Written by Abby Koning Aaaah the sounds of nature… there’s nothing quite like it, is there? Wind blowing through the trees, squirrels scurrying in the branches, and best of all, birds singing all around you. Birdwatching and bird listening can provide magical experiences, but you’ve got to be observant, and most of all, you’ve got …
When Erica McClaren looks at the coastal landscape of Helliwell Provincial Park, she feels hopeful a rare species of butterfly will return to its former home. As a conservation specialist for BC Parks, McClaren is among a large team of scientists and community members who began restoring the park’s coastal bluff meadows in the spring …
In the heart of the Robson Valley, skirting the western edge of the Rocky Mountains, is a diverse range of habitat that’s captured the attention of scientists studying wetlands and climate change. The rivers and wetlands are supported by the melt of winter snowpack flowing down mountain slopes in the spring. But Darwyn Coxson, a …
Written by Abby Koning Before you take an international flight, you make sure you have your passport. Before you start your car, you put on a seat belt. And before you go to the grocery store, you make a grocery list. Many times a day, we check in with ourselves to make sure we are …
On a calm morning in mid July, Rachel Shephard slides into a kayak and slowly starts paddling around the perimeter of Fawn Lake. Keeping a camera and notebook within reach, Shepard’s eyes are glued to the water, searching for any signs of western toad tadpoles. “We’ve been looking to see where they are in the …
Written by Natasha Ewing The energy in the room was electric. All of us were excited to touch, try and experience the new device sitting in the right corner of the room. The device – a TrailRider – looked a bit odd – almost like a hybrid between a stroller and a wheelbarrow. It had …
Written by Rob Wilson For the past five years, BC Parks has been working with partners in the Skagit Valley to study wildlife utilizing an emerging tool: wildlife cameras. Back in 2013, I was invited by a Metro Vancouver Parks area manager on a trip to the United States. On our own time, we traveled …
Written by Abby Koning Parks Day is coming up, and we are really, really excited. Each year on the third Saturday in July, parks across Canada take a day to recognize and celebrate the important role that parks play in preserving our environment, strengthening our communities, and enriching our lives. Read on for some reasons …
Each of BC Parks’ five regions have been allocated $20,000 to support conservation projects, and $20,000 to support recreation projects. To access this funding for a specific park, please contact your local BC Parks staff or email BCParks.Volunteers@gov.bc.ca to find out who you should contact. Application deadline is June 7, 2019 for all BC Parks regions (West Coast, …
Looking at the landscape of Naikoon Provincial Park on Haida Gwaii, Sharilynn Wardrop was left with more questions than answers. A hand-drawn map created in the 1980s revealed little about the park’s bog, beach, dunes and lush rainforests. Wardrop, a BC Parks protected areas applied ecologist, and other experts, knew it was time to chronicle …