Our activities include Hiking, Nature Walks, Birding, Bat Monitoring, Botanizing, Education and Outreach, Conservation and Monthly Meetings featuring informative guest speakers.
Non-members are welcome to participate in these activities as a way to preview our club and meet our friendly members prior to joining our group.
Visit our calendar of events for a list of scheduled activities.
Burke Mountain Naturalists (BMN) was formed in 1989 by local residents interested in enjoying nature, encouraging nature awareness, and conserving local green spaces.
We are a club based in Coquitlam, BC, with a focus on the enjoyment and awareness of nature through activities and education.
Whether you are starting your exploration of nature in the Tri-Cities area (Port Moody, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam) or are an experienced naturalist, we invite you to join us. Meet people who share your interests such as hiking, walking, birding, nature appreciation, and conservation.
Come as a guest and drop in to one of our monthly meetings, or participate in an scheduled activity,to learn more about us.
This hike has been cancelled due to the trail being closed because of an aggressive grizzly bear. We are working on a replacement hike for this day.
This strenuous loop hike takes in part of the Skywalk North Trail on the west side of Whistler. Beautiful Screaming Cat Lake will be our main objective, but a side trip to the Valley Lookout offers views of Blackcomb Peak, Whistler Mountain, Cougar Mountain, Soo River, and Rainbow Mountain. Roundtrip distance is 15 km with an elevation gain of 1000 m. Meet in Coquitlam at 6:00 am. Return at 7:00 pm. This hike will go ahead only if the weather is favourable.
Please contact Ian (604. 939. 4039) for more info. and/or to register your interest.
Our speakers this month are two BMN members, SFU Professors John Reynolds and Isabelle Cote who will give a presentation on their experience exploring the land and sea of the Galapagos Islands.
Our location is:
King of Life Lutheran Church
1198 Falcon Dr (SW corner of Falcon and Guildford)
Coquitlam BC
There is parking in the church parking lot, off the Falcon Drive entrance.
This strenuous hike has a big payoff: an incredible view of southern Howe Sound, the Sunshine Coast, and along the Sea to Sky Highway to Horseshoe Bay. Be prepared for steep sections and, in a couple of places, fixed ropes. Roundtrip distance is 8 km with an elevation gain of 650 m. This hike will go ahead only if the weather is dry. Please contact Mark (604. 552. 0727) for more info. and/or to register your interest.
Explore the new Port Coquitlam birding destination, Blakeburn Lagoons with Larry Cowan and members of Nature Vancouver.
Since it’s official opening in April, 2018 it has become a must-bird location for many Vancouver birders. Its eBird list has passed the 115 species mark and continues to grow. After birding this location,birders will drive to another area hotspot to conclude the morning’s outing. Meet at the south end of Elbow Place at 09:00.
Note: The meeting location is at the park’s main entrance located on Elbow Place. Street parking is available on Elbow Place but it is limited. An alternative parking location is at the Blakeburn Elementary School, which is adjacent to the park (it’s about 200 meters to walk from the school to the park). The school’s parking lot can be accessed from Riverside Drive.
Join the Friends of DeBoville Slough and the City of Coquitlam for a morning of good exercise while helping the environment. We will be working to control the invasive plant, Japanese knotweed. We will meet at the kiosk on the north side of the slough at 9AM. Wear sturdy footwear, and dress for the weather as we go rain or shine. If it is hot and sunny don’t forget the sunscreen and water. The Friends of DeBoville Slough will supply tools but if you have a favourite pair of hand clippers or loppers, feel free to bring them along. As there is a waiver to sign anyone under the age of 19 will need a parent or guardian to sign.
This is a hike sponsored by the City of Coquitlam. Registration (633325) and signed waiver form is required.
This is a great three step program for beginners to learn about hiking and enjoying the change of seasons with the fall colours. The program will take in local trails along the Coquitlam River, Colony Farm & Lower Riverview, and Minnekhada High Knoll.
Program dates:
Sat. October 13, 1:30pm to 5pm
Sat. October 20, 9am to noon
Sun. October 28, 9am to 1pm
For questions or to register contact the City of Coquitlam Registration Line (604. 927. 4386).
For additional info contact Ian (604. 939. 4039).
BMN will be having a display table and providing an educational session on bats at this festival.
There will be activities, performers, exhibitors, and storytelling that will reveal local night animals. Bring a flashlight and allow 1.5 hours to complete.
Park at the Pacific Academy (10238 – 10300 168 Street, Surrey) and take a free shuttle to the day use area starting at 5:30 pm as there is limited parking at the day use area in the park.
This is a free event.
On this moderate hike we will follow the course of the Capilano River from Ambleside Park to Cleveland Dam. We will enjoy a variety of terrain: from beaches and rocky shores to canyon cliffs and dense rainforest. We will return the same way. Roundtrip distance is 15 km and the elevation gain is 236 m. Meet at 9:00 am. Return 5:00 pm. Please contact Mark (604. 552. 0727) for more info.
Cheer on the salmon returning home to spawn in Kanaka Creek. Engage with displays, games and fisheries experts from the Bell-Irving Hatchery and other community organizations.
Meet at fish fence on 240th St, north of Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge.
Presented by Metro Vancouver Parks and the Kanaka Education & Environmental Partnership Society.
The Hoy Creek Fish Hatchery celebrates the return of BC’s favourite fish with fishy activities including salmon viewing, children’s crafts and music. BMN will be at this annual celebration with our display and children’s puzzles along with many other volunteers and local stewardship groups. Dress for the weather.
The Hoy Creek Hatchery is a 7 min. walk from the Lafarge Lake-Douglas SkyTrain Station, and is located in Hoy Creek Linear Park, west of the City Centre Aquatic Complex ( Pinetree and Guildford Way). Free parking is available at Coquitlam City Hall, Pinetree Community Centre and Douglas College. Location via Google maps.
For more details, visit the Hoy-Scott Creek web site
Join us for a moderate hike, with steep sections, as we explore the Seymour River in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve. This outing is all about water and the long history the area has with Vancouver’s water supply. We’ll access the Seymour River via the Twin Bridges Trail descending downhill through beautiful coastal forest. Arriving at the river, we’ll see the large pool and flooded foreshore that resulted from the December 2014 rockslide. We’ll then head northward along the Fisherman’s trail with several access points to the river, see remnants of pipes and a tunnel from the early water supply feed, and pass foundations from old homesteads. Lastly we’ll return to the parking lot via the Homestead Trail with more views of the coastal forest. Roundtrip distance is 8 km with an elevation gain of 200 m. Meet at 9 am. Return 3:30 pm. Please contact Chris (chris@ckwright.ca or 604-315-5345) for more info.
Join leader Larry Cowan and members of Nature Vancovuer for this half-day birding field trip to DeBoville Slough and Minnekhada Regional Park. The area is home to many over wintering species with waterfowl in the sloughs, ponds and river and the chance of raptors over the fields. Meet in the parking lot adjacent to the washroom facilities at Cedar & Victoria Drives in NE Coquitlam at 09:00. Birders will position an appropriate number of vehicles in the parking area off Quarry Road in Minnekhada Park for the return trip.
It has been a super-active year for BMN, and this slide presentation will give some of the highlights of 2018. BMN President Ian McArthur will show photos from this year’s hikes, cycle trips, birding, bat monitoring, botanizing outings, community events and more. This is the perfect opportunity to learn about BMN if you’ve been thinking of joining us, or if you’ve recently joined and are not yet aware of all that the club does. We enter our 30th year in the community in January, and always welcome new members.
Please note that this slide show is a compilation of photos taken by BMN members, and that Ian is still seeking more photos. If you have photos to contribute, please send them to Ian at imcart@telus.net
This meeting will be held at
King of Life Lutheran Church
1198 Falcon Dr (SW corner of Falcon and Guildford)
Coquitlam BC
There is parking in the church parking lot, off the Falcon Drive entrance.
This is the 19th year of celebrating of the returning salmon to Hyde Creek. BMN will be there with our displays and children’s puzzles at this very popular (indoor) event. Hosted by the Hyde Creek Watershed Society and held at the Hyde Creek Recreation Centre. This is the last local community event of the season and provides excellent views of spawning salmon in nearby Hyde Creek and it’s free!
For more info, click here.
Join Larry Cowan and members of Nature Vancouver on this half-day outing to find American Dippers in the Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge area. Birders have been successful since 2006 finding this quarry. After locating a Dipper or two, they will spend the balance of the morning birding the Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge area in search of raptors, waterfowl, other winter migrants. Meet at 09:00 in the McDonald’s parking lot on the SW corner of Lougheed Hwy & Harris Rd. in Pitt Meadows for car pooling.
