Nature Victoria

05/09/2026

Nice video showign the great work of the Bring Back the Bluebirds project.

04/26/2026

Sunday , May 3, 2026, is Camas Day! See you at the Beach Drive entrance to Cattle Point

04/26/2026

Reminder
MARINE NIGHT (ZOOM ONLY) Mon Apr 27, 2026 7:30pm – 9pm Pacific Time
Sea star wasting disease: the sunflowers of the sea and the pathogen that kills them
One of the largest and fastest sea star species recorded, the sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) was historically also one of the most abundant species you would find roaming the Pacific Coast of North America. Since 2013, however, an epidemic of unknown origin caused populations to collapse, with billions of sunflower sea stars disappearing rapidly, and in gruesome fashion. Over a decade of scientific investigation followed. Melanie Prentice, Research Scientist at the Hakai Institute, will describe the research behind the recent identification of the pathogen responsible: a novel strain of the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida.

Please pre-register for the presentation. Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/n_XweVIOSqy6EN4Lnt92zQ

Photo by Sue Daly/Minden Pictures:

04/21/2026

Still room on a bird tour from Canoe Cove in North Saanich, a fundraiser for SeaStar Ecocruising

Join Professor Emeritus Dr. Peter Arcese for an up-close look at the amazing bird migration through the Salish Sea!

04/09/2026

See more and buy tickets: https://www.victoriafilmfestival.com/product/the-art-of-the-adventure-the-vic/

Robert Bateman and Bristol Foster, with David Suzuji

As the Times Colonist recently stated, THE ART OF ADVENTURE is a "love letter to a bygone world." It captures Robert Bateman and Bristol Foster’s 1950s global trek in a Land Rover named the Grizzly Torque. Join us to experience this breathtaking journey through a pre-smartphone world, where the cameras were always pointed outward at the wild.

19+ screenings at The Vic Theatre on:
- Friday, April 10 at 7:15 PM
- Sunday, April 12 at 4:15 PM
- Monday, April 13 at 5:15 PM
- Tuesday, April 14 at 7:15 PM

Get tickets at https://www.victoriafilmfestival.com/product/the-art-of-the-adventure-the-vic/

04/07/2026

Reminder for NATURE VICTORIA
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
and
NATURAL HISTORY NIGHT PRESENTATION
Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2026
Swan Lake Nature Centre, 3873 Swan Lake Road

Please join us either in person on via Zoom for our Annual General Meeting and the last Natural History night presentation of the spring 2026 season.
The AGM will start at 7:00 p.m., with the presentation to follow.
Refreshments will be served.

See the calendar for Zoom registration:https://naturevictoria.ca/events/
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PRESENTATION
New Discoveries from BC’s Alpine
Ken Marr, retired Curator of Botany, Royal BC Museum, shares an illustrated presentation based on 23 years of fieldwork in BC’s alpine. This will emphasize discoveries related to plants, but will include insects, spiders, and fossils. Botany content will include a ‘pseudoflower’, the use of DNA markers to trace the migration of arctic/alpine plants, rare species, species typical of common habitats and a puzzling gap in the distribution of several western North America alpine plant species.
Please pre-register for the Zoom meeting and presentation at the link on our calendar.
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PLEASE NOTE: The path from the parking lot to the Nature Centre is NOT LIT at night.
We will have people available to guide participants to and from the parking lot, but we suggest you also BRING A FLASHLIGHT AND/OR A HEADLAMP.
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And - we’re always on the lookout for new Board Members. Now is the time to step forward and contribute to our 80+ years of protecting and education people about the biodiversity of southern Vancouver Island. For more information about being a board member contact [email protected].

Yours in nature,

The Nature Victoria Board
Andrew, Brian, Gordon, Gail, Vicki, Ken, Gwen, Kathleen and Kelly

03/25/2026

Remonder re the annual Bird walk at Shoal Harbour this Saturday March 28, from 2-4.30: https://www.friendsofshoalharbour.ca/11th-annual-bird-walk-tea/

03/25/2026

BIRDERS’ NIGHT (ZOOM ONLY) LAST MINUTE REMINDER!
Tonight, Wednesday March 25, 2026 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Beak Deformities in Wild Birds: unraveling the mystery of avian keratin disorder

Avian Keratin Disorder (AKD) is an outbreak of debilitating beak deformities affecting wild birds. First documented among Black-capped Chickadees in Alaska in the early 1990s, it now appears to affect a variety of species across a broad geographic area. Danielle Gerik, Biologist with the USGS Alaska Science Center, will share results of efforts to track AKD around the world. She will provide updates on a virus that’s strongly associated with the occurrence of AKD in Black-capped Chickadees in Alaska. If you’ve seen a bird with a strangely overgrown beak or just want to learn more about this mysterious disease, this is a great opportunity to learn more! She will also provide information on how to share photos and sightings of birds with beak deformities so that more can be learned about AKD.

Please pre-register for the presentation. Zoom link:

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Birders' Night. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

03/21/2026

Nature Victoria had a table at World Water Day yesterday at U Vic. It was well-attended and attracted lots of interest! Here's Ken presiding over our display table😊

03/17/2026

Mark your calendar for this year’s walk!

11/26/2025

Birders' Night (Zoom Only)
November 26, 2025 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Birdbrain?!

Sandra Milligan of North Island College will take us on a fascinating journey of how the term “bird brain” evolved from an insult to a testament of remarkable intelligence, revealing the surprising cognitive prowess of our feathered friends. Sandra will delve into the history of our understanding of avian neuroanatomy, illustrating the shift from viewing birds as mere automatons to recognizing their diverse forms of intelligence. Focusing on Corvids, she will share captivating videos and stories that highlight the remarkable evolutionary journey of these intelligent creatures, inviting us to celebrate their extraordinary abilities. The aim of this talk is to inspire us all to observe birds more closely, try to understand their language, and perhaps even engage in a conversation — but be careful what you wish for, they might have some strong opinions about those khaki pants!

Preregister at Zoom link or check the calendar: https://naturevictoria.ca/events/

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Birder's Night. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.