Delta Naturalists Society

10/30/2026

“Birds have wings - they can fly away!”

The most common comment (always on FB) I get when I post about protecting the mouth of the Fraser River.

Yes - birds can fly way. We have already lost significant numbers of the smaller raptors. Because they’ve flown away. We keep encroaching on their territory, we keep taking away their space, taking over nature, paving over paradise, why can’t we share this place respecting nature and our wild creatures who have used it since time began?

This is a photo of mud at Roberts Bank.

I share mainly videos of birds flying because I know I only have 7 seconds to get your attention. I need action, spectacular flapping wings and noise - I need it visually pleasing to the eye - or you’ve already scrolled on.

Yes - birds can fly. But you know what can’t fly? The Biofilm that grows here - and only here - in the mud flats of Roberts Bank. At the mouth of the Fraser River. Tiny micro organisms that the western sandpipers use for precious fuel on their migratory journeys! Biofilm can’t fly away. It only grows here - at the mouth of the Fraser where the fresh water of the river meets the Salish sea and reduces salinity on the mud flats - making this a unique environment.

You know what else can’t fly? The salmon and fish and marine life that live in these waters - they can swim away maybe - but why should they? This is where they return. This is home. The salmon enter the mouth of the Fraser to start their journey home to spawn every year in the tributaries, creeks and streams of the Fraser. The larger marine mammals and whales share our Salish sea.

This is worth protecting - we cannot put the entire Fraser river valley at risk.

RBCT2 and the Pacific Link oil pipeline is going to seriously degrade this area. That’s not just my opinion. Environmental scriveners and marine biologists,important ecologists have all written papers and books on it - the birds can fly away - sure! But what a devasting ugly place this must have become if they leave.

To learn more about Biofilm please watch my friend Isabelle Grocs film on CBC The Nature of Things - it’s called Sandpipers Last Supper

10/29/2026

10/29/2026

Following is the latest NATURE NOTES column in the Delta Optimist. A collaboration between the Delta Naturalists, the Optimist and our community partners. Here it is:

Nature Notes: A BACKYARD MEADOW BRINGS WILDLIFE HOME
Nicki Brockamp: Delta Naturalists Society

"A single season showed me just how much life a native planting can support — not just in summer colour, but in year-round habitat and food resources"

Last spring, I made a decision that would quietly transform my yard: I tore out a section of lawn and replaced it with a native wildflower and grasses meadow.

The goal was simple — create an attractive source of food and habitat for birds and give local pollinating insects a reason to stop by.

Two summers later, I’m thrilled by the results.

By midsummer, the meadow was alive with movement. Bees of every size worked methodically from bloom to bloom, wasps stopped by to feed on nectar alongside the bees, and a steady rotation of beautiful flies — some barely noticeable, others boldly striped like tiny wasps themselves — moved through the flowers all season long. What struck me most was the sheer diversity.

A single patch of native plants, left to grow the way nature intended, seemed to draw in far more species than any of my more manicured non-native flower beds.

As summer fades into fall, the meadow’s role will shift. As insect activity declines, the asters and Pearly Everlasting will finish flowering, while the native grasses produce seed.

Instead of being cut back for tidiness, the meadow will be left standing. Soon birds will start to forage among the seed heads, working through the dried stalks for a food source that can remain available right into the colder months.

Watching them pick through the meadow on a frosty winter morning last Fall was proof that “messy” and “valuable” are not opposites in a garden — they’re often the same thing.

What began as an experiment has become one of the most rewarding parts of my yard.

For anyone considering a similar project, my experience suggests the payoff is real: plant what belongs, leave it standing through winter, and the birds and insects will thank you.

Editor’s note: Nature Notes is a monthly column produced by the Delta Naturalists Society and their community partner. For info on monthly meetings, nature walks and more, see www.deltanaturalists.org and www.facebook.com/DeltaNats

10/29/2026

10/28/2026

Are you passionate about protecting British Columbia’s biodiversity and looking for a meaningful way to get involved? Now's your chance to join the BC Nature team!

BC Nature is seeking a volunteer Conservation Committee Chair to help turn the conservation priorities of BC Nature and our federated clubs into policy, advocacy, research, and on-the-ground protection of British Columbia’s biodiversity. The Chair will work alongside a committee of knowledgeable and passionate members from across our network and will also have the opportunity to serve as a BC Nature Board member.

If you’re interested in helping strengthen the voice for nature in BC, we’d love to hear from you!

Learn more and apply for the Conservation Committee Chair here: https://bcnature.org/volunteer-needed-conservation-committee-chair/

Photo by B. Hetschko

10/25/2026

This past week two groups of Delta Naturalists visited Terra Nova Rural Park in Richmond. For the trip reports, more photos and eBird reports, visit the Blog on our website here https://deltanaturalists.org/blog/

Click on photos for ID's and photographer names

10/25/2026

BCI Senior Research Scientist Giorgia Auteri was a recent guest on NPR's Short Wave podcast discussing the impacts of white-nose syndrome on bats and a big breakthrough that could help them. Grab your headphones and tune in. Link in comments.🎧

10/24/2026