If space allows, guests may join for up to three trips, after which they are expected to join the Society.
Codes for Field Trip Difficulty Levels:
LEVEL 1—Easy walking, mostly level paths.
LEVEL 2—Paths can be narrow with uneven terrain.
LEVEL 3—Obstacles in paths or steeper grades, requiring agility.
LEVEL 4—Very steep, insecure footing, or longer hikes requiring good physical condition.
Please—no pets on VNHS field trips.
If you would like to do a talk or know someone who might, please contact one of the presentation night coordinators. If you have an idea for a field trip or wish to volunteer as a leader, please contact the Field Trip Coordinator. Many of you do interesting things either for fun or for work, and it would be great to share! See Contact page for email addresses and phone numbers.
TUESDAY MORNING BIRDING – 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. Birding activities take place at various locations around Greater Victoria. For more information call Bill Dancer at 250-721-5273. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome.
SATURDAY MORNING BIRDING –Meets every Saturday morning, usually at 8:00 a.m., rain or shine. Check on the Calendar on the Thursday/Friday before to find out the week’s location. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome.
SWAN LAKE GUIDED BIRD WALKS – Every Wednesday 9:00 a.m. Bring your binoculars and walking shoes and meet in the parking lot for this informal and informative walk around the lake area. Walks are led by Victoria Natural History Society members. Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary is at 3873 Swan Lake Road, off Ralph Street.
October 1, 2024 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria
TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, 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.
October 5, 2024 @ 9:30 am - 2:00 pm Victoria Region
Field TRIP (LEVEL 3)
Hawk Watch
Meet at 9:30 a.m. The Saturday birding group will join the combined Nature Victoria/Capital Regional District Hawk Watch event at East Sooke Regional Park. From the parking lot at Aylard Farm, we will take the Beechey Head Trail to the lookout. Several Nature Victoria members will be available there to help you find the raptors among the vultures until approximately 2:00 p.m. The final ascent to the viewpoint is a trek up a steep and rocky trail. Bring binoculars, water, and perhaps a lunch. If you do not want to make the trek up to the hill, there are good opportunities to look for raptors in the field next to the parking lot. There will also be live raptor demonstrations and other activities and displays near the parking, and a barbecue (please check the online calendar for info and to RSVP).
DIRECTIONS: Meet at the Aylard Farm parking lot at the end of Becher Bay Road.
October 8, 2024 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria
TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, 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.
October 8 Natural History Night Zoom Webinar Description (Housing & Climate Crises) NOTE: This presentation is ZOOM ONLY.
Nature-based solutions are identified by the UN as the only way to meet our biodiversity, sustainable development, and climate goals at the same time. This is especially important in BC, with the broadest diversity of ecosystems and species in Canada, and in Greater Victoria, with a new proposal to create the Camosung UNESCO Biosphere Region. Patricia Dijak will look at case studies from the global to local level to see how making homes for nature and people, and protecting natural and urban ecosystems, can also create healthier communities safe from the climate change impacts of extreme heat and flash floods. As the District of North Vancouver has said, public education and existing legislation have not been enough to protect our streams and environment, and we have opportunities to do more.
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Oct 8, 2024 07:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
October 12, 2024 @ 8:30 am - 11:00 am Victoria Region
Difficulty Level: 2.5 Meet 8:30 a.m. at the Witty's Lagoon parking lot. With a diversity of habitat types, Witty's Lagoon is a year-round birding hotspot and one of the 10 most productive sites in our region. It hosts a wide variety of shorebirds, gulls, diving ducks, dabblers, raptors, and passerines. Our route will take us through the upper Douglas-fir forest, the Sitting Lady Falls overlook, the lower forest next to the lagoon, and finally an orchard to reach the beach. DIRECTIONS: The parking lot is on Metchosin Road across from the golf course (map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cn3BRVwaN1vbM3wt9). For more information, please contact birdingfieldtrips@gmail.com.
October 15, 2024 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria
TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, 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.
October 22, 2024 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria
TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, 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.
Windows allow us to experience the outside world from the comfort of our home, but they can threaten the natural world we’re trying to see. Collisions with glass kill an estimated one billion birds in North America each year and are contributing to population declines in many species. Fortunately, there are many methods for preventing collisions without sacrificing either windows or birds. Join Dr. Willow English to learn more about why collisions happen, how they affect birds, what is being done to address the issue, and how you can take steps to protect the birds in your yard, one window at a time.
October 26, 2024 @ 8:30 am - 11:00 am Victoria Region
Meets every Saturday morning, usually at 8:00 a.m., rain or shine. We ask that participants have both vaccines completed, to come on this walk. Check here on the Thursday/Friday before to find out the week’s time and location. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome. Non-members can participate up to three times, after which they are expected to join the Society.
October 28, 2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm Berwick Royal Oak and Zoom
MARINE NIGHT (IN-PERSON AND ZOOM)
West Coast Plankton: the who, what, why and wherefore of oceanic planktonic organisms
Come learn about the incredible diversity of microscopic life that inhabits BC’s water columns. The talk by Moira Galbraith, zooplankton taxonomist at the Institute of Ocean Sciences (IOS) Plankton Productivity Programs, will include an overview of the west coast of BC major oceanic currents, various types of plankton, how they are structured, different ways we collect data on them, lifecycle information, and how researchers use these data.
October 29, 2024 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, Victoria
TUESDAY BIRDING. We meet every Tuesday, one block south of the foot of Bowker Ave on the waterfront (off Beach Drive) at 9:00 am, or at the foot of Bowker Ave at 9:30 am, 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.
Join renowned authors of the Mushrooms of British Columbia book, Andy MacKinnon andKem Luther, on a fabulous fungi foray in the western communities. The primary goal is to locate and identify local mushrooms, but the accompanying stories and folklore associated with the mushrooms will be as exciting as the actual find.
You must pre-register as the number of participants will be limited to minimize habitat damage and allow optimal exchange of information. So, register as soon as possible.
Please contact Elizabeth Easton at eeaston.vnhs at gmail.com to register and receive timing and location information.