You are presumed to be honest and responsible without evidence to the contrary beyond a reasonable doubt… on the balance of probablilties you are justified by 51 % likelyhood.
February 20th 2025, top of the hill Belshaw Avenue, Merritt BC, CA.
The Nicola Naturalist Society is having their February meeting with Charline Joe and Sean Strang at the NVIT lecture theater.
The pair are both working for River Health. The former is The indigenous engagement manager for the lower Nicola Indian band and the latter is The director for indigenous flood recovery and mitigation for the city of Merritt.
They will be presenting the concept of rivers restoration to indigenous values.
Other speakers have touched on these conditions in recent times including a presentation on beavers + their dam workings and pond building and the natural benefit of these conditions to the ecosystem as a whole.
There is a drawing for ticketed items at the break. The revenues from this goes to a student bursary. The Society often says “everyone welcome membership or donation appreciated”.
Murphy Shewchuck presents his view of over 50 years in the Nicola Valley as a photographer and writer. Speaking at the Naturalist Society on Thursday the 16th, top of the hill Belshaw Avenue, Merritt BC, Canada. Membership or donation appreciated. Bursary auction fund raiser at the break. Free Parking in the NVIT lot.
Drone photography
Drone photography to be explained expounded and presented as a valuable method to photo document areas.
A very credentialed fellow including published books, several accolades for Museum curation, this afternoon a lively hood with BC Hydro. Murphy has been a committed principal in the operation of the Nicola Valley Museum And archives.
Murphy continues his domicile with Katherine within yards of the Coldwater River surviving and flourishing despite it’s wrath near and not dear in the 2021 flash flood.
A display at the Nicola Valley Museum and archives.
See you there at 7 PM start, NVIT lecture hall. Merritt BC.
2024 CBC 26th annual Sixty three species noted, 27 people counted more than 5,000 birds, which is well above average according to the nicola naturalist Society. The Nicola Naturalist Society, was Incorporated after it began activities here in 2010. President Alan Burger has also been the president of BC nature more than once. There is […]
Alan Burger and the Nicola naturalist Society Incorporated are out today doing their Christmas bird count. Nearly three decades of service…Humming bird.
The Nicola Naturalists are inviting people to see the works and methods of local Photographer Leanne Cleavly. The presentation will be held in the lecture theater at NVIT ( Nicola Valley Institute of Technology) top of the hill on Belshaw avenue in Merritt British Columbia next week Thursday.
Leanne a school teacher has a Macro lens for her camera and has spent time capturing insects and other small subjects at magnification. The images she presented in the members photo submissions have garnered acclaim amongst many of them.
There is free parking and the group is fond of saying “all welcome, membership or donations opportunity available” paraphrased, there is a raffle of naturalist donated articles at break with tickets at the table inside, proceeds support a bursary for a student at the school.
Macro photography is a specialized form of photography that involves capturing small subjects at extremely close distances, typically to highlight fine details that may not be easily visible to the naked eye. To achieve successful macro shots, photographers use a macro lens, which has the capability to focus sharply on subjects at close range and capture intricate details.
To excel at macro photography, it’s important to have a good understanding of lighting, as well as techniques for stabilizing the camera to avoid blurriness. Patience and precision are also key factors, as getting the perfect shot often requires careful adjustment and experimentation with composition.
Tips and Techniques for Macro Photography
Photo KDG ( tube extender and no tripod…)
Macro photography allows you to capture intricate details of small subjects. Here are some tips to enhance your macro photography skills:
1. Use a Macro Lens
Invest in a dedicated macro lens with a high magnification ratio.
2. Stable Platform
Use a tripod to ensure stability and prevent unwanted blurriness.
3. Adjust Aperture
Select a narrow aperture (higher f-stop number) to increase depth of field and keep more of the subject in focus.
4. Lighting
Consider using diffused natural light or a ring flash to illuminate the subject evenly.
5. Focus Carefully
Pay attention to precise focusing to highlight the intricate details of the subject.
6. Background
Choose a clean and uncluttered background to make the subject stand out.
7. Patience
Be patient and take your time to capture the perfect shot, as macro photography requires attention to detail.
Remember, practice and experimentation are key to mastering macro photography.
The local Merritt Naturalists are going out to count birds this Saturday, December 18th, 2021. The club has a 22 KM, circle area for their count. Data is submitted to the continent corresponding count, conducted by the Audubon’s.
You can contact the local club to report a bird sighting or interest at nicolanaturalists@gmail.com.
ird count
Mallard ducks at Nicola River in Merritt BC
File Photo KDG
On this Day: Decenber 16th 1907
The Great White Fleet begins its trip around the world on the high seas.
The Nicola Naturalists are having their members photo night. The venue is tomorrow night at the NVIT lecture theater at 7PM.
NVIT top of the hill on Belshaw avenue in Merritt BC.
We keep the necessary business meeting short so there is ample time to enjoy local nature photos taken by our talented membership. We haven’t seen members’ photos on the big screen for many months so this will be a gala occasion.
Stephanie Winton will be the guest speaker on March 21st 2019 as the Nicola Naturalist society present their regular winter presentation program.
Stephanie Winton is a conservation researcher with Thompson Rivers University and Environment Canada. She recently completed her Master of Science degree assessing the impacts of roadkill on the population of Western Rattlesnakes in the White Lake Basin. Roadkill is a major and worldwide threat to wildlife, particularly for species-at-risk like rattlesnakes that face existing natural constraints. Stephanie’s research highlights the severity of this issue for rattlesnakes and led to the installation of ecopassages for snakes. Her study has important conservation applications with the burgeoning human development in BC’s interior valleys. Excellent research on an enigmatic species.
Source Nicola Naturalists
NVIT Lecture theater
Start time is 7:PM college lecture theater, top of the hill Belshaw avenue in Merritt, free parking , no food or drink in the theater.
Alan Burger and a speaker discuss a presentation, Nicola Naturalists, Merritt BC ,Ca File Photo KDG
Alan Burger and a speaker discuss a presentation, Nicola Naturalists, Merritt BC ,Ca File Photo KDG
The Nicola Valley Naturalists are having their AGM and members picture evening on Thursday September 13th.
Evening meetings of the Nicola Naturalist Society are held at 7PM, usually on the third Thursday of the month, in the Lecture Theatre of NVIT (Nicola Valley Institute of Technology) on Belshaw Road, Merritt. Our evening meetings are free to….
The AGM is at the NVIT lecture hall top of the hill Belshaw avenue in Merritt. Free parking no food or beverages in the theater.
All welcome membership or donation requested.
Editors note: The Room changed this AM to NVIT UO 0001, directions are at the entrance of the school..
On this day for the Nicola Naturalists June 26th 2010:
In glorious sunny weather, the new Nicola Naturalist Society held its first field excursion on Saturday 26 June. Nineteen people turned out to go birding and botanizing, including four visiting naturalists from the U.K. The group explored three areas in … read more
On this Day: September 12th 1959
The first scheduled colour television program , Bonanza is aired,
Alan Burger and a speaker discuss a presentation, Nicola Naturalists, Merritt BC ,Ca File Photo KDG
The Nicola Naturalists will have their May meeting on Thursday May 17th at the local campus of NVIT. The presentation starts at 7PM, free parking, no food or drink in the lecture theater. All welcome, donation or membership requested.
Philip Gyug will speak on range management in the Merritt area.
We all love our grasslands but few of us know how they are managed and monitored. Philip Gyug is a graduate from UBC Okanagan with a degree in Earth and Environmental Science. In Merritt he works as a Range Agrologist for the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. He works with range licence holders to promote sound management practices, monitor range health, and provide science-based decisions to achieve good range management plans.
Merritt is a great open range area with traditional cooperative use of land in a tenured system of licencing and ownership working to give maximum benefit to all stake holders that comply with published protocols.
On this Day: May 9th 1992
A coal mine gas explosion kills 26 workers in Nova Scotia Canada.
Urban living: this marmot takes advantage of a concrete pad for shelter. Photo KDG
Its good to be right, then you can go by your own name Ground Hog…
The April meeting of the local Naturalists is on April 20th at 7PM a graduate student of UBC will be presenting on the flora of the Arctic, in particular berries.
Sarah Desrosiers is a local graduate student pursuing her degree at the University of British Columbia. She has worked with Inuit elders, youth and land users in the Canadian Arctic for six years. She is collaborating with communities to help document, preserve and promote traditional knowledge of plants for foods, materials and medicine. Sarah will discuss her involvement with a community-supported berry-monitoring program in Kugluktuk, Nunavut. She will also talk about the importance of building capacity for youth to engage with the local environment as a way for healing and well-being. This will be a very interesting ethnobotanical talk.
The meeting is at the NVIT Lecture theater top of the hill on Belshaw avenue in Merritt, membership or donation requested. No food or beverages in the Lecture theater.
On this Day: March 30th 1905
Born Mikio Oda, Japanese track and field competitor.
The Nicola Naturalists are starting their winter program that includes an eagle count.The group is a member of the BC Naturalists and information is shared, it is also a registered non profit and has a track record.
Sunday 15th January – Nicola Valley Swan/Eagle count with Wayne Weber
Meeting place & time: Merritt Civic Centre at 08:30 to car-pool.
Each year there is a mid-winter count of swans and eagles in the Southern Interior of B.C., with participants from many areas. A few members of the Nicola Naturalists have participated in past years.
Because of increasing interest by birders, in 2017 and future years, Wayne is organizing a special outing with all NNS members welcome to join in.
Duration: About 8:30 AM to 4 PM. (The count should take all or most of the day). Please bring a lunch and a hot drink! Leader: Wayne Weber
Area covered: Nicola River from Merritt to Nicola Lake; entire shoreline of Nicola Lake; Nicola River from Nicola Lake to Spahomin (Douglas Lake); Nicola River up to Douglas Lake P.O. (NOTE: The Nicola River from Merritt west to Spences Bridge will be covered by a separate group, and will not be part of the main field trip.)
The Society will also start its winter presentation program on Thursday January 19th at 7 pm and are hosting the Nicola Tribal association in a presentation on salmon.
Thursday January 19th 2017, 7 PM at NVIT Lecture Theatre: Tracy Wimbush (Nicola Tribal Association) – Salmon and salmon habitat in the Nicola Valley
The Nicola River system is the breeding site of important stocks of salmon, some of which are seriously depleted and threatened. Salmon are an important focus for local First Nations in the Nicola Valley. Tracy Wimbush is the program manager for the Nicola Tribal Association. She also works closely with the Nicola Lake Steering Committee, BC First Nations Fisheries Council, Esk’kn’am Management Committee, and is the Mandated Representative for two bands on the Fraser Salmon Management Council. She has been actively working to conserve and rebuild the local Early Chinook Stock that return to the Nicola System. Her talk will be about the Chinook and the work around them.
The local tribal council had a Salmon Count on the Cold water river, in Merritt that ended before Christmas. The study involved a ” unique trap, first in North America” according to the operator. The study was for Coho according to the operator and the the postings by the tribal council. The presentation on the 19th is on Chinook and the Fraser as well as the Nicola River system.
There is free parking at NVIT no food or beverages in the lecture theater. Admission is open to the public a membership or donation is requested.
Quiz: What left this track?
On this Day: January 4rth 1998
An ice storm in eastern Canada gives severe damage.
Kevin Griffiths
percypaschal
The Proprietor Review 