An Introduction to Spiders
by Lynda Stevens Many of you know me as an avid birder and bird photographer. This summer the birding became very quiet in mid-July and I knew that to satisfy my […]
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Killer Whales of the Coast with Maureen Vo – October 17, 2019
Just a reminder that our next fabulous meeting is just a week away – Thursday October 17th.Nature Nanaimo presents: Killer Whales of the Coast This interactive presentation, by Maureen Vo, provides an in-depth
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Hawk watch at Beechey Head – Sept. 28, 2019
Staffan Lindgren On Saturday September 28 ten Nature Nanaimo members went to East Sooke Regional Park to participate in the annual spectacle of watching the raptor migration. Hawks, falcons, and
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Friends of Buttertubs join Nature Nanaimo
Sept. 23, 2019 The Friends of Buttertubs, once part of the now defunct Nanoose Naturalists Society, have found a new home. The Board of Nature Nanaimo has welcomed this active
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Birds of Vancouver Island with Mike Yip – Sept. 19, 2019
Our first meeting of the fall season will feature “Birds of Vancouver Island” – a photographic presentation by Mike Yip. Mike will share his passion for birds and amazing photographs
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Asian giant hornets in Nanaimo
Staffan Lindgren Three specimens of the Asian Giant Hornet, Vespa mandarinia, have been found in Nanaimo this year. The first two specimens were found by a bee keeper, whereas the third was
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An impromptu Nature Nanaimo outing to Paradise Meadows
Staffan Lindgren On Friday August 30, 6 of us went to Paradise Meadows at Mount Washington. The weather was great for hiking, but low clouds obscured the views of the
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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
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Nature Nanaimo 2019 June Picnic
Saturday, June 15th, 2019 On Saturday June 15th, Nature Nanaimo hosted our first annual picnic at the Wildwood Ecoforest! The event was a wonderful success with 60 people in attendance.
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Unfolding Climate Science and Powering the Future with Erik Krough – May 16, 2019
A review of the scientific method with an emphasis on the human element of problem solving and particular reference to the challenges of understanding complex natural systems like the
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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
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Anna’s Hummingbird Nest – Buttertubs Marsh, March/April 2019
A Photo Blog by Lynda Stevens We’re thrilled that Lynda has shared this remarkable experience with us. Please enjoy her following contribution: This spring I was fortunate to be able
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Club Project: Western Purple Martin Nest Boxes
Staffan Lindgren Purple Martins, Progne subis, are the largest swallows in North America. The Western Purple Martin subspecies, Progne subis arboricola, is distinct from its eastern cousin in several respects.
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Using DNA to help conserve the Vancouver Island marmot with Jamie Gorrell – April 18, 2019
Note: Dr. Jamie Gorrell is a faculty member with the Department of Biology at Vancouver Island University. Jamie presented a similar version of his talk at the VIU Science and
Brant in the Bay with the Arrowsmith Naturalists – Mar. 31, 2019
Eight members from the Nature Nanaimo club ventured up to Parksville to experience part of the annual Brant Wildlife Festival. Hosted by the Arrowsmith club, Brant in the Bay featured
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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
Milner Phenology
Nature Nuggets – Mar. 21, 2019 At the March 21st meeting, Kidston Short and Larissa Thelin from the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute (MABRRI) provided an overview of the Plant
Salish Sea Nearshore Habitat Restoration with Nikki Wright – Mar. 21, 2019
Nikki talked about the five-year nearshore habitat restoration work taking place within the Salish Sea funded by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Pacific Salmon Foundation and the Sidney Anglers
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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
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Herring run outing – Mar. 17, 2019
Unfortunately today’s club outing leader, Staffan, was hit with a bad cold and couldn’t make it out. However, we received this fantastic report by Ilse: We certainly missed you at
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Botanical Beach trip report – Mar. 16, 2019
Twenty enthusiastic Nature Nanaimo members boarded “Janie’s Got A Bus” last Saturday morning and headed across the island to Port Renfrew and Botanical Beach for some nature enjoyment under a
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Nature Ramble to Rathtrevor Beach – Mar. 9, 2019
Lance Nordstrom, with contributed photographs by Bob Harvey Braving a rather chilly wind, a dozen Nature Nanaimo members ventured out onto the mud flats at Rathtrevor provincial park to view
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Identifying what you see!
By Staffan Lindgren Our planet is full of organisms, and it can be very frustrating to try to identify what you see. It used to be that you had to
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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
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Dracula ants: Another oddity from the world of insects
Nature Nugget – Feb. 21, 2019 By Staffan Lindgren Of all the insects in the world, the ants are some of the most successful (Guénard 2013). To date, about 13,000
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Nature Ramble to Morrell Nature Sanctuary – Feb. 2, 2019
On a sunny but slightly chilly morning, 15 Nature Nanaimo members gathered for a walk around the trails of Morrell Nature Sanctuary. Lance Nordstrom led us up the Tranquility trail
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President’s Perch: Looking back at 2018
Dear Nature Nanaimo members, We have now completed our first full calendar year as a functioning club. Our membership has quickly increased to about 150 members, distributed among 75 paid
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Participate in a Christmas Bird Count
The 2018 Christmas Bird Count is coming up. Volunteers are always needed. If you are interested in participating, there are two ways of doing so. The first way is to
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A mushroom walk with Andy MacKinnon – Nov. 23, 2018
A cheerful crowd of 13 Nature Nanaimo members gathered at the Morell Nature Sanctuary at 9 am. To everyone’s surprise and delight, the weather gods were in a good mood,
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BC Nature Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands Regional Seminar
Four of our board members were thrilled to attend the BC Nature Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands Regional Seminar in Comox last week (Oct 27-28, 2018). They have provided us
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A Newsletter for Nature Nanaimo
A Newsletter for Nature Nanaimo By Mike McCall Nature Nanaimo’s newsletter will soon begin to appear on the society’s website. I have volunteered to act as editor, and I
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How Cinnabar Valley Got Its Name
Nature Nugget – October 18, 2018 The Rise and Fall of Tansy Ragwort By Staffan Lindgren At the September meeting, Michael Stebbings described the scourge of giant hogweed, a plant
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Giant Hogweed shows up in Duncan
Nature Nugget – September 19, 2018 A member of the Board coined the name Nature Nugget to describe these little 5 minute topics we like to add to the evening.
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Trip to The Raptors – Sept 16, 2018
Trip to the Raptors – Sept 16, 2018 An enthusiastic group of a dozen plus Nature Nanaimoites visited The Raptors in Duncan, on Sun. Sept 16th, carpooling together
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