Field Trip Descriptions/Date
Remember: These trips are optional, but can improve your final grade by up to 10%. They are also a great opportunity to learn something new!
Lighthouse Park: Saturday, September 24. 9am-1pm: Explore Lighthouse Park with Richard. The park marks the point where Burrard Inlet meets Howe Sound. The rock you see here is old – primarily granitic and varying in age from 96 to 187 million years. Most is blanketed by forest, including huge Douglas fir, western hemlock and western red cedar trees. You’ll also see a variety of mosses, lichens, fungi, animals, insects, birds and sea life. Private or public transportation. Max. 10 students (5%)
Lynn Canyon: Saturday, October 8, 9am-1pm: Explore the natural beauty and history of our temperate rainforests with Richard on a walk through Lynn Canyon. Become aware of the animals that live in this rainforest. Use tracks and signs to understand where animals have been and what they have been doing in the forest. Private or public transportation. Max. 10 students (5%)
Weaver Creek Spawning Channel, Saturday 15 Oct: Head to Weaver Creek (near Harrison) with Dr. Scott Hinch (salmon expert), Amanda and Peter for a day-long trip where you will see different species of salmon, especially sockeye, creating their next generation. This is an outstanding opportunity to see (and touch!) spawning salmon, which is an amazing sight, plus to learn about current research in the Fish Conservation lab. Max. 56. Cost $10 to defray the cost of transport; you must pay to reserve your spot. This will be a long, fun day leave at 7am, return c. 5pm. (5%)
Mt. Seymour Provincial Park, Sat, Nov 19, 11am-3pm and Sat Dec 3, 11am-3pm: Join Richard on a snowshoe hike in the park. A special feature of the trail system are the two scenic lakes and old growth forests in which we can look for animal tracks and listen for bird calls. Please only sign up for this trip if you are able to bring your own snow shoes or rent or borrow them in advance. Private of public transportation. If you use public (Translink) transportation you also need to take a shuttle bus up the mountain ($12). Max. 10 students (5%)
Pacific Spirit Regional Park: after class 30 Sep, 3-6pm; Oct 21 3-6pm: Head into our local Pacific Spirit Regional Park for a walk with Peter. Learn about trees, forest processes, fungi, and consider questions like: Is Pacific Spirit Park big enough to conserve wildlife? Does PSP include ‘old growth’ forest? Would it be wise to remove dead wood for the production of bio-fuels in PSP? Walks will start right after lecture and involve a walk to 16th Ave via West Mall. Max. 15 students (2.5%).
Reed Point Marine Education Centre, Port Moody, Saturday Oct 22. 1-4pm. Go for a plankton tow in a research boat and explore local marine animals in touch tanks and aquaria with Drs. Rod MacVicar (Director) and Jean Marcus (UBC Campus Sustainability) . Visit will last about 3 hours on site, private or public transportation. Cost is $20/person. Max. 20 students (5%).
Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary: Sat, Nov 26th, 9am-1pm. In November migratory snow geese and many ducks and shorebirds occupy the Fraser Delta in huge numbers (up to 12 million). We’ll visit Reifel Island to walk amongst these birds, and the predators that associate with them (last year a Cooper’s hawk captured a pigeon in front of us). We’ll take 1 UBC van and private cars to meet in the parking lot at Reifel and spend a half day (c. 9AM-1PM) identifying and talking about birds. Max. 25, Van from UBC limit (12); transport/entry cost $10/student, or entry only for drivers (5%).
Totem Field, after class Nov 4 and 11 Nov (3-5:30pm). Learn how we use DNA technology and ‘common gardens’ to address conservation issues. Join Peter in a brief visit to a Genetics lab and the common gardens installed at Totem Field (2.5%). Max.8 per trip.
Self-guided field trips: Due to the large size of our course we cannot provide enough guided trips to give all students an opportunity to earn extra-credit marks. We therefore offer a range of suggested ‘self-guided’ trips. Peter will explained in more detail on Sep 16 how to complete these trips, and how to propose your own unique ideas for self-guided trips or for guided trips offered by local or national conservation organizations.
Self-guided field trips are easily completed by attending tours/lectures by groups such as Stanley Park Ecological Society, Vancouver Natural History Society, Vancouver Mycological Society, Western Canada Wilderness Committee, Lynn Valley Ecological Centre, Capilano Salmon Hatchery or others you find. To receive extra-credit for these activities you will be required to write a brief report (1 pg, double-spaced) detailing your destination, topics discussed and one or two key ‘lessons’, and to also provide positive documentation of your presence on the trip, preferably as picture of you on the trip (e.g., with the group/guide, in front of a sign or other identifiable object, etc.) imbedded in your 1pg write-up. In general, public lectures or half-day trips count as 2.5%, full day trips 5%, weekend trips 10%. Truly self-guided trips, e.g., your own excursion to a salmon spawning stream, to visit an ‘old growth’ coastal or interior forest, or compile a list of winter wildlife or tree species on a backcountry adventure, can also count up to 10% depending on the potential for learning. For those interested in learning about activism, environmental law or social aspects of conservation, which are important topics not emphasized in this course, consider approaching a group like Sierra Legal, Suzuki Foundation, Western Canada Wilderness Committee, World Wildlife Fund or other group about volunteer opportunities which could take the place of a ‘self-guided’ trip. Please note, however, that all self-guided trips need to be discussed in advance with Peter to insure that the goals of the trip match those of the course, to discuss how to document your trip and what you learned sufficiently and to determine how much extra-credit might apply.
Some examples of Self-guided Trips
Beatty Biodiversity Museum. The Beatty Biodiversity Museum opens on the 26 October to display an impressive array of items and issues related to biodiversity conservation, evolution, ecology and natural history, including the world’s largest reconstructed blue whale skeleton. We will develop a series of tasks that individual students can completed to get credit for the ‘self-guided’ tour (2.5%).
Snow Geese in Richmond. Snow geese winter in huge numbers in the Fraser River Delta and can be watched feeding, resting and avoiding predators in spectacular flights of thousands of birds from late October through November from the dyke at the far west side of Richmond (access at end of Westminster Hwy, or Blundell, Tracey or Williams Ave). Completing this self-guided trip will require documenting your visit to the dyke once the geese have arrived, and doing a bit of web-based on research to learn where these birds originate and why their populations may be growing (5%).
Vancouver Natural History Society. The VNHS offer many programs for interested naturalists of all ages. Evening lectures are offered about monthly (http://naturevancouver.ca/events/birding_programs) and can be attended for a 2.5% trip credit. Many guided field trips are also offered at various locations monthly, as part of long-term monitoring programs conducted by volunteers (http://www.naturevancouver.ca/Main_Field_Trips). Both of these opportunities are excellent ways to meet others interested in natural history and conservation, and to learn about the natural history and conservation of species in our region. Credit may vary between 2.5-5% depending on trip length, and should be discussed IN ADVANCE with Peter.
Metro Vancouver Regional Parks. This group hosts many public programs (http://www.parkpartners.ca/) potentially suitable as self-guided trips.
Many other opportunities to learn or contribute to biodiversity conservation may also be proposed to Peter. Make sure to discuss these in advance to insure that reporting criteria and credit can be determined.
