It will be an evening of photos, food and the fun of a silent auction at the Burke Mountain Naturalists’ annual general meeting on Tuesday, December 8th. Browse and bid on items and gift certificates donated by local businesses, plus items and services donated by BMN members. There will be a bake table with tasty items for sale, and volunteers from the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society will sell fresh holly and other seasonal greenery. Funds raised will be donated to the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC, a not-for-profit society that provides professional care and rehabilitation for injured, orphaned or pollution-damaged wildlife. This has been the Rescue group’s busiest year on record, and more than 5000 animals have received care at the facility on Burnaby Lake. The work of Wildlife Rescue is funded through donations, grants and bequests. *If you wish to make a tax-receipted donation, please email BurkeMtnNats at gmail dot com*.
The December 8th meeting will include a brief AGM, seasonal refreshments and live music, after which BMN president Ian McArthur will present a slideshow featuring highlights of the past year’s hikes, invasive plant removal parties, nest box cleaning, public nature walks and other BMN activities. BMN enters its 27th year in the community this year and always welcomes new members.
This meeting also provides an opportunity to sign up for the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count held on Saturday, January 2nd. Every year for the past 22 years, the Naturalists have collected data on the numbers and species of wintering birds in the Tri-Cities area as part of the larger Audubon North American census. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is the world’s longest running wildlife census, now in its 115th year, and involves over 60,000 birders. Participation is free, and anyone interested in joining a team of birders can contact BMN at BurkeMtnNats at gmail dot com.