Central Okanagan Naturalists' Club

Halfway through November already! The hikers are starting to think of snowshoeing but the hills need more snow. The birders are starting to think of Christmas Bird Counts; Kelowna’s is December 14. Speaking of upcoming events, the Executive has decided that we should be holding our annual potluck banquet in January and the AGM in February. This swap makes life easier for the treasurer and our financial reviewer. Thus, the annual potluck dinner will be held on January 14. Please…

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It’s the first day of fall and another climate change conference takes place this week. For some suggestions on helping the environment, consider these ideas.

Why we don’t throw out banana peels and apple cores on our outings It’s official. They decay slowly, very slowly. https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a29022600/banana-peels-decomposition-process/

It’s hot and dry in the Central Okanagan but CONC activities continue. The summer has seen successful trips to Clearwater (Midsummer Madness) and the Washington Cascades (a week of hiking) as well as the usual Wednesday hikes, Friday bicycle trips, and Thursday (and occasional Saturday) birding trips. Now we are announcing the return of the Monday birding walks. Check our birding page for details.

Well, we had our annual picnic so monthly meetings will resume in September. Hiking, bicycling, birding, and botany trips continue, despite the warm weather. At the picnic we gave awards to Gwynneth and Harvey. You can read the details of their awards in the Summer edition of the BC Nature magazine, arriving soon at a mailbox near you if it has not already done so.

A month since the last post! Readers of the website have contributed a couple of birding links. Look for them on our Links page. We are beginning to consider how to add PayPal and e-transfers to our website. Watch for them. Several CONC members attended the BC Nature AGM in Duncan. The next meting, the Fall General Meeting, is being hosted by the Burke Mountain Naturalists in the Lower Mainland. CONC birders have been rewarded with sightings of Great Black-backed…

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Spring is here, and maybe even summer. But then, we were snowed on a little while on McIntyre Bluff (Nʕaylintn) on April 27.

Spring is definitely underway in the Central Okanagan. The Sagebrush Buttercups are out, the Mourning Cloak butterflies are flying, and the Turkey Vultures and Ruddy Ducks are back. Along Mission Creek, the turtles are in the ponds and the garter snakes are coming out of their hibernacula. Snowshoeing has finished for the season; hiking and cycling have resumed. Monday birding walks are resuming, Thursday birding trips continue, and the Friday botany trips are resuming. Please join us in these activities.

Well, it’s been quite a winter so far. The snowshoeing was okay but we could have used more snow. Then the polar vortex came to town and we had to cancel trips because it was too cold. The birders continued birding but then the highway was closed so birding south became more difficult. At least snow did not stop almost 80 members from coming out to the annual banquet on February 12. Thanks to all who attended, especially those who…

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The rest of Canada is very, very cold, but it has been a mild winter so far in the Central Okanagan. As a result, birders have continued their birding trips and hiking groups have continued their weekly trips (on snowshoes). Their are even rumors that some members have found some flowers (buttercups) in bloom. The February meeting is coming up soon, our annual potluck banquet. Contact the president if you would like a ticket; there are only a few tickets…

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