Bowen Nature Club

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

A Visit to Bowen’s Wild Coast Nature Refuge Saturday 30 November 1–2:30 PM

The Wild Coast Nature Refuge on the south coast of Bowen Island was until recently

the Bowen Island Conservancy’s largest conservation land holding.

It protects rarecoastal bluff ecosystems and a variety of forest types ranging from dry coastal Douglas

fir forest, to damp mixed wood forest.

Join naturalist Will Husby and Operations Lead, Mark Edmonds, on Saturday November 30 from

1-2:30 pm for a walk along the refuge’s trails and viewpoints to observe first hand the many habitats

and some of the species protected here. Mark will have stories of the restoration work that is ongoing

and planned restoration and monitoring taking place.

Dress for the weather and wear sturdy footwear for walking on rough, sometimes

slippery trails.

Registration:

 All participants must be Bowen Nature Club Members. If you are not a member,

email us at bowennatureclub@gmail.com for a membership application form.

 This activity is limited to 12 people.

 Register by email at bowennatureclub@gmail.com

 Registration deadline is Friday 29 November at 5 pm.

 Registered participants will be given start location by email.

 Sorry, dogs are not allowed in the nature refuge.

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Mushroom Discovery Walk October 20

Join naturalist Sue Ellen Fast on Sunday October 20, from 1-3pm, and step gently into the magical fungi

kingdom to investigate fragrances, colours and invisible threads as we seek out these amazing life

forms. How many ways can fungi live in Bowen trees? Focus is on outdoor curiosity and

spore lore, not foraging.

Dress for walking off trail and for mushroom weather! Mushrooms love the rain.

Registration:

• All participants must be Bowen Nature Club Members. Email us at

bowennatureclub@gmail.com for a membership appication form.

• This activity is limited to 12 people.

• Registration deadline is Friday 18 October at 5 pm.

• Registered participants will be given start location by email.

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Hike Though Bowen’s Ecological Reserve

A Hike Though Bowen’s Ecological Reserve

Sunday 6 October 9:30 AM -1:00 PM

Join the Nature Club's Aaron Rabinowitz, for a bushwhack/hike through a mature second growth forest. This is an excellent opportunity to observe why this land has been set aside for
protection and scientific study.

Dress for the weather and bring water, snacks, lunch, and hiking boots. This outing includes steep terrain and bushwhacking so consider bringing hiking poles.

Registration:
• All hikers must be Bowen Nature Club Members, and can join by emailing bowennatureclub@gmail.com..
• This hike is limited to 12 people.
• Register by at least 2 days before event by emailing bowennatureclub@gmail.com. Registration deadline is Friday 4 October at 5 pm.
• Registered hikers will be given start and finish locations, plus information about car pooling by email.

Saturday, March 30, 2024

April 2024 Outing

Fern Moss and Lichen Discovery Walk April (Date/time TBA) Location TBA

Mosses are some of the world’s oldest land plants. A lichen is a confederacy of small plants and fungi whose history likely goes even further back in time. Join expert Claudia Schaefer on a walk to meet some of the common mosses and lichens and learn why so many kinds live on Bowen and how they make a living.

Bring a lunch and something to drink. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy walking shoes.

Leaders: DG Blair and Claudia Schaefer

Sunday, February 5, 2023

Bowen Nature Club Annual General Meeting

Are you getting the midwinter blues?

Are you hankering for the warm longer days and shorter nights of spring and summer?

Then the Bowen Nature Club has something for you.

We invite you to an evening of nature discovery via Zoom, Wednesday February 8, 7:00–8:30 PM.

The evening will feature a talk and slide show by Bowen naturalist and author, Louise Loik. Louise will take us through her voyage of discovery writing her very popular book about reptiles and amphibians, Beasts of Bowen. This fascinating, beautifully illustrated book went on sale in December 2022, and is already in its second printing.

In addition to Louise’s intriguing presentation, the Nature Club will feature the shortest and most interesting annual general meeting ever.

To register email us at bowennatureclub@gmail.com. We will send you an email invitation to our Zoom meeting.

Mushroom Photo Submissions

In our fall newsletter we asked Nature Club members to send in their fall mushroom photos. This fall was a challenging year for mushrooms. Most of BC was locked into an unusually warm dry autumn. In these conditions, there were fewer mushrooms to be found. However, Bowen naturalists are an intrepid lot. Here are some of the photos that we received.