I always love the opportunity to get out on the waters of the Salish Sea but on a crisp October morning last year, I was particularly excited. My friend Laura and I were meeting up with San Juan Cruises at the Bellingham Alaska Ferry Terminal to board the Victoria Star, one of five vessels in the company’s fleet. We joined a group of other guests for a full day Deluxe Whale Watching Tour.
Whale Watching with San Juan Cruises
The fully narrated tour departs from Bellingham Bay, where you’ll learn about the city’s origins as you sail towards the San Juan Islands. I’m fairly familiar with their Gulf Island cousins across the border, but it was great to hear the history of Lummi Island, Sinclair Island, Blakely Island, Cypress Island, Orcas Island, Shaw Island, and Lopez Island which were all introduced as we passed by.
We spent the morning winding through the channels’ emerald waters, waves lapping at rocky shores of forested islands, some with their own airplane runways, and others home to cabins with well-appointed seaside patios, complete with Muskoka chairs. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
The 2nd annual Richmond Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates the arrival of Spring and blooming of the cherry blossoms.
When: Sunday, April 8, 2018 11:00am to 4:00pm
Where: Garry Point Park, Richmond
Admission: Free and open to the public
In Japan, cherry blossoms are known as sakura, which are a special flower to the people and the country. The cherry blossom signifies a time of renewal and the cycle of life. Two weeks after the peak of the cherry blossom’s bloom, the pedals begin to fall.
The cherry blossom celebration includes picnics under the cherry trees with food and drinks, shared with friends and family—this is a tradition known as hanami which translates to “watching blossoms,” and can be traced back hundreds of years.
The Richmond Cherry Blossom Festival is set amongst 255 Akebono cherry blossom trees at Garry Point Park, on the mouth of the Fraser River. The festival will feature a day of traditional Japanese music and dance performances, delicious food options and fun activities as celebrated in Japan.
Food Options
Visit the Matsuri Tent where traditional bento boxes and green tea will be sold from Takaya. There will also be a few Japanese inspired food trucks and Pajo’s Fish & Chips will be open too.
Activities
The festival will have two stages in the Sakura Tent and Kuno Tent programmed with traditional Japanese dance, Taiko drumming and other talented musicians.
For more information, follow the City of Richmond events team @FunRichmond for more information.
HMCS Discovery will be opening Deadman’s Island in Coal Harbour to the public for guided tours and free boat rides in the harbour on March 24th. Deadman’s Island is only open to the public ever few years! This is a rare opportunity to explore this historic property and learn more about the local Navy presence in Vancouver.
HMCS Discovery Open House
Where: HMCS DISCOVERY (1200 Stanley Park Drive)
When: Saturday, March 24, 2018 from 10:00am to 3:00pm
Tickets: FREE! Simply register online in advance here »
HMCS Discovery will have many events taking place at Deadman’s Island throughout the day, including boat rides, specific information about the trades of the Naval Reserve, and the recruiting bus.
The event will also feature the Canadian Army Reserve and the extended Naval family:
- Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
- 39 Service Battalion
- 39 Combat Engineers
- Royal Canadian Sea Cadets
- Navy League Cadets
- Vancouver Naval Museum
Attendees must have a government-issued photo ID (minors may attend with a parent or guardian who has an ID). Boat rides are on a first come first served basis. Be sure to RSVP to take part in this exclusive event!
Follow the HMCS Discovery on Facebook and Twitter for more info.
The 7th Macaron Day in Vancouver is coming up on March 20th, joining bakeries, cafes and bistros around the world to support local causes, one sweet treat at a time.
Macaron Day
Macaron Day was founded in France (le jour du macaron) by Pierre Hermé years ago. It’s a day to celebrate the colours of spring with a bright palette of treats. Macaron Day events will be happening overseas, in New York, and in Toronto. Over the last few years it has become a Vancouver tradition as well.
Macarons (not to be confused with macaroons) are meringue-based confections commonly filled with buttercream or jam with a delicate soft and crunchy outer shell. All you need to do is visit a participating “Macaron Day” bakery or cafe on March 20th and you’ll be given a macaron and be invited to make a donation their chosen charity.
Participants and Causes
1) Bon Macaron for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
2823 W Broadway, Vancouver
When you purchase 6 macarons at any of their locations, $5 from each purchase will be donated to BC Children’s Hospital. Bon Macaron is also hosting a Macaron Day contest.
2) Soirette for Make a Wish Foundation BC Yukon.
1433 W Pender, Vancouver
Soirette is offering a box of 6 macarons for half price and 100% of sales from the first 50 boxes will benefit Make a Wish BC.
3) Meinhardt South Granville for Africa Community Technical Society.
3002 Granville St, Vancouver
Meinhardt is giving out salted caramel macarons between 2:00 and 6:00pm. They will also donate $5 to Africa Community Technical Society for every 6pc box sold.
4) TWG Tea
1070 W Georgia St
Select various hued gift boxes of 6, 12 or 20-count of TWG’s signature tea-infused macarons, priced at $18, $36, and $72 respectively. Enjoy a special 1 for 1 promotion on all macarons purchased between 20th to 22nd March 2018, while stocks lasts at the TWG Tea Salon & Boutique on West Georgia. *Note: No charity component for this promotion.
Do you know of any more locations? The list will be updated as offerings and specials are announced.
This post has been contributed by Greg Hart, Urban Wildlife Coordinator with the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”).
Grab a Bird’s Eye View of Stanley Park’s Herons
Stanley Park’s Heron Cam
First Herons of the Year in Tree (Photo: Heron Cam/Vancouver Park Board)
The Pacific great blue herons have finally returned to their nesting trees in Stanley Park. This year’s arrival was quite abrupt. Before this past week, the herons had only been seen in and around the colony nests for a few fleeting moments. Then, suddenly, late Sunday afternoon (March 11), eleven males claimed nests. Monday morning—setting up just before dawn and completely unphased by daylight saving time—a few more birds joined their ranks squawking away in the trees by the Vancouver Park Board offices. As of this writing (March 15), more than 50 herons can be seen squabbling for nests and partners.
Pacific great blue herons are a Species at Risk in BC. We are quite fortunate to have such a large colony within such a busy urban area. Stanley Park Brewing, the Vancouver Park Board, and Stanley Park Ecology Society all have the heron’s best interests in mind. Stanley Park Brewing has adjusted their construction schedule at the old Fish House Restaurant site to postpone the majority of the outdoor work until after the breeding season.
Only the male herons bring twigs to the nest. (Photo: Martin Passchier)
The Park Board has developed a new management plan in consultation with biologists from the Ministry of Environment and Environment Canada to ensure the construction and park activities do not cause distress to the birds. Stanley Park Brewing has also hired an independent environmental monitor to be on-site daily to ensure that human activity is not disturbing the colony.
Heron fishing in Lost Lagoon (Photo: Greg Hart/SPES)
Stanley Park Ecology Society continues to monitor the colony’s size, productivity, and success rate. We are all thrilled to see the herons behaving as they normally would this time of year. Currently, 41 nests are occupied with herons. These nests are the ones closest to the Park Board offices. Historically, these are always the first nests to be settled and claimed. Over the next couple weeks, we expect to see more and more herons continue to return, pair up, and raise fledglings.
The Heron Cam is now live! Watch all the excitement and drama unfold during this breeding season.
Here’s a snapshot of recent jousting activity between males:
New for the year, Stanley Park Ecology Society will provide live nature interpretation at the heron colony every week. You can help support our monitoring and education programs by Adopting-a-Heron-Nest.
If you have questions or would like to know more about these birds, email us or join us at the colony! We’ll see you there.
About SPES Saturday
As a member of the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”), I wanted to offer the organization an opportunity to share their news, events, and work so I created the “SPES Series” years ago. This is where SPES can contribute and share stories with my audience once a month. Follow SPES on Facebook for more information.
