Christine has been a member of Nature Vancouver since April 2009. She is currently working on a Master of Science degree in Biological Sciences at Simon

Fraser University, scheduled for completion in the fall semester, 2010. Under the guidance of Dr. David Green and the assistance of the Centre for Wildlife Ecology research group, her research involves studying Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism rates and impacts on nesting songbirds, with a focus on the Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia). Christine has located and monitored the nests of several other riparian obligate birds in order to determine nesting mortality rates of bird species breeding in the Columbia Basin near Revelstoke, BC. Through her research Christine hopes to provide a better understanding of threats relevant to yellow warblers breeding in fragment and human impacted riparian habitat ecosystems in the Columbia Basin, BC.

 

To foster public interest and education in the appreciation and study of nature and the environmental issues related to her MSc. research project, Christine has given presentations at meetings of Nature Vancouver, Burke Mountain Naturalists and Langley Naturalists. She will be presenting her research at the upcoming BC Field Ornithologists annual general meeting in Revelstoke, BC.

 

Christine provided a display at the Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Park’s annual Chickadee Festival in Revelstoke BC, May 2009, to educate adults and children about her research. As a Girl Guide Leader in Vancouver, Christine had the opportunity to promote the enjoyment and excitement of nature to children by speaking about her experiences as an ornithologist, and by helping to lead nature walks with the Girl Guide group.

 

Christine has volunteered at invasive species removal and native tree and shrub replanting projects organized by the City of Surrey to help promote access to, and maintenance of these natural areas. She believes that community outreach and education are important means for instilling an appreciation of nature and an awareness of current conservation issues.

 

Christine has also done volunteer work at three bird migration-monitoring stations in BC, including Vancouver Avian Research Centre (Colony Farm Regional Park), Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory (South Okanagan), and Revelstoke Migration Station (Revelstoke). Nesting data collected during her Master’s research has been disseminated by BC Hydro to the BC Breeding Bird Atlas project. Through these volunteer experiences Christine has gained an appreciation for maintaining, protecting, and conserving biodiversity in British Columbia.

 

Members of Nature Vancouver wish Christine great success in all her endeavours.

 

Sofi Hindmarch was one of the two recipients of 2009 Nature Vancouver Scholarship. Sofi was enrolled in the M.Sc. Program of Biology Department at Simon Fraser University. Sofi’s research project focused on the barn owl (Tyto alba) in the Lower Mainland and how changes in land use has influenced their distribution and fledging success. The results from Sofi’s research showed that loss of old barns and trees are the major causes for the decline in the barn owl population in the Lower Mainland over the last 16 years. However, the increase in traffic volume on highways is the main factor explaining why some barns which one would expect to be inhabited by barn owls remain unoccupied. 

 

The results from Sofi’s research have been incorporated into environmental assessments for the South Fraser Perimeter road project. This has contributed to the consideration of mitigation measures for barn owls along the proposed highway.

 

Sofi has given illustrated talks about barn owls and her research to various natural history groups, such as the Nature Vancouver, Langley Field Naturalist Society, Chilliwack Field Naturalists and the Campbell Valley volunteer group. In 2008 she co-hosted a public evening program on barn owls for children five and up on behalf of Campbell Valley Park. Sofi has also given presentations to classes in elementary and middle schools in the Lower Mainland. 

Sofi has, with generous help from OWL (Orphaned Wildlife Society) in Delta, handed out nest boxes and helped install them in barns and trees for owners that want to encourage barn owl activity on their property.

 

The Second recipient of the 2009 Nature Vancouver Scholarship was Jennifer Kennedy. Jennifer completed an undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia in 2005, with a major in Conservation Biology, and a minor in English Literature.   Her current program at the University of British Columbia is a Master of Arts in Education, specifically Curriculum Studies. For her thesis research, Jennifer is interested in looking at the impacts of experiential environmental education on students’ learning, and environmental awareness. She wants to highlight the importance of experiential learning, and present ecological connections as the important ‘learning,’ rather than scientific names and facts. Jennifer has undertaken this challenge because she wants to help foster a commitment to marine conservation in the students of tomorrow. She began her studies in January 2009 and hopes to complete her degree in December 2010.

 

Jennifer works at the Vancouver Aquarium as the Wet Lab Coordinator. In this capacity she coordinates conservation based programs and care for 16 tanks of invertebrates. She is also the volunteer co-chair of the Green Team at the Vancouver Aquarium. As the Green Team co-chair she leads monthly meetings, and organize events that raise awareness (within aquarium staff) about sustainable living, energy conservation, and other environmental issues.   After completing her studies, Jennifer hopes to continue working in the field of environmental education. She would like to reach as many people as possible, and create programs that engage them with the ecosystem, and connect them to their environment. 

 

 

In 2003 Nature Vancouver Scholarship was awarded to Emma Harrower. Emma was attending the University of British Columbia and was in her first year in the Faculty of Science. She was studying for a degree in biology with the intention of specializing in ecology and environmental restoration. During her school years she was heavily involved in environmental activities and helped to set up a naturalist club at her school.

 

Emma’s primary interest is environmental restoration and in the summer of 2001 worked in Skagit Valley Provincial Park and North Cascades National Park restoring trails and damaged areas. In the summer of 2002 she did similar work in Idaho’s Payette National Forest. For the last two years Emma has been actively involved in the Camosun Bog Restoration project participating in a large number of weekly work parties. She has a good knowledge of plants enabling her to work unsupervised on sensitive restoration work, and assists others in learning restoration techniques.

 

In 2002 Nature Vancouver Scholarship was awarded to Christina L. Struik. Christina was attending the University of British Columbia and completing her second year in the Faculty of Science. She was working towards an honours degree in Animal Biology. Upon graduation she intends to take an intensive outdoor recreation certificate course with the objective of becoming a naturalist for a Canadian Park. In her own words she says “I would like to be able to encourage others to enjoy our natural world by showing them the ways we can appreciate its beauty and its necessity without causing it harm”.

 

In 2001 Nature Vancouver Scholarship was awarded to Rosemary Taylor. Rosemary has been a member of the Society since 1967. Over the years she has contributed significantly to the Society by leading field trips as well as her long standing participation in the Nature Tours Committee. However, these types of volunteer contributions are generally recognized in other ways. More importantly for the purpose of this award Rosemary was registered in the Faculty of Education at the University of BC. She holds firmly to the view that the need for education is paramount if members of the VNHS and the public are to study nature and appreciate it. In her application she emphasized the relevance of her studies to the first and second VNHS objectives which are “To promote the enjoyment of nature” and “To foster public interest and education in the appreciation and study of nature”. In espousing the cause of education Rosemary reminded us of how important it is for VNHS to maintain its role in education.

 

In 2001 Nature Vancouver Scholarship was awarded to Michelle Roberge. Michelle was taking a Master of Science degree in Zoology at the University of BC. The subject of her Masters studies was the coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki clarki) and the reasons for its decline in numbers over the last 20 years. The decline is thought to be due to over fishing and habitat loss. Her thesis focused mostly on how logging practices alter stream habitat and how that in turn affects the behaviour and survival of cutthroat trout. She found that during periods of heavy flooding in severely altered streams the cutthroat were forced out their home location in the stream. They can be washed hundreds of meters downstream or lost from the stream system completely. This may be the reason why the numbers of Cutthroat are low in these altered streams. The rehabilitation of stream habitat so that the fish are protected from the effects of major floods may be one way to reduce the decline of the cutthroat trout.