Tag Archive: Nicola Naturalists


Bobcats

Dr Kerridge gives a talk on bats at local college File photo KDG

Dr Kerridge gives a talk on bats at Nicola Naturlists.
File photo KDG

The Nicola Naturalists are having a night on Bobcats and their possible change of range. The meeting is at the local community college ,top of the hill, Belshaw avenue on November 17th, 7:30 PM, in the lecture theater.

T.J. Gooliaff is a graduate student at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna. He is studying Bobcat and Lynx distributions in the BC Interior. Climate change is causing numerous species across the planet to shift their range to higher latitudes and elevations. Using historic harvest records and sightings, T.J. is analyzing whether Bobcats and Lynx are among those species moving northwards. He is also using photographs submitted by the public to map the current provincial distribution of both species. This will be a fascinating presentation on these elusive cats.

The Ware family at the end of Garcia street had trouble with a Bobcat and chickens on their property at the end of Garcia street on the Nicola river last year. The property historically a small farm has an application to the change the zoning from single family residential to agricultural. The Bob cat was destroyed and the noise from the acreages chickens when disturbed is a concern.

 Bobcat prefers rabbits and hares, it will hunt anything from insects, chickens, geese and other birds and small rodents to deer. Prey selection depends on location and habitat, season, and abundance. Like most cats, the bobcat is territorial and largely solitary, although with some overlap in home ranges. It uses several methods to mark its territorial boundaries, including claw marks and deposits of urine or feces. The bobcat breeds from winter into spring and has a gestation period of about two months.

Source Wikipedia

The group is getting ready for its participation in their Christmas bird count on December 18th. The count is a global effort and monitors birds health and numbers for various conservation or interdiction reasons.

You don’t have to be an expert birder to participate in our Christmas Bird Count. It is a great way to get to learn the local winter birds – each birding group has at least one experienced birder. Followed by a festive potluck for participants. If you are interested in participating and not already on the contact list send us an e-mail  nicolanaturalists@gmail.com

Nicola Naturalist Society – Fall Events 2016

On this Day: November 2nd 1960
Penguin books is acquitted in an obscenity action.

Editors note: Freedom of expression is a right, civility ( not at the expense of truth) a choice…

Good authors too who once knew better words, now only use four-letter words. Writing prose, anything goes.

— Cole Porter, “Anything Goes” (1934)
Mallard on Nicola River File Photo KDG

Mallard on Nicola River
File Photo KDG

The Nicola Naturalists are organizing the Merritt Christmas Bird Count. This count has been running since 1995 and is one of thousands held across N America and other parts of the world. The count is on Sunday 20th December 2015 – you can come for the whole day or part of the day. We tally all the species and numbers of birds within a 22 km diameter circle. The area is divided up and groups of birders spend the day looking for both common and rare species.

Source Alan Burger

Here are a few samples of birds within 22 Kilometers of Merritt…

 

Ring Neck Doves File Photo KDG

Ring Neck Doves
File Photo KDG

Sandpiper Photo KDG

Sandpiper
 File Photo: KDG

Mallard Duck File Photo KDG

Mallard Duck
File Photo KDG

Heron Photo KDG

Heron
Photo KDG

Feeders help Photo KDG

Feeders help Sparrows
Photo KDG

On this Day: December 11th 1997

The Kyoto Protocol comes up for signature.

Water levels in Grasslands Ponds

Beaver living on the Nicola River, Merritt BC File Photo KDG

Beaver living on the Nicola River, Merritt BC
A creature with an effect on higher habitats. File Photo KDG

The Nicola Naturalist Society is having a presentation on the water levels of ponds in the area . Thursday October 15th in the NVIT (Community College on Belshaw Street at 7 PM. the presentation has to speakers and a point of view that global warming is responsible for low water levels.

Aaron Coelho is an Environmental Consultant, based in Kamloops and Dr. Wendy Gardner is a professor at Thompson Rivers University specializing in grassland ecology, range management and ecosystem restoration. Together they studied the impacts of climate change on surface water in BC’s semi-arid grasslands. The loss of grassland ponds will impact ranching, wildlife and entire ecosystems. This fascinating research is highly relevant to the future of the Merritt area.

The college says no food or drinks in the lecture hall and there is free parking for this event.

On this Day: October 8th 1829
The Stephenson Rocket gets the nod in the Rain-hill Trails

The last indoor meeting for the year is on June 17th at the NVIT Lecture Theater, starting at 7PM and will feature bear and other wildlife photography by Ontario native Kyle Blaney.

Kyle Blaney is an avid nature photographer from Belleville, Ontario who has extensively travelled all over North America. He is visiting our area while on a photo/camping trip from Ontario to Vancouver via Northwest Territories. In this presentation, Kyle shares his favourite photos, discusses where they were taken, and talks about his photography techniques. Note: that this meeting is on a Wednesday rather then the regular day of Thursday.

The Nicola Naturalists President is  Alan Burger PhD, U Vic and has presentation meetings by guest speakers during the year and has a number of nature programs including a frog monitoring one and a Christmas bird count. It is an NGO and operates with volunteers. Membership includes a newsletter and insurance for outings. It is under the umbrella of the provincial naturalist society. On this day: June 16th 2010 Bhutan bans tobacco completely.

Photos from Vietnam

A local is giving his photo tour of Vietnam and the flora and fauna that he photographed.

Bob Scafe is a Naturalist Society director and one of our club’s keenest photographers. Bob and his wife Bev recently traveled through Vietnam and Cambodia and will share their experiences with the local people, wildlife and places that they visited. Something tropical and exotic – this will be fascinating.

The Nicola naturalists meet at the local community college NVIT, the west top of Belshaw avenue in Merritt. They say all welcome, membership or donation requested. No food or drink in the lecture theater start time is 7:PM

Spring programs – April-June 2015

On this Day: May 12th 2008

Four hundred emigrants are detained for identity theft and document fraud in Post Ville Iowa.

Wild flowers of BC: Nicola Naturalists

The Nicola Naturalist Society is having Bill Merilees on Thursday the 16thy of April.Bill will present on Wildflowers.

Few people are as well qualified to talk about BC’s wildflowers as Bill Merilees. Along with the legendary C. P. Lyons he is the co-author of the popular plant guide: Trees, Shrubs and Flowers to Know in Washington and British Columbia (Lone Pine Press). Bill is a retired professional biologist with a long history of nature writing, hands-on interpretation and nature photography. A great speaker and just in time for the spring flowers.

The program is at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology starting at 7PM, free parking and no food or drinks in the theater. Membership or donation is requested, all welcome.

On this day: April 14th 1935

Black Sunday storm worst storm of the US Dust Bowl.

Murphy Shewchuck is a freelance writer photographer. He is from Merritt BC and has published a number of books on the area and trails. he is going to present on his recent trip to the sub arctic on Thursday February 19th. The Nicola Naturalist Society meets monthly during the winter at he Local College NVIT, presentations start at 7PM in the lecture theater and finish at 9PM. The Society is chaired by Alan Burger from U Victoria and the society is a member of the BC Naturalists in good standing. The Nicola naturalists have been involved in trying to apologise the recent flap on bio solids in the Sunshine Valley area of Merritt. Murphy presentation is titled Driving the Dempster. The Society says all are welcome membership or donation requested. http://www.nicolanaturlists.com On this day: February 11 1978 China loosens up  censorship on literature

Nicola Naturalists

The local naturalists are starting their fall/winter program on Thursday the 18th, they will have their member photo night and annual meeting at 7 PM in room 0001.
President Alan Burger, a PHD and artic explorer is the president at this time, and will present a brief AGM. The group has monthly meetings with guest speakers open to the public with a request for membership or donation.

Today in history: September 18th 1906

A typoon kills ten thousand people in Hong Kong.

Have a great weekend, and visit merit and malice and rate them

Alan  Burger and the Naturalists presented their AGM. Last evening at the local college room 001,financial statements ,and newsletters as well as reports all clear and concise.:Opinion

The society bought two Kyac boots last year and acquired 3 GPS mapping units. They accounted for the work and cost of their amphibian mapping count and after adjourning the business meeting went to a members picture contest, where 29 blind slides were shown as each member in the voting bar had three votes to pick a winner. And the winner was Jack Madrigas with a capture of a Great Grey Owl.Jack is the secretary and his wife the treasurer.

The society added two directors to bring the count to 7 and they will decide the executive roles at the first directors meeting. The group have a website.

http://www.nicolanaturalists.ca/

The next event is October the 10th at NVIT. The provincial naturalist president will be showing at the lecture theater.

Today in history: September 21 1991

Sandra Day O’Connor becomes the United States first Female Supreme Court Justice