Tiny Wonders It can feel a little unnerving when, while quietly weeding your garden, you notice hovering a few inches in front of your face a beady-eyed, four-gram bundle of energy staring you down over a very sharp beak. Feisty and pugnacious, these irrepressible little jewels measure just 8-12 cm Read more…
It’s the middle of winter holidays, and every family has their rituals. Whether you’re roasting chestnuts on an open fire or bundling up and heading out into the rain or snow, everyone has their own way of enjoying (or at least making the most of) the colder weather. With the Read more…
Mayne Islanders interested in watching, monitoring, and protecting whales are invited to participate in a citizen-science project. If you are interested, this would involve joining an online training session Saturday January 22nd at 1pm on how to use a whale sighting reporting app. Members of the network will have access Read more…
As you sip tea by the woodstove and gaze out at your suet-nut feeder this winter, one family of bird is very likely to make its presence known. With their striking black and white patterning and red heads, crests and crowns, the woodpeckers of Mayne are easy to spot and Read more…
Bigleaf Maple The Bigleaf Maple is by far the most common maple tree on Mayne Island. It is a broad-leaved deciduous tree with a wide, rounded crown that can reach a height of thirty metres or one hundred feet. They often have curved trunks and sport the largest leaves of Read more…
As Halloween approaches, images of scary bats become commonplace. This is the perfect time of year to counter bat myths and do something to help bats, by taking part in International Bat Week (October 24-31). Bat Week is all about appreciating these amazing animals and their benefits. Our bats are tremendous consumers Read more…
Spiders aren’t everybody’s cup of tea. They can be unpredictable, fast-moving, hairy-looking, and they show up in inconvenient places like your bath tub. But spiders are wonders of nature that deserve our respect. All of them are predators—that is to say, they don’t chew on your petunias nor bore into Read more…
International Travellers If being a human feels challenging these days, take a moment to consider the awe-inspiring purple martins who are now on their epic journey to southeastern Brazil – an extraordinary round trip migration of 22,000 km. These large swallows have spent their summers on the Pacific Northwest coast Read more…
What might cause a biologist to spend three hopeful days on a paddleboard in the Saanich Inlet in the middle of winter? I’d heard rumour of a basking shark sighted in the area, and the slim possibility of seeing one sent me paddling out in the limited daylight. Although I Read more…
If you can find a rocky place beside the sea, you might spy one of our fin-footed neighbours soaking up the sun. Known collectively as pinnipeds, seals and sea lions are important players in maintaining a diverse and healthy west coast. Local Pinnipeds Globally, there are 33 species of pinnipeds, Read more…