Past Events

Field portion: On this nature walk, Darren and Claudia Copley, will address questions about who, or what, is feeding all those birds.

Lab portion: A final opportunity to explore revealing images of small world and micro-life biodiversity on Salt Spring Island.

Field portion: Retired Royal BC Museum biologists, Claudia and Darren Copley will lead us on a revealing natural history walk through meadows and forests of the SSIC Blackburn Lake Nature Reserve.

Lab portion: The lab portion of this session will be an opportunity to explore and share some close-up views of the collections from the field.

On Saturday, May 23 at 5 pm, don’t miss our (free) informal Social/Happy Hour Potluck Gathering at Blackburn Lake. Please bring along a ‘finger-food’ appetizer. No-host bar available. 
Limit 45

The edge of Blackburn Lake is rich with critters of all sorts – an amazing place to encounter pond life and enthrall participants with its biodiversity. Armed with buckets, nets, turkey basters and collecting jars we will first approach the wetland cautiously, seeking to discover who will be there sunning themselves? A turtle? A garter snake? A red-winged blackbird?

Field portion: Marine naturalist, David Denning, will lead this field walk to ponds near Blackburn Lake where we will explore their living inhabitants

Lab portion: We’ll use fresh-water aquaria to hold and observe our ‘catch’ with a few species planned for detailed observations on the SEM and light microscopes.

Part A: We’ll explore the diversity and structure of plants with retired biologist Pat Miller and teacher/naturalist, Jean Wilkinson.

Part B: We’ll search for the very small and very elusive water bear, or tardigrade with David Denning.

Lab Portion: We’ll use high magnification to discover remarkable structures in the plants we have collected.

We will meet in Ganges, and spend about an hour examining life on the docks, collecting a plankton sample, and possibly a light trap collection – before returning to our ‘lab’ at Blackburn Lake. There, we will  examine our collections and use the SEM to reveal otherwise unseen details.

You will learn and practice the basic techniques of bird watching including how to get the most from binoculars or spotting scopes; the use of bird apps such as Merlin and eBird; techniques for locating birds and finding good habitat; and more.

Elaine will introduce the world of small-life biodiversity that can be investigated with microscopes including the a portable SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) This is a unique opportunity for Salt Spring Islanders to explore our biodiversity with some essential tools of biological research.

This presentation will explore the amazing lives of a few of our local marine animals, – looking not so much at their adult lives along the shore, but rather, the early period in their lives when they develop.

Don’t BE a crab - FIND A CRAB! 

Here is a great opportunity to contribute to a fascinating scientific research project to: a) learn more about Dungeness Crabs in Ganges Harbour; and b) help document how crabs are surviving in a climate-changing world.

Member-Only Spring Mushroom Walk with Vail Paterson. Vail Paterson is a highly-popular Salt Spring naturalist with a contagious enthusiasm for all things related to mushrooms/fungi.

All members of Nature Salt Spring are invited to join our Monday Morning Birding Sessions. This is a wonderful way to start the week - out in nature (in reasonable weather)  and enjoying the amazing sights and sounds of nature, quietlly with friendly and enthusiastic people.

Vail Paterson, our local fungi expert and and enthusiast, has been enticed by the sounds, sights and smells of spring!  Last fall, Vail enchanted children with names such as Orange Jellies, Lobsters, Oysters and Fairy Parachutes. Now he is back to lead us towards the wonders of spring mushrooms.

In this presentation, Dr. Ruth Waldick will speak on the lessons she and her co-workers have learned at the Climate Adaptation Research Lab (C.A.R.L.) Project in the Maxwell Creek watershed.

In this presentation, Briony Penn will report on progress made in acquiring the Legal Opinion as well as present the next steps involved in the legal, political and citizen action for a Southern Gulf Island herring fishery moratorium.

Salt Spring's Annual Christmas Bird Count

Party/Social for Members and 
Christmas Bird Count Participants

Calling All Young Engineers!

What is the big deal about water? Where is the water coming from? Where does it go? Is water important? How does nature handle too much water? Do plants play a role?

Join us on Friday, November 21, for a plunge into the Salish Sea to explore for  marine life  along our shores.

Members of Nature Salt Spring are invited to join the friendly group of birding enthusiasts as we start our autumn birding sessions on Monday mornings.

Join us for one of the most amazing regional natural history events of the year! It’s Raptor migration time on Southern Vancouver Island in the Metchosin/ East Sooke area. Vultures and other raptors will be gathering in the hundreds and even  thousands in preparation for their dangerous crossing of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. 

Family Birding is a great way to explore the wonderful sounds and colours in nature as the seasons progress. Observing together, children and parents can discover bird species and observe their calls and behaviours.

Join forest ecologist, Jeff Shatford, for a 2-hour guided forest walk exploring the four ages of a tree.

Join Salt Spring’s expert ecologist and conservation biologist, Dr. Susan Hannon,on an informative and rewarding nature walk up to the summit on Reginald Hill. 

The exhibit is a tribute to Bateman – his enchantment with nature and his dedication to sharing his insights into the wonders of nature through art, writing and teaching.

Nature Salt Spring is hoping to partner with the incredible Hakai Institute’s Sentinels of Change Project to help them study the dispersal of Dungeness crabs around BC and in particular around Salt Spring Island.

Nature Salt Spring’s Community Science Bat Program

restarts this April with Community Bat Ambassador Training!

Join us on April 13th at Duck Creek Park to explore this exciting stream. It’s spectacular right now with all the rain we’ve been having!