The yellow blooms that pepper rocky outcrops and disturbed slopes each spring signal the advent of the Galiano Conservancy’s annual Scotch broom removal campaign. As has become tradition, interns and the summer students, led by the fearless Jenna Falk, hike up the face of Mount Sutil every year armed with loppers and harnesses, ready to […]
Continue readingCategory Archives: Species at Risk
Help Bats for Halloween
As Halloween approaches Images of scary, blood-sucking bats become common place in fall. This is the perfect time of year to join with the BC Community Bat Program, and the Little Brown Myotis Bat Project on Galiano Island to counter these bat myths and do something to help bats. “The conservation of bats in BC […]
Continue reading
Annual Bat Count on Galiano Island
Volunteers for BC Bat Counts The Galiano Conservancy Association is seeking volunteers and bat colonies for the Annual Bat Count. This citizen-science initiative encourages residents to count bats at local roost sites. “Bat counts are a wonderful way for residents to get involved in collecting important scientific information” says biologist Mandy Kellner, coordinator of the […]
Continue reading
Spring brings increasing interest in bat health and public reports of bats
Fortunately for the bats of BC, it has been a quiet winter. The Little Brown Myotis Conservation Project on Galiano Island, in collaboration with the Province of BC, is on the lookout for signs of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS). WNS is a fungal disease harmless to humans but responsible for the deaths of millions of insect-eating […]
Continue reading
Community Dialogue: What do you value in the Salish Sea?
Are you concerned about the state of the Salish Sea ecosystems and species at risk? Have you heard about the proposed National Marine Conservation Area for the Southern Strait of Georgia? Do you have questions or input that you would like to discuss in regards to protecting the Salish Sea? Come join us for a […]
Continue reading
Public help needed to monitor spread of deadly bat disease
WANTED: Reports of dead bats and of bats flying during winter This article is being shared on behalf of our friends at Habitat Acquisition Trust in Victoria. White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease responsible for the death of millions of bats in eastern North America, has moved to the west coast and was confirmed […]
Continue reading
Respect Your Elders: Plunging Into The Rockfish Project
Endangered rockfish are making waves around the Southern Gulf Islands through the hard work of local scientists and conservation groups.
Continue reading
Coastal Ecosystems at Risk
The Salish Sea is particularly rich in biodiversity, due to a combination of shelter from extreme storms and strong natural upwelling. The coastal ecosystems of this region support a large number of species, many of which are now at risk due to encroaching urban development, high marine traffic, and exploitation. Galiano Island sits in the […]
Continue readingMeconella Update
Following our early spring 2014 sighting of a single white meconella, or Meconella oregana, plant having potentially grown from the seeds we planted last year, we sprung into action and moved ahead to try a second year at reintroducing the species to Mt. Sutil’s mossy sun-soaked cliffs. We subsequently went up in mid-May and early […]
Continue reading
The Coastal Douglas-fir Zone
The Coastal Douglas-fir zone (map) is not only small, it is also the area of highest development in British Columbia, with nearly half its area considered permanently altered by urban development. This precious bioregion is so unique because of its geology, geography and hydrology —all of which affect its biology. One of the defining features […]
Continue reading