Kelp Bed Monitoring
Bull Kelp 2019
Our annual bull kelp surveys were a huge success this year thanks to community donations, funding from the Federal Habitat Stewardship Program, and a little luck with the weather. Our bull kelp surveys can only be completed during the lowest tides each August, and this year we had perfect low Read more…
Eelgrass Monitoring
Eelgrass Meadows: Out of Sight and Out of Mind
Have you ever found yourself shoving dirty clothes into a closet as your dinner guests walk up the driveway? I have! Out of sight, out of mind, right? It’s a great strategy for early dinner guests, but unfortunately not so great when it comes to natural resource management. While they’re Read more…
Mayne Wildlife
Mayne’s Marine Mammals
Mayne Island Conservancy is excited to be part of a new conservation initiative, in partnership with our neighbouring island conservancies, that focuses on the future of the Strait of Georgia’s whales, dolphins, and porpoises (collectively called cetaceans), and the health of their habitats. In The Beginning You might remember learning Read more…
Beach Cleanup
2019 Beach Cleanup Results
The 2019 Annual Mayne Island Beach Cleanup on Sunday April 7th was a huge success thanks to the record number of community volunteers who contributed their time and resources. We had 137 volunteers participate, and together they removed 1,712 kg of human trash from shorelines around Mayne Island. In addition Read more…
Mayne Wildlife
Gulls of Mayne Island (and beyond)
Living on the coast, gulls are part of our viewscape and soundscape but few people know them beyond ‘seagulls’. They are conspicuous and gregarious and seem equally at home in urban, agricultural and marine areas. Most of the gull species are in one family and all are similar in colour Read more…
Mayne Wildlife
What’s a Grebe?
This is the latest instalment in our series of articles on the remarkable diversity of birds that visit Mayne Island’s shores in winter. Grebes Grebes are similar to loons, superficially, but are smaller, have lobed toes (as opposed to webbed) set far back on their bodies, and have longer, thinner Read more…
Kelp Bed Monitoring
Bugles and Baselines
Bugles and Baselines – Nine Years of Bull Kelp Mapping around Mayne Island, B.C. Kelly Fretwell and Rob Underhill Have you ever made a bugle horn from a piece of washed-up bull kelp? If not, you’re missing out on a fine West Coast experience! Now is a good time to Read more…
Important Bird Area
The Loons of Winter
Loons are large, bulky waterbirds with a distinct dagger-like bill, short neck, and long wings. Their feet are set well back on their body for maximum propulsion underwater, but make for poor mobility on land. Most people know the ethereal call of the loons, often heard on small lakes and Read more…
Mayne Wildlife
Mayne’s Marine Winter Birds: Diving Ducks
Mayne Island’s surrounding waters are a good place to look for diving ducks. This group of ducks are also known as sea ducks and on Mayne Island we have records for nine different species, some quite rare. They are the Bufflehead, the Harlequin Duck, the Barrow’s and Common goldeneye, the Read more…
Caring for the Land
2018 – A Year of Action
We’ve had a busy and productive year at the Mayne Island Conservancy. Here are some of the ways we’ve worked to conserve the ecology of Mayne Island for future generations. We’d like to thank you for all of your support in 2018. Please consider supporting us through your year-end giving.
