This post has been contributed by Liron Gertsman, Volunteer with the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”). I have been following SPES since I moved into the West End a decade ago and I have been a member for three years. I wanted to offer the team an opportunity to share their news, events, and work so I have created “SPES Saturday” where they contribute and share stories with my audience once a month.
These Photos are for the Birds
Have you ever wanted to soar with birds? When I was younger, I had a lot of dreams about flying like a bird. Now I’m 14, and since then I have learned to soar with birds in my own way. I’m an avid bird watcher and photographer, and since those dreams of mine, I have amassed a life list of 694 bird species from North and South America and the Middle East.
Surf scoters in Stanley Park. Photo: Liron Gertsman
How did I go from dreaming about birds to becoming the birder, environmentalist and photographer that I am today? I owe a lot of my initial birding knowledge to the knowledgeable people at the Stanley Park Ecology Society. They accepted me, a 10 year old volunteer, on their monthly bird counts. At the time, I was what I would call a bird enthusiast. I loved bird watching, and thought I really knew my birds. However, what I learned about birds and nature from the people at SPES didn’t even compare to what I knew before. I was transformed from an enthusiastic little boy to a knowledgeable naturalist.
Pelagic cormorant in Stanley Park. Photo: Liron Gertsman
For instance, did you know that the waters of English Bay and Burrard Inlet surrounding Stanley Park are a critical wintering site for thousands of seabirds, particularly surf scoters? Every winter, peaking in late November, these birds can be seen numbering in the thousands along the Stanley Park Seawall. With their striking sturdy beaks, these sea ducks yank blue mussels from the Park’s rocky shores.
My photo of these birds – taken as I prepared to lead a SPES bird walk – won me a place in the Audubon 2015 Photo Awards Top 100 this past spring. By volunteering on the SPES monthly bird counts over the years (and now leading walks for SPES), I have not only seen thousands of birds, but I’ve also learned to identify every bird in the park by their sound.
Green-breasted mango, Costa Rica. Photo: Liron Gertsman
This August, I’m having an exhibit in downtown Vancouver’s Pendulum Gallery, located at 885 West Georgia Street. Because of what SPES has done for me, I think this gallery is an awesome way to give back. The exhibit, Soaring with Birds, is a fundraiser for SPES.
Drop in anytime from August 10-22, and feel free to inquire about purchasing my work to benefit SPES, or click here to donate directly to their Stanley Park conservation programs. Admission is free, and this exhibit will showcase 40 images of my best bird photography.
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — This post is sponsored by Festival Seekers and my summer assignment with Sunshine Coast Tourism Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
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This summer I have the enviable task of sharing adventures and writing about some of the Sunshine Coast’s many festivals through a partnership with FestivalSeekers. Once I’ve published my story for them, I’ll be posting an accompanying photo collage on Miss604. Follow all of these stories through my Sunshine Coast tag.
Pender Harbour Jazz Festival
Where: Garden Bay and Madeira Park in Pender Harbour, BC When: Friday, September 18th to Sunday, September 20th 2015
“This is a really great festival! We have world-class musicians, international and Canadian musicians, seven venues, three days of music, there are over twenty performances and only eight of them are ticketed, the rest is all free!”
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — This post is sponsored by FestivalSeekers.com Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
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Extend your summer with FestivalSeekers.com by entering to win a trip to Cranbrook, BC and the Kootenay Rockies Gran Fondo this September. Hosting three signature cycling events, and one unique warm up event at YXC airport, the world class Kootenay Rockies Gran Fondo is a biker’s dream.
Photo credit: Kootenay Rockies Gran Fondo
About the Kootenay Rockies Gran Fondo
Now in its third year, the Kootenay Rockies Gran Fondo is becoming a much loved and anticipated event not only by cyclists but also by the host city of Cranbrook. FestivalSeekers.com writer Leigh McAdam says, “I put it right up there as one of the friendliest gran fondos, too.”
On September 12th, there are three events in which riders can participate:
Piccolo Fondo: 57 kilometres starting at the beautiful St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino. Riding West 4.8 km on Mission Road, the route crosses Hwy. 95A and heads north to join the paved Rails to Trails connector to Kimberley (Aid Station at 26 km, and turn-around). Riding south on Rotary Drive to Knighton Road, riders rejoin the Rails to Trails and ride back to the St. Eugene’s Mission Golf Casino Resort.
Medio Fondo: 102 kilometres. Riding northwest 4.8 km on Mission Road, it crosses Hwy. 95A and heads north to join the paved Rails to Trails connector to Kimberley (1st Aid Station at 26 km) before continuing north along the quiet Meadowbrook Road (Hwy. 95A). At the Hwy. 95A/Hwy. 93 Junction, riders turn south crossing the Kootenay River (2nd Aid Station at 57 km) riding past Historic Fort Steele (3rd Aid Station at 80 km), before turning west at Hwy. 3 and reconnecting with Hwy. 95A to Mission Road and finishing at the St. Eugene’s Mission Golf Resort Casino.
Gran Fondo: The Gran Fondo ride is 152 kilometres. Riding west 4.8 km on Mission Road, the route crosses Hwy. 95A and heads north to join the paved North Star Rails to Trails connector to Kimberley (1st Aid Station at 26 km) before continuing north along the quiet Meadowbrook Road (Hwy. 95A). At the Hwy. 95A/Hwy. 93 Junction, riders turn south crossing the Kootenay River (2nd Aid Station 57 km) riding past Historic Ft. Steele (3rd Aid Station at 80 km), before turning east on Bull River Road. Crossing the Bull River, riders travel 25 km to the Fish Hatchery (4th Aid Station and turn around at 104 km) beneath the majestic Rocky Mountains before returning to Ft. Steele. Turning south on 93A and then left at Hwy. 3 to reconnect with Hwy. 95A to Mission Road for the final push to the St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino.
Ride the Runway at Cranbrook Airport YXC
A dream of bikers in the Cranbrook area, including Tristen Chernove, Managing Director of YXC Canadian Rockies International Airport, has been to create a weeklong festival surrounding the Gran Fondo, and each year the community moves closer to that goal. For 2015, YXC is launching a one-of-a-kind opportunity called “Ride the Runway”.
“We wanted to enhance the way that the airport interacted with the community as far as amazing public access beyond just arriving and departing.” Tristen says that it seemed like a natural fit to figure out a way to engage the community in an active way, especially since he is also always out on his mountain bike.
On September 11th from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, riders can take to the YXC runways to prepare for the Gran Fondo the following day. This will be a circuit race for 50 (first come, first served) Gran Fondo riders who can average a 35 km/h speed for 45 minutes over a 2km lap course on the main runway and taxi ways. All proceeds from this race will go to support the “Cranbrook to Wardner” bike/hike trail.
Photo credit: Kootenay Rockies Gran Fondo
“We’ve really been working hard over the last several years to have Cranbrook realize a bit more of its tourism potential,” Tristen adds that what makes the Kootenay Rockies Gran Fondo stand out is its stunning Rocky Mountain scenery and its variety of trails. Located in the widest part of the Columbia Valley, the area offers secondary roadways for riding (not just the highway) along with community forest land and spots for gravel grinding adventures.
Glenn Dobie, chairperson for the Kootenay Rockies Gran Fondo, says the tarmac ride that will help draw attention to the second annual gran fondo, which helps raise funds to promote cycling in the Cranbrook to Kimberley area and other charities.
It’s been a busy summer and even though the sun has disappeared behind the clouds to kick off another weekend, the fun will keep on coming! On top of free Friday events, there’s an anniversary celebration for FUSE at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday and another anniversary event for the beautiful VanDusen Botanical Garden on Sunday. Don’t forget to check out some free movie nights and the delicious offerings at your local farmers market. Have a great weekend!
Events that run for longer than three days in a row are highlighted in green below.
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Thanks to everyone who shared their photos with the Miss604 Flickr Pool and #Photos604 on Instagram. Here are a few of my picks this week solely from Flickr, embedded using their new script (with photo credit right on the image). Enjoy!
This post has been contributed by Liron Gertsman, Volunteer with the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”). I have been following SPES since I moved into the West End a decade ago and I have been a member for three years. I wanted to offer the team an opportunity to share their news, events, and work so I have created “SPES Saturday” where they contribute and share stories with my audience once a month.
