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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December Update on Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Admin

Hi everyone, I would like to pass on a section from the update letter I received recently from the Great Canadian Shoreline Event group.

FALL SITE COORDINATOR UPDATE

Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, presented by Loblaw Companies Limited

17 December 2013

Dear Site Coordinator,

It was a truly amazing year as we celebrated our 20th anniversary, thank you so much for being a part of it!  Each and every single cleanup across Canada helps raise awareness of shoreline litter and its impacts on our waterways, and your role as a Site Coordinator is vital to this national program. We are currently reviewing the data you collected and will be releasing our findings in the New Year.

While you wait, here are some preliminary results:

•             Over 3,000 km of shoreline was cleaned

•             Nearly 100,000 kg of trash was collected

•             The number one item collected was cigarette butts; however, the majority of items collected were all single use food and beverage items

•             Bizarre findings this year included a typewriter, Saskatchewan Roughriders football jersey, top hat, rhinestone bra, garden gnome, toy astronaut and even a live hamster in a cage (who found a new home with one of the cleanup volunteers)

Also included in the newsletter  is an announcement that the program efforts are being expanded in 2014 to include both a Spring Cleanup and a Fall Cleanup.   This year I will have the opportunity to have the event posted well in advance and hope that many of us will set aside a few hours  that day to join in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.

Thank you,

Linda

Marine Trails, Parks & Conservation

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Thank You — Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Admin

Peter Kearney preparing salmon for volunteers' dinnerThank you Peter for BBQing the salmon again this year for the dinner. And thanks to Maureen, Barry, and everyone else who organized and attended the event!

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