Meet us in the grassland theatre for a FREE short nature talk! Our ABNC interpreters will use natural materials and props to teach you more about our local plants and animals, and give you an up close look.
A new theme every week!There is no need to pre-register, simply find a seat on one of our benches at 11:30am, or bring your own lawn chair. Nature Talks are free, but a donation is appreciated.
Sunscreen and hats are recommended for your visit.
***Please note, ABNC programming will be cancelled should the temperatures exceed 35C, for the safety of all patrons and staff.
Check out Roseanne Van Ee’s recent nature column in the Vernon MorningStar! Learn about different uses of some of our local plants and how to make an Saskatoon Pie!
https://abnc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230504_082551.heic00John Bauerhttps://abnc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ABNClogo_white-transparent-300x125.pngJohn Bauer2023-05-17 11:23:382023-05-17 11:23:41Blossoms and Berries — Uses of wild Sunflowers and Saskatoon berries.
Join us from 6-8pm on May 17 to learn all about Permaculture from Lekker Land Design and how it applies to your gardening techniques!
Permaculture can be understood as the growth of agricultural ecosystems in a self-sufficient and sustainable way. This form of agriculture draws inspiration from nature to develop synergetic farming systems based on crop diversity, resilience, natural productivity, and sustainability.
Permaculture (the word is a portmanteau of permanent agriculture and permanent culture) is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems.
Location: Allen Brooks Nature Centre – Picnic Shelter
Time: 6-8pm
Cost: $30 per person. Pre-registration is required.
BC Community Bat Program’sOkanagan Coordinator asking for help with bats.
With bats waking from hibernation and many returning to the area from long migrations, Paula Rodriguez de la Vega provided ABNC with some great information on helping these little eco champions. Here are some things we can do as we head into spring.
If you find a dead bat, please hold on to it if possible. We would like to collect dead bats for testing. If possible, double bag the dead bat in a Ziploc bag and put it in the freezer. We will be in contact with you to collect it.
If you have been bitten or scratched by a bat, please call your physician or public health office.
If your pet has been in contact with a bat, please call your veterinarian.
If you found a bat roosting outside, please leave it alone. It might be slowly waking up from hibernation.
If you want information about bat boxes, please see our website: https://www.bcbats.ca/index.php/bat-houses. The Okanagan Community Bat Program sells 4-chamber bat boxes for $150 each, with all proceeds going to bat conservation.
Help us detect white-nose syndrome in B.C. Please report dead bats and unusual bat activity in winter. Call our toll free line: 1.855.922.2287, ext.13. For more information see www.bcbats.ca.
https://abnc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Bats-in-bat-box-_-SCWP-scaled.jpg12001600John Bauerhttps://abnc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ABNClogo_white-transparent-300x125.pngJohn Bauer2023-03-22 11:43:542023-03-22 12:37:16Spring up to help local bats
Sleeping bat – a healthy Myotis bat found hibernating in a woodpile – reporting sleeping bats helps researchers learn what is normal. Photo: C Buick
OKANAGAN AREA, BC – B.C.’s bats, including the well-known Little Brown Bat, are threatened by a fungal disease headed towards the province from Alberta and Washington State. The Okanagan Community Bat Program, in collaboration with the Province of BC, is asking the public for help in the effort to detect and prevent the spread of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS). Residents are urged to report any bat activity observed in winter and any sick or dead bats found before May 31st.
What is White Nose Syndrome?
White-Nose Syndrome is a fungal disease that is harmless to humans and pets, but has devastated North American bat populations. The fungus attacks bats while they are hibernating, growing on their faces to give an appearance of a white nose. Bats often wake to clean the fungus from their skin. This uses valuable energy, and finally the bats die from starvation. Across North America, millions of bats have been killed, and two BC species are now listed as Endangered due to the disease.
First detected in New York State in 2006, the disease continues to spread, with detections on the west coast close to Seattle and in south-central Alberta. Biologists say the arrival of WNS in BC is imminent. Increasing the number of reports from the public is the best chance to understand how WNS might spread and affect local bat populations. Though there is not yet a proven cure for WNS, several promising treatment options are being developed, and it may be possible to mitigate the effects of this wildlife health crisis.
If you find a dead bat or have sightings of winter bat activity, please report to the B.C. Community Bat Program online at www.bcbats.ca , via email at [email protected] or by calling 1-855-922-2287 ext.13. All live bats should be left alone — keep your distance, snap a photo and report it to the B.C. Community Bat Program. If you must move a bat, visit www.bcbats.ca for advice and never touch a bat with your bare hands. Please note that if you or your pet has been in direct contact with the bat you will need further information regarding the risk of rabies to you and your pet. Please contact the BC Community Bat Program for more information.
Bats – OUR Buddies
The bats of BC are key predators of many night-flying insects. They are essential parts of BC’s ecosystems and provide billions of dollars of economic benefit by helping control agricultural, forest, and urban pests. In partnership with the BC Ministry of Environment, the BC Community Bat Program provides information and promotes local stewardship and citizen science.
Okanagan Resources
The BC Community Bat Program Okanagan Region extends its gratitude to partners involved in bat conservation including the Bat Education and Environmental Protection Society (Peachland), Environmental Education Centre Okanagan (Kelowna), Allan Brooks Nature Centre (Vernon), Osoyoos Desert Society (Osoyoos), BC Parks (Penticton), Grist Mill (Keremeos), The Nature Trust (Twin Lakes), Granby Wilderness Society (Grand Forks) and several Okanagan naturalist and outdoor clubs The program runs thanks to funding from the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Forest Enhancement Society of BC, and the Habitat Stewardship Program. You can find out more about the BC Community Bat Program and options for helping local bat populations at www.bcbats.ca, [email protected], or 1-855-922-2287 ext.13.
https://abnc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ABNClogo_white-transparent-300x125.png00John Bauerhttps://abnc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ABNClogo_white-transparent-300x125.pngJohn Bauer2023-02-14 09:42:122023-02-14 09:42:18Disease threatens BC’s Bats – Need your help
ABNC still has the Bat Exhibit until Oct 29. If you haven’t seen it, come up and check it out.
Photo: Long-eared Myotis in Burdock. M-Anion
Trick or … a weed pull? Bat-friendly landscaping can help bats at Halloween
As Halloween approaches, images of scary bats become commonplace. This is the perfect time of year to counter bat myths and do something to help bats, by taking part in International Bat Week (October 24-31). Bat Week is all about appreciating these amazing animals and their benefits, including eating insects, pollinating flowers, and spreading seeds and nutrients. Maybe try landscaping that helps bats at Halloween.
This BatWeek, consider bat-friendly gardening to help bats! Planting native trees, shrubs, or flowers in your yard, as well as light-coloured and night-blooming flowers, will support the insects that our BC bats like to eat. Controlling invasive plant species also helps insects and bats thrive, so consider a weed-pull in your yard, laneway, or local park or wetland. You can find more information on bat-friendly gardening through the Community Bat Program’s Bat-friendly Communities Guide at www.bcbats.ca or contact [email protected].
Why BatWeek? “Bats in BC help control agricultural and forest pests, as well as mosquitoes in our yards – but now bats need our help” says Mandy Kellner, Coordinator for the BC Community Bat Program. “Providing safe and healthy habitat for bats has always been important, since over half the species in this province are considered at risk. With the continuing spread of White-nose Syndrome in Washington State, bat conservation is more important than ever as we expect to see impacts in BC in the near future. ”
BatWeek also marks the time of year when bats disappear from our neighbourhoods, until the return of warmer weather in spring. As insect-eaters, our BC bats must leave their summer roost sites and migrate or hibernate to survive the winter. This absence means that this is the time of year to do home renovations that you have delayed due to bat presence. You can clean out and repair a bat box, or do bat-friendly exclusion work, without disturbing or injuring bats.
If you do see a bat in winter, please report it. Monitoring for white-nose syndrome in BC will continue this winter, with Community Bat Programs requesting reports of dead bats or sightings of winter bat activity.
In partnership with the BC Ministry of Environment, and funded by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Forest Enhancement Society of BC, Habitat Stewardship Program, and local funders, the BC Community Bat Program provides information and promotes local stewardship and citizen science. You can report winter bat sightings, find out more about the BC Community Bat Program, BatWeek activities, and options for helping local bat populations, at www.bcbats.ca, [email protected], or 1-855-922-2287.
Photos:
Long-eared Myotis in Burdock – Removing invasive plants such as burdock allows native plants to thrive and reduces hazards for bats. Photo: M Anion
Bats in a bat box: Bat boxes can provide a secure roost site for bats if properly installed and maintained. Photo: Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project
Bats in a box_SCWP
https://abnc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ABNClogo_white-transparent-300x125.png00John Bauerhttps://abnc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ABNClogo_white-transparent-300x125.pngJohn Bauer2022-10-26 22:14:252022-10-26 22:14:33Bat Week at ABNC ends Oct 29th
Join us at Allan Brooks Nature Centre for a one hour class on “Bat Basics” with our lead nature interpreter, Alexis Olynyk. Learn more about what makes these nocturnal mammals so fascinating and important! You will also have access to our limited time exhibit “Bats: Out of the Darkness.”
As this is a seated (lecture style) presentation, we recommend participants be 12+ years of age.
Please check in at the front desk of the interpretive centre when you arrive.
https://abnc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Bat-Basics.png10801080Chelsea Hubbardhttps://abnc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ABNClogo_white-transparent-300x125.pngChelsea Hubbard2022-09-09 11:50:542022-10-11 10:33:24Bat Basics Class
Meet us in the grassland theatre for a short nature talk! Our ABNC interpreters will use some of our natural materials and props to teach you more about our local plants and animals and give you an up close look. A new theme every week!There is no need to pre-register, simply check-in at the Interpretive Centre upon arrival and find a seat on one of our benches, or bring your own lawn chair. Nature Talks are free, but a donation is appreciated.
***Please note, ABNC programming will be cancelled should the temperatures exceed 35C, for the safety of all patrons and staff.
https://abnc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Nature-Talk.jpg10801080Chantellehttps://abnc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ABNClogo_white-transparent-300x125.pngChantelle2022-08-10 09:56:202022-08-10 09:58:03Nature Talk – Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes with Pete Wise
Meet us in the grassland theatre for a short nature talk! Our ABNC interpreters will use some of our natural materials and props to teach you more about our local plants and animals and give you an up close look. A new theme every week!There is no need to pre-register, simply check-in at the Interpretive Centre upon arrival and find a seat on one of our benches, or bring your own lawn chair. Nature Talks are free, but a donation is appreciated.
***Please note, ABNC programming will be cancelled should the temperatures exceed 35C, for the safety of all patrons and staff.
Join us at ABNC for a fascinating talk about the connection between cats and birds in your community!
Tonight’s presenter, Anna, will discuss the current state of birds in Canada and the top 3 threats to bird populations. She will also provide science-based resources and advice on what people can do to support birds in their community. The presentation will address climate change, bird-window collisions and bird predation by roaming cats. This topic will be of interest to cat owners and non-cat owners alike!
Anna Skurikhina is a biologist and a nature enthusiast currently residing in Kelowna, BC. Anna works as a Cats and Birds Project Coordinator with the non-profit Stewardship Centre for BC. The Stewardship Centre leads the Cats and Birds project to improve cat welfare and protect birds from the impact of roaming cats. As part of the project’s advisory committee, Anna works with animal welfare groups, conservation organizations, academia and governments to help address the issue of roaming cats and bird decline in BC.
This event will be held in the classroom at ABNC.
Admission is by donation and pre-registration is required!
https://abnc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/CATS-BIRDS-GUEST-TALK.png10801080Chelsea Hubbardhttps://abnc.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ABNClogo_white-transparent-300x125.pngChelsea Hubbard2022-07-20 09:21:402022-08-22 13:12:58Cats and Birds in Your Community
Meet us in the grassland theatre for a FREE short nature talk! Our ABNC interpreters will use natural materials and props to teach you more about our local plants and animals, and give you an up close look.
A new theme every week!There is no need to pre-register, simply find a seat on one of our benches at 11:30am, or bring your own lawn chair. Nature Talks are free, but a donation is appreciated.
Sunscreen and hats are recommended for your visit.
***Please note, ABNC programming will be cancelled should the temperatures exceed 35C, for the safety of all patrons and staff.
Meet us in the grassland theatre for a FREE short nature talk! Our ABNC interpreters will use natural materials and props to teach you more about our local plants and animals, and give you an up close look.
A new theme every week!There is no need to pre-register, simply find a seat on one of our benches at 11:30am, or bring your own lawn chair. Nature Talks are free, but a donation is appreciated.
Sunscreen and hats are recommended for your visit.
***Please note, ABNC programming will be cancelled should the temperatures exceed 35C, for the safety of all patrons and staff.
Meet us in the grassland theatre for a FREE short nature talk! Our ABNC interpreters will use natural materials and props to teach you more about our local plants and animals, and give you an up close look.
A new theme every week!There is no need to pre-register, simply find a seat on one of our benches at 11:30am, or bring your own lawn chair. Nature Talks are free, but a donation is appreciated.
Sunscreen and hats are recommended for your visit.
***Please note, ABNC programming will be cancelled should the temperatures exceed 35C, for the safety of all patrons and staff.
