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.
Join BMN members Jeff Rudd and Gay Mitchell for a series of three nature walks along the Coquitlam River. Dress for the weather, bring water, a snack, and binoculars. All walks will be at a slow pace, with little or no elevation gain.
For Walk #2, meet at the Ozada Tot Lot. For more info, contact: Gay Mitchell 604-552-0727.
Come listen to a talk by Dr. Veronica Wahl of the Institute of Urban Ecology on pollinators and learn about the benefits of pollinators in your garden, and the types of plants that attract them.
This event is FREE and open to the community. Fore more info and to register for this event, see here.
Join Larry Cowan and members of the Vancouver Naturalists for a half-day birding trip to Coquitlam’s DeBoville Slough and Minnekhada Regional Park. Osprey, hummingbirds and swallows should be back on their breeding grounds. Spring migrants will also be moving through the area. With luck there will be a glimpse of Sandhill Crane, Red Crossbill, Band-tailed Pigeon and Western Meadowlark. Meet in the main parking lot adjacent to the public washrooms at Cedar & Victoria Drives in Port Coquitlam at 9am. Some vehicles will be positioned in the parking lot off Quarry Road in Minnekhada Park for our return trip. For more info, contact the leader, Larry Cowan.
Join BMN members Jeff Rudd and Gay Mitchell for a series of three nature walks along the Coquitlam River. Dress for the weather, bring water, a snack, and binoculars. All walks will be at a slow pace, with little or no elevation gain.
For Walk #3, meet at 1328 Gabriola Drive. For more info, contact: Gay Mitchell 604-552-0727.
This is a special event hosted by the Minnekhada Park Association when you can join BMN member Lee Harding for a morning of birdng.
This event will take place hiking around the marsh while keeping a look out for the different types of birds that call Minnekhada Park home. Throughout the hike you will have the chance to learn about the birds and take photos of the park. If you know a lot about birds, please feel free to share your knowledge with the group.
Please bring hiking gear, lots of water and snacks. A Clif bar will be provided. If you have binoculars and a camera, feel free to bring those too. Dress for the weather conditions to make sure you stay warm and dry.
We will meet at the Quarry Road Parking lot at 8am. The early bird gets the worm!
Limited Spots!
Please RSVP to register for this free event through email.
This is a hike sponsored by the City of Coquitlam. Registration (638601) and signed waiver form is required.
This is a great three step program for beginners to gain experience about hiking and enjoy what nature displays in the forest. The program will take in local trails in Riverview Forest, Mundy Park, Bert Flinn Park, and Pinecone Burke Provincial Park.
Please contact Ian (604.939. 4039) for more info.
Have a look at the City of Coquitlam website coquitlam.ca/outdoors
Register or for information at 604-927-4386
Program dates:
| Sunday Apr. 7 | Riverview Forest and Mundy Park 8 km with some elevation change. 9am to noon |
| Sunday Apr. 14 | Shoreline Trail and Bert Flinn Park 10 km with an elevation gain of 305 m. 9am to 1pm |
| Sunday Apr. 28 | Woodland Walk in Pinecone Burke Provincial Park 11.5 km with an elevation gain of 300 m. 8am to 1pm |
Getting a good image of a wild bird is challenging, especially when they are in flight. Learn some of the basics (and ethics) of bird photography from BMN member Vladimir Jan at the April meeting of the Burke Mountain Naturalists. Vladimir has worked as a professional photographer doing family portraits, but now turns his lens to local wildlife and landscapes. To view a selection of Vladimir’s images, see his gallery on the website of the Pacific Digital Photography Club.
As a follow-up to this presentation, there will be a bird photography field trip with Vladimir to Port Coquitlam’s Blakeburn Lagoons later in the month. Details to follow.
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.
** Please note that this presentation is held on the Tuesday immediately prior to our regular Thursday evening slot. The church is not available to us on the Thursday for this month.
For our first hike of the year, we will make a return visit to the Buntzen Lake Recreation Area. This time we will circle the lake by means of the Lakeview Trail on the west side and the Buntzen Lake Trail on the east side. The Lakeview Trail sees somewhat less traffic than other Buntzen routes and features a beautiful lush forest, interesting outcroppings, and views of North Beach and Swan Falls. This moderate hike has a roundtrip distance of 11 km and a cumulative elevation gain of about 290 m. Meet at 9:00 am. Return 2:00 pm.
Please contact Mark (604. 552. 0727) for more info.
This is a special event hosted by the Minnekhada Park Association when you can join BMN member Lee Harding for a morning of birdng.
This event will take place hiking around the marsh while keeping a look out for the different types of birds that call Minnekhada Park home. Throughout the hike you will have the chance to learn about the birds and take photos of the park. If you know a lot about birds, please feel free to share your knowledge with the group.
Please bring hiking gear, lots of water and snacks. A Clif bar will be provided. If you have binoculars and a camera, feel free to bring those too. Dress for the weather conditions to make sure you stay warm and dry.
We will meet at the Quarry Road Parking lot at 8am. The early bird gets the worm!
Limited Spots!
Please RSVP to register for this free event through email.
Join your fellow members of BC Nature at the Annual General Meeting 2019 in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. The meeting is hosted by the Cowichan Valley Naturalists’ Society in Duncan.
The annual Noons Creek Hatchery Fingerling Festival at Noons Creek and the Port Moody skating arena. Help to release 40,000 young chum into Noons Creek and view displays from 70 environmental groups in the lower mainland. Enjoy the music, children’s activities, food, and fun!
From 11am-3pm. Parking around the Rec Centre will be a problem, so please consider walking or transit.
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.
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.
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.
Join the Friends of DeBoville Slough and the City of Coquitlam for a morning of good exercise while helping the environment. This will be the last session of the year when we work 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.
