Tag: Young Naturalists

A Seaside Amble

Searching…
– D. Bedry
more searching…
– D. Bedry
Those dip nets came in handy
– D. Bedry
Looking stuff up
– D. Bedry
and even more searching…
– D. Bedry
What a great day to get wet!
– D. Bedry

A Seaside Amble
by David Bedry, 15 June 2019.  

With an array of field guides in hand, David Bedry and a small group of parents and Young Naturalists explored the tide pools below the Westview viewpoint.

Three parents with four children had a great time wading and splashing in the tide pools with dip nets, using collection jars to show off their finds.  The most popular creatures were small crabs, but they also found some sculpins and a few flatfish.

Towards the end everyone made it down to the water where one of the parents waded out and found a sea star and jellyfish.

A wonderful morning enjoyed by all!

Bird watching with Clyde

It was a bit…breezy
– J. May
But we persevered…
– J. May
That’s a really big egg
– J. May
Clyde knows his stuff!
– J. May

Bird watching with Clyde
by Janet May, 28 Oct.

Clyde Burton led Young Naturalist bird enthusiasts to the estuary where we crept up on a dozen killdeer and saw a rare Eurasian widgeon!

Clyde had egg samples for all to feel and a hooded merganser.

As we said goodbye, a kingfisher scolded us and a pair of eagles twittered their approval.

Water Dragons!

Collecting samples
– J. May
Getting a really good look at the water dragons!
– J. May

Water Dragons!
by Janet May, 12 May 2018.

Stream biologist Alan Hobson showed the Young Naturalists how to find and identify stream invertebrates.

We peaked through the microscope at the mayfly’s tiny translucent body and her earnest black eyes watched us right back.

We learned that delicate dragons live in Willingdon Creek.

Young Nats build bird houses

Work in progress…
– J. May
Rowan pounds…
…and David supervises
– J. May
Wren spots a cool spider hanging out and watching Young Naturalists building bird houses!
– J. May
DONE!
Assenbled, painted and move-in ready!
– J. May

Young Nats build bird houses
by Janet May, 31 Mar 2018.

It sounded like Santa’s workshop at Willingdon campsite when Young Naturalists hammered together, and it was all for the birds.

Thank you to David Bedry for cutting pieces and teaching us how to construct seventeen new homes for spring families.

Thanks also to Pat Hull and RONA Powell River Building Supplies for donating the wood and nails – we appreciate it!

Marvellous mushrooms in the mist

Walking in the mist
– J. May
Inspecting the hauk!
– J. May
What do we have here?
– J. May
Ioni in his element!
– J. May
There’s always something new to find…
– J. May

Marvellous mushrooms in the mist
by Janet May, 28 Oct 2017.

Ioni Waisgluss led a foggy fungi hunt through Millennium Park.

Tiny candle snuffs and burly red belted polypores were admired, as sunlight gradually brightened the golden maples above us.

Enthusiastic young mycologists and their parents had a fine fall day out!

 

Tide Pool Treasures

Tide pool treasures
– J. May
Henry asks a question… – – H. Harbord
Lu looks for the answer – H. Harbord
Look at what’s in my bucket! – H. Harbord

 Tide Pool Treasures
by Janet May, 29 April 2017.

Despite the wind and rain, Young Naturalists followed the herons and the tide down the Westview beach. Lu and Heather helped identify everything from eel grass to kelp crabs.

They found three kinds of starfish, three kinds on anemone, and maybe an eel!

What a great morning!

 

Tuari meets the kids

This is Tuari, an 8 year-old female Harris’ hawk
– D. Bedry
She may look mean, but we can assure you, she’s not. Jessica Baynton, her trainer (that’s her at left), says she’s one of the sweetest birds she’s ever worked with.
– D. Bedry
Tuari and Jessica took time off to come meet the Young Naturalists
– D. Bedry
Tuari got to show her stuff — which involves chasing and catching things — she’s very good at it!
– D. Bedry
She also got close up and personal with some of the locals
– D. Bedry
Here’s one of our Young Naturalists and Tauri – does she look like a mean bird to you?
– D. Bedry
Some of the reactions were marvelous to see; here’s another participant learning some trust
– D. Bedry
Spending time with the Young Naturalists has its perks!
– D. Bedry

 Tuari meets the kids
by Janet May, 22 April 2017.

A dozen Young Naturalists, their families and a few passers-by got to meet Jessica Baynton and Tuari-the-Hawk.

Believe it or not, their job is at Vancouver International Airport (YVR).  As part of a team, they work to keep airplanes and birds safely apart.  It’s a job that requires skill, patience and trust.

Our Young Nauralists got to watch Tuari and Jessica in action.   I didn’t count, but certainly a bunch of kids got to get up close and personal with Tuari…and learned the power of communication.

What a fun morning!

5th Christmas Bird Count for Kids

It’s wonderful to watch a young person’s reaction when they see a “black blob” turn into a Surf Scoter
– A. Bryant
Small-scale and low-key: that’s who we are
– A. Bryant
Xmas bird count for kids 2016
– A. Bryant
By my count we had 4 children, 6 adults and a couple of drop-bys…
– A. Bryant
Fortunately, most of the drops missed. Here’s a Glaucus-winged gull lining up for his next bomb-run
– A. Bryant
Killdeer are just plain fun
– A. Bryant
Except when they don’t sit still. I think we saw two…briefly
– A. Bryant
Citizen-scientists at work
– A. Bryant
With the ever-present supervisors looking on
– A. Bryant
It’s fun
– A. Bryant
And perhaps we’ll see you next year
– A. Bryant
Our “elder birders”, Andrew Bryant, John Treen and Clyde Burton
– J. May

5th Christmas Bird Count for Kids
by Janet May, 3 December 2016.

The 5th Powell River Christmas Bird Count for kids was led by elder birders Clyde Burton, John Treen, and Andrew Bryant.

The kids quickly took charge of spotting scopes, and we were treated to the usual fare: herons, loons, surf scoters, killdeer, and a bald eagle flying by, maybe doing a young naturalist count of his own.

It ended with a game of hide and seek and hot chocolate all around.  Thank you to all who participated.

 

Soapstone Carving

Our soap stone group – J. May
Richard Benson showing us how it’s done – J. May
Tom Kolezar and Henry Gunn inspecting rock samples – J. May

Soapstone Carving
by Janet May, 5 March 2016

Richard Benson worked his magic this month, providing soapstone, sandpaper files, and instruction on stone shaping for 11 Young Naturalists and their adults.

Adriana Virtue and Sharon Benson helped out and Tom Kolezar gave a short presentation about rock forming processes and showed samples of different types of rock.

Everyone went home with a smooth touchstone and a new relationship with rocks..

 

4th Christmas Bird Count for Kids

Welcome to the FOURTH Annual Christmas Bird Count for Kids! …did you remember to bring your umbrella? – A. Bryant
We didn’t have a huge turn-out, but the smiles were big and the hot chocolate was greatly appreciated! – A.Bryant
A scene seldom photographed: This is Wys Creek in full flood – A.Bryant
Hmmm…not a lot of birds about…but put young Henry in charge of the spotting scope, and another smile is guaranteed and less to carry, he he – A.Bryant
When that email reminder says “dress for the weather”… we mean it! – A. Bryant
Brrrrr….– A.Bryant
We saw just one solitary, but rather cooperative, Black Turnstone – A.Bryant
There were several Varied Thrush skulking about, like this guy tucked away in the undergrowth – A.Bryant
A few Glaucus-winged gulls were airborne…– A.Bryant
…but most seemed to prefer taking some “down” time…– A.Bryant
Harlequin ducks weren’t plentiful on the water, so we made full use of Clyde’s secret stash… – A.Bryant
Perhaps we should rename this event: “Christmas Bird Count for Kids and the truly young-at-heart”? I suspect John’s already looking forward to it… – A. Bryant

4th Christmas Bird Count for Kids

by Andrew Bryant, 6 December 2015.

It was a dark and stormy morning, with sideways rain and gale-force winds.

Attendance was perhaps the lowest ever recorded for a Young Naturalist event, but I like to think that young Henry and his dad (our two guests) appreciated the day.  I know that I did!

Our species list was also pretty short:  Glaucus-winged Gull, Mew Gull, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Bald Eagle, Crow, Black Turnstone, Varied Thrush and Dark-eyed Junco.

Many thanks to Janet, who put all the pieces together to make it happen, and to Heather, Clyde, and John, who make any day in the field worthwhile.

 

What’s in the water?

What’s in the water? – J. May
Adding to the growing collection of weird and wonderful stream-creatures – J. May
All of which were released safe and sound! – J. May

What’s in the water?
by Janet May, 1 August 2015

What’s in the water?

Young Naturalists’ families investigated the invertebrates of McGuffie Creek and found mayfly, caddis larvae, and other tiny creatures.

Alan Hobson directed the dip-nets and magnification of our watery friends and then they were all returned to the cool riffles.

 

Bats and bat houses

Getting to work – J. May
Many hands…– J. May
John Treen addresses the group– J. May

Bats and Bat Houses
by Janet May, 20 June 2015

The Young Naturalists gathered around Willingdon’s picnic tables to build bat boxes.  Seventeen children and their families constructed pre-cut boxes under the guidance of John Treen.  Then they took them home.  Now the local bat population is benefiting from the enthusiasm of the young and elder naturalists.

 

3rd Christmas Bird Count for Kids!

Glaucus-winged gull in a very Powell River setting – A. Bryant photo
Some new birding talent is emerging… – A. Bryant photo
I was really amused to see how quickly these young ladies became proficient with using a spotting scope. – A. Bryant photo
A few Surf scoters and Buffleheads. Hey, we missed that Black scoter! – A. Bryant photo
A great excuse for a Saturday morning! – A. Bryant photo
Classic winter in Powell River scene. – A. Bryant photo
An unusually cooperative Varied thrush. – A. Bryant photo
Mew gull by the water. – A. Bryant photo
Ok, so how many Kildeer do you see here? I count 11. – A. Bryant photo
Had I not seen them fly in, I never would have known they were there. – A. Bryant photo
Elizabeth tallies the score. – A. Bryant photo

Christmas Bird Count for Kids!
by Andrew Bryant, 6 December 2014

For the third year in a row,  the Young Naturalists participated in the Christmas Bird Count for Kids.  Although not an official Audubon event, it’s a great excuse for families to get out and about, learn some new birds and socialize with others.

Nicely organized by Elizabeth Tenhoeve and Michael Stewart, nine children and about a dozen adults braved the somewhat scary-looking weather and showed up at Willingdon Beach.  In fact the rains parted and it proved to be a great day.   Thanks also to John Treen, Neil Hughes, Heather Harbord, Janet Bingham, Clyde Burton and Nick Hauser for the scopes and birding expertise, and to Angelique Veerman and Gillian Andrew for the hot chocolate!

In all we counted 26 species and 156 individuals.  Highlights for me included a Thayer’s gull, Mew gulls, a very cooperative Varied thrush, and a flock of about 30 Kildeer that showed off their amazing ability to hide in plain sight!

Purple martin banding part III

Bruce getting mobbed by a bunch of martins
– A. Bryant
A few Greater Yellowlegs dropped by
– A. Bryant
Jason did much of the heavy lifting…under Clyde’s watchful gaze
– A. Bryant
together with John Bennett
– A. Bryant
Charlene and Julia did much of the banding
– A. Bryant
Julia being REALLY careful
– A. Bryant
Many hands make light work
– A. Bryant
Some local residents added colour
– A. Bryant
Lots of ladder moving
– A. Bryant
More local residents adding more colour…we attracted a few interested passers-by
– A. Bryant
And lots of martin squabbling
– A. Bryant
It turned out to be another long day for the Nanaimo banding crew. But Bruce always manages a smile
– A. Bryant
A nice adult male
– A. Bryant

Purple martin banding part III
by Andrew Bryant, 9 Aug 2014.

Scheduling conflicts prevented our Young Naturalists from attending this event.  But a few members (thanks Clyde Burton!) stepped up to the plate and provided some on-the-ground support. As usual I snapped a few images.

Thanks as always to Bruce Cousens and Charlene Lee of Nanaimo, and their technician Julia Kadera, who did all the banding.  Thanks also to the Bennett family (John, Erin and Janice), Trevor at Relay Rentals for the free ladder rental, and especially to John Bennett and Jason Roberts for helping to move the ladders around.  I REALLY appreciated your brawn, confidence and grins.

I had NO idea that BC will  likely come close to 1000 breeding pairs this year.  All because of volunteers who are willing to roll up their sleeves and get involved.

Charlene reports that a total of 30 nest boxes were checked (3 came down over the winter). 29 boxes were used by Purple Martins and swallows (likely Violet-green) nested in 1 box. There were 12 fledged martin nests, 1 lined nest, 1 with 3 nestlings too young to band, 1 with a 20-day old bird that wasn’t banded, 11 boxes with nestlings (24) that were banded and 3 boxes with dead young (4).  There were also 3 birds that fledged unbanded.

You can learn more about the ecological context, history, and progress of the recovery program for Western Purple Martins here.

 

2nd Christmas Bird Count for Kids

Steller’s Jay
– A. Bryant
Some of our data
– A. Bryant
Elizabeth helps with ID
– D. Bedry
Some of the team
– D. Bedry

2nd Christmas Bird Count for Kids
by Elizabeth Tenhoeve, 7 Dec 2013.

Once again a few of us braved the wilds of Willingdon Beach and added to our birding identification skills.

 We’re pleased that our kids are participating in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count – and having fun in the process!

Banding Purple Martins Part II

Taking notes
– E. Tenhoeve
Purple martins
– D. Bedry
Bruce Cousens with Purple Martin nestling
– E. Tenhoeve
Banding a nestling
– D. Bedry
Bruce Cousens retrieves a nestling
– D. Bedry
A clutch that didn’t hatch
– D. Bedry

Banding Purple Martins Part II

by Elizabeth Tenhoeve, 5 Aug 2013.

Quite a crowd turned out for what is becoming an annual event.

At Myrtle Rocks we have one of the northernmost colonies of Purple Martins, birds of the swallow family who nest in the boxes attached to offshore pilings.   We watched the nestlings as they were removed from the nest, banded, and assessed for age, then put back into the nest.

These birds migrate huge distances, so the banding helps to keep track of what journeys the birds have made.

First Christmas Bird Count for Kids

Thank heaven’s the spotting scope was waterproof
– D. Bedry

First Christmas Bird Count for Kids
by Janet Southcott, 1 Dec 2012.

This is the first year our Young Naturalists have participated in a nationwide bird count.

We were thwarted by the weather, high winds, rain, not ideal conditions for bird watching.  But a few brave souls came out to help.

We worked with experienced birders and walked through Millennium Park.  Everyone learned how to use binoculars and the names of birds seen during the count.

Banding Purple Martins

We had a good turn-out
– A. Bryant
Female purple martin –
– A. Bryant
Bruce Cousens collects a nestling
– A. Bryant
While the adults swarm overhead
– A. Bryant
Elizabeth Tenhoeve, Charlene Lee and John Treen record data
– A. Bryant
A young purple martin
– A. Bryant

Banding Purple Martins
by Elizabeth Tenhoeve, 14 July 2012.

Among other things, Andrew Bryant is the local coordinator for the Purple Martin nest box project at Myrtle Rocks.  He invited the Young Naturalists along while Bruce Cousens, Charlene Lee and he collected nestlings from the nest boxes to be banded.  It was great fun, many of the children were able to hold and learn more about these beautiful little birds.

It was amazing to realise that, because of the nest boxes, populations of these once endangered bird are climbing steadily, to over 735 breeding pairs this year.  We were glad to hear it!

The Powell River Peak published a story about the Purple Recovery Program, which be found here.

Mason Bees and more

Mason bees
– A. Kawarth

Mason Bees and more
by Janet Southcott, 14 April 2012.

We visited a gentleman south of town, Don Boese, who is a minefield full of information about mason bees.

He showed a video of how to keep mason bees then helped us make mason bee boxes.  Everybody took a box home and hopefully there are many more mason bee homes now dotted around town.

Shoreline birds

Hulks and surf scoters
– A. Bryant

Shoreline birds
by Janet Southcott, 15 Nov 2011.

We went down to the Hulks, at the south end of Catalyst Paper Corporation mill and looked at the Californian and Steller Sea Lions in the log-sorting area.  We were lucky to see both species together as it was easy to tell them apart.  We also saw shoreline birds such as surf scoters, Barrow’s goldeneye and bufflehead, plus cormorants and common loons.

Tide pools

Pisater ochraceous sea stars
– G. Robertson

Tide pools
by Janet Southcott, 15 June 2011. 

For the second time since the club was created, we ventured down to the shoreline below the Sea Walk on an extremely low tide to look in the tidal pools and find some fantastic creatures that show nature has fun with colours and shapes.  We found fish, sculpins, in jazzy colours and crabs both dead and alive, big and tiny. 

There was lots to see and explore!

Geocaching

This is what a geocache actually looks like
– P. Clements photo
Geocaching
by Janet Southcott, 9 April 2011.
 

We went on a hike through the woods around Powell River Recreation Complex, led by Bonnie Kent.  This was an introduction to geocaching.  The children learned to use GPS units to find caches.  Then they created and hid their own.

It was a lot of fun and we saw many more things as we explored the forest.

Whales, dolphins and porpoises with Susan MacKay

Orca breaching
– L.B. Lennard

Whales, dolphins and porpoises with Susan MacKay
by Janet Southcott, 22 January 2011.

The Young Naturalists met at Trinity Hall (United Church). Susan MacKay, who well known in whale circles, returned to teach children all all whales, porpoises and dolphins!

They learned lots, especially about what to do if you see something BIG swimming through our local waters.  Be sure to report your sightings here.

Worms!

Digging in the dirt…
– E. Tenhoeve
We got dirty
– E. Tenhoeve
And found a lot of worms!
– E. Tenhoeve
Species unknown… but the kids sure liked them!
– E. Tenhoeve

Worms!
by Elizabeth Tenhoeve, 27 February 2010.

WOW!   What a great time we had playing in the dirt and learning all about worms.  We met at the Community Resource Centre on Joyce Avenue across from the First Credit Union, where there is a worm farm in the backyard.

The folks there have been raising earthworms for their kitchen garden and compost bins and it was time to see how many worms had been raised so they invited our members to come and help with the counting, measuring and weighing of the wrigglers.  Worms are incredible and often overlooked little creatures that serve a purpose by mixing and adding air to the soil.

Naked eye stargazing with Christine Woolcott

Christine Woolcott shows us where to look
– J. Alred

Naked eye stargazing with Christine Woolcott

by Janet Alred, 12 December 2009. 

The Young Naturalists Club hosted a workshop for children and families about the night sky at Trinity Hall, United Church.  Stargazer Christine Woolcott led the children through creating a constellation map.

Soapstone carving

Some of the handiwork
– M. Dill

Soapstone carving
by Janet Alred, 14 February 2009. 

The Young Naturalists met at Trinity Hall (United Church). Richard Benson, a local artist, demonstrated soapstone carving.  Each child had the opportunity to carve an arrowhead or a heart pendant.  No injuries were incurred despite sharp tools being entrusted to tiny hands!