MARINE NIGHT 

Deep Diving with RV Falkor off Western Australia

Dr. Lisa Kirkendale and colleagues from the Western Australian Museum led a deep-sea expedition to the Gascoyne Marine Park off the mid-coast of Western Australia in early 2020. They focused on the biodiversity of two marine canyons. The team completed 20 ROV dives and investigated a total of 16 stations over 5 weeks at sea aboard the RV Falkor supported by the Schmidt Ocean Institute, using the ROV SuBastian. Over 1000 samples were collected for the WA Museum.  Highlights of these collections include the deepest fish records for WA (4470m), the first giant hydroids collected in Australia, significant communities of glass sponges in Cape Range Canyon and probably the longest animal (siphonophore) in the world.  Along with new distribution and depth records of known species, this research also led to the discovery of an estimated 30 new species of marine animals.

Register in advance for this talk at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEkd--urT8oGN3-AY8NAcX0c6hlyRLK4iyU After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing a URL link and a passcode. Make a note of the latter which is required to join the meeting at the appointed time. 

CANCELLED TUESDAY BIRDING Due to COVID increased warnings, we will not have an outing this Tuesday. Not sure when we will start outings again. Meets every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 a.m., or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 a.m, rain or shine. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria.
For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273 or Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or 250-721-0634. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome.

FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 2)

Langford Lake Christmas Bird Count Tune-up 

Meet at Langford Lanes parking lot on Langford Parkway at 8:30 a.m. for a chance to tune up your winter bird-spotting identification skills. This trip will cover the area around Langford Lake. Bring your walking shoes, field guide and note-pad. This is a regular Saturday Birding Group outing, but it is also a great opportunity for novice or near-novice Christmas Bird Counters to get in some practice. Jennifer Armstrong will be your leader. Contact Agnes Lynn at thelynns at shaw.ca or (250) 721-0634 if you need more information.