The public is invited to come and learn about the BC Important Bird Area program next week when naturalists from all over the province converge in Williams Lake for the annual BC Nature’s Spring Conference and annual meeting.
Krista Englund, the important bird area program co-ordinator, and naturalist/writer Anne Murray will give a presentation about the program which will highlight the nearby Chilcotin Junction Important Bird Area. Their presentation happens Wednesday, May 11 from 7 to 8:45 p.m. in the TRU gymnasium on Western Avenue.
“The Chilcotin Junction Important Bird Area is one of about 15 sites in B.C.’s interior and it supports a fascinating assemblage of species, many of which are at the northern tip of their range,” says Jenny Noble, co-ordinator for the Scout Island Nature Centre.
“Join us to learn about this global initiative that aims to identify, monitor, and protect a global network of sites for the conservation of the world’s birds and biodiversity.” She says Canada is home to nearly 600 important bird area sites with 84 in British Columbia (www.ibacanada.ca).
Most of B.C.’s sites encompass offshore islands, coastal habitats, freshwater wetlands and grasslands that provide habitat for threatened species and/or congregations of migratory species (primarily waterfowl, shorebirds, and seabirds).
For more information, contact Krista Englund at kenglund@alumni.sfu.ca or 604-468-8658.