Nicola Naturalist Society

Evening meetings of the Nicola Naturalist Society are held at 7PM, usually on the third Thursday of the month, in the Lecture Theatre of NVIT (Nicola Valley Institute of Technology) on Belshaw Road, Merritt. Our evening meetings are free for members. We have awesome raffles.

Scroll down to see what is coming up from October through December 2017

For insurance reasons, our field outings are restricted to our members (visitors can join membership-for-a-day). To join the Nicola Naturalist Society click here: Membership Page

Thursday October 19th 2017, 7 PM at NVIT Lecture Theatre: David Pitt-Brooke – Crossing Home Ground – A Grassland Odyssey Through Southern Interior British Columbia.

Author and naturalist, David Pitt-Brooke stepped out for a walk one morning—a very long walk. He covered over a thousand kilometres through the valleys of southern interior British Columbia. He went in search of beauty and lost grace in a landscape that has seen decades of development and upheaval. Based on his recently published book, David will speak about his journey’s experiences, including moments of discovery and re-connection with the natural world. David is an eloquent speaker and his presentation, combined with photographs from his journey and of the nature he encountered, is a real treat.

David’s  book will be available for purchase at the meeting. He is also the author of another noted book about Canadian wilderness experiences : Chasing Clayoquot – A Wilderness Almanac.

Thursday November 16th 2017, 7 PM at NVIT Lecture Theatre: Alan Burger – Wildlife in the Far North: Life in a Changing Arctic

Nicola Naturalist Society president Alan Burger regularly works as a naturalist/lecturer on a small ecotourist ship in the Arctic and Antarctic. In this presentation he shares his experiences and photos of wildlife and the environment in the High Arctic north of Norway (Svalbard Archipelago) & East Greenland. This area supports high densities of Polar Bears, and thriving populations of Walrus, Muskox, Reindeer, Arctic Fox and more. Plus dramatic glaciers & tundra flora.

Arctic Fox, Walrus and Polar Bear are among the typical species of the High Arctic. Photos: ©Alan Burger

Saturday 18th November, 10 AM – noon:  Nature hike with Norm Hansen

Join Norm for an easy walk starting at the Merritt airport (meet at the airport buildings on the far side of the airport from the Walmart site). Enjoy sagebrush and riverine habitats and some interesting ranching history.

We don’t have an evening meeting in December, but two popular events …

Saturday 2nd December 2 – 4 PM, NVIT Room L017:  Winter Bird Identification Workshop (for NNS Members)

Brush up on your identification skills for the upcoming Christmas Bird Count. Or improve your knowledge of the birds at your feeder. Come to the bird identification workshop led by Alan Burger. This will focus on birds likely to be seen in and around Merritt in winter. Beginner birders welcome.

Mystery Bird #1 Can you identify this bird? Scroll down to see its identity. Photo: © Alan Burger

Saturday December 16th: Merritt Christmas Bird Count.

You don’t have to be an expert birder to participate in our Christmas Bird Count. It is a great way to get to learn the local winter birds – each birding group has at least one experienced birder. Followed by a festive potluck for participants. If you are interested in participating and not already on the contact list send us an e-mail  nicolanaturalists@gmail.com

Mystery bird #2. This is a regular species in the Merritt Christmas Bird Count, but is not found in our area in the summer. Scroll down to see its identity. Photo: © Alan Burger

.

.

.

.

Mystery bird identification

Mystery bird #1 – Female Hooded Merganser – this species breeds in our area but is also found through the winter if there is open water on lakes or large ponds. Mergansers are ducks that are specialized for catching small fish and aquatic insects and have a long, narrow beak with serrations along the inner edges to help hold slippery prey.

Mystery bird #2 – Rough-legged Hawk. About the same size as the common Red-tailed Hawk, this species breeds on the Arctic tundra and migrates to our area in the winter. The black “wrist” patches on the underwing are the diagnostic feature, along with the barred tail, small head and beak, and feathery legs. Unlike Red-tailed Hawks the Rough-legged often hovers in search or rodent prey, as seen in this photo.

Scroll down to see what is coming up from June through August 2017

For insurance reasons, our field outings are restricted to our members (visitors can join membership-for-a-day). To join the Nicola Naturalist Society click here: Membership Page

Monthly Butterfly Hunts

Join Bob Scafe to search for butterflies in the Merritt area. Mark your calendar – these are the outing dates (all Saturdays):

Coming up:   July 8th (note change in date to avoid conflict with the Canada Day weekend)   – going to the Douglas Lake grasslands.

Future butterfly outings:  August 5   and  September 2.

For all butterfly hunts: Meet at Civic Center to car-pool and depart at 9.30 AM. Wear  clothing to match the weather (layers), and dry footwear for walking in wet grass. A hat and sunblock are recommended too. Bring water, lunch, binoculars and camera.

For a report on our June butterfly outing click here: June 3rd 2017 outing.

Blooms & Birds – Kane Valley Outing

Saturday June 17^th, 8 AM – 4 PM. Meet at Civic Centre to car-pool. Enjoy the wildflowers at Hill’s Homestead and beyond, and the birds in the lakes and woods. Bring lunch, binoculars, camera, walking shoes.

Other field outings are being planned for the summer. Keep checking here.

After two cancellations due to cold, wet weather and no butterflies we finally had a good day with warm weather, some sunshine and a good selection of butterflies (and other things of interest). The outing went to the Douglas Lake plateau area, including Douglas Lake, Chapperon Lake and Rush Lake. Here are a few of the butterflies we found:

Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia) at Douglas Lake, 3 June 2017. Photo: ©Alan Burger

Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus), Chapperon Lake, 3 June 2017. Photo: ©Alan Burger

Arrowhead Blue (Glaucopsyche piasus) at Rush Lake, 3 June 2017. Photo: ©Alan Burger

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis) at Chapperon Lake, 3 June 2017. Photo:©Alan Burger

Persius Duskywing (Erynnis perseus) at Chapperon Lake. Photo: ©Alan Burger

Arctic Skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon) at Rush Lake, 3 June 2017. Photo: ©Alan Burger

Common Roadside Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis) at Rush Lake, 3 June 2017. Photo: ©Alan Burger

Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona) at Rush Lake 3 June 2017. Photo: ©Alan Burger

Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice) at Rush Lake, 3 June 2017. Photo: ©Alan Burger

Common Alpine (Erebia epipsodea) at Rush Lke, 3 June 2017. Photo: ©Alan Burger

And a day-flying moth …

White-banded Black Moth at Rush Lake, 3 June 2017. Photo: ©Alan Burger

We also encountered other interesting insects:

Unidentified damselfly at Rush Lake, 3 June 2017. Photo: ©Alan Burger

A mayfly (Order Ephemeroptera) sitting on someone’s shoulder, 3 June 2017. Photo: ©Alan Burger

Boreal Whiteface Dragonfly (Leucorrhinia borealis) at Rush Lake, 3 June 2017. Photo: ©Alan Burger

For information on other Nicola Naturalist Society outings this summer check here.

For more on local Nicola Valley area butterflies, check our butterfly and moth pages:

Know your butterflies and moths – Merritt BC

More butterflies and moths of the Merritt, BC area

Evening meetings of the Nicola Naturalist Society are held at 7PM on the third Thursday of the month in the Lecture Theatre of NVIT (Nicola Valley Institute of Technology) on Belshaw Road, Merritt. Admission is free to members. We have awesome raffles. Scroll down to see what is coming up from January through May 2017

To join the Nicola Naturalist Society click here: Membership Page

Sunday 15th January – Nicola Valley Swan/Eagle count with Wayne Weber
Meeting place & time:  Merritt Civic Centre at 08:30 to car-pool.

Each year there is a mid-winter count of swans and eagles in the Southern Interior of B.C., with participants from many areas. A few members of the Nicola Naturalists have participated in past years.
Because of increasing interest by birders, in 2017 and future years, Wayne is organizing a special outing with all NNS members welcome to join in.
Duration: About 8:30 AM to 4 PM. (The count should take all or most of the day). Please bring a lunch and a hot drink!  Leader:  Wayne Weber
Area covered: Nicola River from Merritt to Nicola Lake; entire shoreline of Nicola Lake; Nicola River from Nicola Lake to Spahomin (Douglas Lake); Nicola River up to Douglas Lake P.O.  (NOTE: The Nicola River from Merritt west to Spences Bridge will be covered by a separate group, and will not be part of the main field trip.)

Thursday January 19th 2017, 7 PM at NVIT Lecture Theatre: Tracy Wimbush (Nicola Tribal Association) –  Salmon and salmon habitat in the Nicola Valley

The Nicola River system is the breeding site of important stocks of salmon, some of which are seriously depleted and threatened. Salmon are an important focus for local First Nations in the Nicola Valley. Tracy Wimbush is the program manager for the Nicola Tribal Association. She also works closely with the Nicola Lake Steering Committee, BC First Nations Fisheries Council, Esk’kn’am Management Committee, and is the Mandated Representative for two bands on the Fraser Salmon Management Council. She has been actively working to conserve and rebuild the local Early Chinook Stock that return to the Nicola System. Her talk will be about the chinook and the work around them.

Chinook Salmon heading to spawning grounds. Photo: NOAA Fisheries

Thursday February 16th 2017, 7 PM at NVIT Lecture Theatre: Frances Backhouse (biologist and author) –  “Once they were hats” The biology of beavers and their role in Canada’s history.   

[This presentation was postponed – we’ll try to schedule it later this year]

Frances Backhouse has published books on a wide range of nature topics, including owls and woodpeckers, and also on historical topics such as the women in the Klondike gold rush. Her latest book examines humanity’s 15,000-year relationship with Castor canadensis, and the beaver’s even older relationship with North American landscapes and ecosystems. This will be a fascinating presentation blending biology and history.

Thursday March 16th 2017, 7 PM at NVIT Lecture Theatre: Bob Scafe – Butterflies and moths of the Nicola Valley, Part Two.

Bob is an active member of the Nicola Naturalists, a keen photographer and a very enthusiastic investigator of  butterflies and moths. Bob’s presentation on this topic was very popular so we’re getting him back with new photos and new information on these colorful insects. Bob’s documentation of our local butterflies and moths is a popular feature of the Nicola Naturalist Society website – check here and here. Come and see great photos and learn about these interesting members of the Nicola Valley area fauna.

Two-tailed Swallowtail butterfly. Photo: © Bob Scafe

Thursday April 20th 2017, 7 PM at NVIT Lecture Theatre: Sarah Desrosiers – Sharing “Berried” Knowledge- the interrelationship between people and plants in the Canadian Arctic

Sarah Desrosiers is a local graduate student pursuing her degree at the University of British Columbia. She has worked with Inuit elders, youth and land users in the Canadian Arctic for six years. She is collaborating with communities to help document, preserve and promote traditional knowledge of plants for foods, materials and medicine. Sarah will discuss her involvement with a community-supported berry-monitoring program in Kugluktuk, Nunavut. She will also talk about the importance of building capacity for youth to engage with the local environment as a way for healing and well-being. This will be a very interesting ethnobotanical talk.

Sarah Desrosiers will explain the key role of berries in modern Arctic communities. Photos courtesy Sarah Desrosiers.

Thursday May 18th 2017, 7 PM at NVIT Lecture Theatre: To be announced – keep checking here

Coming up in the spring and summer:

Monthly Butterfly Hunts

Join Bob Scafe to search for butterflies in the Merritt area. Mark your calendar – these are the outing dates (all Saturdays):   April 29,   May 13,   June 3,   July 1,   August 5,   and  September 2. Meet at Civic Center at 9.30 AM unless another meeting spot has been arranged. More details to come – see our spring newsletter and this website.

Check out Bob’s butterfly and moth pages:

Know your butterflies and moths – Merritt BC

More butterflies and moths of the Merritt, BC area

Evening meetings of the Nicola Naturalist Society are held at 7PM on the third Thursday of the month in the Lecture Theatre of NVIT (Nicola Valley Institute of Technology) on Belshaw Road, Merritt. Admission is free to members. We have awesome raffles. Scroll down to see what is coming up from September through December 2016

To join the Nicola Naturalist Society click here: Membership Page

Thursday September 15th 2016 (7 PM at NVIT): Annual General Meeting and Members’ Photo Night.

We keep the business meeting short to leave plenty of time to view excellent photos of local wildlife and nature. See great photos on the big screen at NVIT!

A sample of NNS members’ photos coming up at the September meeting: Beetle (© Bob Scafe), Bighorn youngster (© Alan Burger), Mariposa Lily (© Cindilla Trent), Canada Geese (© Bonny Kozub).

Thursday October 20th 2016 (7 PM at NVIT): Dr. Rob Higgins: The Ants of British Columbia: Ecological Giants.

Ants are one of the most successful groups of animals on the planet. About 15,000 species have been described and they contribute more biomass to most ecosystems than any other animal group. Dr. Rob Higgins is an entomologist at Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops – a keen naturalist and an enthusiastic speaker. He will describe this diversity of ants and the ecological roles that ants play in British Columbia. He will also talk about new arrivals – the fire ants – that are overshadowing our native species.

Formica aserva ants, a widespread species in Canada, with their pupae. Photo courtesy Rob Higgins

Thursday 17^th November 2016 (7 PM at NVIT) T.J. Gooliaff (UBC Okanagan): Potential Range Shift of Bobcats and Lynx in BC.

T.J. Gooliaff is a graduate student at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna. He is studying Bobcat and Lynx distributions in the BC Interior. Climate change is causing numerous species across the planet to shift their range to higher latitudes and elevations. Using historic harvest records and sightings, T.J. is analyzing whether Bobcats and Lynx are among those species moving northwards. He is also using photographs submitted by the public to map the current provincial distribution of both species. This will be a fascinating presentation on these elusive cats.

Bobcats in the Merritt area. Photos: © David & Corinne Pitt (left), Gerry & Jill Sanford (right).

Thursday, 1st December (7 PM at NVIT). Documentary presentation by the Wilderness Committee, co-hosted by the Nicola Naturalist Society: Toad People.

This new documentary focuses on the need for Endangered Species legislation in British Columbia and how threatened species like the Western Toad are not getting the protection they need in this province. Excellent footage and a strong message. By donation to the Wilderness Committee.

Saturday 10^th December 2 – 4 PM, NVIT Room L017 – Winter Bird Identification Workshop

Do the birds at your feeder sometimes confuse you? Do you need to brush up on identification for the upcoming Christmas Bird Count? Come to the bird identification workshop led by Alan Burger. This will focus on birds likely to be seen in and around Merritt in winter.

American Goldfinch in winter plumage. Photo © Bob Scafe

Sunday 18th December. Merritt Christmas Bird Count

You don’t have to be an expert birder to participate in our Christmas Bird Count. It is a great way to get to learn the local winter birds – each birding group has at least one experienced birder. Followed by a festive potluck for participants. If you are interested in participating and not already on the contact list send us an e-mail  nicolanaturalists@gmail.com

A male House Finch in winter, Merritt, BC. Photo: © Bob Scafe

Coming up in 2017:

Thursday January 19th 2017, 7 PM at NVIT Lecture Theatre: Tracy Wimbush (Nicola Tribal Association fisheries biologist): Salmon and salmon habitat in the Nicola Valley

Thursday February 16th 2017, 7 PM at NVIT Lecture Theatre: Frances Backhouse (author of the recent book on beavers): “Once they were hats” The biology of beavers and their role in Canada’s history.

More presentations in March, April and May.