I got a summer weekends gig through early October being an Ambassador on ParkBus that picks up hikers in downtown Vancouver and delivers them to Joffre Lakes past Pemberton on the Sea to Sky.
I give them the standard “don’t pick any flowers, pack out your garbage, and don’t pet the grizzly bears” orientation before sending them off .
They’re on their own to hike as many of the lakes as they’re able in five to six hours, and then I make sure everyone gets back to the bus and bring them home.
The Joffre Lakes trails have gotten crowded over the years, so First Nations, Parks, etc., got together and came up with a management plan.
You now need a (free) permit to hike the lakes to limit congestion, and services like ParkBus are helping to reduce vehicle traffic and parking.
It makes a lot more sense to transport up to 50 or so folks on a bus than having, say, 25 dual-occupancy private cars making the trip.
We had a SEHAB (Salmonid Enhancement & Habitat Advisory Board) meeting on the Sunshine Coast over the last weekend.
We stayed at the wonderful Linwood House, visited the Chapman Creek hatchery, and participated in a Sockeye fry release into Sakinaw Lake.
SEHAB is a volunteer board that represents DFO Community Advisors’ geographical areas from across British Columbia. Board members receive no compensation, but meeting expenses are covered. We have a fabulous treasurer who stretches our modest meeting budget.
The board meets three times a year, collating information from community stewardship groups, and taking key issues to DFO Regional Headquarters to inform mangement and the Minister.
I have had the priviledge of being on the board initially as an alternate and then a full member for about 12 years now. The breadth of fishy experience and knowledge in the room is amazing, and I am always learning.
For example, I was not aware that Sakinaw Lake sockeye are on the verge of extinction. The restocking effort by volunteers and DFO is an attempt to stave this off, but the outlook is not good with climate change warming the lake to temperatures detrimental to salmon. Fingers crossed. . .
Thanks to all the local folks who shared their good work with us!
It was a lovely day for a Skytrain/walk to the Farmers Market in New Westminster, BC, late this afternoon. We checked out Tipperary Park, and concluded in the early evening with some time on the river boardwalk.
We took an overnight camping trip to E.C. Manning Park, staying at the new Hampton camground. Nice new washrooms with showers, eh? 🙂
We hiked around the area several times over the course of the two days. Here are a few shots.
Cool to see a beaver in Lightning Lake
It was fun watching these Clark’s Nutcrackers. The juvenile kept begging for food though it was surrounded by buds. The adult would pick one and feed the juvie. . .
We walked the Beaver Pond trail, and at one point I spotted what appeared to be a large beast off in the distance. I fired off several shots from long range, but it wasn’t until we got home that I realized it was a moose. While apparently sightings are not common in the area, there are a few now and then.
To riff on the old Burl Ives song, here’s a bunch of Otters just doing what they oughter — which apparently was eating a lot of crabs — in Victoria Harbour, BC, last week.
Victoria, BC, doesn’t get snow that often, and it’s unusualy to have snow stick for days, if not weeks! During our Covid-safe vacation last week, we walked four to six hours a day, and it was wonderful getting to shoot the wintry conditions. Will be posting lots of wildlife photos in the next few days, too. . .
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