The Great Backyard Bird Count

Check out the birds the Athalmer Wetlands
photo by Larry Halverson

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an annual four-day event that engages birdwatchers of all ages across North America. Anyone can participate, from beginners to experts. Count for as little as 15 minutes on a single day, or for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy – and it helps the birds! 

This year’s count runs from Friday, February 17, through Monday, February 20. It is not too late to participate, and advance sign-up is not required. It’s as simple as counting birds at a location near you, tallying the highest number of birds of each species seen together at once, and filling out an online checklist on the GBBC website. As the weekend progresses, visit the website regularly to check out results and share photographs. It’s going to be a great weekend for birders.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day from The Friends of Kootenay National Park
 photo by Larry Halverson

Bouquets of spring-scented flowers, chocolates and heart-shaped boxes or special cards saying ‘I love you” are the order for Valentine’s Day. Here is a heart of a different sort, a valentine designed just for lovers of National Parks, mountains, forests and the outdoors. Nature’s hand has carved this gigantic heart into the forested slopes of Mount Selkirk in Kootenay National Park. It can easily be viewed from the Banff-Windermere Highway.

For information on the  click Friends of Kootenay National Park

Making Tracks

Mule Deer & Wild Turkey photo by Larry Halverson

So often you only see the tracks left by animals. But here is a picture of a Mule Deer and a Wild Turkey caught in the act of making tracks in the fresh snow on Valentine's Day

World Wetlands Day - February 2nd

Columbia Wetlands at Wilmer, BC  - Photo by Larry Halverson

"It marks the date of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands, called Ramsar Convention, on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. World Wetlands Day was celebrated for the first time in 1997 and made an encouraging beginning. Each year, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have undertaken actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and benefits." For more information see RAMSAR Also check out the Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partner's projects.