Miami River Streamkeepers Society

10/14/2026

Let MRSS know if you spot any spawners in the Miami Miami River Streamkeepers Society UPDATE: 2 spawners observed by a MRSS member under the hwy bridge just north of Village Hall

10/14/2026

A two bald eagles were feeding on spawned out salmon on the shore of Harrison Lake last Saturday

10/14/2026

There are great horned Owls in Harrison but Barredvowls are more common.

The deep hooting after dark in October is a great horned owl, and the reason is romance.

It's the biggest "eared" owl in the East — about the height of a house cat sitting up, with a wingspan wider than a person's arms. The horns aren't ears. They're feather tufts. The real ears are hidden in the sides of the face, one set a little higher than the other, so it can pinpoint a mouse under snow by sound alone.

🦉 Why it's hooting now

Great horned owls nest earlier than almost any bird in North America. The female lays in January or early February, sometimes with snow piling up on her back as she sits.

To be ready, pairs court in late fall. Two owls answering each other after dark — a deep hoo-h'HOO… hoo… hoo — is a duet. Strangely, the male's voice is the deeper one, even though the female is bigger.

🦨 What it eats

Almost anything it can carry: rabbits, rats, mice, geese, other owls — and skunks. It's one of the few predators that takes skunks, probably because its sense of smell is weak.

It settles in suburbs with big trees, open lawns, and plenty of rabbits. Many neighborhoods have a pair that's never been seen.

The young need months of lessons from their parents before they can live alone. That's why it all starts so early.

10/14/2026

Theses invasive brown marmorated stink bugs are prevalent locally and are looking for warm places , like inside your house, to spend the winter

Identify invasives: Brown marmorated stink bug

Brown marmorated stink bugs can look like several other bugs found in B.C., but two white stripes on the antennae are a key identification feature.

Other identifying features include:

▪️ One white stripe on each leg
▪️ White and black spots at the base of the abdomen
▪️ About 1.5 cm long with a distinct shield shape

Rough stink bugs and western conifer seed bugs look similar, but neither has the distinctive white stripes on the antennae.

In fall and winter, brown marmorated stink bugs often gather in wooden structures, including homes, in large numbers.

👉 Have you spotted one before? What helped you identify it? 👀

Photo credit: Gary Bernon, USDA APHIS, Bugwood.org

10/14/2026

Beavers are a keystone species

Satellite studies found that streams with beaver dams stayed green and wet through wildfires that scorched surrounding land. The ponds and wetlands act as refuges where animals can shelter, and they help forests recover.

10/14/2026

Free Webinar Oct 29 at 2:30 pm Pacific Time

10/08/2026

Look for these neat native slugs in the East Sector.

10/08/2026

The FVISS has recently done knotweed control in HHS. Technicians will be back monitoring soon.

10/03/2026

This is an interesting study to compare the ratio of invasive plants at the GBHNR compared to native species.

10/02/2026

You can even adopt a bat!

🦇 ADOPT A BAT IS BACK! 🦇

The breeze is brisk, the sky is misty, and there’s a certain spookiness lurking around the corner…

It must mean that Adopt a Bat time is here! 🎃

This spooky season, you can symbolically adopt one of our region’s fascinating little brown bats and help support local bat populations.

Your adoption helps HAT do year-round bat education, monitoring, habitat enhancement, and safe bat evictions across our region. And yes, you get some goodies, too. 🦇

Every Adopt a Bat package includes:
✨ An official adoption certificate
✨ A fun introduction to your new bat buddy
✨ A locally designed bat sticker by W̱SÁNEĆ artist Sarah Jim
✨ The warm, fuzzy feeling of helping local bats.

Adopt yours at hat.bc.ca/adoptabat 🦇