Wed, 12 Aug 2015

Last Call for Learn to Fish

Photo: FFSBC

Summer is all too quickly coming to an end, and so are the season’s Learn to Fish programs. There are still opportunities for youth ages 5 to 15 to learn the basics of freshwater fishing during the last few weeks of August, with programs scheduled to take place at:

Lower Mainland

Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery in Abbotsford (call 604.504.4716 for dates)

Matsqui Park, Fraser River: Aug 16th

Green Timbers Lake, Surrey: Aug 19th

Como Lake, Coquitlam: Aug 13th

Lafarge Lake, Coquitlam: Aug 20th

Alouette Lake, Golden Ears Provincial Park: Aug 19th

Cultus Lake, Cultus LaKe Provincial Park: Aug 14th and 21st

Hicks Lake, Sasquatch Provincial Park: Aug 15th

Lightning Lake, Manning Provincial Park: Aug 18th

Vancouver Island

Tyee Spit, Campbell River: Aug 14th

Lake Ida Anne, Langford: August 19th

Cameron Lake, Port Alberni: Aug 13th

Elk Lake (Waterski Beach), Saanich: Aug 22nd

Buttle Lake, Strathcona Park: Aug 26th

Cowichan Lake, Gordon Bay Provincial Park: Aug 24th

Goldstream Provincial Park: Aug 21st

Sproat Lake, Sproat Lake Provincial Park: Aug 23rd

Okanagan

Two Rivers Park, Princeton: Aug 21st

Children’s Fishing Pond, Kentucky-Alleyne Provincial Park: Aug 12th

Okanagan Lake, Ellison Provincial Park: Aug 13th

Otter Lake, Otter Lake Provincial Park: Aug 22nd

Thompson- Nicola

Lac Le Jeune Lake, Lac Le Jeune Provincial Park: Aug 15th and 21st

Nicola Lake, Monck Provincial Park: Aug 14th

Paul Lake, Paul Lake Provincial Park: Aug 17th

Tunkwa Lake, Tunkwa Lake Provincial Park: Aug 16th

Kootenays

Kaslo, Mirror Lake Campground: Aug 20th

Kootenay Lake, Kokanee Creek Provincial Park: Aug 22nd

Moyie River, Yahk Provincial Park: Aug 16th

Nancy Greene Lake, Nancy Greene Provincial Park: Aug 15th

Summit Lake, Summit Lake Provincial Park: Aug 21st

Surveyors Lake, Kikomun Creek Provincial Park: Aug 28th

Third Champion Lake, Champion Lakes Provincial Park: Aug 14th

Northern BC

Big Bar Lake, Big Bar Lake Provincial Park: Aug 18th

Green Lake, Green Lake Provincial Park: Aug 20th

Horsefly Lake, Horsefly Lake Provincial Park: Aug 19th

The Learn to Fish programs (including loaner rods and tackle) are available free of charge, but many require pre-registration: please visit the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC’s website for event times, meeting spots, and to check registration requirements. Please note that youth must be accompanied by an adult.

 

Tue, 11 Aug 2015

Chilliwack River Clean Up

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Chilliwack residents and visitors are invited to join the Chilliwack Vedder Clean Up Society and HCTF partner The Nature Trust of BC on Sunday, September 27 to celebrate BC Rivers Day 2015! Registration begins at 8:30am at the Chilliwack Fish and Game Club House at 48685 Chilliwack Lake Road. The river clean-up will take place from 9:30am to noon followed by a volunteer appreciation BBQ, entertainment and draw prizes. This year marks the 15th River’s Day celebration in Chilliwack, and this is a great opportunity to join other volunteers in ensuring this river maintains its habitat and recreational values.

Have another BC conservation event to share? Contact us, and we could feature in on our blog.

 

Wed, 5 Aug 2015
Tags: Habitat Acquisition

Salmon River Success

Photo of the Salmon River from the newly-acquired conservation property.

has announced the purchase of 165 acres in the Salmon River estuary near Campbell River on Vancouver Island. This new acquisition is connected to conservation lands previously secured by The Nature Trust and its partners over the past four decades.

“Like many Nature Trust projects, conservation of the Salmon River estuary has been years in the making,” said Dr. Jasper Lament, CEO of The Nature Trust of BC. “This business takes time and patience. We are very grateful to our conservation partners and to the many people who helped make this deal possible.”

Major funding was provided by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program. Additional support was provided by the Campbell River Salmon Foundation, Barnet Rifle Club, Steelhead Society of BC, Kingfishers Rod & Gun Club, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Totem Fly Fishers, Parksville-Qualicum Fish & Game Association, BC Federation of Fly Fishers, and individual donors from across BC.

“The Salmon River project is the latest purchase of conservation land made possible through the contributions of the anglers, hunters, guide outfitters and trappers of BC,” said Brian Springinotic, CEO of the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. “The securement of this high-value habitat will benefit a variety of species, as well as providing additional recreational opportunities.”

1-606_Salmon_River_left_bank.jpg“The Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program is pleased to support this land purchase,” said Program Manager, Trevor Oussoren. “Strategic land acquisitions such as this play an important role in helping fish and wildlife for generations to come.”

The Salmon River estuary is the only significant area of coastal wetland habitat located on the relatively steep and rugged 250 km stretch of coastline from Campbell River to the network of estuaries on the Quatsino lowlands. This strategic location provides critical habitat to numerous species of fish and wildlife, including Great Blue Heron, Marbled Murrelet, Northern Pygmy Owl, Roosevelt Elk, migratory waterfowl and eight species of salmonids. All five species of Pacific salmon are found in the river: Coho, Chinook, Chum, Pink and Sockeye. Anadromous steelhead, cutthroat and Dolly Varden char are all present, as well as resident trout and other native fish species.

Of the approximately 3,200 Roosevelt Elk in British Columbia, the vast majority live on Vancouver Island. Efforts continue to restore them to their historic range, but northern Vancouver Island, including the Salmon River, remains the core of their range in Canada.

“The Salmon River supports a rich diversity of fish and wildlife along with spectacular natural beauty,” said CEO Jasper Lament. “This Vancouver Island conservation treasure is both a tribute to The Nature Trust’s proud history and a wonderful gift to future generations.”

You can view a map of HCTF’s other acquisition investments here.

Wed, 5 Aug 2015

Conservation Groups Join Forces to Find Solution for Fish Impacted by Seymour River Slide

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The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC are funding an engineering assessment to look at restoring fish access to the upper Seymour River. The two non-profits have jointly committed $20,000 to assess the feasibility of safely clearing the current barrier to fish passage, created when an estimated 50,000 cubic metres of granite fell into the upper river canyon last December.

Government biologists and volunteers from the Seymour Salmonid Society have been monitoring the river upstream of the slide to determine if fish have been able to find their way past the boulders and debris. Shaun Hollingsworth, President of the Seymour Salmonid Society, says the results of that monitoring are concerning. “So far, we haven’t detected any fish at the spawning grounds above the slide, and acoustic tagging research by UBC indicates that juveniles released above the slide aren’t able to travel downstream, either.” Hollingsworth says this could have big impacts on the already-stressed populations. “If these fish remain cut off from their spawning habitats, Seymour’s wild steelhead and coho populations will likely be reduced to mere remnants, and in the case of summer-run steelhead, may ultimately disappear.”

Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation CEO Brian Springinotic says the decision to support the assessment was based on its potential to help conserve fish stocks and reconnect habitat on the Seymour, including recent habitat restoration efforts on the Seymour River estuary.

“The Seymour River is one of the few in BC that supports both summer-run and winter-run steelhead,” says Springinotic. “This assessment will fill in some of the current information gaps about the feasibility of removing this rockfall and provide a realistic picture of what options are available to conserve these populations.”

Andrew Wilson, President of the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, says the Society’s funding contribution is in recognition of the river’s value. “The Seymour River provides important habitat for steelhead, coho, and pink salmon. The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC is pleased to be part of assessing how fish passage may best be re-established in the Seymour River to ensure these fish populations are maintained for the public and that the river can continue to provide a productive and sustainable fishery”.

The engineering assessment is scheduled to begin immediately, and is expected to be completed by the end of August.

 For a pdf version of this news release, click here.

For more information, contact Shannon West.

Click on any of the photos below for a larger version of the image. 

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Fri, 31 Jul 2015
Tags: Wildlife

Toads Under the Road

The culvert is lowered into position on Elk View Road

featured a conservation project led by the Fraser Valley Conservancy (FVC) that is helping Chilliwack amphibians make their annual migrations unscathed. Each year, thousands of amphibians are killed as they attempt to cross Ryder Lake’s Elk View Road in order to move between their foraging and breeding grounds. Among the casualties are a significant number of Western Toads (Bufo Boreas), a Federally-listed as a species of concern. In 2007, a concerned group of Ryder Lake residents contacted the Conservancy to see if anything could be done to stop the carnage. Initially, the Conservancy enlisted the help of volunteers to literally carry bucketfuls of the young toads across the road, but it was a far-from-perfect solution: in addition to requiring a lot of manpower, rescued toads would often become disorientated and end up hopping back into traffic. After identifying the primary crossing sites used by the toads, the Conservancy looked at implementing a more sustainable solution, modelled after another HCTF-funded toad migration project on Vancouver Island. This involved the strategic placement of a box culvert to act as a frog-friendly underpass, keeping the amphibians safely separated from vehicles. Thanks to funding from Environment Canada and the donation of in-kind materials and labour from the Langely Concrete Group and Lafarge construction, the toad tunnel became a reality on June 4th, 2015. A few weeks later, FVC volunteers and staff members installed over 350 meters of directional fencing to direct migrating Western toads towards the new crossing structure.

Staff members and volunteers from the Fraser Valley Conservancy install directional fencing to help lead amphibians to the tunnel.

While the completion of the tunnel was certainly cause for celebration, the project hasn’t ended there. After installation, it’s important to monitor how the passage is working, both to make refinements and help inform the design of future “ecopasses”. HCTF has provided a $10,000 grant for monitoring using video and time-lapse photography, as well as fence and road surveys. You can view a sample of the video monitoring below:

 

If you’d like to check out the toad tunnel for yourself, not head over to the Chilliwack Toad Fest on August 8. The Conservancy’s planned a ribbon cutting ceremony, games & activities, a wildlife walk, and refreshments. See the event poster for details, or email info@fraservalleyconservancy.ca for further information.

If you’re in the Kootenays, Toadfest is taking place Wednesday, August 12th from 4-7pm in Summit Lake Provincial Park, south of Nakusp. This free event offers a great opportunity to learn more about Western Toads, and get up close to the aquatic insects, amphibians, and reptiles on display. There will be kids’ activities, and information on invasive plants, bears and other local wildlife. For more information, contact the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program by calling 250 352 1300 or emailing fwcp@bchydro.com

 

Wed, 22 Jul 2015

7 Steps to Managing Bats in Buildings

7_Steps_Bat_Building_Guide.JPGBats provide benefits to both people and ecosystems, but not everyone is keen on sharing their living space with them. The BC Community Bat Project has produced a guide to managing bats in buildings, using techniques that protect both the bats and human inhabitants. The two-page brochure brochure (pdf) provides information for people with homes or buildings that have become roost sites for bats. It provides guidelines for safely evicting bats when desired, or protecting living space in cases where owners are amenable to allowing the bats to stay put (if there’s little chance of contact with humans). The organization has also produces a more detailed guide aimed at BC pest management professionals, or those looking for more detailed information. Both documents were produced with the financial support of Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Government of Canada, and Columbia Basin Trust.

For more information on managing bats in building, email info@bcbats.ca

 

Beneficial Bats

  • Bats consume large amounts of insects: in a lab test, a single little brown bat consumed over 600 mosquitos in one hour! Bats also feast on insect species that damage crops and trees, making them forestry and agricultural allies.

 

  • Bat droppings, or guano, provide the primary nutrient source for cave ecosystems. It’s high in nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, all important nutrients for plant growth. The BC Community Bat project suggests using guano left behind from night roosts as an excellent free fertilizer!

 

  • Though the bats in BC aren’t nectar-eaters, bats do play an important role as pollinators and seed dispersers in other parts of the world. In fact, Agave tequilana, the plant used to make tequila, is a chiropterophilous, or bat-pollinated, plant.