Upcoming Events
Click on an event below for more details
Click on an event below for more details
Join us early in the morning to hear the delightful melodies of our local birds, in beautiful Xwaaqw’um, Burgoyne provincial Park, where we birders walk, listen and learn.
Join us early in the morning to hear the delightful melodies of our local birds, in beautiful Xwaaqw’um, Burgoyne provincial Park, where we birders walk, listen and learn.
Join us early in the morning to hear the delightful melodies of our local birds, in beautiful Xwaaqw’um, Burgoyne provincial Park, where we birders walk, listen and learn.
David Denning is a marine naturalist and retired educational filmmaker who has lived on Salt Spring for 30 years. This is a prelude to our May-June Nature Extravaganza focused on the local marine Environments. The field trip is limited to 16 people and registration is required
The Sonoran Desert is one of four deserts in the American Southwest. Dave Manning, Pender resident and long-time photographer, nature writer and best-selling author of The Old Man and the Vultures, invites you to saunter along with him as he gets close up to cougars, skunks, rattlesnakes and other inhabitants in this wild landscape.
This presentation will provide an overview of herring biology, their importance in the food web, the wonders of the Salish Sea spawning population, and our historical relationship with herring.
In January of 2008, Salt Spring couple, David Denning and Deborah Miller received an invitation to join six 'friends of a friend' on a 16-day rafting expedition down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.
A fun nature exploration at Ruckle Park open to all NSS members, especially encouraging families.
One of the key goals of Nature Salt Spring is to establish a Nature House on the Island. Can you imagine an Island Nature House where we can gather regularly to study and appreciate natural history?
Nature Salt Spring will have a table at the Film Festival, and we’re hoping to see you there. Memberships will be available, and we’ll provide a look at our upcoming events
Come and celebrate Family Day weekend with a NatureKids family outing! We'll walk amongst huge Cedar, Maple, Alder, Fir and Hemlock trees and learn a bit about each kind. We'll observe the creek and imagine being an adult salmon, swimming upstream to spawn, or a salmon fry hatching in these rushing waters. We'll listen and watch for birds and other critters, and explore this newly-expanded Nature Reserve.
Although the night sky can often seem confusing, this fun approach to natural history using your hands as measuring ‘tools’ is guaranteed to make it a little easier to explore the night sky. The first portion of this ‘Talk and Walk’ is a ZOOM presentation/discussion where we introduce basic night sky objects and the simple techniques of ‘Hands On’ star watching.
Young birders – here’s a chance for you to participate in North America’s longest running Citizen Science project! Xwaaqw’um has shorebirds, wetland birds, and birds of the forest and open areas. Hawks and raptors will be found! We’ll be counting birds of all the species we can identify, tabulating the results and submitting our list to BirdsCanada.
Salt Spring’s Christmas Bird Count - part of the world’s largest citizen science research project. Join us as we identify and count birds in eleven different zines on the Island. Beginners can join up with seasoned bird-watchers. Loads of fun and invaluable data useful to understand how bird populations on the Island might be changing. Get more information at the John Neville Presentation on Novermber 16 - 7pm at the Lions Hall.
Join us for a fun evening to renew friendships, talk nature, and to discuss the up-coming Christmas Bird Count – with appetizers and liquid refreshments in hand! This is a special Fall Social Event for Nature Salt Spring Members and any others who plan to participate in this year’s Audubon Christmas Bird Count (on December 17).
Birding in the winter? It’s the best! Join us at Xwaaqwu’um, (Burgoyne Provincial Park) on the afternoon of Dec. 3, to see water birds down in the Bay and hawks up in the meadows. Of course, many of our regular species will be out too, even possibly, the spectacular Red-headed Sapsucker. If birding is new to you and your family, so much the better!
The NSS Display runs in the Library all December. Check it out and try the Display Quiz to enter a book prize draw.
It's a perfect time to learn more about the birds we will see this winter! Back by popular demand on November 16 is another great presentation by Salt Spring’s amazing professional bird recordist and birding authority, John Neville. The event is free and is open to everyone in the community (donations to cover costs welcome).
If conditions allow, we will hold a “Fall 2023 Hands-On Star Watch Event” with both a ZOOM preliminary session and a (hopefully) clear-night “hands-on” night star watching on Channel Ridge in Mid October.
This all day field trip, Thursday October 5th, will begin with taking the 7:50 am ferry from Fulford Harbour. We then drive to Pedder Bay, where we will enjoy a special ‘hands-on’ tour of bird-banding activities at one of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory banding stations.
On Friday September 29, Pender Island Naturalist, Dave Manning will present the Secret Lives of North American Vultures, at the Lions Hall, starting at 7:00 pm.
This richly-illustrated presentation includes spectacular bird photography and fascinating insights resulting from years of careful observation of these enigmatic scavengers.
Nature Salt Spring is once again presenting our “June Nature Extravaganza” to explore and share the amazing biodiversity and natural history of Salt Spring Island and surrounding seas. This year’s theme is certainly unique – we will focus on the Small Worlds of Salt Spring Nature.
This rocky-beach seashore walk, led by David Denning and Pat Miller, will feature some amazing intertidal natural history observable only at the lowest tides this time of year. Bring clothing suitable to the weather and wear footwear suitable to a mix of rocky and muddy shore walking. For NSS Members only
Families will want to join this hands-on, fun NatureKids BC co-sponsored Exploration of a Rocky Seashore led by our nature education team including David Denning, Kathleen Maser, and Pat Miller. Open to families with children.
Join us early in the morning to hear the delightful melodies of our local birds, in beautiful Xwaaqw’um, Burgoyne provincial Park, where we birders walk, listen and learn. Enjoy the most magical sound of the season, the sunrise chorus - a captivating, perfectly tuned concert.
Join us early in the morning to hear the delightful melodies of our local birds, in beautiful Xwaaqw’um, Burgoyne provincial Park, where we birders walk, listen and learn. Enjoy the most magical sound of the season, the sunrise chorus - a captivating, perfectly tuned concert.
A day with the ancestors, walking amongst the trees of the Garry oak ecosystem, stopping to marvel and learn about the extraordinary variety of flowers of this special and rare habitat.
A day with the ancestors, walking amongst the trees of the Garry oak ecosystem, stopping to marvel and learn about the extraordinary variety of flowers of this special and rare habitat.
Biologist Susan Hannon will be our leader for this event. Join us to see the Garry Oak meadows and beautiful spring-time wildflowers, and learn more about the conservation projects being done in this area.
Join us early in the morning to hear the delightful melodies of our local birds, in beautiful Xwaaqw’um, Burgoyne provincial Park, where we birders walk, listen and learn. Enjoy the most magical sound of the season, the sunrise chorus - a captivating, perfectly tuned concert.
