a century or more. There are threepossible outcomes: (a) if the covenant is held jointly withanother organization, then the other organization can continueto enforce the covenant, (b) before dissolving, the organizationholding the covenant may assign or transfer it, and (c) if, forexample, the organization is dissolved for failure to file itsannual report with the Registrar of Companies, it may bereinstated and continue to enforce a covenant.

7. What monitoring obligations are involved?It is imperative that the organization holding a covenant planshow it will monitor compliance. Monitoring is essential toensure that the provisions in a covenant are being compliedwith and, should enforcement become a problem, informationfrom past monitoring may be needed as evidence.

8. What if there is non-compliance with thecovenant? It is a distinct possibility that the landowner or


Conservation

some future owner may fail to comply with the covenant. If so,the organization holding the covenant has three options:(a) discuss the problem with the landowner and try tonegotiate an acceptable solution, (b) rely on whateverremedies are set out in the covenant to resolve non-compliance, or (c) apply to the courts for legal assistance inenforcing the covenant.

9. Is a legal survey and baseline study required?Ideally a legal survey should accompany a conservationcovenant. However, its inclusion is a judgement call since itmay involve considerable expense. The question to be asked -is a survey necessary to ensure the covenant is enforceable?

Baseline studies would not involve any expense andinformation regarding the current state of the land will help theparties identify the conservation objectives and make it easierfor any future owners to comply with the covenant. Thesestudies should include narrative descriptions and inventoriesof representative land features, ecosystems and species. Mapsand charts can be supplemented with photographs andvideotapes. The landowner and the covenant holder shoulddiscuss and agree on the state of the land and the informationto be included in the baseline study.

10. Are there tax implications with ConservationCovenants? Placing a conservation covenant in favour of aconservation organization may have tax implications. Thereare three important points to consider: (a) income taximplications vary greatly depending upon the particularincome tax situation of the landowner, (b) income tax rules arecomplicated and subject to change from year to year, hence itmay be wise to consult a professional for assistance regardinga specific question, and (c) the tax implications should beconsidered as one component of the larger question of estateplanning by the landowner.

11. What about the issue of liability? It is unlikely thata conservation covenant might add to a landowner's risk ofliability. It must be remembered that the landowner alreadyhas certain liabilities even in the absence of a covenant, sinceany occupier of land has a duty to avoid situations that couldreasonably be expected to cause harm to others. Likewise, theconservation organisation must not negligently causeforeseeable damage to the owner's property.

Dick Stace- Smith is secretary of the FBCN Foundation andcan be contacted at 224-7027. Ed. Note: ConservationCovenants are enabled by Section 215A of the Land TitleAct ofBC

FBCN FALL GENERAL MEETINGSeptember 24-27 1998 in Vernon, BC

Hosted byThe North Okanagan

Naturalists' Club

Bird Studies Canada

It may interest some naturalists to know that on 25 January1998, the members of Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO)in Ontario, voted to apply to change the name of thecorporation to Bird Studies Canada (Etudes d'OiseauxCanada) and adopt new objects and powers, as well as a newby-law (constitution).

Bird Studies Canada (BSC) will continue to operate anddevelop the Long Point Bird Observatory. The LPBO is theoldest bird observatory in North America, established in 1960.A $200,000 (CDN) endowment has been established tosupport the activities of the Observatory and a permanentcommittee of BSC will guide its affairs.

The objectives of Bird Studies Canada are to support andpromote, in Canada and elsewhere, the study of wild birds andtheir habitats; to continue the operations of LPBO; to engagein monitoring, research and other activities directed towardsthe conservation of wild birds and their habitats; and topublish the results of scientific studies. BSC is the Canadianco-partner (along with the Canadian Nature Federation) ofBirdLife International.

The affairs of Bird Studies Canada are administered by abusiness Board of 15 volunteers. A National Council ofprominent Canadians involved in bird research andconservation advises the Board on programs. The CanadianWildlife Service, Society of Canadian Ornithologists andCanadian Nature Federation, each recommends twoindividuals to sit on the National Council.

BSC has a staff of 15, annual operating revenues of $1.2million and a $1.5 million endowment. More informationabout Bird Studies Canada and Long Point Bird Observatorycan be found on the web page http://alpha.nornet.on.ca/~bsc/.

Submitted by Michael Bradstreet, Executive Director, BirdStudies Canada, Long Point Bird Observatory, P.O. Box160, Port Rowan, Ontario, Canada NOE1MO, Business 519-586-3531, Fax 519-586-3532, e-mail; [email protected]

Hibernia Bed and Breakfast747 Helvetia Cres.Victoria, BC V8Y1M1(250)658-5519Fax:

Full Irish Breakfast • Reasonable ratesProprietor: Aideen Lydon

Stay with birders in long-established registered BCaccommodation. Enjoy lots of birds at Cordova Bay, Elk

Lake and vicinity


NATURAL HISTORY TOURS

July 4- 12, 1998with Bryan Gates & Ken Knowles

Fabulous seabird colonies and a widediversity of other marine l i fe dot theAvalon Peninsula. Our tour includes iwoboat trips and a visit to Ciros MorneNational Park, a stunningly beautifularea of mountains, fjords, sand dunesand wetlands.

July 25 - August 8. 1998with Aivaro Jaramillo & Dave Beadle

A comprehensive !5-da\r tha tincludes Mindo. San Isidro and liveKaslern Slope, and 5 days al SachaLodge deep in the jungles of WesternAma/onia, Many birds and other\ \ ik l i i fe . A terrif ic trip for thebirder/nature lover!

Gran Mananand the

Bay of FundyAugust 15-22, 1998with Richard Knapton

Our trip to this delightful island, withits picturesque fishing villages andphotogenic seener\ combines rich birdlife, beau t i fu l \vildflo\vers. fabulousviews of whales and other marine life,at! in a relaxing atmosphere.

OkanaganWeekend

June 4-7, 1998with Bryan Gates

The Okanagan Valley has the greatestbreeding bird diversih of any site inCanada and our 4-day/3-night tour isdesigned to give us an opportunity offinding many of the 194 species knownto breed there. B\) June, al! themigrants ha\ arrived and birds are infull song from the desert grasslands inthe valley to the highland subalpineforests.

Sept26-Oct3, 1998with Bryan Gates & Ian McLaren

Autumn is a great time to visit NovaScotia's Southern Islands. On this tr ip\ \ see plenty of birds, marinemammals and other w i l d l i f e andexperience some of the culture andcuisine of this \\onderful region.

June 6- 15, 1998with Richard Knapton

Species that we expect to see includeI ludsonian Godwit. Pacific and Red-throated Loon, eiders, scoters and manygulls , inc luding Ross' Gull . In addit ionto visi t ing Churchi l l we spend severalexciting days exploring southernManitoba inc lud ing R id ing MountainNational Park.

Call: (604) 948-9177 or 1-800-373-5678Eagle-Eye Tours Inc.

P.O. Box 94672, Richmond, BC V6Y4A4 or P.O. Box 5010, Point Roberts, WA 98281E-Mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.eagle-eye.com

Paged BC Naturalist March 1998

Conservation

The Multilateral Agreement on

More and more Canadians are becoming aware of theMultilateral Agreement on Investments, or MAI. In the Winter'97 issue of the BCER, Nelson Riss explains the purposes ofthe MAI as: "to ensure that trans-national corporations enjoyunrestricted rights and freedoms to buy, sell and move theiroperations whenever and wherever they want around theworld, unfettered by government intervention or regulations".In the following synopsis Vera Gottlieb explains what else isinvolved:• MAI undermines environmental protections. It would free

corporations from environmental regulations.• MAI would allow foreign corporations access to

resources without being required to create a certainnumber of jobs.

• MAI would prevent provinces from prohibiting theownership of farm lands by non-resident foreign citizensand undermine laws that restrict foreign ownership ofwater and electrical utilities.

• MAI would allow global corporations to get around forestclear cutting regulations. It could also allow foreignfishing fleets full access to Canadian waters.

• MAI would prevent Provincial/Federal protection ofendangered species if that interferes with the trade orinvestment interests of a country or corporation.

• Under MAI, the environment is being laid bare to theinterests of foreign corporations.

• MAI would enshrine in law the proposition thatcommercial interests have a higher priority than dohuman rights or ecological protection.

• Serving the interests of the home society is to be deemed"protectionist" and thus forbidden. .

• Corporations are to have the right to own any salablenatural resource of the country and to have the right toextract its oil, forest, mineral or other resources with noobligations to sustain such resources or to use them in theinterest of the host country.

• Contract preferences for environmentally responsiblefirms could be eliminated. Deregulation/weakening ofenvironmental standards and protection will very likelyaccelerate.

• Political power is to be harnessed to serve the "rights" ofinvestors, not the rights of citizens. Courts and laws willbe relegated to a secondary position.

• Labor standards could be viewed as obstacles toinvestment, allowing foreign corporations to argue againstminimum wage laws.

• MAI would allow US based profit-orientated HealthManagement Organizations (HMO's ) to take over partsof the Canadian Medicare system.

• MAI would prevent a national pharmacare program, if itis based on the "least-cost" route of using Canada'sgeneric drug industry.

• MAI would require that the purchase of school suppliesnot be limited to domestic companies.

• MAI could prevent Canada Pension Plan (CPP) fundsfrom being used as a source of capital for provincialgovernments for such things as social benefits and publicservices.

• MAI would prevent governments from furtheraccelerating Canada's agricultural support and consumerprotection programs.

• MAI would restrict governments, at any level, fromintroducing a new public service like universal, non-profitchildcare.

• MAI would consider it a form of expropriation if thefederal or a provincial government were to enact newlaws to protect the environment, wilderness, species ornatural resource production.

• MAI contains no general exceptions to protect theenvironment. It would prevent Canada from puttingfurther restrictions on foreign ownership and control ofnational energy resources.

• Crown corporations would no longer be able to favourdomestic producers over foreign companies

• Under MAI, the ability of governments to use investmentpolicy as a tool to promote social and environmentalobjectives would be forbidden. Corporations are to haveno corresponding obligations and responsibilities relatedto jobs, workers, or the environment.

• Most policies and practices that protect Canadianbroadcasting and films would likely be illegal. Therewould be no Canadian content quotas.

• MAI would allow American broadcasting networks tooperate without restrictions in Canada.

• Under MAI it may be financially impossible for Canadianwriters, musicians, artists and broadcasters to earn aliving.

• MAI could be used by foreign corporations to argue thatthey should deliver services such as welfare, health andeducation. In Canada, up to now these have beenrestricted to governments.

• People are expected to agree to dispossession of theircollective right to protect their lives and control theirresources, to meekly hand over that right to foreigninvestors.

• Historically international laws governing the communityof nations have included provisions for the prevention ofcrime against humanity and for protecting theenvironment. There is no recognition or inclusion of anyof these international laws in the MAI.

• Under MAI, the most significantly affected group are theprovinces. Disputes are to go through the federalgovernment. Tribunals may be behind closed doors.

Vera Gottlieb is a concerned member of the North ShuswapNaturalist Club. Ed. Note: We would encourage members tovoice their opinion on the MAI. For more information onthe MAI contact Council of Canadians 1-800-566-3888. Toreview a draft of the MAI check the websitewww. citizen, org/gtw

March 1998 BC NaturaEist

MEADOWLARKFESTIVAL

May 15 -18,1998

....in the South Okanagan-Similkameen

EXPLORE — DISCOVER — EXPERIENCE

Celebrate a Natural Okanagan...in one of Canada's most unique landscapes!

Participate in the first annual Meadowlark Festival....a family-oriented wildlife festival featuring:

• Talks and guided walks with leading experts, including Ches Lyons,Mark Brigham, Tom Northcote, Dick Cannings and Rick Howie

• Canoeing and mountain biking tours• Photography and wood carving competitions• Banquet and silent auction - Guest speaker John Acorn, "The Nature Nut"• Museum owl display, wildflower watercolours, nature art on T-shirts...

Compete in the 13th annual Okanagan Big Day Challenge on Sunday, May 17. One ofCanada's best known birding events—contestants in the annual birding competition regularly seemore than 150 species of birds in a single day!

And it's not just birds - visitors to the south Okanagan and Similkameen can:• see California Bighorn Sheep and other fascinating animals in a spectacular setting• cycle along the trails or canoe the sparkling lakes• revel in fields ablaze with spectacular spring blooms• visit the grasslands - one of the four most endangered ecosystems in Canada

CONTACT THE MEADOWLARK OFFICE FOR ASCHEDULE OF EVENTS AND ADMISSION DETAILS:

CALL: (250) 492-LARK (5275)WRITE: 1099 LAKESHORE DR. W. PENTICTON, B.C. V2A 1B7

EMAIL: [email protected] OUR ONLINE BROCHURE AT http://www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/OSCA/default.htm


The BC Parks Legacy Project invites your participation inthe second phase of its public consultation process byanswering the questionnaire reprinted below. This documenthas been circulated to all Federated clubs, but we invite allFBCN members to submit their views which will help theLegacy Panel formulate its recommendations togovernment. Submit your questionnaire by the end of March1998 to Legacy Project, P.O. Box 3760 Stn. CSC, Victoria,BC V8W 3Y6. 1-800-663-7867 fax: 250-952-6235 or visitthe Parks Legacy website at www.parklegacy.bc.ca.

VISION1. People have mentioned that they value parks for

different reasons. What would you say are the mostimportant benefits of having provincial parks in BC?

a) What things do you think should be taken intoconsideration in determining whether a recreationactivity should or should not be permitted inprovincial parks?

b) What recreational activities, if any, shouldusually or always be permitted in provincialparks?

c) What recreational activities do you think shouldbe permitted sometimes or only under certaincircumstances in provincial parks? ListRecreation Activities and Conditions Permitted

One task of the Legacy Panel is to recommendprinciples that will guide the future of provincial parksin BC. By principle, we mean a broad guideline that willhelp to determine how parks should be managed in thefuture. Please list specific principles that you thinkshould guide the future of BC's provincial parks.

d) What recreation activities do you think shouldnot be permitted in provincial parks under anycircumstance? (Please list activities and indicatereason not permitted).

Do you have any suggestions about how the needs offuture generations could be best taken into considerationin planning the park system?

MANAGEMENT5. Do you think any improvements are required in the way

BC Parks goes about ensuring the natural and culturalvalues of parks are protected? Specify

PLANNING4. One purpose of developing park plans is to identify

recreation activities that should or should not bepermitted in provincial parks. To help identify theseactivities, would you please answer each of thefollowing:

What kinds of new recreation services, if any, would youlike to see provided in provincial parks in the future?


Conservation

What other comments, concerns or ideas do you haveregarding current and future management practices inprotected areas?

12. What areas of parks planning and management wouldyou most like to be actively involved in?

RESOURCING8. Stable adequate funding is important to protect park

values, provide quality stewardship and ensure facilitiesare safe and accessible to the public. What are yourideas about how funding could be expanded anddiversified for BC provincial parks?

To what extent do you think partnerships between parksand businesses should be encouraged if they arecompatible with park objectives?

Q A lot Q Quite a bit

Q A little Q Not at all

If a lot, quite a bit or a little, please indicate the types ofpartnerships or business opportunities that might beappropriate.

If not at all, please tell us what types of partnershipsshould not be encouraged and why.

10. Are there any other forms of partnerships orsponsorships which you think should be considered?Please be specific.

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT11. In the past, BC Parks has provided different

opportunities (open houses, study teams, etc) thatpermitted BC residents to be involved inmanagement plans for specific provincialgeneral, do you think the opportunities for BC residentsto be involved in the preparation of management plansfor provincial parks is currently adequate or inadequate?

Q very adequate Q somewhat inadequate

Q somewhat adequate Q very inadequate

Q not sure

preparingparks. In

Any comments?

13. Please list any other comments, ideas or concerns youhave about how citizens could participate more insupporting BC's provincial parks.

14. In or near what town or city is your home located?

15. Have you ever used a provincial park?

16. Have you attended any of the following eventssponsored by the Legacy Panel?

Q Open House Q Other (specify)

Q Workshop

17. Your approximate age?

18. Your name (Optional)

19. Organization you represent

Include additional comments on a separate sheet of paper.

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BC'S TEN MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS OF 1998Nominations Requested

Raising awareness about the threats to BC's rivers has been a high priority for the Outdoor Recreation Council (ORC) of BC, ofwhich the FBCN is a member, since it was formed nearly 20 years ago. One of the ways ORC raises awareness of rivers is topublish an annual BC's Ten Most Endangered Rivers list. In 1997, the list included (in order): Urban Streams, Taku, OwikenoSystem, Horsefly, Englishman, Stikine/Iskut, Fraser, Nechako, Finlay, and Columbia. Last year's list received considerable mediaattention, especially in the towns and cities located on rivers that were on the list.

The Outdoor Recreation Council is again compiling the Ten Most Endangered Rivers List for 1998 and needs your input. If youknow of a river(s) that are endangered then please take a few moments to fill out the form below and mail to the Council'soffice by Tuesday March 31,1998. Replies will be compiled by ORC and a list will be developed and released in late Spring.

Nominations for BC's Most Endangered Rivers 1998

Name: Address:

City: Postal Code: Phone:

I nominate the following as BC's three most endangered rivers: Additional supportive information may also be submitted

I. Endangered from:

2. Endangered from:

3. Endangered from:

Return by March 31,1998 to: Outdoor Recreation Council of BC, #334-1367 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, V6H 4A9tel: (604) 737-3058 Fax: (604) 737-3666 E-mail; [email protected]


FBCN 1998 EXPLORATORY CAMP

Bring:

Other Details:

Jarvis LakesKakwa Recreation Area

July 12-July 18 1998& July 19 - July 25 1998

The Kakwa Recreation Area is approximately ISO km east of Prince George and 70 km north of McBride,on the BC border adjacent to Alberta's Willmore Wilderness Park. Kakwa is a wilderness haven on theContinental Divide with 10,000 foot peaks, numerous alpine lakes and expansive alpine wildflowermeadows. Mountain goats, wolverines, moose, wolves, caribou, black bears and grizzlies roam the areawith Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. There is much to explore in the Kakwa area - Moonias Pass, thelakes, the terrain south of Jarvis Lakes, fish in some lakes, caving, etc.

As part of Mt. Sir Alexander are glaciers and rock formations; Mt. Ida possess a horn peak; Kakwa Lakehas unique water colour, quartzite bedding, fossils and karst terrain; and Narrway/Gray Pass north of JarvisLakes has alpine recreation significance.

one of the Jarvis Lakes at an elevation of approximately 4900 ft, the same height as Kakwa Lake.

is by float plane from either Prince George or from Pass Lake which is about halfway to Kakwa. It is alsopossible to hike in as Ted Stubbs hopes to do. You can drive from Highway 16 about 85 km to a gate atBuchanan Creek and then hike 18 km to Kakwa Lake; Jarvis Lakes are another 15 km further. Thesedistances are only approximate. Pass Lake is a good hour drive from Prince George.

cooking and sleeping equipment plus your food. If possible, arrange to cook with someone to eliminateweight. Go as light as possible. Tarps will be supplied, but don't forget your stove fuel and toilet paper.

If you fly in and out 4UU. If you hike in and out I 5O

Full payment is required by June 1st

More details will be mailed to participants after June 1st

Camp equipment wiii need to be taken in with those who fly in the first week and will need to come out atthe end of the second week.Reference Mapsheets: Topo 1:50,000 Topographic 93H/16 and 93 I/I

FBCN 1998 EXPLORATORY CAMP - REGISTRATION FORM

Name Phone

Address ,

City Postal Code

Member of which Club(s)_ Which week will you attend?

Make sure you indicate which week you plan to attend. Include your cheque made payable to FBCN-Camp andinclude a 4x9 stamped self addressed envelope. We cannot take reservations without a non-refundable deposit of $50.

Please send to: Barbara Blow at #2 -1811 Purcell Way, North Vancouver, B.C. V7J 3H4 tel: 604-987-8492


President's Report

President's ReportI would like to welcome our new Editorial Board for BCNaturalist. Thanks to all of you for volunteering to take onwhat must appear to be a fairly formidable task. We stilldesperately need a Contents Editor. Do you know anyone whomight fill this position?

On behalf of the Federation I would like to offer sincerecondolences to Jude and Al Grass who lost their son Danny inDecember. You have our deepest sympathy. In remembranceof Danny we are asking that clubs around the province put upa nesting box in his memory, perhaps with a small plaqueattached with his name on it. This could be a project for theYoung Naturalists in each club. Al and Jude would alsoappreciate donations to the Reifel Refuge and the Wild BirdTrust.

I would also like to offer our condolences and sympathy toSteve Cannings and family on their loss of Jean, wife andmother, also in December. In Jean's memory the family haveasked that donations go to the Nature Trust of BC. TheCannings family are well known to naturalists all over theprovince.

Members of the Executive Committee have been working veryhard over the last few months on the Strategic Plan and I wantto give special thanks to Anne Murray, Daphne Solecki,Frances Vyse and John Brady. It is still in draft format andthey are asking for comments and criticisms.

Some of these same people, plus others, have beenparticipating in reviews of government strategies bycommenting on the draft Memorandum of Understanding withBC Parks, attending Parks Legacy workshops and meetings,preparing plans for developing the Important Bird Areaproject in conjunction with the Canadian Nature Federation,writing letters on issues to government ministries, and the listgoes on. Many, many thanks to all of you.

Then of course, there are all you hard-working club membersbusy with your own projects; protecting wetlands, providingeducational information to your communities, participating inbird surveys, collecting important biological information onyour local areas, and a myriad other projects. Keep up thegood work! The birds and other creatures depend on you tohelp preserve their habitat.

While I am passing out kudos, there is one special person thatI must not forget. Someone who has worked so hard for all ofus and for the Federation. Someone who gives unstintingly ofher time, her cheerfulness, her energy and her many talents.Someone that I cannot thank enough for all that she has doneto help make my job easier. That person is Leslie-Ann, our"Oh So Magnificent" Office Manger. Send her chocolate!

Send her rich single men! And give her a hug and say "Thankyou" the next time you are in the Office.

And last but not least, I want to thank our lawyer, RossMcCutcheon, who has provided invaluable assistance tomyself and the Federation over the past year.

Submitted by Audrey Hoeg, FBCNPresident

FBCN MOHAWKCard Users raise

$1910°°in 1997A resounding Thank You to each of you who support

the FBCN through your Mohawk Credit Card purchases.In 1997, you helped raise $ 1910 for the FBCN.

If you haven't signed up for a Mohawk Card yet, callLeslie-Ann at the FBCN Office to receive your

FBCN/Mohawk form.

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Working for You...

Your Federation is

Here is a sample of some of the activities the Federation hasbeen engaged in from November '97 to January '98.Compiled by Marline Klaassen, FBCN Volunteer

We Wrote:• to lona Campagnolo, Chair of Fraser Basin Council,

concerning conservation concerns on the North Arm ofthe Fraser

• to David Anderson, (Federal Minister of Fisheries andOceans), and Cathy McGregor, (Provincial Minister ofEnvironment, Lands and Parks), protesting plannedincreases in gravel extraction from the lower Fraser River

• to West Coast Environmental Law Assoc. in support oftheir application to the Urban Salmon EnhancementProgram for funding to put on workshops

• to Parks re: Memorandum of Understanding withcomments from FBCN Executive

• to Wildlife Branch re: changes in the Wildlife Act

On the Conservation/Education Front We:• reviewed draft white paper by Dr. Brink on BC Grassland

Conservation. Copies were circulated to Clubs forcomments; also available from the FBCN office

• wrote and submitted a formal review of the IdentifiedWildlife Management Strategy Vol. 1 produced by theMinistry of Environment, Lands and Parks

• prepared written submission for the Feb. 13th publichearing on 6 Mile Ranch

• submitted draft proposal to the Canadian NatureFederation for the implementation of the BC ImportantBird Areas Program

• designated regional representatives for WetlandkeeperTraining Workshops in three regions: Vancouver Island

. (Ron Speller), Kootenay (Greg Ross), andThompson/Okanagan (Madelon Schouten)

• organized and hosted partners meetings for the Living byWater Project in Vancouver and Victoria

• met with Friends of Cypress Park, and VNHS regardingdevelopment in Cypress Bowl

Representing you at:• the Parks Legacy meeting with BC Parks regarding the

role of volunteers in the parks and plans for the future bythe BC Parks Branch

• the Strategic Plan Meeting of the BC Endangered SpeciesCoalition

• a meeting with Parks Canada, BC Parks GVRD parks,and CPAWS regarding a conference for fall 1998 onSustaining Parks and Protected Areas via Stewardshipand New Initiatives

• Fisheries Renewal BC (provincial) meeting and StandingCommittee on Fisheries and Oceans (federal) meeting

• public information meeting on development of the 6 MileRanch

Organizational improvements include:• installed new software to improve Land for Nature

budgeting• distributed raffle tickets to clubs• hiring Grassland slide show coordinator on short term

contract• hiring camp coordinator

Land for Nature Program:• Sunshine Coast Mapping Project - finished and circulated

the new "Environmentally Important Sites and Streams onthe Sunshine Coast" map

GET •MV'ol.VEDWe need you. ..so volunteer for one of the followingFBCN positions:

Features Editor - BC Naturalist. Recruit feature articlesfrom external sources on natural history, conservation andnotices. Plan content

Departments Editor - BC Naturalist. Recruit in-housecontributions for each edition including camp and meetingnotices, reports from representatives and committeemembers.

Treasurer. Prepare financial reports, budgets, RevenueCanada reports, advise Executive. Need accounting andcomputer knowledge, two year commitment. LowerMainland preferred.

Raffle Assistant Record ticket sales, help prepare andmail prizes. Need one person in Vancouver area (from Feb-May in FBCN office), the 1998 AGM in Kelowna willrequire several volunteers (May 7-10 only).

Conservation Chairs - Thompson/Okanagan &Kootenay Regions Represent and coordinateconservation concerns in your region.

Vancouver Island Regional Coordinator. Representthis region on the Executive. Chair and coordinate regionalmeetings. liase with Regional Conservation Chair andclubs.

Education Committee members. Coordinateeducational focus of the FBCN. Organize Education Days,assist clubs on education issues.

Interested? Call the FBCN Office at 604-737-3057


VancouverNatural History

Society

TRIP PROGRAM 1998Columbia Gorge Oregon Coast

Spring flower and wildlife tour by bus - April 10-14 (EasterWeekend). $475. Leaders Kelly Sekhon, Bill Merilees & CathyAitcheson. Limit 38 people. Contact Kelly Sekhon 604-526-9091

Carmanah Valley, Botanical Beach - LakeCowichan "Camp" Explore Vancouver Islands 'West Coast1

from fhe comfortable Lake Cowichan Education Centre. May 24-30. $495 includes all accommodation, meals, travel & program.Limit 40 people. Leader Bill Merilees. Contact Bill 250-758-1801

Queen Charlotte Islands A seven day six night 'tour' ofGraham Island from Lodge accommodation at Tleli, May 1-7,May 7-13, & May 13-19. $895 includes return air fare fromVancouver, all accommodation, meals, travel etc. Leader BillMerilees or Kelly Sekhon. Space very, limited. Limit 14 people perweek. Contact Bill Merilees 250-758-1801

Western & Southern Australia {Sept is-Oci 15) and

New Zealand (Nov 4-28) natural history tours. (See ad in thisissue) Leader Bill Merilees. Contact Akke at ANZA Travel 1-800-668-6612

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March t998 BC Naturalist Page 17

FBCN Foundation

Planning

Legacy for Nature...m.i.-i.».a.....-m

Fifty percent of people die without a will. This may leavefamilies with legal and financial headaches, not to mentionpossible family acrimony, that can go on for years. Is your willmade and up-to-date?

You can plan your nature legacy by providing a gift (bequest)in your will, a gift that will make a difference for many years.Bequests received by the FBCN Foundation will become partof the Foundation's endowment program or used for thepurpose you have identified. In addition, the FBCN's trustfund in the Vancouver Foundation can receive gifts andbequests.

In an excellent publication titled "Planned Giving: Helpingothers while saving taxes" the Royal Trust notes that abequest through your will "could produce a valuable tax creditfor your final tax return. That credit can save your estate aconsiderable amount of tax if you have large holdings ofcapital property that will be deemed to have been sold at yourdeath."

If you wish to make or update your will, you should contact alawyer. Some suggested clauses for inclusion in your will areavailable from the FBCN office.

We thank the Planned Giving Program of the Federation ofOntario Naturalists for their information, material andguidance. In the next issue we will look at using life insurancepolicies to create substantial nature legacy gifts at the time ofdeath while receiving tax benefits now.

Submitted by Nora Layard, Director of FBCN Foundation

Okanagan Mountain ParkCritter Count

The Okanagan Mountain Park Critter Count will take placethis year on Saturday May 23. This count covers primarilybirds, but includes other vertebrates and plants as well.Counting teams enter the park from the Penticton side, theKelowna side, or across the lake by boat and once within thepark the objective is to identify and count all of the animalsencountered. The count-up is held that evening at OkanaganMountain Provincial Park and includes a barbeque at a veryreasonable price of about $7.00.

Anyone interested in taking part please contact Eva Durance,250-492-3158 (email [email protected]), Laurie Rockwell,250-494-7558, or Eileen Dillabough, 250-862-8254.

ALEGAThere are manyfor people to conFoundation's enda

Your significant contribution provides the resources fornature forever.

Your commitment In your will ensures that your gift tonature will continue in perpetuity.

W33SSEBSS*Why not plan'your giving to allow you to receive taxbenefits now while ensuring your legacy contribution inthe future, (e.g. life insurance plans)

Your contribution of time and expertise will bewelcomed by the Board of Directors.

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Notable Naturalists

Remembering Danny Grass (1981-1997)Federation members were, no doubt, shocked to learn in thelast edition of BC Naturalist of the death of Danny Grass.Many Burke Mountain Naturalists members, most especiallyhis parents, Al and Jude, continue to struggle with the tragicloss of this remarkable'young man. Danny passed away duringheart surgery only two days after our December meeting - ameeting at which we elected Jude as our new President and Alas an Executive member. Members of the club have manyhappy memories of Danny. Following in the footsteps of hisparents, he was one of our most active and knowledgeablemembers. He always helped to set up and put away chairs forour meetings - even at his last meeting when the effort musthave been a struggle for his failing heart. A few years ago,Danny had the honour of becoming the youngest contributorto our newsletter when he submitted a field trip report.

Danny was far more than just an active Burke MountainNaturalists member. He had also volunteered at Burnaby LakeRegional Park for the past two summers. Burnaby Lake wasone of Danny's favorite parks because the corridor of the oldInterurban Rail line was not far away. That Danny had aknowledge of natural history which surpassed most adults maynot be so surprising but he also had a very keen interest inrailway history and was an active member of a railwayassociation. Burnaby Lake Park naturalists remember that thewhistle of a train not only brought a smile to Danny's face butalso that he could identify the locomotive. Railways wereDanny's own passion and another subject on which he quicklybecame an expert.

Surely, it is the hope of most parents that their children willgrow up to make the best use of their talents to be a credit tothemselves and to be of service to their community. As atestament to the kind of person that Danny was, he had alreadyaccomplished all of these objectives at the young age of 16.He will be deeply missed not only by his family but by allFederation members who had the pleasure of working withDanny. His loss is one that will be felt in our community foryears to come. A memorial service will be held for Danny atBurnaby Lake Regional Park sometime during the spring.

Donations in Danny's memory should be forwarded to: ScoutsCanada, Burnaby Region, #35 250 Willingdon Ave, Burnaby,BC V5C 5E9; Wild Bird Trust of BC, 124 1489 MarineDrive, West Vancouver, BC V7T IBS; British ColumbiaWaterfowl Society, 5191 Robertson Rd, Delta, BC V4K 3N2

Remembering Jean Cannings (1912-1997)

Jean Cannings died peacefully surrounded by her family inPenticton on December 15, 1997, after a brief illness. BornDecember 27, 1912 in Summerland, she lived almost herentire life in south Okanagan. She served as the first librarianfor the Okanagan Regional Library in Summerland, and for atime was the organist for the Summerland United Church.Married for 54 years to Steve Cannings, she is survived by

Steve, their daughter Bette of North Vancouver, sons Robertand Sydney of Victoria, Richard of Naramata, and threegrandchildren-Russell, Julia and Madeleine. Jean is alsosurvived by brothers Alexander (Sandy) and David Munn ofSummerland, Margaret Inman-Kane of Los Angeles, andMary Charles of Summerland. Jean was an honourary lifemember of the South Okanagan Naturalist Club and theFederation of British Columbia Naturalists; she and Stevereceived the FBCN's Elton Anderson award for outstandingcontributions to natural history in British Columbia.

A memorial service was held on Friday, December 19, 1997 atthe Penticton United Church. Donations in Jean's memory tothe Nature Trust of British Columbia, #808-100 Park RoyalSouth, West Vancouver, BC, V7T 1A2, would be greatlyappreciated.

Remembering Bob Harris

The natural history community will be greatly saddened tolearn of the death in St. Paul's hospital of Bob Harris on Feb.5, 1998, at the age of 75.

A long-time member of the Federation and Vancouver clubs,Bob spent his summers exploring historical or little-knownwilderness areas of British Columbia, and loved to share hisextensive knowledge of the Province with others. Hesuggested suitable areas and organized many camps, led hikes,and supplied participants with precisely accurate maps,historical data, lists of plants and nature for each trip. Bob wasinvolved in most of the FBCN Exploratory camps.

Always ready to provide detailed notes and maps of theProvince to people requesting information, Bob's expertise,particularly in historical trails and maps helped to preserve anumber of areas of BC threatened by logging or development.His quiet good-natured humor was a delight on the trail oraround the campfire. Bob's engineering mind took pleasure incorrecting written errors, a source of amusement to those whoknew him, especially when he would find such items as acreek shown in the wrong valley which happened at theHeight-of-the-Rockies camp.

Bob's death is a great loss to all naturalists, both as a goodfriend and an expert. Our deepest sympathy to his wife Ritaand family. He will be missed.

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Club Chat

Club ChatThe Alouette Field Naturalists have applied for a grant toassist the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) withthe purchase of trees and shrubs to be planted at GrantNarrows Park, they will also be assisting with the "spade"work. The club has been deeply involved with the PittMeadows referendum process brought about by the proposed450 house development on Pitt Polder Golf Course. We arewaiting to hear from the Pitt Meadows Council if they willhonour the 4,000 signature referendum petition. Also, as soonas a Park Stewardship Program is formed between concernedgroups and the GVRD Kanaka Creek Park, the club hasvolunteered to do a plant and bird inventory of the variouspark components.

The Arrowsmith Naturalists have moved to new facilities,changed their meeting date and report that their membership isnow at record level. They have revised and updated theirconstitution as well and if that wasn't enough, they have alsodeveloped a new brochure, refined their logo and produced acloth crest. In fact they have done so much that there isn'tenough room for it all in this edition and I will have to keepthe rest for future editions!

The Bulkley Valley Naturalists hosted a "Mother's DayBird and Breakfast" and a "Fathers Day Birding by Canoe"both of which were successes. They confirmed the presence ofclay-coloured sparrows in the valley on the Doulis propertywhich has now received protection. Sadly, their BuchfinkLodge revegetation project did not receive renewed fundingand they are casting about for other funding sources. They arealso revising their local bird list and are recording local birdsongs.

The Burke Mountain Naturalists now have a mountainnamed after one of their members, Don Gillespie, and back inSeptember thirteen club members duly hiked up to the summitled by Don himself of course! The club is deeply concernedabout a proposed Light Rapid Transit (LRT) line through asensitive ravine; fortunately the City of Port Moody is holdingfirm on their stance of no transit in the ravine. Their DecemberSilent Auction Fund Raiser raised over $750.00 for the WildBird Trust which will go to help in the purchase of a heronry.

The Central Valley Naturalists are hosting a specialpresentation for the club and public on "Wildlife Trees" andunder the Adopt-A-Park program they hope to adopt HoganFamily Nature Park. Also, as of January, they will have a newclub logo. The biggest news item is that soon Land ForNature, CVN and the environmental office of the City ofAbbotsford will meet to discuss the possibilities of making astart with an inventory of environmentally sensitive areas. TheGVRD hopes to get the club interested in planting trees, somebeing placed in parking lots/picnic areas, but primarily to beplanted to form riparian habitat along the river at Glen ValleyPark.

The Central Okanagan Naturalists Club (CONC)members, in keeping with the autumnal season wentmushrooming, the difference being that they did it in rhyme,very clever. They continue with their Thursday morningbirding trips as well as a 24 hour bird blitz in May. It seemsthat though they lost the fight to save the Cook Road wetlandsthey were able to convince both the City and the DevelopmentCommunity of the need to have a Wetlands Management by-law. Since then the Natural Areas Inventory has beenexpanded and a by-law is being drafted. The club has alsodonated two scholarships to send two children to a sciencecamp in the summer. Added to that they are involved in anexciting program of re-introducing the Peregrine-Falcon to thevalley. And, of course, we do know they are hosting the FBCNAGM in Kelowna in May.

One summer evening in 1970 some members of the ComoxValley Naturalists discovered an area known to the Salishas Xwee Xwhya Luq (Zway Why Luck) meaning "place withan atmosphere of peace and serenity". From that summerevening the struggle to preserve the area in its natural state hasbeen ongoing. The perseverance of the Club was partlyrewarded with the area being given park status. In 1983, afurther 100 acres was set aside as an Ecological Reserve.Efforts to persuade the Ministry of Forests to release their holdon the remaining acreage, land that surrounds the swamp andreserve, are still being made.

The Cowichan Valley Naturalists are concerned about aproposed new dump site that straddles two watersheds andthere is also concern about a Fletcher Challenge dump sitehigh on the new northwest ridge of Mt. Richards. Letters willbe written! There is also concern over a new subdivisionwithin the Cowichan River corridor, the usual developmentconditions for the river corridor do not seem to have beenfollowed. Why are we not surprised?

The Kamloops Naturalists Club is holding a photocontest in December. Councillors of the city of Kamloopsrecently voted to name the Butterfly Garden on McArthurIsland "The Gregson Butterly Garden" in recognition ofBarbara and Jack Gregson and all the work they have put intothe project to make it a reality.

The Langley Field Naturalists have been busy in theForslund/Watson Nature Reserve brushing out the trails andputting alder logs across the muddy sections, and they too areholding a photo contest. Also, one of the members submitted alovely story of a night visitor that came down his chimney inDecember. No, not Santa but a flying squirrel!

The Mitlenatch Naturalists are busy with a mappingproject of Quadra Island, and are planning a naturalists' campon Salt Spring Island in August.

The North Okanagan Naturalist Club (NONC) hasdonated a $100.00 scholarship to the Entomological Societyof BC in the name of James Grant. They have been doing this


Club Chat

for several years. In the field they now have 32 trails with 524bluebird boxes and 51 people looking after them. It seems thatthey are winning the battle of the loosestrife; at all sites exceptone the plants seem to be on the decline. It is pointed out thatone of their members, John Quirk, has been on every birdcount since 1947- that's got to be the record. Another member,Martha Hett, has been writing a monthly column for 21 yearsin the magazine Country Life. As she no longer wished to facea deadline each month she has edited a collection of herwritings and they have come out in book form; her book istitled "Small Stories (very)".

The Prince George Naturalists, with some financial helpfrom Friends 'of the Environment Foundation, have publisheda checklist of North-Central BC Birds. At least one of theirmembers took the long trip over to Gibsons to view the XantusHummingbird despite the fact, he says, that he is not a"twitcher". He just thought that maybe the bird would like tosee him!

A Quesnel Naturalists member from Dragon Lakereported "We had mallards on the sun deck, so tame I couldpick them up! Watched a mallard robbing a squirrel'ssunflower dish. The squirrel attacked, launching furiously, butwas repelled by three well aimed beak thrusts". Anothermember reports that he had 260 bluebird nest boxes out lastyear, 103 of them were used by bluebirds, and that 374bluebirds fledged from the boxes. Other boxes were used bytree and violet-green swallows, and one box by a black-cappedchickadee.

The South Okanagan Naturalists (SONC) are looking fora meeting place and are working on a new display for theupcoming FBCN camp. Some of their special fund raisingefforts went to a SONC bursary for a student at OkanaganUniversity College. The recipient plans to pursueenvironmental studies at UBC.

The Eagle Watch Volunteer Interpreter Program of theSquamish Estuary Conservation Society was in fullswing again this winter with volunteers at Eagle Run in abeautiful new shelter.

The Vermilion Forks Naturalists newsletter editorparticipated in no less than four Christmas Bird Counts, and ateach one the lack of ice and snow (because of El Nino)produced unique finds for that time of year. After thesuccessful hosting of the 1997 FBCN AGM the club hopesthat many of the people that attended will visit Princetonagain, now that they know what an interesting area it is.

The Victoria Natural History Society is planning a thirdannual tour to raise funds for the Habitat Acquisition Trustand they currently also have funding proposals out to fouragencies to assist with various portions of their landstewardship project. Their fundraiser raised over $15,000.00toward the purchase of the Ayum Creek property.

The West Kootenay Naturalists Associationparticipated in a spring bird count in June of last year. Thefirst count was in 1995 and they will be continuing thetradition again this year.

The White Rock and Surrey Naturalists are establishingthe Barry Leach Memorial Scholarship at Kwantlen UniversityCollege for a student continuing with studies in some field ofenvironment or biological science. They also have the TessFenger Memorial Scholarship which is awarded to asecondary school pupil. In addition to these financialassistance programs, various club members participated in amajor clean-up and pruning at the Campbell Valley WildlifeGarden, and they are in the early phase of an adopt-a-streetprogram which started in January. The clubs 25th Anniversaryis coming up and they are putting together a photo album tocelebrate this.

The Williams Lake Naturalists started last fall to plan theproduction of educational materials to provide natural historyinformation on the Williams Lake Creek Valley. They will beproviding information on many aspects of the plant life, bats,butterflies, birds, fish, geology etc. They too are fund raising,in their case to operate the Scout Island Nature Centre.

Compiled by Duanne van den Berg

Go SOUTH PACIFIC**NATURALIST TOURS**

Western Australia, The Outback & MoreDeparting September 18,1998 or,

New Zealand (including Stewart Island)Departing November 04,1998.

Led by BC Naturalist, Bill Merilees, both tours feature artin depth focus on the unique animal, bird and plant life ofthese South Pacific countries.Travel to Western Australia in wildflower season, the Outback, andSouth Australia with a special visit to Kangaroo Island; then followthe Great Ocean Road to Melbourne.The New Zealand tour visits many National Parks. Trek through thegiant Kauri forests of the Coromindel Peninsula as well as •exploring the magnificent southern West Coast and rarely visitedStewart Island in search of the elusive Kiwi bird.

Call Akke orKathy for more info at

(604) 734-10161(800) 668-6612

This tour operated by the ANZA Travel Group Departmentin connection with the Vancouver Naturalist Society.

E&OE BC Ree No 847-0


SOUTH OKANAGAN SPRING CAMPBUNCHGRASS AND BENCHLANDS

SATURDAY MAY 2 TO WEDNESDAY MAY 6, 1998

SPONSORED BY THE SOUTH OKANAGAN NATURALISTS' CLUB

Explore a variety of habitatswithin a short journey

• Stand in awe of Vaseaux Lake's rocky bluffs home toCanyon Wrens, White-throated Swifts and otherpotential life birds. Bighorn sheep also roam nearthe cliffs.

• Savour the perfume of sagebrush or antelope-bushoverwide expanses. Watch bluebirds setup nest sitesand listen for the trill of the Brewer's Sparrow.

• Hike through EC's "pocket desert" and look up for asoaring Prairie Falcon.

• Discover new wildflowers in grasslands and Ponde-rosa Pine forests.

• Listen for owls and learn the night sky with amateurastronomers.

Four full days of field trips with evening lectures andslide presentations of local fauna and flora.

Accommodations, meals and meeting hall located inthe town of Okanagan Falls, south of Penticton.

Cabins/motel on Skaha Lake Beach.

Registration begins at 6:00 p.m., Saturday May 2Camp ends morning of Thursday, May 7

Camp space is limited to 60 registrants (must be FBCNmembers)

Costs varies depending on Plan A, Al, B or C.

Applications will be accepted on a first come basis,including form, registration fee and self-addressed,stamped envelope. Please make cheques payable toSONG

Mail registration to:FBCN Spring Camp

Box 23003Penticton, BC V2A 8L7

Note: this camp precedes the AGM in Kelowna on May 7-10. 1998, how handy!

For more information phone:Laure Neish 250 490 3636

Helen Poncelet 250 494 9454e-mail [email protected]

rSOUTH OKANAGAN SPRING CAMPBUNCHGRASS AND BENCHLANDS

Name(s),

Address

City

Postal Code,

Phone

Naturalist Club(s)

Accommodation: (check one)

cabin/motel (d/o)

share with

few 2 & 3 bedroom suites to share

RV /camping

Cost: (check one)

. Plan A Full package $375(meals ', accomodation 2, tours, speakers

Plan Al Single Occupancy

Plan B meals ', tours

Plan C tours, speakers

1 - three meals per day2 - based on double occupancy

Special Diet? *e.g. vegetarian, allergies

$475

$275

$125


Recent Publications

Recent Publications of Interestto Naturalists

FBCN members are welcome to borrow the followingpublications from the'FBCN Office. Call Leslie-Ann at 604-737-3057. Publications reviewed by Dick Stace-Smith.

Kayaking in Paradise: Journey from Alaska Throughthe Inside Passage. Greg Rasmussen. Whitecap Books,Vancouver, 120 pages, $34.95 hardcover, 1997.

If this book was confined to kayaking it would probably be oflimited interest to naturalists. However, it is far more than asimple text about a sport - it is truly a fascinating book aboutthe natural history of the BC coast as experienced by a CBCjournalist. The book is beautifully illustrated by threephotographers who accompanied the author on variousportions of his journeys. I say journeys because, although thesubtitle indicates the Inside Passage as the geographic areacovered, separate trips to the Queen Charlotte Islands, thewest coast of Vancouver Island and the Canadian andAmerican Gulf Islands were included. The first section of thebook recounts a three month journey from Alaskan waters tothe Vancouver Harbour, which could be described as astruggle, an adventure, and the fulfilment of a dream. Thisexpedition was in part an exploration and mapping trip for theBC Marine Trail Association. Readers will finish the bookconvinced that the best way to explore the untouched paradiseof the Pacific Northwest coast is by kayak.

Brooks Peninsula: An Ice Age Refugium onVancouver Island. Richard J. Hebda and James C.Haggarty, editors, Occasional Paper No. 5, BC Ministry ofEnvironment, Lands and Parks, 1997. (Available for $40 +GST through Crown Publications, 521 Fort Street, VictoriaV8W 1E7).

The background work for this comprehensive and extensivestudy on the natural and human history of the BrooksPeninsula with respect to the question of its role as a glacialrefugium was collected during an expedition in 1981. Thefocus of the expedition was to determine whether the BrooksPeninsula, or parts of it, escaped glaciation during the lastmajor ice advance on the coast, which occurred between 12and 17 thousand years ago. The objectives of the expeditionwere to determine the age of the land surface and describe itsenvironmental history, determine the degree to which plantand animal populations differ from adjacent previouslyglaciated areas, and document past use of the landscape bypeople. The last two chapters consider the question of thearea as a refugium on the basis of the results of the expeditionand the interpretation of these results; they include discussionon the value of expeditions in museum research.

BC Hydro. 1997 Annual Report. BC Hydro andPower Authority, 65 pages, 1997.

Typical of many annual reports of large corporations thisreport is a public relations document. However, for those whotake the trouble to study it, the report does provide somepolicy directions that guide this third largest electric utility inCanada. Environmentalists have generally praised the PowerSmart program and the report notes that maturing of themarket has enabled Power Smart to shift its focus fromprograms based on financial incentives to user-pay productsand services, while co-operating closely with key customersectors and conservation initiatives. In answering the question"How does BC Hydro incorporate environmental protectioninto its operation?" the given answer is that they havedeveloped and implemented a series of management systemsto fully integrate environmental considerations into theirdecision making processes and operating activities.

BC Hydro 1997 Report on the Environment. BCHydro Corporate Environment, Burnaby, 49 pages, November1997.

This document offers naturalists an opportunity to review theenvironmental progress of BC Hydro during the 1996-97fiscal year. It includes information on their formalperformance, environmental initiatives and priorities, as wellas details of some of their consultative and communityinvolvement activities. They recognize that water, land, andair are elements basic to the continuance of life on our planetand, in BC, the health and abundance of these elements arealso fundamental to sustaining the quality of life we enjoyamidst unparalleled natural beauty. Their challenge is to findeffective ways to avoid, minimize or mitigate theenvironmental effects of their operations and still meet theirprincipal responsibility of supplying affordable electricity tothe residents of the province.

Ecological Gifts: Implementing Provisions of theIncome Tax Act of Canada. Canadian Wildlife Service,Ottawa, September 3,1997, 40 pages.

During the January to September period of 1997 a number ofnew factors have come forward affecting ecological giftsacross Canada. This report provides an overview of a nationalinitiative to remove barriers in the income tax system withregard to the donation of lands and other related instrumentsfor environmental conservation objectives. Donations ofecologically sensitive land by private individuals andcorporate landowners is emerging as an important new tool inconserving sensitive ecosystems and biodiversity acrossCanada. Criteria for defining ecologically sensitive lands aregiven. Implementation agreements with BC have beencompleted wherein provincial agencies and, in some casesnon-government organizations, will administer the donationprocess. The FBCN is listed as one of twenty qualifiedregistered charities in BC.


Columbia Naturalists

Kelowna* BCF«>_ iS A*

Hosted by Central Okanagan Naturalists Club at Lake Okanagan Resort

Theme

Thursday, May 7*

Friday, May 8* 6:00 am-8:30 am8:00 am-9:00 am9:00am-9:15am9:15 am-noon

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Field Trips:

Saturday, May 9*

7:00 pm-?

6:00 am-8:30 am8:00 am-9:00 am9:00 am-5:00 pm6:30 pm

Sunday, May 10* 8:30 am

Registration, wine & cheese social{Bird'mg during the day for those arriving early)

Birding & Botany at 3 locationsRegistrationWelcome & IntroductionSessions: 1. Wetlands

2. Mission Creek Greenway Project3. Grassland - Talus Slopes4. Peregrine Falcon Project

1. Wetlands (Brandts Creek, City Dump andGlenmore Highlands)2. Mission Creek Greenway3. Black Mountain

Field Trips: 1. Flammulated Owl Search2. Social & Slide Show

Birding &. Botany at 3 locationsRegistrationAnnual General Meeting followed by Directors' MeetingBanquet - Speaker Mark Angela, MSc, "Heritage Rivers"Raffle Prize Drawing

Houseboat on Okanagan Lake. Indicate if interested. Costs TBAShorts Creek (all day)Kelowna & Winfield area (full or V£ day)

Accommodation

Lake Okanagan Resort 22 km from Kelowna onWestside Road

1 bedroom suites with hideaway bed and kitchen,sleeps four.$80 per suite, plus taxes ($92.40)3 bedroom suites with kitchen - sleeps six$ 180 per suite, plus taxes ($207)Shuttle bus available between accommodation andmeeting places if neededPlease book directly with the resort & quoteFBCN AGM 98. Tel: 250-769-3511, Fax 250-769-6665Deadline for booking April 7, 1998

Camping & Other accommodation available in

greater Kelowna district

Send Form &. Cheque to:

Contacts

Janice Casting3845 Miller RoadKelowna, BCV1W4C7

Information: Janice Casting 250-764-7535Pat Westheuser 250-769-6605Cec Dillabough 250-862-8254

Transportation can be arranged from airport or bus depot(Westbank or Kelowna)

Page 24 BC Naturalist

CENTRAL OKANAGANNATURALISTS CU About the AGN Host Club

The Central Okanagan Naturalists Club (CONC) with over 320 members has been meeting and active in naturalhistory activities for 35 years! And their concerns and endeavours have made a difference. For example, in 1989,'Friends of Mission Creek1 was formed. In 1997 a linear corridor along Mission Creek became a Park. Many CONCpeople were involved and spent many hours to see this successful outcome. The Club's weekly activities (on 5different days) include Botany, Birding and Hiking outings. Specific days and times are scheduled for theseactivities. Hike leaders volunteer for three different levels of hiking per week, which depend on the length anddifficulty of the hike. These are scheduled throughout the hiking season. When winter comes, cross-country skiingreplaces these hikes. Kelowna's first bird count was in 1961 - 18 persons participated with 65 species of birdscounted. In 1996, 55 participants helped, with 25,956 birds counted and 90 different species identified.

Present club endeavours include:

K-

Involvement of preservation of wetlands within the City of Kelowna.Introduction of a Peregrine Falcon Breeding Programme in Kelowna. The last breeding sighting in theOkanagan was on Layer-Cake Mountain (Rutland area) in 1956.A School Programme on Endangered Species will be developed in conjunction with the Peregrine FalconBreeding Programme,Members sit on the Committee for Land Resource Management Plan.Members are working with BC Parks to form a master plan for Finny Provincial Park.Members sit on Committee for Major Park Acquisition at McCullogh Lake.Members are involved in a Kelowna Sector Plan.Clean up of waterways and parks in the Spring is called 'Pitch-in'.

Central Okanagan Naturalists follow FBCN'S motto - "To know nature and to keep it worth knowing."We look forward to hosting the AGM of the Federation ofBC Naturalists

at Lake Okanagan Resort on May 8th to 10th.K

Registration FormT*T Deadline May 1" 1998 -No refunds offer this date*

RegistraHon include* speakers, social on Thursday and Friday evening; early morning refreshments, coffee breaks.

Registration - Thw$. to Sat, Before April 15*After April 15*

Registration - Friday Only Before April 15*After April 15*

Registration - Saturday OnlyBanquet - Saturday (no host bar) 160 tickets onlyLunch - Saturday

$50/person x...... = $,$55/person x .,.,„ - $.$25/person x... • $$30/person x. - $.$15/person x * $,$25/personx - $ ,$10/personx , =$,

Total -$

City-

Club Affiliation . . . . . . . . .

FBCN Director Q Yes Q No Indicate food allergies/diet restrictions _^_MW

Make cheques payable to; FBCN AGM98. Send to: Janice Casling, 3845 Miller Road, Kelowna, B.C. V1W 4C7


Special Resolutions

^Notice of Special Resolutions*The Vancouver National History Society and the VictoriaNatural History Society have proposed the following changesto the FBCN Constitution and Bylaws for consideration at theFBCN Annual General Meeting May 9th in Kelowna. Boththese resolutions will be voted on at the AGM.

PROPOSED BY THEHISTORY SOCIETY:

VANCOUVER NATURAL

The purpose of this Special Resolution is to amend the By-laws ofthe FBCN so that aU individuals who are members of the FBCN willin future have the opportunity to vote on Special Resolutions,whether or not they attend a General Meeting at which it is to beconsidered. The VNHS believes the introduction of a proxy votingsystem, which will be integrated with the present procedures for theGeneral Meetings and Special Resolutions, will go a long waytowards resolving inequities in the present voting system.

The proposed amendments to the By-laws would allow the use ofproxy voting by all Federated Members and Direct Members (i.e. allindividuals who are members) for a Special Resolution at anyGeneral Meeting of the Society. We also propose that membershipdues and the amounts for different classes of membership be set bySpecial Resolution, rather than by ordinary resolution as at present.One further change would require notice of a Special Resolution tobe placed before all Federated Members and Direct members inwriting 60 days before the date of the General Meeting. There wouldno longer be a requirement that notice of By-law changes be given 90days before the meeting, since that would be covered by the 60 dayrequirement for Special Resolutions.

Procedures have been incorporated in the proposal for validatingvotes through the use of mailing labels. This procedure would applywhether the notice of the Special Resolution was included in aseparate mailing or through BC Naturalist, as at present. The votingform could appear in BC Naturalist and members would fill out theform, attach their mailing label and mail to FBCN office.

Section 3. Voting:Delete: "c. Proxy voting is not allowed."Insert: "c. Proxy voting shall be permitted with respect to a Special

Resolution to be considered at a General Meeting of theSociety. In order to be counted as a vote, a proxy votemust be received at the office of the Society by the closeof business three business days prior to the date on whichthe General Meeting is to be held. To be a valid vote, aproxy vote must have attached to it the individualmember's mailing label which was affixed to the circularor other mail-out in which notice of the SpecialResolution was sent to the member. Members who attendthe General Meeting in person and who have chosen notto vote by proxy may be issued with a voting card inexchange for their mailing label in order to exercise theirvote at the meeting. All votes, whether exercised by proxyor in person, shall be given equal weight at the meeting."

Section 4. Annual Dues:Delete: "a. The annual dues and amounts for the several classes of

membership shall be set by a motion passed at anA.G.M."

Insert: "a. The annual membership dues and the amounts for theseveral classes of membership shall be set by a SpecialResolution at a General Meeting of the Society."

Section 5. Meetings Of The Society:Delete: "c. Notice of a General Meeting shall be sent to all Federated

Clubs and to all Direct Members in good standing at leastsixty days before the meeting, specifying date, time, placeand agenda."

Insert: "c. Notice of a General Meeting shall be sent to all FederatedClubs, Federated Members and Direct Members in goodstanding at least sixty days before the date of the meeting,specifying the date, time and place of the meeting. Thenotice shall also contain the agenda for the meeting and thetext of any Special Resolution to be considered togetherwith such information as may be necessary for a reasonableunderstanding of the Special Resolution.1'

Section 15. Quorum:Add: "c. A quorum for consideration of a Special Resolution shall be

not less than 5% of the aggregate of all Federated Membersand Direct Members of the Society eligible to vote in personor by proxy."

Section 22. Amendments To The Constitution AndBylaws:Delete: "a. The Constitution and By-laws of the Society may be

amended at any General Meeting of the Society by aSpecial Resolution passed by a majority of not less than75% of voting Members of the Society present."

Insert: "a. The Constitution and By-laws of the society may beamended at a General Meeting of the Society by aSpecial Resolution.

Delete: "b. Proposed Amendments to the Constitution and By-lawsof the Society must be placed in writing before allFederated Clubs and Direct Members of the Society atleast 90 days before the General Meeting at which theamendments are to be presented.

Add New: "Section 23. Special Resolution:a. To become effective a Special Resolution must be passed

by a majority of not less than 75% of FederatedMembers and Direct Members voting in person or byproxy at a General Meeting of the Society.

b. A Special Resolution must be placed in writing before allFederated Clubs, Federated Members and DirectMembers of the Society at least 60 days before theGeneral Meeting at which it is to be considered

PROPOSED BY THE VICTORIA NATURALHISTORY SOCIETY:

Be it resolved that the Federation of British Columbia Naturalistsrescind the $2 fee increase passed at the 1997 A.G.M and make thepayment of the fee increase voluntary for the year 1998.


BIRDS & BEARSG O L D E N • B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A C A N A D A

May 10-16, 1998Join us in celebrating the beginning of Spring Migration and the end of Winter Hibernation in

the beautiful Columbia Valley! Over 260 resident and migrant bird species share the domain of theGrizzly Bears and Black Bears of the Western slopes of the Rocky Mountains!

• Our guest speakers include:• Daily Field Trips * Evening Programs: learn about our birds and bears• Birding Expeditions » Float Trips: explore the Columbia Valley Wetlands• Children's Activities * Educational Seminars • Natural History Exhibits

• Win a $2700 Mountain Vacation! • Bird & Bear Art Displays

id, ut the otfeatit o^ Btid GM^ Beak

ORDER A FREE INFORMATION KIT TODAY .'

1-800-622-GOLD

ANDY RUSSELLKevin Uan TifihemBruce McLellanWayne McCroryJohn Nellie. .Scmore

Musical Entertainment by:

4 Stephen FearingDrama Festival May 8-10

Visit our web-sites:redshift.bc.ca or rockies.net/~ birdbear /

£±3 Box1320,Golden, British Columbia VOA1HO

email: [email protected]

"TJ1 xperience some of Canada's most remote andJCj spectacular wilderness areas with skilled guidesand expert naturalists. Since 1972 our adventures haveemphasized nature and solitude rather than Whitewater.River, coastal and land explorations from 6 to 12 daysstarting at $1325. Suitable for all ages and abilities.

Tatshenshini and Alsek RiversDrift through the largest protected area in North AmericaIwavik National Park & Firth RiverSee the Yukon tundra come alive under the midnight sunBaffin Island's Lancaster SoundSpring marine mammal & seabird spectacle withInuit guidesTs'yl-os and Chilcotin-FraserExperience. EC's amazing variety; fjords, grasslandsand new Ts'yl-os Park

CANADIAN RIVEREXPEDITIONSP.O. Box 1023-BCN, Whistler, B.

1-800-898-7238 (604) 938-6651

GENTLEADVENTURES

Trips guided by local naturalists in B.C.'s MountRobson Provincial Park, west of Jasper, Alberta.

0 canoeing through marshlands rich with birdsand wildlife

0 gentle rafting floats on the scenic Fraser Riverwith salmon viewing in August and September

0 dayhiking or backpacking trips

Mount Robson Adventure HolidaysBox 687 - BCN, Valemount, BC VOE 2ZO

phone: 1-800-882-9921 • fax: 250-566-4351email: [email protected]

Website: mountrobson.comMarch 1998 BC Naturalist Page 27

Crook's MeadowKootenay National Park

Vancouver Natural History Society

SUMMER CAMP 1998

Date:

Location:

Details:

Cost:

JD

July 19-July 26,1998

Kootenay National Park is the southernmostextension of the Kootenay, Banff and Yoho Parkcluster. The historic Banff-Windermere Parkway(Highway 93) routes lengthwise through the middleof the park accessing a wide variety of hiking andnature trails. Crook's Meadow is a groupcampground located 34 km north of the West Gateentrance which is near Radium Hotsprings (an 818km drive from Vancouver).

A World Heritage Site, Kootenay National Park isthe only Canadian National Park which containsboth glaciers and cactus. Climatic conditions makethe Kootenay rich in both plant and animal life. Thehigh peaks of the Rockies Main Ranges cover thenorthern reaches of the park, while further south themountains become more gentle. Along the park'ssouthernmost boundary, the Columbia Valleycontains North America's longest continuous seriesof wetlands; flanked by grasslands and forestsreaching up to alpine tundra and together providinghabitat for over 250 bird species. The primitivecampsite is isolated and reserved exclusively for us.A parking area is close by. Basic facilities areprovided; you need only place your tent. As usual,the camp will be hilly catered.

$400 per person ($150 under 16 years). Costincludes Sunday dinner on July 19 through to lunchon the following Sunday and the daily camping feebut not the Annual National Park Entry Fee of $70per carload.

For further information and an application send a stamped self-addressed legal-sized envelope to: May Murray, Camp Registrar,1405 Doran Rd., North Vancouver, BC V7K INI

OSPItfEY TTSTIVAIAPRIL , 1998

Creston Valley supports Canada's densest Ospreypopulation - more than 60 breeding pairs. Over260 species including nesting Forster's terns andWestern Grebes. Largest migratory population ofWhite-front Geese in British Columbia.

is to Enjoy!• Festival banquet and auction• nature talks and walks• early morning bird-a-thon• wildlife art show and sale• wildlife detective drive• spaghetti dinner and wildlife

presentation• demonstrations by Bushnell Sports

Optics Worldwide• Kiwanis pancake breakfast and

lunch• decoy putting green contest• guided bike tours• osprey viewing• and much more

RIRD'A'THONSATURDAY APRIL Z5, 1998

Creston Valley WildlifeManagement Area Osprey Festival

Box 640, Creston, British ColumbiaCanada VOB 1GO

tel (250) 428-3260 fax (250) 428-3276


Perspectives

PerspectivesLike many others, I have long played the game of contrastingwise proverbs. You know, like 'too many cooks spoil thebroth', but 'many hands make light work1. Or 'fools rush inwhere angels fear to tread', but 'he (or she!) who hesitates islost'. Lately, I've been reminded of the lyrics 'you can't alwaysget what you want' and initially contrasted it to the admonition'be careful what you wish for, you might get it'. I've decidedthat these messages are not so contradictory after all.

I can remember a time not too long ago when I lobbied myfriends and acquaintances for higher status for the, well, moregross members of nature's world. (I'd say grosser, but theremight be some contusion with vegetable). I had newly foundaesthetic admiration for spiders; banana slugs wereincreasingly fascinating after I learned a little about their, um...private lives; and centipedes were slowly coming along. Slimemould has always been high on my list of forest interests. Whyshould such plants and animals or what-not be derided as icky,nasty, or gross? I bemoaned the dearth of gastropod tea-towelsand the low status of green insects.

Well, times have evidently changed. I now own a "Gastropodsof the World" t-shirt, and a "Green Bugs are Cool" sweatshirt.But this is largely a result of a certain unique-some might sayquirky-sense of humour in someone near and dear to me.More indications of changed times can be found in toy storesand science-and-nature shops. Have a look in these places andsee what you find.

What I found last December was a delightful collection ofhighly detailed insect figures: glow in the dark cockroaches,butterflies that grew when placed in water, wriggly centipedes,spiders, ants (and farms for live ones!), and various collectorkits. There were lots of highly illustrated books on bugs, dirt,fungi, swamps, and how to start a worm compost. One toystore even had cybernetic bugs with removable heads. Youpulled the head off, and a string would slowly pull the headback on as coloured slime oozed from various orifices in thebug's body. Yeah!

I also visited a science-and-nature shop that had quite acollection of human body parts-models and picture books ofskeletons, eyeballs, brains, and various internal organs.(However, I couldn't tell whether the "Pin the Ear on vanGogh" game qualified under science or nature!). This was inaddition to the above mentioned figures, as well as slugs,salamanders, poison dart frogs and iguanas. Evidently amarket exists for these things that may previously have beenconsidered gross and disgusting.

So in some ways I got what I asked for—toy stores devoted topromoting the cold and slimy, the wriggly and the hairy, andthe denizens of mud or rotting logs. Presumably a gaggle ofhappy adult consumers purchased these products forthemselves or their children-the status of the gross was nodoubt considerably elevated! But you can't always get whatyou want; had a poorly conceived wish come true?

Perhaps the problem was that all these plastic baubles had, Ithought, become ends in themselves rather than means to anend. Sure, people today may be more interested in letting kidshave a collection of plastic insects rather than toy farmanimals or soldiers, but the status boost is pretty marginal ifthe real insects are losing their habitat. Have therepresentations become more important than the actual plantor animal represented?

Naturalists old and new know what it's like to be captivated byboth the commonplace and the exceptional. Finding somethingpreviously known only as an illustration brings extrasatisfaction. Knowing that the existence of all these things isactually good for our lives makes findings even moresignificant. So when I wished for all this PR for the gross andicky, I should have been more precise: I didn't want status foran effigy of nature, but for the real thing (whatever that is).

But I am heartened. On the one hand, all these trinkets andbaubles are hunks of plastic. But, on the other hand, they doamuse and delight. And this might be a sign of a shift hiappreciation of the world we live in. We could use morerepresentations of things people are likely to find in their ownparts of the world. Who is going to find an iguana in BC?Better to have rough-skin newts in the collection, too. Perhapsthis wish, if it comes true, won't carry hidden problems. If youdon't always get what you want, maybe we will get what weneed.

Eric Darner is an FBCNDirect member

NATURE VENTURE Toms LTD.2241 Park Crescent Coquitlam B.C. V3J6TI

Tel: (604)461*7770 or 1-888-817-8417


FBCN Club List

LOWER MAINLAND

Regional Coordinator: Daphne Solecki3672 West 1st Ave. Vancouver, V6R 1H2t/f: 604-736-9471

Alouette Field Naturalists12554 Grace St., Maple Ridge, BC V2X 5N2Dir: Duanne van den Berg t: 604-463-8743Alt; Beryl Cunningham t; 604^63-3694

Bowen Nature ClubRR # I, F27, Bowen Island, BC VON 1 GODir: Alan Shatwell t: 604-947-9745

Burke Mountain NaturalistsP.O. Box 52540 RPO Coquitlam CentreCoquitlam, BC V3B 7J4Dir: Jude Grass t: 604-520-3706Alt: Mike Griffin t: 604-942-5326

Central Valley Naturalists7271 Le Feuvre Rd, Mt. Lehman, BC V4X 2C1Dir: Johanna Saaltink t/f: 604-856^1982

Chilliwack Field NaturalistsBox 268, Chilliwack, BC V2P 6J1Dir: Birch Van Home t: 604-795-5108

f: 604-792-6036 (club)e: [email protected] (club)

Delta Naturalists' Society106 - 4815 48th Avenue, Ladner, BC V4K 1V2Dir: Anne Murray t/f: 604-943-0273

e: [email protected]

Langley Field Naturalists SocietyBox 56052, Valley Centre P.O.Langley, BC V3A 8B3Dir: Ray Gurr t: 604-530-6210Alt: Rhys Griffiths t:604-530-2778


Pender Harbour & District Wildlife SocietyBox 220, Madeira Park, BC VON 2HODir: Ann Barker t: 604-883-2689

Royal City Field Naturalists125 Bonson St., New Westminster, BC V3L 2J9DinNormaBoutillier 1:604^30-8033


Squamish Estuary Conservation SocietyBox 1274, Squamish, BC VON 3GODir: Lesley Keith t/f: 604-898-1628

e: [email protected]: Laura Hartley 1:604-892-5726

f: 604-892-7446

Sunshine Coast Natural History SocietyBox 543, Sechelt, BC VON 3AODir: Tony Greenfield 1:604-885-7869

f: 604-885-2904e: [email protected]

Alt: Marianne Larsen t: 604-885-6431f: 604-883-2885 e: [email protected]

Vancouver Natural History SocietyBox 3021, Vancouver, BC V6B 3X5Dir: Bert Brink t: 604-224-7078Dir: John Brady t: 604-221-9793Dir: Joan Ford t: 604-524-3445Dir: Melanie Marchand t: 604-985-3720

e: [email protected]: Daphne Solecki t/f: 604-736-9471

White Rock & Surrey Naturalists SocietyBox 75044, White Rock, BC V4A 9M4Dir: Dave Dunnison t: 604-538-5288

VANCOUVER ISLAND

Regional Coordinator: Vacant

Arrows mi th NaturalistsBox 1542, Parksville, BC V9P2H4Dir: John Mackenzie t: 250-752-:

Comox Valley Naturalists SocietyP.O. Box 3222, Courtenay, BC V9N 5N4Dir: Joan Cartwright t: 250-334-2272

Cowichan Valley NaUr *' SocietyBox 361, Duncan, BC1

Dir: Nils Hoeg t/f: 2^Alt: Audrey Hoeg t/f: 250-"Mo , %

Mitlenatch Field Naturalists SocietyBox 413, Heriot Bay, BC VOP IHODir: Heather Kellerhals t: 250-285-3570

f: 250-285-2981 e: [email protected]: Allan Brooks 1:250-337-8180

Nanaimo Field NaturalistsBox 125, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5K4Dir: Bill Merilees 1:250-758-1801

f: 250-753-3692

Pender Island Field Naturalists3826 Cutlass, RR2, Pender Island, BC VON 2M2Dir: Jan Kirkby t: 250-629-3381


Alt: Marti Tilley t: 250-629-6767

Salt Spring Trail and Nature ClubBox 203, Ganges P.O.,Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 2V9Dir: Nancy Braithwaite t: 250-537-9335

Victoria Natural History SocietyP.O. Box 5220, Stn B, Victoria, BC VSR 6N4Dir: Audrey Copping t: 250-477-6739

e: [email protected] t: 250-361-1694

e: thomasw_j>[email protected]

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN

Regional Coordinator Madelon SchoutenBox 1298, Princeton, BC VOX 1WOt: 250-295-7078 f: 250-295-7078 (5**)

Central Okanagan Naturalists ClubP.O. Box 396, Kelowna, BC VIY 7N8Dir: Cec Dillabough 1:250-862-8254Dir: Pat Westhauser t: 250-769-6605


Friends of Mount Revelstoke & GlacierField NaturalistsP.O. Box 2992, Revelstoke, BC VOE 2SODir: Jeff Nicholson t: 250-837-6803


Kamloops Naturalist ClubBox 625, Kamloops, BC V2C 5L7Dir: Jack Robinson t: 250-372-5956

North Okanagan Naturalists' ClubBox 473, Vernon, BC V1T 6M4DirKenWaldon t/f: 250-542-3461

e: [email protected]: Peter Blokker t: 250-545-8297

North Shuswap Naturalist ClubBox 162, Celista, BC VOE ILODir: Alfred Bawtree t: 250-955-2155

f: 250-955-2185.

Oliver-Osoyoos NaturalistsBox 1181, Osoyoos, BC VOH 1VODir: Harold King t/f: 250-495-6907

Shuswap Naturalists ClubBox 1076, Salmon Arm, BC V IE 4P2Dir: Paulette Hagel

Similkameen Naturalist ClubRR # 1 Comp 7, Site 33, Cawston, BC VOX ICODir: Gabriele Hollmann t: 250-499-5404

South Okanagan Naturalist ClubBox 23003, Penticton, BC V2A 8L7Dir: Joe Fitzpatrick t: 250-492-5895


Vermilion Forks Field NaturalistsBox 1298, Princeton, BC VOX 1WODir: Madelon Schouten t: 250-295-7078

f: 250-295-7078 (5**)

NORTHERN BC

Regional Coordinator Sandra Kin&eyRRtf 5, Site 18, Comp 9, Prince George, V2N 2J3t/f: 250-963-8381 e: [email protected]

Bella Coola Trail and Nature ClubP.O. Box 3, Bella Coola, BC VOT ICODir: Lis Karup t/f: 250-799-5932Alt: Duane Pedersen t: 250-799-5508

Bulkley Valley NaturalistsBox 4209, Smithers, BC VOJ 2NODir: Sean Mitchell t: 250-847-2734

f: 250-847-5989 e:[email protected]

Mackenzie Nature ObservatoryBox 1598, Mackenzie, BC VOJ 2CODir: Derek Connelly 1:250-997-4001Alt: John Lambie l: 250-997-4341

Prince George Naturalists ClubBox 1092, Prince George, BC V2L 4V2Dir: Jack Bowling t: 250-963-7837

f: 250-963-7801 e: [email protected]

Quesnel NaturalistsP.O. Box 4296, Quesnel, BC V2J 3J3Dir: Tracy Bond 1:250-992-8585

f: 250-992-8585 (call first)e: [email protected]

Alt: Adam Moss

Skeena Valley NaturalistsR.R. #4, Water Lily Bay Rd, Terrace, BCV8G 4V2Dir: Judy Chrysler t: 250-798-2535


Timberline Trail & Nature Club9049 Elwood Dr., Dawson Creek, BC V1G 3M8Dir: Ellen Schoen t: 250-782-4485


Page 30 BC Naturalist, March 1998

Up at Coming

Williams Lake Field Naturalists SocietyBox 4575, Williams Lake, BC V2G2V6Dir: Anna Roberts 1:250-392-5000Alt: Nola Daintith t: 250-392-6853

KOOTENAYRegional Coordinator Greg RossRR #2, Site 4, Box 34, Cranbrook, BC VIC 4H3t/f: 250-489-2566 e: gross @cyberlink.bc.ca

Arrow Lakes Naturalist ClubBox 294, Nakusp, BC VOG IRODir: Gary Davidson t: 250-265-4456

f: 250-265^1616 e: [email protected]

Boundary Naturalists AssociationBox 2194 , Grand Forks, BC VOH 1HODir: Ron Walker t: 250-447-9467

f: 250-447-6432.Alt: Ruth Kuhl t: 250-442-8859

Nelson NaturalistsP.O. Box 893, Nelson, BC V1L 6A5Dir: vacant

Rocky Mountain NaturalistsBox791, Cranbrook, BC VIC 4J5Dir: Mildred White 1:250^27-3605

f: 250427-0222

West Kootenay Naturalists' AssociationP.O. Box3121, Castlegar, BC V1N 3H4Dir: Brenda Balaam t: 250-368-9677

AFFILIATE ORGANIZATIONS

Albemi Valley Naturalist Society4728 Southgate Rd., Port Alberni, BC V9Y 5K6Dir: Sandy McRuer t: 250-723-5436

Bums Bog Conservation Society202 -11961 - 88th Ave, Delta, BC V4C 3C9Dir: Eliza Olson t: 604-572-0373


Columbia Valley Field NaturalistsP.O. Box 2643, Invermere, BC VOA 1KODir: Bill Swan t/f: 250-342-3357

Fraser Valley Heritage Tree Society6047 237A Place, Langley, BC V2Z 1A7Dir: Susan Murray t: 604-530-9679


Indian Arm Natural History Group2967 Panorama Dr.North Vancouver, BC V7G 2A4Dir: Cynthia Baxter t: 604-874-5290

f: 604-874-5296

Kitimat Valley Naturalists12 Farrow Street, Kitimat, BC V8C 1E2Dir: Walter Thome t: 250-632-7632


Mayne Island Naturalists ClubC22,489 Bluff Way, Mayne Island, BC VON 2JODir: Michael Dunn t/f: 250-539-5745

Mount Tolmie Conservancy Association3555 Redwood Avenue, Victoria V8P 4Z8Dir: B. Jenkins t: 250-595-2730


Osoyoos Desert SocietyBox 500, Osoyoos, BC VOH 1VODir: Dr. Fred Hamilton t: 250-495-2470

f: 250^195-8081 e: [email protected]

Rjverview Horticultural Centre SocietyP.O. Box 31005, #8 - 2929 St. John's StPort Moody, BC V3H 4T4Dir: Greg Nutchey t: 604-290-9910


Sargeant Bay SocietyP.O. Box 1486. Sechelt, BC VON 3AODir: Joop Burgerjon t/f: 604-885-9308

e: j_burgerjon@s unshine.net

Somenos Marsh Wildlife SocietyBox 711, Duncan, BC V9L 3Y1Dir: Nils Hoeg t/f: 250-748-8506

the friends of the rain shadowP.O. Box 1029, Lillooet, BC VOK 1VODir: Michael Kennedy t/f: 250-256-4836


Tumbler Ridge Ornithology GroupBox 1690, Tumbler Ridge, BC VOC 2WODir: Charles Helm t: 250-242-3984

f: 250-242-4076

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President: Audrey Hoeg4260 Riverside Rd,RR #7Duncan, BC V9L4W4 t/f: 250-748-8506

First Vice-President: Anne Murray4992 Stevens Lande, Delta, BC V4M1P1t/f: 604-943-0273 e: [email protected]

Second Vice President: Nils Hoeg4260 Riverside Rd. RR#7Duncan BC V9L 4W4 t/f: 250-748-8506

Past President: Frances Vyset/f: 250-372-8607

Treasurer: Serguei Kotlikov#305 2028 W. Hth Ave Vancouver, B.C.V6J2C9 t: 604-730-8540

Recording Secretary: Dr. Joan Ford604-524-3445

Conservation Chair: VacantEducation Chair; Vacant

Honorary PresidentDr. Ian McTaggart-Cowan

The Executive Committee also includes theRegional Coordinators and the Editor of the

BCNaturatist

FALL FRCN CAMP

We're planning another FBCN campfor this fall. For details on

destination and dates contactTracy Bond at 250-992-8585 or

[email protected]

April3-5

2223-26

Brant Festival/Big Day BirdingCompetition, call 250-248-4117

5 FBCN Executive Meeting.5 Squamish Bird Count: contact

Jim Wisnia ,604-898-200010-14 VNHS spring flowers & wildlife

bus tour, call 604-526-9091.International Earth Day -World Without Borders,Environmental and OutdoorEducation Council ConferenceMorely Alberta 403-762-5448.

24-26 Osprey Festival, Creston, see p. 28

May1-10 Wings Over the Rockies Bird

Festival, Invermere, BC 1-888-933-3311

2-6 FBCN- South Okanagan SpringCamp, 250-490-3635

3 Squamish Bird Count, call JimWisnia 604-898-2000.

3-5 Conserving and Restoring OurRiver Heritage Conference,Vancouver call 604-737-3058

4-10 Pitch-In Week 1998 call 604-290-0498

7-9 FBCN AGM, Kelowna. See p.241O-16 Golden Festival of Birds and

Bears, Golden BC, see p.15-18 Meadowlark Festival, South

Okanagan-Similkameen, see p. 1023 Okanagan Mountain Critter

Count call 250-492-315824-30 VNHS 'West Coast' trip, call

250-758-1801.

June6 FBCN Regional Directors

Meetings- contact your RegionalCoordinator.Squamish Bird Count call JimWisnia 604-898-2000.

Julys Executive Meeting.12-18 FBCN Expeditionary Camp,& 19-25 Kakwa Recreation Area, call

604-321-2784

August2 Squamish Bird Count, call Jim

Wisnia 604-898-2000.


•

NATURAL HISTORY EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL TOURSJoin us for one of our varied wilderness programmes, all of which are escorted by well-known, experienced naturalists.

ARIZONA — Capilano College - led by Dr. Keith Wade - May 2-11 1998 - Cost $2,250 CADFew places on earth can rival the spectacular range of desert, canyon, mountain and grassland habitats of Arizona. Join Keithas he explores the wide range of ecosystems from the Lower Sonoran Desert with its giant Saguaro cactus to Canyon de Chellyand its extraordinary rock formations and cliff dwellings.TATSHENSHINI — UBC - led by David Fraser - June 22-July 5 1998 - Cost $3,495 CADDavid will once again lead a group as they raft down this world famous river, experiencing towering peaks and glaciers alongthe way.TANZANIA — UBC - led by Syd Cannings - September 16 - October 2, 1998 - Cost $6,695 CADJoin naturalist Syd Cannings as he explores the treasure that is Tanzania. This spectacular safari visits the major NationalParks in the north including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara and Tarangire where you will probably see lion,elephant, buffalo, rhino, cheeta and vast herds of wildebeest and plains antelope.SASKATCHEWAN — Capilano College - led by David Stirling - October 2-9, 1998 - Cost TEAVisit Canada's oldest bird sanctuary for a fall birding spectacle, timed to the fall migration of whooping cranes, sandhillcranes, geese and hawks.

BELIZE — Capilano College - led by Nancy Baron - late January, 1999 - Cost TBAThe rivers, rainforests and caves are unequalled in splendor and abundance of flora and fauna while the 176 mile reefoffshore provides crystal clear water to view the marine life including brilliantly hued coral.

GALAPAGOS & ECUADORIAN AMAZON — Capilano College- led by Marja de Jong Westman - April 1999 - Cost TBAZIMBABWE — Capilano CoUege - led by Keith Wade - May 1999 - Cost TBA

GREAT EXPEDITIONS INC.5915 West Boulevard, Vancouver, B.C. V6M 3X1 Telephone: 257-2040 Toll free B.C. 800-663-3364

EXPEDITIONS

Q $15 NEW REGULAR (Direct) This is amembership to the FBCN only. If you are amember of a Federated Club you areautomatically a member in the FBCN and aDirect membership is not necessary

G $15 RENEW REGULAR (Direct)Q $15 SUBSCRIPTION (Organizations)Q $400 LIFE MEMBERSHIPG DONATION A charitable tax receipt will be

issued for donations above the membership fee

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MAIL TO: FBCN • 425 1367 W. Broadway • Vancouver »BC • V6H4A9

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The Federation of British Columbia Naturalists ISSN 0223 ... · The Federation of British Columbia...

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