The
club supports and participates in a number of special projects
Monitoring Western Grebe nesting in
Salmon Arm Bay
For
many years club members have monitored and
recorded nesting data from several places in the
bay. The
shrinkage of wetlands throughout the province demands that the club
remains very vigilant in protecting this habitat. More information
on the Western Grebe.
SABNES and SNC Wildlife Brochure The
Salmon Arm Bay Nature Enhancement Society and The Shuswap Naturalist
Club have created a brochure promoting appreciation and protection
of wildlife in Salmon Arm Bay.
Academic
award
In
2006 the club established a financial award for a university student
studying in
the area of environmental sciences and planning to pursue a career in
environmental conservation and protection. The Shuswap
Naturalist
Club Award is now available to students at Thompson Rivers
University entering the third year of the Bachelor of Natural
Resource Science program. Priority is given to
students from the Shuswap area. See information on the latest award
recipient.
Invasive species - Woody Nightshade Eradication The
club, in cooperation with CSISS, organizes an annual weed pull along the foreshore trail to help contain,
and hopefully eradicate, this vine which does serious damage to the
marsh vegetation. Photos from a recent weed pull
Nest boxes on the foreshore Over 100 nest boxes have been mounted on posts at the Nature Reserve
and Peter Jannink Park. They are monitored and maintained by club
members.
Mara Meadows
Ecological Reserve
This closed reserve
was established in 1972 and was set aside because of the
rare Liparis loeselii, or Yellow, wide-lipped orchid,
which is found here. A reserve is closed to the public if it is preserving a
unique, rare or outstanding botanical, zoological or geological feature that could
be damaged or destroyed by casual use.
Jeremy Ayotte, the Reserve Warden at Mara
Meadows, monitors water depth and
quality and takes
inventory of the plant species, with special attention directed at the
orchids. He also records nesting bird species, beaver
activity and amphibian and reptile populations.
Mount Griffin Ecological Reserve Annual Christmas Bird Count Save Shuswap Songbirds
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