Norm Hansen a local naturalist is presenting at the societies January meeting.

Did you know that, a few thousand years ago as the last ice-age was coming to an end, the Nicola Valley was deep under a series of huge lakes. Massive chunks of ice blocked valleys to create these lakes, and as the ice melted the water rushing out of the lakes carved deep gorges. Today you can still see the lake shores of these ice dams, high in the hills around the Nicola Valley, and travel along the gorges that they carved out. Norm Hansen, a long-time forester from Merritt and NNS director, has for many years researched the history of these ice dams and their remnants and will share this amazing story with us.

Norm had a career in forestry including the private sector as a consultant after securing a degree from the university of British Columbia, Norm was raised in Golden BC in the Rocky Mountains and has a good appreciation of natural process and the wonder of the natural environment. Norms talk will be on January 15th at the NVIT college lecture theater, starting at 7:pm the society says that all are welcome,and membership or donation requested. Membership applications are available on the groups site:http://www.nicolanaturalists.ca/ The non-profit group takes responsibility for the winter bird count and are involved in scrutiny of frogs and other creatures here, they are members in good standing of the provincial naturalist organization.

Today in history: January 7th 1835 The HMS Beagle reaches the Chonos Archipelago