BioBlitz

The Story of Four Little Orphan

Grizzly Bears

Salmonare

Sacred

InternationalYear of

Forests

A Ponderosa Pine. Photo by Monica Belko.

NatureWILDNatureWILDMagazine for Young Naturalists in British Columbia

“Young Naturalists Observe and Conserve”www.ync.ca

Volume 12 Issue 32011

3 Silhouettes 4 International Year of

Forests 6 Salmon are Sacred

8 Arctic vs. Antarctic

10 BioBlitz 12 Four Little Orphan Grizzly Bears

14 Ask Al 15 NatureWILD News

16 Mussel-Maze

I have just been to a conference about how important it is for children and adults to spend a lot of time outside in nature. You can all agree with that! But it is just as important to make sure that it is also good for nature that people spend a lot of time outdoors. As young naturalists, you know the rules on how to keep nature green, safe and clean. When visiting natural spaces, practice respect and care: • Walk quietly, don’t disturb the wildlife.• Stay on designated trails at all times.• Leave everything as you found it.

Please share your knowledge with others.

Daphne Solecki, YNC BC President

2

Inside...

NatureWILD is printed on SFI certifiedpaperbyBenwellAtkinsanRR Donnelley Company, Vancouver.

ISSN: 1492-7241

YNC Family Nature ClubsLower MainlandVancouver, Lower Mainland Home Learners, North Vancouver, Stanley Park, Burke Mountain, Eastern Fraser Valley, Powell River

Vancouver IslandVictoria, Victoria Home Learners, Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo, Oceanside (Parksville/Qualicum), Comox Valley, North Vancouver Island, Cowichan Valley Home Learners

Gulf Islands Denman Island, Pender Island, Quadra Island

Thompson/OkanaganKamloops, Salmon Arm, Kelowna, North Okanagan, Lillooet Home Learners

KootenaysNelson, Rocky Mountain (Cranbrook), Elk Valley (Fernie)

NorthWilliams Lake, Prince George, Denny Island (Bella Bella)

YNC Nature Clubsin SchoolsAtlin, Cawston, Celista, Coquitlam, Cumberland, Denny Island, Duncan, Fort St. John, Hornby Island, Langley, Mount Currie, New Westminster, Pender Island, Powell River, Sandspit, Tappen, Vancouver (6), Victoria

Have any comments

or questions?

Email the YNC at

info@ync.ca

YNC Board of DirectorsPresident: Daphne SoleckiVice-President: George BanghamTreasurer: Lynne CarlsonLaura Estrada, Ruth Foster, Vanessa Lee, Ian McKeachie, Eva Nagy, Bob Peart, Gail Ross

NatureWILDContent Editor: Daphne SoleckiProduction Editor: Monica BelkoContributor: Al Grass

Contact UsKristine WebberYNC Executive Directorinfo@ync.ca

Tammy KeetchYNC Clubs Coordinatorcoordinator@ync.caLeslie RitcheyYNC Membership Assistantinfo@ync.ca

YNC of BC is supported by:

NATURE VANCOUVERRR Donnelley

We acknowledge the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia

Elders Council for Parks in British Columbia

HUMMINGBIRD

DUCK WOODPECKEROWL

QUAIL

TURKEY

SWAN

GOOSESPARROW

CROW

PHEASANTHAWK SWALLOW

A silhouette is a plain picture or outline of the shape of an object (usually shown in black). Body shape is one of thefirstthingsexpertbirdwatchersusetoidentifybirds.Use the silhouettes on this page to identify these bird species. Answers on page 15.

Silhouettes 7 ___________

11 ______________3 ______________

8 __________________

4 ________

HERON

13 __________

12 _________

6 ____________

5 ____________10 __________

1 __________

2 _________4 _____________

9 __________________

3

About ForestsWhat IS a forest? A forest is land that is mostly covered with trees, with shrubs and other plants growing around them. Forests cover about one third of the land area of the world (though they used to cover far more).

Forests are essential to all life, including humans. Forests store carbon, help regulate climate, purify water, hold the soil so it can’t be washed away. Forest ecosystems are home to 70% of biodiversity on land. All around the world, forestsprovidematerialthathumanscanuseforhouses,boats,firewood,furniture, baseball bats, maple syrup – you can think of many more.

The growing forest has several layers:

1. Upper canopy: (top layer) which captures most of the sunlight and turns it into energy for the trees to grow on. Flying and climbing animals can be found here – many birds from hummingbirds to owls, and insects of every kind.

2. Understory: (middle layer) where many small trees, larger bushes and shrubs, forestwildflowersandfernsgrow.Theseprovideshelterandfoodformanyforest animals such as deer and skunks.

3. Forest Floor: (lowest level) is dark and damp. Plants that can live with very little light grow here, also fungi and mosses, providing a home for toads, salamanders, banana slugs and insects.

Can you name something that makes its own food, is used to create over 5,000 products, protects the environment…yet never moves? Did you answer ?

You are right!

Different Kinds of Trees in a ForestIn British Columbia we have 36 species of trees (plants that have a single stem at the ground and grow to a great size). Most of the tree species are conifers which produce seeds in cones and have needle-shaped leaves. Western Redcedar is a conifer and is the Province’s tree emblem. It grows to a great size and many kids would have to link arms to surround the largesttreesatgroundlevel.Douglas-firisanotherexampleofaconiferand is found on the coast and in the southern Interior. The tallest trees found in the province are Sitka Spruce that grow in the Carmanah Valley on Vancouver Island and reach 90 metres or more into the sky (as tall as a 45-story building… skyscrapers indeed!). We also have many beautiful

broad-leaved trees in the province: Garry Oak, Paper Birch, aspen, and Bigleaf Maple among them. They produce seed from flowers rather than cones.

Tree

A Western Redcedar. Photo by Abdallahh.

Aspen trees.

InternationalYear of

ForestsBy Daphne SoleckiReviewed by Alan Vyse, RPF and Frances Vyse, BSc.

4

Different Kinds of ForestOurprovinceisblessedwithmanykindsofforestfromtheborealinthenorthtothecoastalDouglas-fironVancouver Island. Foresters recognize 13 different types which contain various combinations of tree species. In the north there are boreal and sub-boreal forest with cone-bearing trees such as Engelmann Spruce, Western Hemlock andBalsamFir,withlargeareasofbroad-leavedbirchandaspen.Herewefindermine,Moose,lynx,SnowshoeHare,crossbills and Great Horned Owls.

The coastal temperate rainforest includes coastal Western Hemlock, CoastalDouglas-fir,WesternRedcedarandSitkaSpruceaswellasnumerous broad-leaved trees. Grizzly Bears, Black Bears and white-coated Black Bears, wolves, deer, Bald Eagles and Marbled Murrelets are some of the wildlife found there.

The dry coniferous forests of the southern interior of BC have open standsofPonderosaPine,Douglas-firandLodgepolePine.Thetreesarespaced wide apart and often grow beside grassland areas where you can walk easily between the trees. This forest is home to deer, elk, chipmunk, woodpeckers and bluebirds.

International Year of ForestsWhy are we paying so much attention to forests this year? A big reason is deforestation. Can you imagine British Columbia without forests? All our mountain slopes bare and rocky? That is what has happened in many parts of the world. Once upon a time, 90% of the land around the world was covered in forest. Now only about one third of that forest is left. Much of the forest was cut down before people knew how important forests are. People did not realize that without trees the soil would be washed or blown away, so after a while nothing will grow. They did not

know the importance of forests in protecting the water cycle and in regulating the Earth’s temperature, so it does not get too hot or too cold. They certainly did not know that the forests are home to about three-

quarters of all the world’s animals and plants.

Now we do know how extremely important forests are to life on Earth. That’s why all around the world people are giving special attention to forests, making plans to stop the deforestation andfindingwaystore-growtheforests.Astheforestsgrowbacktheywillslowdownclimate change and protect biodiversity. Planet Earth will be breathing easier.

A Western Redcedar. Photo by Abdallahh.

A coastal temperate rainforest.

A huge Sitka Spruce tree! Photo by Wsiegmund.

5

Art and text by Carrielynn Victor, Stó:lō Tribal Council

Salmon are sacred to the First Nations people that live in British Columbia. The First Nations people that live on the southwest Coast of BC are called ‘Coast Salish’. The Coast Salish people call the Fraser River - Stó:lō (pronounced “Stah-Low”), it means ‘the river’. Stó:lō is also the name for the people who live in the Fraser River Valley.

It is everyone’s job to make sure the river is clean and cool so the fishswimminghomehaveasafejourney.Nobodyisallowedtothrowgarbage in the river or spit in the river. The river is the home of the salmon, and we wouldn’t want them making a mess in our home, so we respect their home.

Each year when the salmon start swimming back up the Stó:lō, the peoplegatherforthefirstsalmonceremony.Thefirstfishissharedwith all the people who attend the ceremony, and all the bones are put back in the Stó:lō as a sign of respect. The Coast Salish people believe that by thanking the salmon for coming back every year, and putting the bones back in the river in a special way, that the salmon will continue to return each year.

A lot of Stó:lōkidslearntofishwhentheyarereallyyoung.Somekidsstartfishingwhentheyareonlytwoyearsold.Kidscatchsalmon,sturgeon,minnows,andmanyothertypesoffish.Learningtocatchfishisimportant,becausewhenkidsgetolder,theywillhelptofeedtheir families.

The Stó:lōpeoplestillcatchfishinthesamerivertodaythattheydidalongtimeago.Tocatchfish,fishersusedtousehand-madewoodentraps, or nets that were made of stinging nettles or cedar bark on the endoflongpoles,andlongspearstocatchsalmon.Today,somefishersuse big nets and boats with motors to catch salmon. Sometimes traditionalwaysarestillusedtofish.

Echo 2

Salmon are

SacredSalmon

are Sacred

The 2010 fall issue of NatureWILD was all about salmon. This fall we give

you a story from the people of BC who have known about the salmon

longer than anyone – the Stó:lō people of the Fraser Valley.

6

Kw’as Hoy Kw’as HoyCarrielynn Victor – Xwementelot

Rights & Title Research,Sto:lō Tribal Council

In summer Stó:lō people wind-dry and can salmon; in fall they smoke the salmon. Smoking and wind-drying salmon are old traditions that have been passed on from generation to generation.

Coast Salish people believe that the salmon used to be people. The salmon people would send the young men and women to the humans every summer so they could feed and nourish the humans. The cedar tree, many types of plants, and even rocks were once human beings, but were transformed into helpers for the rest of the people. When we see all the parts of nature as our relatives, we can respect everything like family.

The Coast Salish people sing special songs just for the salmon. Some people wear masks and blankets that have symbols on them of salmon. Dances are performed by children and adults that show the journey that salmon take in the rivers and oceans. Coast Salish people paint and draw pictures of salmon. Masks and totem poles are carved from cedar to show how important salmon are to the Coast Salish people.

Salmon are sacred.

Sunlit ShawlThis jolly face of the

sun, has an eagle resting on him. Two

salmon arc around the chin. The wings of the

eagle also appear as the shawl for the sun.

Salmon PeopleWe the Sto:lō are the people of the river, the river and surrounding watersheds have sustained our people for thousands of years, the lifecycle of the salmon is shown in the mind of the people in the painting. It is meant to show that we need to keep a prayer and a thought for the depleting stocks of wild salmon in our territory.

Fish for Brains

7

Let’s start with the names.

Arctic comes from the ancient Greek word arktikos meaning ‘bear’ as in the constellations of the Great Bear and Little Bear. These constellations are located near the North Star, so Arctic means the north region. Antarctic is from antarktikos “opposite of north” – which of course is south. (The ancient Greeks would have been very surprised to know that their words would be used 2,500 years later to describe parts of the world they never knew existed.) We might think that the Arctic and the Antarctic regions are alike – they are each at opposite ends of the planet, they are both extremely cold with lots of snow and ice and they both have six month long winters and summers. In fact, they are much more different than they are alike, and each of them is unique and wonderful. And each of them, in spite of being so cold, is full of life.

Natural FeaturesThe Arctic is water surrounded by land, an OCEAN ringed around by continents – Europe, Asia and North America. From the North Pole, the nearest land is Kaffeklubben Island which belongs to Greenland, a distance of about 1,300 kilometres. The Geographic North Pole lies in the centre of the Arctic Ocean.

The Arctic Ocean is about 4,000 metres deep at the North Pole and covered with 3 – 6 metres of ice. This ice is made slowly from seawater which gradually becomes less salty. The ice often breaks up into big ice floesduringthesummerandfreezesupagaininthewinter.Arcticicebergstendtobefairlyflatandnotvery big. The smallest size of iceberg (called a growler) is about the size of a pickup truck; a few can be big enough to land a plane on. One of the biggest icebergs measured 250 square kilometres. It’s very cold in the Arctic but nothing like as cold as Antarctica because the ocean water has a warming effect. Summer temperature is about – 0°C ( freezing) going down to – 42°C in winter.

Plants and AnimalsOn the continents surrounding the Arctic Ocean there is land called tundra where plants and very short trees can survive. Tundra has a thin layer of soil where plants can grow, but underneath it is frozen all the time (permafrost). There are mammals that live on land, such as reindeer, caribou, fox, hare, wolf, lemming, polar bears and many other smaller species. In the ocean are grey whales, belugas, narwhals, walruses,porpoisesandseals,andover200speciesoffishforthemtofeedon.(Therearenopenguinsin the Arctic - they only live in the southern portion of the globe!) Millions of birds come here to breed - land birds including owls and other raptors, ptarmigan and longspurs, as well as shorebirds and seabirds such as ducks, cormorants and gulls. Humans have lived in the Arctic region for many thousands of years, surviving on the natural food sources on the land and in the sea.

Vancouver.Vancouver.

The Arctic is an ocean mainly covered by ice.

What’s the Difference? Arctic(North Pole)

8

Natural FeaturesThe Antarctic is land surrounded by water, a CONTINENT circled by the Southern Ocean. The nearest land to Antarctica is Cape Horn, at the very tip of South America. Cape Horn is 650 kilometres from the icy edge of Antarctica, but about 3,800 kilometres from the South Pole. The Geographic South Pole lies in the centre of the continent of Antarctica.

The Southern Ocean is 5 – 6,000 metres deep around Antarctica. The ice at the South Pole is 2,700 metres thick (two and half kilometres standing on end), rising from land which is just a few metres above sea level. Antarctica has about 90% of the world’s ice and about 70% (almost three-quarters) of the world’s fresh water.

Antarctic icebergs are enormous – larger than you can imagine – the biggest one measured 10,991 square kilometres, the size of Jamaica (or about 1/3 the size of Vancouver Island). Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, iciest place on Earth. In summer (which happens during our winter) the warmest it gets is – 25°C. Although it issunny,thewhiteicereflectsthesunlightandheatbackintotheatmosphere.Inwinterthetemperaturecandrop to – 58°C.

Plants and AnimalsAlthough there are a few rocky patches near the shoreline where plants like moss and lichen can grow, most of Antarctica is covered in ice where absolutely nothing can grow. There are no mammals or any other kind of land creature on Antarctica.

On the other hand, the ocean surrounding Antarctica is four times as rich in nutrients as any other ocean and has great numbers of sperm whales, seals, squid and octopus. Up to one hundred million birds come here to breedaswell,includingpenguinsandalbatross.Itwasjustin1912,almost100yearsago,thatthefirstgroupof humans travelled across Antarctica. The only people who actually live in Antarctica today are scientists; they live in special domes and do not go outside except for their observations.

Penguins only live in the southern half of the Earth (there are no penguins in the Arctic). Photo by Liam Quinn.

The Antarctic is an actual continent (not an icy ocean like the Arctic). Cruiseship companies offer tours to visit the Antarctic. Photo by Cascoly.

Antarctic(South Pole)

9

MethodI did the BioBlitz on our property – I recorded plants, birds and mammals (notinsects).Imadealistthencheckedinreferencebooksforscientificnames. I found out which species are native and which introduced.

AreaOur yard backs onto a second-growth forest and a small creek. It’s not manicured in the least…ideal habitat for birds. We have many bushes, shrubs and large trees - four Western Redcedars and seven Western Hemlocks; a SitkaSpruce,SitkaMountain-ashandaBalsamFir.There’saDouglas-fir(theseedling came from the property where my Mom once lived, near Coombs) and a Yellow Cedar grown from a “plug” given away at the Fall Fair. There is also a dead Lodgepole Pine which has been left standing so it can be a wildlife tree. Smaller native plants include blueberry, huckleberry, salmonberry, elderberry,ferns,mosses,salal,fireweed,willowherb,andotherfloweringspecies.Wehavetwobirdfeederswithsunflowerseedsandsmallseedmixand three hummingbird feeders on the patio behind our house.

Results (Editor’s note)In total Laura recorded 13 bird species, seven tree and 16 plant species and one mammal. Included here are only the species with added notes. All species arenativeunlessnotedotherwise.Lauraprovidedthescientificnamesbutthey had to be left out for space reasons.

A wren’s nest.

A Red-breasted Nuthatch on a feeder.

A Dark-eyed Junco on a feeder.

Port Hardy, May 11 and 12, 2011

Laura Jones (age 12)YNC Northern Vancouver Island

BioBlitz

10

• Ringed Turtle-dove (introduced): Up to 20 of these birds have visited our yard and feeder at one time. I’m confused as to why these birds are here because their range is LA, California and also Florida. We have a guess however: we once had a Ringed Turtle-dove in a backyard aviary. When we stopped keeping birds we sold the dove. Perhaps she escaped and has returned (with friends)? My father has also seen them in Port McNeill.

• Band-tailed Pigeon: They have bright yellow feet and beaks, and a spottediridescentovalringontheneck.ThisisthefirsttimeIhaveseenthese in our yard.

• Red-breasted Nuthatch: there seems to be a pair that visits the feeder and suet regularly. They are very bold and unbothered by humans. When theygrabaseedtheyflyawayimmediately;theyalwaysflytothesametreeso we think they might have a nest there.

• Rufous Hummingbird: these birds are very predictable: we have been keeping track of when they return every year and it is always within a couple of days of the same date (April 7th this year.) Our family puts up a feederinthelastweekofMarchorfirstweekofApril.OurGrandpainRoyston calls to tell us when they have arrived there, and it is always one week before they come to Port Hardy.

Photos by Laura. Laura also thanks her mother Heather for assistance with note-taking and typing.

The Red Squirrel.

Mammals• Red Squirrel: This squirrel has become increasingly

boldsinceweputthesunflowerseedfeederupafterChristmas and now visits several times a day. He eats many individual seeds, dropping the husks; we aren’t sure if he is storing the seeds in his cheeks to stash elsewhere or not. He also eats lots of spruce cones, dissecting them and leaving heaps of cone litter. We think he lives in a hemlock tree in the backyard.

• Dog: Black Labrador Retriever, female

• Human: three females, one male

Birds• Brown-headed

Cowbird: Five came to the feeder, and were squawking in the trees. This isthefirstyearwehaveseen them in our yard.

• Golden-crowned Sparrow:aflockofatleast 30 have been regular visitors at our feeders.

• Steller’s Jay: these noisy visitors have been here all winter, sometimes fooling us by imitating Bald Eagles and songbirds.

• Common Raven: the raven steals my dog’s kibble, as do the Steller’s Jays. My dog barely notices birds, except for ravens and crows: she will bark madly at them! The raven tries to get to the suet feeder, which is tucked under the eaves of the greenhouse; you realize how big the raven is when he tries to squeeze into the tight spot.

• Winter Wren: last year a Winter Wren nested in the eaves of an old shed, burrowing into the insulation. We wanted to knock down the old shed but waited until the nest was empty before we did so. This year the wren came back and, seeing that the old nest is not thereanymore,hasbuiltanestunderthefloorofthetreehouse.

11

Bella Coola

Vancouver

Luckily for these four orphan Grizzly Bears there WAS someone to care for them. In 2010 two sets of sibling grizzly cubs were found and taken to the Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter in Smithers, which is run by Angelika and Peter Langen. Here they were named Drew and Jason, Dean and Lori.

Even better, the orphan bears were to be part of a special release project where they would be raised until they were old enough to look after themselves and then released back into the wild.

There they will be monitored to see how well they adapt and are able to look after themselves, and what happens to them over the next several years. This information will be very valuable to learning more about their food needs,howwelltheyfitintothewildpopulationandaboutGrizzlyBearbehaviouringeneral.

Thisfirst-evergrizzlycubreleaseprojectwasorganizedbyNorthernLightsWildlifeSociety,whosecuredthesupportofgovernmentwildlifeofficials,scientists,theInternationalFundforAnimalWelfare,andthepeoplewho live in Bella Coola (it is planned that the results of the project will be used as a future foundation to create sustainable rehabilitation standards for grizzly cubs).

Angelika explains that raising bear cubs in such a way that they stay independent and don’t get attached to people is a very tricky business. “The cubs need to feel secure to prosper, but we don’t want to habituate them to humans, as that would make the release impossible. Luckily Mother Nature is a big help here. Young bears learn from their mother that other bears pose a big danger to them. Acting as “mother bear” one handler can give the bears the security and love they need, while ensuring that the cubs learn to be wary of other people and other bears.”

There is a beautiful place called Bella Coola, located in the rainforest about half way up the coast of British

Columbia. But sad things happen even in beautiful places. Sometimes mother bears are killed and then

there is no-one to care for their cubs.

A Grizzly Bear mom and cub.

Grizzly Bear cubs playing. Photo courtesy of Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter.

The Story of Four Little Orphan

Grizzly BearsContributed by Angelika Langen and Kiff and Ellie Archer

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‘Be-Stronger-Together’Kiff Archer

TofindoutmoreabouttheNorthern Lights Wildlife Shelter in Smithers go to www.wildlife.com

“Grizzlies are very intelligent and, besides food and housing, they need a good enrichment program to keep them active both in body and mind. For example we will hide their food in hollow trees, under rocks or in trees. This keeps them active and mimics their natural activities. We also provide natural items, such as logs, branches and fresh weeds to invite them to play. Bears love water and will spend hours playing in and with it.”

June 25, 2011: after eight months, the great day to release the cubs arrived at last! Ellie and Kiff Archer, who are part of the local Bear Aware team, tell what happened.

“Yesterday the Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter Team was absolutely amazing. After the cubs had been tranquillized John Beecham (bear expert) explained interesting facts about Grizzly teeth while probing the mouth of a 170 kilogram, 18 month old bear. Behind us, a team of vets did the touchy job of giving the cubs some special injections. Beside us was a chopper warming up, about to lift two cubs up into the air.”

“To keep the siblings together and to make it possible to lift two cubs at a time, they were placed side by side on a large piece of wood; a net covered them and a rope was attached to the chopper. A legendary local pilotandfirefightingherowasveryimpressiveasheliftedthebearsgently,straightupintotheair,thenflewthemalongthecoast,oversnow-toppedmountains, to their new home.”

“And then there was Cinnamon, a tiny shy Black Bear who had waited for months for a place in the centre, all the while enjoying sockeye and old apples, courtesy of the Nuxalk people. He too was taken home and we cried as we watched him go back to freedom.”

“That evening 11 of us sat around a large cedar table under the stars. Angelika and the whole team were exhausted but still we talked the night away – going over the exciting events of the day and our hopes for the future.”

“And we wondered – in the future, will there still be bears? Whatever needs to be learned about bears – living with them, saving them - must be learned quickly so that in 50 years’ time the bears can say “good on you guys, thank you for trying to help us. You did the best you could.”

Peter Langden has a last visit with Dean before he’s lifted to freedom. Photo courtesy of Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter.

Lifting Dean onto the platform. Photo by Kiff and Ellie Archer.

Out for the count and ready to go. Photo by Kiff and Ellie Archer.

One last check up. Photo by Kiff and Ellie Archer.

13

If you have a nature

question, email or

write to Al at:

yncnaturewild@hotmail.com

1620 Mount Seymour Road

North Vancouver, BC V7G 2R9

Jelly Tops, Lemon Drops and Witches’ Butter!

The orange blobs (in the photo) are a type of jelly fungus and, according to expert advice, they are probably jelly top, a species often seen in late winter. There are other jellies – some are yellow, orange, or even purple. They remind me of jujubes. One is even called witches’ butter. Look for them growing on woody debris like twigs and logs. All jellies are fungi just like mushrooms, but they don’t have the familiar cap – they just look like gum drops, jujubes and lemon drops (but Al says DON’T EAT THEM - they might be POISONOUS).

Hummingbirds are well-known for a ‘sweet tooth’ (except of course, they don’t have any teeth!) Nectar (sugar/water mixture) whether fromaflowerorafeederprovides‘hummers’with energy. But they also need insects for protein. I once saw a Rufous Hummingbird pickingfliescaughtinaspider’sweb.Theyalsouse spider silk in nest construction.

Tryplantinghummingbird friendlyflowers inyour garden or in a hanging basket. Fuchsias, bee balm, scarlet sage and columbines are all good choices for nectar (and insects too!).

Photo by Jude Grass - Hummer at feeder. The nectar solution is four parts water and one part white table sugar, boiled together. NO honey! NO food colouring.

How can you tell the ocean is friendly?

-It waves.

What kind of shorts do clouds wear?-Thunderwear!

What did one volcano say to the other volcano?

-I lava you!What’s a rabbit’s favourite dance style?

-Hip-Hop.

I found these orange blobs growing on an old rotting log. What are they?

Do hummingbirds feed on anything besides nectar?

NatureWILD

14

Have a Nature Question?

ASK ALAl Grass has worked as a career park naturalist and ranger throughout BC. Now he is a well-known nature tour leader and photographer. Al especially

likes birds, insects and spiders.

Silhouettes1-QUAIL2-SWAN3-SWALLOW4-OWL5-GOOSE6-SPARROW

7-DUCK8-HUMMINGBIRD9-WOODPECKER10-CROW11-PHEASANT12-HAWK13-HERON

YNC North Okanagan. Sarah Liscombe receives her Gold Level Action Award from Aaron Deans, new YNC leader.

YNC Nicomekl went camping in Manning Provincial Park.

YNC Nelson made owl boxes.

YNC Cowichan Valley investigates a low tide.

YNC Lower Mainland and Home Learners learn to become entomologists by visiting a honey bee centre.

YNC Kamloops exploring the Tranquille River.

Andrew Mitchell, 14 years, YNC North Vancouver Island, receiving his Gold Level Action Award from leader Jackie Hildering.

Notable among Andrew’s achievements were: 30 hours assisting Jackie in humpback whale research;participating in the Robson Bight Clean-up; recording activities through prize-winning photographs (as a result of which he was invited on a Tide Rip tours Grizzly Bear trip): putting in a total of 60 hours of volunteer effort at the Whale Interpretive Centre, including making cards from his photographs to raise funds for the Centre. Photo by David Mitchell.

NEWSNatureWILDWhat

Makes a Lake

Turn Over?

15

Next issue...

Seagulls love to eat mussels! A gull will grabamussel,flyhighin the air, and drop the mussel mid-flightontorockson the shore, cracking open the shell to get at the meat inside. Find the way through this maze andhelpthisgullfindsome mussels.

Mussel-Maze

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