Category: Fauna


Climate and energy awards…

Application deadline July 2nd 2019

The provinces is recognising the efforts of those successful in energy and climate activities.

Is your community implementing actions related to active transportation, electric vehicles, building energy retrofits, energy efficient new buildings, renewable or district energy, organics diversion, or climate change adaptation? Receive recognition for your work by applying for a 2019 Climate & Energy Action Award. Awards are offered in 3 categories: community planning and development, corporate operations, and climate change adaptation.

Source UBSM

A 44 mega watt green energy ” sustainable generator built in Merritt and online a redemption from the past when a coal fired one sat here.

The Climate & Energy Action Awards are co-sponsored by the Community Energy Association, Province of BC, FortisBC, BC Hydro, Union of BC Municipalities, and Real Estate Foundation of BC. Contact at CEA website.UBCM

On this Day: May 29th 2015

The one world observatory opens.

Once they were Hats…

The Nicola Naturalists last presentation meeting of the season is titled “Once they were Hats.” Beavers in the Canadian ecology.

Beaver

castor canadensis

Thursday May 16th 2019, 7 PM at NVIT Lecture Theatre: Frances Backhouse –  “Once they were hats” The biology of beavers and their role in Canada’s history.   
[This presentation was postponed in 2017 due to weather – rescheduled by popular demand]
Biologist and author Frances Backhouse has published books on a wide range of nature topics, including owls and woodpeckers, and also on historical topics such as the women in the Klondike gold rush. Her latest book examines humanity’s 15,000-year relationship with Castor canadensis, and the beaver’s even older relationship with North American landscapes and ecosystems. This will be a fascinating presentation blending biology and history. Some of you have heard Frances’s recent CBC Radio Ideas program on beavers.

The society says all welcome, membership or donation requested.

On this Day: May 14th 1918

Two minutes silence is used for the first time, by Sir Harry Hands.

Happy International Workers Day.

Workers of the world, have a good day, we appreciate that there is profit in all labour and a clear mind and a healthy body after a good shift is desirable and profitable.

On this Day: May 1st 1927

The Union Labour life Insurance company is founded by the American Federation of Labour.

TGIF-Robin come home…

After having a worm moon this spring one would think that robins should be fat and sassy. They can always use your help.

An Osprey builds a nest.

Some ways to help.

Keep your cat inside (and ask your neighbors to do the same). …
Provide nest boxes. …
Hold off trimming hedges and shrubs. …
Put out short pieces of fiber, string, and yarn. …
Offer short pieces of pet or human hair in onion bags or put in obvious places. …
Put out eggshells for birds.

Source: Bird watchers digest

On this Day: April 11th 1876

The Elks Club is created.

Grizzly Bears, Francis Iredale

Alan Burger and a speaker discuss a presentation, Nicola Naturalists, Merritt BC ,Ca File Photo KDG

The Nicola Naturalists are having their February meeting on February 21st 2019. Francis Iredale will present on Grizzly bears in the south Chilcotin.


Everyone loves hearing about Grizzly Bears and the presentation by Francis Iredale is especially worth attending. Since 2008 Francis has worked for the Province to conserve and manage species at risk and big game animals in the Thompson Region. He enjoys collaborating with indigenous communities and non-government organizations towards the long-term conservation of local wildlife populations. For several years Francis has been studying the special relationship that Grizzly Bears in the dry mountains of the Chilcotin have with Whitebark Pine in the fall. Understanding the resource use of these bears is essential to build up their diminished population. At the same time, the selection of Whitebark Pine needs to be understood for the conservation of this endangered tree species. Not to be missed!

Source Nicola Naturalists

The meeting time is 7PM at the NVIT lecture theater, free parking, no food or drink in the theater. The group is fond of saying all welcome membership or donation requested.

Alan is giving a presentation at the Merritt Library on Tuesday the 19th as well.

File Photo KDG

On this Day: February 14th 1966

Austrailian currency is decriminalized.

Missing people, Ben Tyner 32

Tracy Dunsmore Search and Rescue, avoid employing Tracy! File Photo KDG

The Nicola Valley has its share of mysteries the most recent is the disappearance of a local ranch manager at the historic Nicola Ranch.

Ben Tyner’s Horse comes back…

Fact is that his horse came back and the search is no longer a rescue, this after 7 days of search. The 32-year-old cowboy’s disappearance has caused the Mounties to deploy major crimes investigation units without a word on the public safety status.

Kelly Morrison…

Kelly Morrison went missing from Stump lake ranch October 22nd 2013 and his whereabouts remains a mystery. Dean Kelly Morrison was employed at the ranch north of the Nicola Ranch and had been let go. He had car troubles and had called a tow truck then went missing. The family still maintains a 3000 dollar reward for info with posters about including the window of Merritt printing. Morrison had been a volunteer in the last election attempt of Harry Lali . The campaign failed to elect Lali. There is no indication that it had anything to do with his disappearance other then contributing to a sense of failure.

Dean Kelly Morrison was a volunteer in this election the saw former NDP cabinet minister Harry Lali get 39% of the vote going down to the Liberal MLA 44%

Missing First Nations and the municipal election cycle.

Garry Handlen has been in the system for the murder and disappearance of local FN girls in the last two election cycles for municipalities both cycles the family has expressed gratitude for the justice given in the case going back to 1978. Closure for these types of situations seems to be elusive and life consuming. We recommend that every one have a good attitude toward personal safety and avoid situations that could cause preventable grief to the community. ( Even the Trudeau family could have avoided this by Shasa not being out alone and presumably drowning on November 13th 1994 , never being found.)

On this Day: February 12th 1994

The Scream is stolen from an art museum, in Norway.

Naturalists silviculture…

Forestry service building Merritt BC, Canada .Plaque`s for service. File photo KDG

January 17th 2018, Richard Chavez

The Nicola Naturalists are having their January monthly meeting on the 17th at the NVIT lecture theater top of the hill Belshaw avenue in Merritt. Richard Chavez will present Silviculture: More than Just Planting Trees.


Silviculture, the science of trees in the treatment of a forest, is highly relevant to our local forestry-based economy and ecology. Human population increase and changing climate has put pressure on forest resources. Has our understanding and application of silviculture kept pace with these changes? Are our forestry practices keeping up with modern demands? This talk reviews current practices and other factors that challenge foresters, and possible ways to improve forest management. Richard Chavez is an Registered Professional Forester with Aspen Planers. He has a degree in Forest Engineering and a Master of Forestry degree from Yale University. Richard has extensive experience in silviculture, ecology and forest planning in tropical and temperate forests.

Nicola Naturalists

On this Day: January 9th 2007

I phone introduced by creator Steve Jobs.

Mounties resist uniform change…

Auxiliaries tagged volunteer.

The UBCM is reporting that they want the Mounties to change the uniform that the auxiliaries wear. ” to relect the autority of the position” which would include removing the tag Volunteer.


UBCM’s primary concern is the RCMP decision to prominently display the word “volunteer” on the uniform, and how it does not accurately reflect the authority held by Auxiliaries. A more professional uniform may also help reverse a trend that has seen a number of Auxiliaries leave the RCMP in recent years, coinciding with changes that have limited the scope of the Auxiliary Program.

Source UBCM

No changes to take immediate effect, Cops

The Mounties are not going to immediately implement and change including the volunteer tagging .The National Occupational Health and Safety Committee has reinforced the keeping of the tag. The direction is ackowleged and a recommened consultation periiod of 18 months after some sort of implementaion is talked about.

On this Day: December 27th 1932

Radio city music hall opens as the show plae of America.

TGIF- Christmas bird count

Mallard ducks at Nicola River in Merritt BC       
File Photo KDG

Nicola Naturalists

The Nicola Naturalists Society conducts a Christmas bird count every year here in the Nicola Valley. This years effort is on Sunday December 16th 2018. The 2017 results are on their site: http://www.nicolanaturalists.ca/2018/02/22/merritt-christmas-bird-count-december-2017/

 

You don’t have to be an expert birder to participate in Christmas Bird Counts. Participants spend all or part of the day in a group covering a specific section of the 22-km diameter count circle. It is a great way to get to know the local winter birds and contribute to the world’s longest-running citizen science project. For more details on the Merritt CBC keep checking this website or contact    nicolanaturalists@gmail.com

Source Nicola Naturalists Society



On this Day: December 14th 1960

The UNESCO convention against discrimination   in education is adopted in Paris:

Time Life person of the year, Journalists…

A journalist films at a distance a murder scene in a local park, Police had on white forensic coveralls and masks to prevent contamination. File Photo KDG

Once a year some newsmaker selected.

Time selects a person of the year every year and makes no judgement on good or bad but how did they effect the world. This year a group of detained journalists have made the pick with the slain member  Jamel Khasshoggi’s image being featured . Khasshoggi’s the first newsmaker Time has used that was dead at the time of selection.

On this Day: December 12th 2015

The Paris accord is adopted by the UN framework on climate change.

TGIF- $138.9 per liter…

  After many weeks of $1.40.9er liter the price of regular gasoline has dropped two cents per liter. The CBC has been reporting that Canadian crude price is low, 13 dollars a barrel low,and the Alberta government is concerned. Some oil officials are calling it an emergency as West Texas settlement prices are dropping as well. 

Cushing Oklahoma is the contract settlement point for contracts and has been for 30 years. Grades and content makes a big difference in crude prices.

West Texas has been a benchmark price for settlement prices but lately has been discounting prices of entities such as OPEC Basket.

Western Canada Select dropped below 20 dollars a barrel last month and commentators are saying that Saskatchewan can not continue to rely on " quirky" pricing for budgets.
It seems that the people of Alberta may have demonstrated collective wisdom in their no vote for the 2026 Olympics last week.
The future market for benchmark oil in December is $56.77 at this writing.
We are not protected from tariffs on artificial price controls from the
Americans in the free trade agreement. It seems we need to tough it out in this market.

On this Day: November 16th 1945

Unesco is founded.

Flu clinic…

1950 Merritt Avenue center

Flu clinic tomorrow at the Merritt Civic Center. The clinic is free to numbers of people including those over 65 and others at risk or those that have frequent contacts with risk, including visitors to health faculties.

You can also chose to be part of the herd immunity if you are young and healthy by having a shot at a number of drug stores.

Be safe play safe be wise and don’t make anyone cry…

On this Day: November 6th 1947

Meet the press makes its debut.