Guest blog by Nathan Earley, PhD candidate and researcher with the BC Biodiversity Program. The BC Biodiversity Program is funded in part by the BC Parks License Plate Program. If you’re a fan of the outdoors, you’ve probably had that awkward moment when you identify a plant or animal with pride (and a hint of swagger) only to find …
From rocks and rubble to a welcoming summer destination once again. Rebuilding the flood-impacted Maple Bay day use area in time for a busy summer season at Cultus Lake Park. We’ve been reflecting on the impacts of extreme weather events over the last year in many BC Parks. In addition to informing you about the …
Written by Niall Clancy Imagine someone has sneezed over all the rocks in your local stream. If you’ve ever seen Didymosphenia geminata, it shouldn’t be too difficult to imagine what that looks like. In fact, that’s exactly what the people who decided to call this unfortunate algae ‘rock snot’ thought it looked like. Yes, not …
Do you remember the first camping experience you ever had? The excitement and nervousness you felt falling asleep in a tent, wrapped up warm in your sleeping bag, with light from your lantern flickering off the tent walls? What about gathering around your first crackling campfire, only to gaze up to the night sky to …
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 …
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 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 …
Written by Jessica Bodnar Since the spring of 2017, I have been a volunteer ecological reserve (ER) warden for Chilliwack River. As an ER warden, we are the eyes and ears for BC Parks staff. Each volunteer has their own protected area where we contribute our knowledge and enthusiasm for conservation. Together, we manage the …
Written by Ian Adams The helicopter nestles into the natural forest opening atop a ridge in British Columbia’s Gilnockie Provincial Park. As the rotors slow, biologists and BC Parks staff jump out and start gathering gear. The plan is to bushwhack our way downslope and intercept a small tributary stream, then follow it to the …
To protect bats against the spread of the deadly White Nose Syndrome (WNS), BC Parks has installed a biocleaning station at Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park. Believed to be the first of its kind in Canada, the biocleaning station helps remove fungal spores from the virus that causes WNS. Visitors walk along an astroturf mat …