Blog posts

Sponges – one of the earliest forms of multicellular life.

By Staffan Lindgren | 5 June 2022 Photo Neil McDaniel, https://blueocean.net/glass-sponge-reefs-living-fossils-found-off-canadian-coast/   We have heard a fair bit about sponges lately. I presented a “Nature Nugget” on the glass sponge reefs of the Salish Sea and Hecate Strait at the March public meeting, and Tom Hlavac mentioned the glass sponge reefs in his informative presentation …

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Spring flora around Nanaimo with Caroline Josefsson – April 15, 2021

***A copy of the presentation PDF is available here: Spring Flora Around Nanaimo Nature Nanaimo’s next regular meeting will be held on Thursday, April 15th at 7 PM via Zoom. Our presentation will be:  “Spring flora around Nanaimo with Caroline Josefsson” An overview of the most abundant and charismatic spring flora that we encounter around town. At …

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Nature Nanaimo Life Member: William James (Bill) Merilees

William James (Bill) Merilees, a prominent British Columbian naturalist, educator, activist, conservationist and author. Bill received his Bachelor’s Degree from UBC in 1964 majoring in Zoology and Botany He then spent some time traveling with friends and working in many interesting places. In Australia he was offered a position as Biologist at Macquarie Island, 2100 …

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Non-native organisms in Nanaimo

Staffan Lindgren | October 16, 2020 Note: This is a revised, updated and expanded blog, first published on my personal website https://wordpress.com/view/cinnabarreflections.wordpress.com A few years ago I attended a talk by Dr. Sarah Dudas at Vancouver Island University (VIU). She was discussing the impact of shellfish farming on biodiversity, particularly in her study area in Baynes Sound. In …

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Local BIRD SONG tutorials on YouTube

Some fabulous YouTube tutorials to help learn local bird songs from Trudy!They are wonderfully informative and fun 🙂 Alison Watt and I did these Zoom meetings on spring song. These videos are in 4 parts. Obviously we aren’t movie stars or pros but some folks may enjoy if they are interested in birds.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=349WHl6NRowhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1HzEvntP7ohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M60VC3OdU5ohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8ajqv1vwJM

Recommended Reads – Rainy Days/Covid-19 Physical Distancing Activity, Part II

(This blog was first published on my site Cinnabar Reflections) Here is my second installment of books that I have enjoyed reading.  Nature’s Argonaut: Daniel Solander 1733-1782 by Edward Duyker. Melbourne: Miegunyah Press. 1998. 400 pages. Daniel Solander was the de facto naturalist on Cook’s first voyage, although Joseph Banks, who financed the trip, tends to get the …

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Recommended Reads – For Rainy Days/Covid-19 Physical Distancing Activity, Part I

Staffan Lindgren (This blog was first published on my site Cinnabar Reflections) As someone with “underlying health issues” and a compromised immune system, I feel that the Covid-19 pandemic has really thrown a spanner in the works of my spring activity-plan. I am sure that many naturalists are in a similar situation. Outdoor activity is …

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Meeting with Paul Manly, MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith

December 20, 2019 Nature Nanaimo’s Board of Directors, Michael Stebbings, Carole Lee and Staffan Lindgren, met with Mr. Paul Manly, MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith, on December 18 to introduce our organization and to discuss issues of mutual concern. We discussed a number of issues, e.g., the climate crisis, habitat protection, plastics pollution and the need for …

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President’s Perch: Looking ahead to another successful year.

The summer is drawing to a close, although you would be hard pressed to realize that given the near record temperatures the last few days. We have had another mild summer, but thankfully have been spared from smoke this year. That does not mean that the environment is not under severe stress. Salal and western …

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Harewood Plains – Nanaimo’s flowering jewel!

A Blog Post by Staffan Lindgren Click on Staffan’s blog post below to read about his recent visit to Harewood Plains and see his wonderful photographs of the flora which can be discovered at this hidden gem in Nanaimo, BC:Cinnabar Reflections – Harewood Plains – Nanaimo’s flowering jewel!

When the Unexpected Happens: Impact of the Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) Outbreak on VIU’s Feral Rabbit Population

VIU Science and Technology Lecture Series, March 27, 2019 Liz Gillis, Department of Resource Management and Protection, Vancouver Island University by Lance Nordstrom Dr. Gillis opened her lecture with an introduction to wildlife epidemiology, the science that seeks to understand the spread of disease in wild populations. She emphasized the challenges faced by researchers in …

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VIU Bird Banding Project: Engaging Students in Research

VIU Science and Technology Lecture Series, March 20, 2019 Eric Demers, Department of Biology, Vancouver Island University by Lance Nordstrom Dr. Demers introduced his topic by describing the current status of breeding bird populations in Canada, noting that numbers have decreased 12% since 1970. About 40% of bird species are in decline. In particular, populations …

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Reading the Fossil Tea Leaves: New Perspectives from BC’s Eocene Floras

VIU Science and Technology Lecture Series, February 20, 2019 David Greenwood, Department of Biology, Brandon University by Lance Nordstrom Professor Greenwood presented a lively and entertaining lecture about ancient plant life in the Eocene epoch 56 to 40 million years ago. At that time the earth was much warmer, with no polar ice caps. Although …

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