Vancouver Naturalist_Sept 2011.pdf - Nature Vancouver

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Nature Vancouver Field Trip Schedule Some trips not rated at time of publication. Saturday, September 10 Birding Coquitlam’s DeBoville Slough & Minnekhada RP Join Larry Cowan for a half day birding trip to Coquitlam’s DeBoville Slough/Minnekhada RP. We will be on the hunt for fall migrants. Meet in the main parking area on Cedar Drive in Port Coquitlam at 0900. An appropriate number of vehicles will be positioned in the Minnekhada gravel parking lot off Quarrie Rd. for the return trip. Contact Larry at 604-465-1402 or lawrencecowan@shaw.ca. Saturday, September 10 Metro Vancouver: Coquitlam Watershed Bus Tour Enjoy beautiful views of Coquitlam Lake. Tour stops showcase everything from drinking water infrastructure to giant old-growth Western red cedar and Douglas fir. Catch a glimpse of the past as you visit the 1913 water intake tower. The tour includes stops and a short walk on a flat, unsurfaced trail (less than 100 m) into a beautiful section of mature trees. Meeting Place: 0830 at Glen Park Parking Lot. An MV guide will take you to several key points of interest within the watershed. At each stop you will be asked to disembark the bus to learn about a particular topic. Each stop lasts about 15-20 minutes. Participants should be capable of getting on and off the bus. Wear sturdy footwear appropriate for the terrain and pack raingear. Bring water, a snack and lunch. Please note: The Metro Vancouver cancellation policy is strictly enforced. Nature Vancouver members who have made the reservation on your behalf request a cancellation notice of 5 days prior to the tour. There are 18 seats available. To register contact Nellie Bacou at 604-221-1620 or nellieba@telus.net. Friday, September 23 Port Moody Harbour Boat Tour #1 We have scheduled two Boat Tours in Port Moody Harbour: September 23rd and 24th. Our captain and guide will be Dr. Rod McVicar, educator and marine conservationist who will share his incredible knowledge with us. For the 4 hour tour we will be using a small uncovered craft with a capacity for 15 people. Its size will allow us to get closer to the harbour seals, seabirds, etc. We will keep a species list of seabirds, seaducks, and mammals as we cruise the harbour. Please keep in mind that we hope to see a lot of bird and mammal animal life, however we cannot make an appointment with wildlife. We may observe harbour seals hauled out on the log booms. We have several options depending on how the day turns out: if it fits with the research schedule we may visit the UBC Open Water Sea Lion Project; we may tow some phytoplankton and krill nets; we may stop at the Reed Point Marine Education Centre, which specializes in sealife of marinas. An uncovered boat allows us to get closer to wildlife; however it leaves us more exposed to the elements, so please bring full raingear and extra warm clothing. Bring a snack, lunch, water, binoculars and your camera. Carpool at Franklin and Penticton, in Vancouver at 0830. Meet in the parking lot at Rocky Point 10 Vancouver Naturalist September 2011 Park in Port Moody, close to the WC building no later than 0930. The fee is $20.00 per participant with a maximum of 15 people per boat. Registration will be confirmed on receipt of payment. To register, contact Nellie Bacou at nellieba@telus.net or 604 221 1620. Saturday, September 24 Port Moody Harbour Boat Tour #2 See September 23 trip for details. Saturday, September 24 Birding at Iona Regional Park Join John Chandler for a half-day, late afternoon birding trip to Iona Regional Park in Richmond. We will be looking for migrants including shorebirds and warblers. We’ll start by exploring the outer ponds and then work our way through the inner ponds. If you are interested, you can walk the South Jetty before the field trip. Dress for chilly and/or wet weather. Meet John in the parking lot by the washrooms at 1500. Contact John at 604-274-4117 or john@alandaletraining.com. Saturday, October 1 Hike at Mount Baker or ??? Difficulty rating: C6-8 There will be a hike on this date but the actual hike will be determined closer to the date. It will depend on road, snow and weather conditions. I will make the final decision no less than a week before the date. Either way we will carpool at Franklin and Penticton at 0700 - please contact the leader beforehand, especially if planning to meet us closer to the trailhead. Pack lunch, water, sunscreen, rain gear and wear good hiking boots. Contact Bill Kinkaid at 604-710-6329 or billkinkaid@gmail. com. Saturday, October 8 Marriott Meadows backpacking trip Bill Kinkaid is planning a two-night backpacking trip to the Wendy Thompson Hut in Marriott Meadows, off Duffey Lake Road from Saturday, October 8 to Monday October 10. The hut must be booked in advance ($12/person/night) through the Alpine Club in Whistler, no later than one week before arrival. The capacity of the hut is 16 persons, first come first served. Please contact Bill Kinkaid at 604-710-6329 or billkinkaid@ gmail.com for more information. See the Alpine Club’s website for information on the hut. Saturday, October 8 Birding at Colony Farm Regional Park Colony Farm Regional Park will be the location of today’s half day birding field trip. There should be a good variety of late migrants and returning over-wintering species. Notables over the years on this outing have been Anna’s Hummingbird, Northern Mockingbird & Short-eared Owl. Meet your leader Larry Cowan at the parking area at the end of Colony Farm Rd. adjacent to the Community Gardens at 0900. Contact Larry at 604-465-1402 or lawrencecowan@shaw.ca.
Nature Vancouver Field Trip Schedule Thursday, October 20 History and Nature in Jericho Beach Park Join Daphne Solecki for a two hour leisurely walk in Jericho Beach Park. Daphne has been interested in the park for many years and was involved when certain decisions and policies were made, making the Park what it is today. Meet by the bridge over the pond at 1000 Bring binoculars and plant guides, if you have them, and your questions. Contact Daphne at daphsol@telus.net. Saturday, October 22 Mosquito Creek Old Growth Forest Difficulty rating: C4 Join David Cook for a hike up the south-east slopes of Grouse Mountain to see the Mosquito Creek old growth redcedar forest. This forest of dozens of old growth redcedar up to 3 meters in diameter is the largest remaining fragment of this forest type in the Vancouver area. The hike takes about 2 hours along skid roads. We will have lunch beneath the giant cedars. The elevation gain from the Skyline Drive parking area is about 300 meters. Other highlights will be a separate patch of old growth Douglas-firs and a forest of Pacific yew trees, some of which are old growth. Many sections are rough and steep. Deep-tread hiking boots with ankle support are essential. Do not wear sneakers. Poles are highly recommended. Wooden cross ties on skid roads can be very slippery and dangerous if wet. This field trip is for hikers experienced with rough, steep and slippery terrain. Meet at 1000 hours at the top of Skyline Drive which is off Mont Royal Boulevard in North Vancouver. Estimated time of return is mid-afternoon. Bring lunch and water, and prepare for changes in weather. Arrangements can be made for pick-up at Phibbs bus exchange for up to 4 persons by contacting David Cook at 604- 924-0147 or cookeco@yahoo.com. Sunday, October 30 Walk around Spanish Banks Join Terry Slack for a walk to Capt. Vancouver’s Breakfast Bay and back around Spanish Banks on Sunday, October 30th. The walk takes about two hours there and back. A steep and slippery trail on top of the escarpment and cobble beach requires good hiking boots. No dogs please. Children must be supervised and helped up and down the numerous ravine steps, and when crossing North West Marine Drive. Terry grew up on the booming grounds, and is a fount of knowledge on this area. Meet at the Spanish Banks Creek parking location, just west of the concession stand at 0900 hours. In the event of wet weather, the escarpment trail could be dangerous, in which case an alternate trail along the beach will be used. Contact Terry at aquastar@ telus.net Saturday, November 5 Ascent of Mt. Strachan, Cypress Provincial Park, West Vancouver Difficulty rating: Intermediate between C5-6 or D5-6 Join David Cook for a hike from the down-hill ski area at Cypress Bowl, up the Collins ski run to the peak of Mt Strachan (1454m); an elevation gain of about 500m. The duration of the hike is 5-6 hours. On the way there will be numerous stops to view the geology of the area in rock-cut exposures formed during the construction of the ski run. While this field trip will be primarily to look at the geology, we will make a short sidetrip to look at an area of sub-alpine pasture recovering back to forest after a prehistoric lightning fire. The highlight will be the southern peak of Mt Strachan where there are magnificent views of Howe Sound, and where the glaciation has smoothed a remarkable pavement of metamorphic rocks; the oldest rocks to be found in the region. If visibility is favourable and there is time, we may continue to the main peak of Mt Strachan. This is a full day hike, so bring lunch, water and prepare for changes in weather. If it is a clear day, a hat will be required, as the full length of the route is open to the sky. Most of the route will be up a steep ski run with a loose, pebbly surface that is treacherous on descent. Deep-tread hiking boots with ankle support are essential. Do not wear sneakers. Walking poles are highly recommended. Meet at 0930 hours for car pooling at McDonalds, Park Royal, West Vancouver. Contact David at 604-924-0147 or cookeco@yahoo.com. Saturday, November 12 Birding in Point Roberts Half-day birding trip to Point Roberts, Washington. We’ll carpool and visit three or four different areas on the peninsula, looking for pelagic, open field and woodland species. Dress for the elements including waterproof footwear. Carpool at 49th & Ash at 0730 or meet at Diefenbaker Park on First Avenue in Tsawwassen (north of the border) at 0800. A valid passport or Enhanced Driver’s Licence is required to cross the border. The leader Bill Kinkaid can be reached at 604-710-6329 or billkinkaid@gmail.com. Saturday, November 19 Birding at DeBoville Slough/Minnekhada Regional Park Join leader Larry Cowan for a half-day birding field trip to DeBoville Slough/Minnekhada RP. This area is home to many over wintering species with waterfowl in the sloughs, ponds and river, and the chance of raptors over the fields. Meet in the parking lot adjacent to the washroom facilities at Cedar & Victoria Drives in NE Coquitlam at 0900. We will position an appropriate number of vehicles in the parking area off Quarry Road in Minnekhada RP for our return trip. Contact Larry Cowan at 604-465-1402 or lawrencecowan@alandaletraining. com. Saturday, December 3 Dipper Quest Birding Field Trip This half day outing is our annual search for American Dippers in the Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge area. We have been successful since 2006 finding our quarry. After locating a dipper or two, we will spend the balance of the morning travelling the Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge area in search of raptors, waterfowl, and other winter migrants. Meet at 0900 in the McDonald’s parking lot on the SW corner of Lougheed Hwy & Harris Rd. in Pitt meadows for carpooling. Contact the leader Larry Cowan at 604- 465-1402 or lawrencecowan@alandaletraining.com. Vancouver Naturalist September 2011 11
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Vancouver Naturalist_Sept 2011.pdf - Nature Vancouver

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