PGNC News & Notes 2025-10-24

Club News and Events

PGNC Memberships: New and Renewals

Thank you to everyone who is joining the PGNC or renewing memberships for 2025. Your membership supports the Prince George Naturalists Club and BC Nature, our parent organization, in all their good work.

E-Transfer is available by sending to PrinceGeorgeNaturalistsClub@gmail.com and it goes directly into the Club’s bank account. No secret word is needed. Payments by cheque can be mailed to Prince George Naturalists Club, PO Box 1092, Prince George BC V2L 4V2.

Memberships run from January 1 to December 31. Cost is $25 per calendar year for individuals, $40 for a family, and $15 for students. Benefits of membership: Subscription to the online version of BC Nature magazine, liability insurance coverage for Club work parties and field trips, and access to popular events limited to Club members only. Add $5 if you wish to receive a printed version of the BC Nature magazine in the mail.

“To be a naturalist is to be joyful, inquisitive, and at home in the world. To be home is to treat every life form as a family member”: Marina Richie.

PGNC Next Executive Meeting

Over the summer, the Executive meetings are held at a time and location that suits all participants. From September to June executive meetings are scheduled for the second Wednesday of the month. All members are welcome to attend the meetings. If you wish to attend, send an email to the Club to obtain meeting details.

Jane Goodall Institute Canada, Remembering Dr. Jane Goodall, November 22, 2 p.m. ET

Report: PGNC Key Biodiversity Areas Presentation, October 16

Twelve people attended the presentation on October 16th. Zachary Moore from Wildlife Conservation Society (Canada) spoke about KBAs in Canada and their significance of guiding conservation and protection of areas. 

“Key Biodiversity Areas are geographical regions recognized for their significant contribution to the global persistence of biodiversity. These areas are essential for the survival of various species and ecosystems, making them a focal point for conservation efforts. KBAs can be found in diverse environments, including terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.” (source: kbacanada.org)

Zachary is keen on hearing from club members about areas that they think may qualify as a KBA. They are encouraged to reach out to him with any information they may have: zmoore@wcs.org. Huge thank you to Zachary for traveling from Ontario to give the presentation and join us on the swan count.

Report: Fraser Lake Trumpeter Swan Count, October 19

The swan count on October 19th had 14 participants, including Liam and Aiva from BC Nature, and locals that guided us to spots around Fraser Lake that are known to have Trumpeter swans. It was a crisp, windy day with beautiful fall colours painting the landscape and snow at higher elevations.

Here is what Liam said about the count:

“All in, we had a total of 69 Trumpeter Swans, 1 of the 49 species we picked up as a group. For the full list, see the eBird Trip Report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/425276. Although short of the national KBA threshold of 230, our efforts here proved what’s possible, and it’s my hope that through the connections we made we can go on to better understand swan numbers in Fraser Lake, François Lake, Vanderhoof and beyond. I’m very hopeful that through ongoing discussions with locals like Wayne and Tom we’ll soon be able to say for certain just how important this corridor is to migrating swans. Stay tuned, because we have lots more to say!”

Thank you to Liam and Aiva from BC Nature for hosting and organizing the swan count!

For more information on KBAs visit https://kbacanada.org/.

Financial donations help make research projects like the Fraser Lake swan count happen, as well as provide grants for conservation and education to naturalists and local clubs throughout the province. Please consider donating to BC Nature – https://bcnature.org/donate/ to support these efforts.

PGNC Caribou Viewing, Saturday November 1, 8:30 a.m.

Join us this year for a caribou viewing adventure on November 1! We will have a researcher, Lauren, with us explaining the project happening at the site and giving us some background information on caribou. This trip is open to members ONLY, on a first-come, first-served basis, and has an attendance cap, so registration is essential if you would like to attend. If you would like to come, but are not yet a member, you can find out how at https://pgnc.ca/membership-2/.

When registering, please indicate whether or not you can drive for carpooling. Let us know this at princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com. If so, we will have additional questions. Please note that this trip will be at least 6-8 hours in length, and we will be travelling northwest of PG (about 165km).

Please bring a snack if you need one and dress appropriately for the weather. The weather up there is super unpredictable, and we don’t expect anything less this year.

Lastly, be prepared to be educated and in awe of these majestic creatures..

UNBC NRESi Colloquium Schedule 2025

Birdwatching Backpacks at Prince George Public Library

Prince George Public Library, Bob Harkins Branch, has five birdwatching backpacks available for checkout. You need to copy and paste this link: https://tinyurl.com/mw4hvms8.

Volunteer at PGNC Events!

Volunteers are always welcome at PGNC events, and if anyone would like to get involved you can contact us through email at princegeorgenaturalistsclub@gmail.com, or on our social media pages.

About This Newsletter

We welcome contributions from members and supporters about matters of interest to naturalists. Feel free to send stories and links to the link below.

PO Box 1092, Prince George, BC V2L 4V2