Bowen Island Trip Report – April 13, 2014

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Admin

We caught the 9 am ferry from Horseshoe Bay made our way over to Bowen Bay and launched about 10:20 . Conditions were almost perfect with a slight outflow wind and a small ebb tide making the paddle over to the east end Worlcombe Island fast and pleasant. We continued along the rugged south shore of Worlcombe and then touched each of the Popham islands before proceeding north along the west shore of Hermitage Island. We landed at approximately 12:30 on the small peninsular known as ‘Little Hermitage' where we enjoyed lunch in the warmth of the sun. After lunch we paddled to and around the small islands to the north of the archipelago, back down to Pasley Island and then across the channel to Bowen Bay for the take out. We landed about 2:45 pm. The distance covered was just over 8 nautical miles. The group were very congenial, everyone stayed together and everyone did well. As usual at this time of the year it was very quiet with very little boat traffic. The were many migrating birds, mainly ducks and scoters but with some shoreline birds.

6 of us reconvened at the pub in Snug Cove for refreshments before catching the 5 pm ferry back to Horseshoe Bay.

This is a good destination for an easy trip either early in the season or in the fall. I would be pleased to lead this trip for SKABC in April 2015.

Submitted by Tony Clayton

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Nominate an Endangered River

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Admin

Hello to everyone,

Please find the below forwarded email from the Outdoor Research Council of BC where we state that we are in the preparation of the 2014 Endangered Rivers List. Individual nominations as well as group nominations of ORC’s membership organizations will be reviewed.

I invite participation as well as collaboration on making one or several nominations to this project.

I for one consider the Coquitlam River hugely compromised and I feel the recreation level has been overlooked and considered minimal. It seems like with the onslaught of building up the mountain as quickly as possible overrode the actual impact and future impact of this watershed on many levels.

Please take time to consider a familiar river or a river of interest that has provoked your interest in the way it is being used for development or other use or future plans for its use.

Nominate individually or send your river of interest and other information to me and I will submit ‘a river’ of concern on behalf of the Sea Kayaking Association of British Columbia.

Thanks for your time,…
Linda Rushow
SKABC Conservation Officer
Email: Conservation1@skabc.org
----------------------------------------------

From: Outdoor Recreation Council of BC [mailto:outdoorrec@orcbc.ca]
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2014 11:22 AM

NOMINATE A BC RIVER FOR THE 2014 ENDANGERED RIVERS LIST

The Outdoor Recreation Council of BC (ORC) will publish its 2014 Endangered Rivers List in April. Rivers included in the List will be those on which public recreation is considered by ORC's Endangered Rivers Committee to be the most endangered or threatened. The Committee will review nominations from members of ORC's member organizations and other individuals active in outdoor recreation. Persons or organizations making a nominations are requested to provide as much of the information listed below as possible. Public recreation which might be threatened or endangered might include fishing, canoeing, kayaking, birdwatching, hiking or just walking by the river.

To make a nomination please go to: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1xNW0B7DjT0gerWIvCoWAiq9aEHgaIrfvVuhHF7PSru8/viewform

Or go to the home page of the Outdoor Recreation Council website at www.orcbc.ca and follow the links

In 2013 the Peace River was nominated by more than 200 individuals and organizations as a result of which it headed the 2013 list by a wide margin and the environmental assessment process for the proposed Site C dam on the Peace is now under way. In 2014 we are looking for nominations for threatened rivers other than the Peace, such as the Similkameen (high dam proposal south of Princeton) and the Fraser (toxic waste plant near Chilliwack). There will undoubtedly be others! And the more nominations the better so we can develop a comprehensive and informative list.

Please distribute this request for nominations to members of your organizations and to as many other members of the recreating public as possible.

Thank you for participating in this important annual survey

Jeremy McCall

Jeremy McCall
Executive Director
Outdoor Recreation Council of British Columbia
47 West Broadway
Vancouver BC V5Y 1P1
604-873-5546
outdoorrec@orcbc.ca

"Promoting access to and responsible use of BC's public lands and waters for public outdoor recreation"

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Spring Fling Paddle and Social May 3

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Admin

The annual SKABC SPRING FLING is May 3, 2014. We'll meet up at Deep Cove where kayak rentals are available, and paddle to Thwaites Landing for lunch. Social following in North Vancouver. Current members will find RSVP and launch details here.

Fabulous Door Prizes

For members we have a draw.  Zeballos Expeditions has donated a free dinner for two (value $60) at the Blue Heron, as well as a water taxi from Zeballos to Rosa Island in Nuchatlitz  for 6 people & kayaks (pre-booking necessary to assure availability) (value $400).

To be eligible for the draw members must RSVP 48 hours in advance of the event.

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Past Meeting: Tuesday March 4, 2014

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Admin

"JELLYFISH IN B.C. AND AROUND THE WORLD WITH LUCAS BROTZ"

Vancouver kayak club speaker photo of jellyfish bloom

A bloom of moon jellyfish (Aurelia sp.) near Denmark. (Credit: Casper Tybjerg, http://www.ttf.dk.)

Jellyfish populations are increasing in numerous ecosystems around the globe. Not surprisingly, these increases are not uniform in time and space. So why are jellyfish increasing in some places and not others? What are the consequences for humans and ecosystems? Are we seeing similar changes in local waters? And what, if anything, can we do to manage or prevent increasing jellyfish blooms?

 

Vancouver kayak club speaker with jellyfish

Lucas Brotz dives with a lion's mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) in Indian Arm, BC.(Credit: Conor McCracken).

Join jellyfish researcher and UBC PhD student Lucas Brotz on March 4, 2014, as he discusses the answers to these and other pressing questions with the Sea Kayak Association of BC. Learn about giant jellyfish in Japan, deadly jellies in Australia, and many of the species you are likely to see closer to home. Do you know what to do if a jellyfish stings you? Be there on March 4th to find out.

Doors open at 7pm at the Vancouver Museum, meeting starts at 7:30, public welcome!

 

 

 

MAP OF POPULATION TRENDS OF NATIVE AND INVASIVE SPECIES OF JELLYFISH BY LME.

Kayak club speaker topic - jellyfish distribution map

Red: increase (high certainty); orange: increase (low certainty); green stable/variable; blue decrease, grey: no data. Circles represent jellyfish populations with relative sizes reflecting confidence in the data. (Brotz et al, Hydrobiologia).

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January BCMTN update – event on June 21

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Admin

Hi all,

Please find an update of one event planned by the BCMTN.

Right now, the BC Marine Trails sites are shown as icons on the website map but as yet there are no signs on any of the sites themselves – they are physically ‘invisible’.  This does not help us, the BCMTN, increase their profile, which we need to do to gain support for the initiative from paddlers, the public, and potential stakeholders (land owners, commercial accommodations on the shorelines, etc).

The first BCMTN sign raising is taking place on June 21, 2014, at Musgrave Point, Salt Spring Island and we are wanting to promote the event and celebrate it big!!  We are appealing to members of all 11 BCMTN member clubs (SKABC is one) to help put on a big show.

If you are able to make the day or make it a weekend paddling event for you & your friends please find more information below.  The  BCMTN are asking for volunteers, especially from the local clubs.

Basic Plan for now:  Things are subject to change as we are still ~ 5months away from the celebration.

1.       Some weeks ahead of time – volunteers will do some site improvement – build a trail up to upland camping area, add a picnic table or two, fix up the outhouse, etc.

2.       Evening of Jun 20 – volunteers will arrive, camp overnight, prepare cooking area and canopy over sign raising area.

3.       June 21 around 11am – rest of paddlers, guests (some dignitaries, some people connected with early history of BCMTA) and media will arrive – launching from various launch points nearby

4.       With great fanfare, we ‘raise’ the sign

5.       Big barbeque dinner prepared by volunteers

6.       After celebration and dinner some paddlers will leave, others will opt to stay the night, perhaps do a day paddle somewhere in the area the next day before going home.

If you might be interested in taking part in this event in June, let me know and I can let the committee know and provide you with more details.  This will also provide the organizing committee with enthusiasm levels for the event.

During the months prior to this event, we will be attempting to gain permission to put up more signs – BC Parks and National Parks campsites, and community access points.  These signs will hopefully steadily go up all summer long, making the BCMTN Gulf Islands PA visible to all.

Thanks for your time & on a final note:

Promotional Items:  If you are interested in a hat with the BCMTN logo, for $17 each, let me know and I will try and get them here asap.

Linda Rushlow

Marine Trails, Parks and Conservation

SKABC

 

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