Join Us On Our Next Field Trip or Event.
Due to the ongoing COVID and respiratory illnesses, outings are limited to members only. Group sizes are limited, and the Club is not facilitating carpooling.
Listed below are upcoming and recent field trips and events of the Rocky Mountain Naturalists. Members welcome. Please let us know if you are interested.
Listed below are upcoming and recent field trips and events of the Rocky Mountain Naturalists. Members welcome. Please let us know if you are interested.
Early Morning Birding (Daryl)
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 - 8:00 am
This week we'll meet at the parking area for McGinty Lake at 8 am. This spot is situated east of Meadowbrook on the south side of Highway 95A, and west of the rest area where Cherry Creek crosses paths with 95A. It is about 2.2 kms west of the rest area and there is a sign reading Golden Rock Products. This turn off can be easily missed when travelling at the posted speed. On the north side of the highway, opposite the 'rock products' sign, there is a wide paved pullout. The trail head parking for McGinty Lake is a short distance along a dirt road which crosses a cattleguard. When we leave the vehicles, we shall walk along trails and dirt roads around the lake for a couple of hours. There may be an opportunity afterwards to visit Cherry Creek Falls nearby. Birders from Cranbrook may want to meet at the regular spot in the north end of the Tamarack Mall parking lot to arrange carpooling at 7:20 am.
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RMNats Club Camp 2023 - Tuesday, May 30 to Friday, June 2
We are beginning to get our club camp organized for this year! We will be going to Fairmont. If you are a camper, please visit the website for Spruce Grove and decide what kind of a site you want. When you phone their number, you will get Fairmont Hot Springs as they are doing the bookings. Spruce Grove opens up the week before the May long weekend. For those who don’t camp you might want to consider Fairmont Mountain Bungalows as they have various accommodation choices. There are also other accommodations in Fairmont if that is not to your liking! If you don't want to stay 3 nights, 2 nights is fine.
Little Big Day (Greg/Ruth)
Saturday, May 27, 2023 - 6:00 am to 6:00 pm
Each team will consist of 3 to 5 participants travelling in one vehicle or on the ground. Each team will select its own name which will be submitted at the supper final. The registration fee will be $25.00 per team. All registration fee money will be donated to a conservation effort in the East Kootenay. Identification of bird species for the event will occur between 6am and 6pm on May 27th within the Southern half Rocky Mtn Naturalist East Kootenay Bird Checklist (2016). The Alberta border is the eastern boundary, the American border is the southern boundary, the town of Canal Flats the northern boundary, and Ryan rest stop the western boundary. The height of land west of St. Mary Lake is also the western boundary. Participants will meet at the Lucky Star Restaurant in Cranbrook (6:30 PM cocktails 6:45 PM dinner) to submit their checklists and share their day. Dinner is not provided with the registration fee.
Bi-Monthly Meeting - COTR Rm #KC190
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 - 7:00 pm
There will be a very short, half hour business meeting. Ian Adams, a club member and BC Coordinator for the Key Biodiversity Areas with Wildlife Conservation Society Canada will have a short audio visual presentation on using iNaturalist and then we will head outside to the college grounds to practice using iNaturalist in the field. Please have the app downloaded on your phone.
Global Big Day Skookumchuck Prairie KBA
Saturday, May 13, 2023 - All Day
Global Big Day https://ebird.org/news/global-big-day-2023 is on Saturday, 13 May this year and my plan is to cover as much of the KBA as possible. With enough teams, we could divide it up into subareas, somewhat like we do for the Christmas Bird Counts but with less rules/restrictions. You could blitz your KBA subarea in a short amount of time and still have time to bird other spots in the region for your personal GBD list.
Note, that unlike the CBCs, you are not restricted to your map subarea. All and any checklists from within the KBA can be included. Do not worry about double-counting birds. All I ask is that the eBird Location you use be completely within the KBA, more or less.
Contact Dianne if you are interested.
Memorial Walk at Wasa
Sunday, May 7, 2023 - 9:00 am
Mildred White was one of the founding members of our naturalist club back in the mid 1980’s. One naturalist activity she was particularly fond of was looking for wildflowers on the ridge behind the Wasa Provincial Campground each spring. When she passed in 2001, the club continued with this outing now called the Mildred White Memorial Hike. Over the years, as we lost a few more members of our group, this annual outing became the Memorial Walk at Wasa.
We will walk about 3km and climb about 100 metres on this leisurely hike. Along the trail, we will be looking for wildflowers such as Shooting Stars, Drummond’s Rockcress, and Narrow-leaved Desert
Parsley. If we’re lucky, we could see Mourning Cloak or Milbert’s Tortoiseshell butterflies! We will be listening for birdsong from Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hammond’s Flycatchers or Cassin's Vireos to name a few.
This activity will be about 2 hours, with two groups going in opposite directions and is limited to 10 participants per group. Bring your usual supplies - water, binoculars, etc.
Elizabeth Lake Turtle Day
Wednesday, April 26, 2023 - 8:45 am - 4:30 pm
This year the RMNATS with our partner, Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) are again organizing Turtle Day. All events will take place in the area behind Elizabeth Lake Tourist Information Building. There is a school program with 3 schools of 2 Elementary classes each, rotating through 3 stations from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm. The Public Event is from 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm, taking place in the same area with the same events.
Read more on our blog at: www.rockymountainnaturalists.org/rmn-blog/turtle-day-2023
Cavity Nesting Group Outing at the Community Forest (Greg/Katrin)
Monday, March 27, 2023 - 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Meet at the 2nd parking lot on 2nd St S (the one with the gas line). We will be walking to Alkali Lake first. Approx 6km return of walking required to see all of the boxes (but you can always turn back sooner). Special gear recommended: grippers on footwear (or extreme care on ice) and snacks, water. This outing is rated as ‘hard’ as it is over 5km in length.
Cavity Nesting Group Outing at the Irrigation Fields (Greg/Katrin)
Friday, March 24, 2023 - 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Meet at the parking lot at Tamarack Mall between Staples and the trucker Husky and Boston Pizza (the ol’ regular spot for RMNat gatherings). Not walking, as all boxes are within 100-200m of the road. This is rated as an ‘easy’ outing.
Bi-Monthly Meeting - COTR Rm #KC190
Wednesday, March 15, 2023 - 7:00 pm
There will be a short slide presentation from BC Parks introducing iNaturalist and information about the BC Parks iNaturalist Project. In late April or early May, Ian Adams has volunteered to give us some in-the-field instruction and practice.
The Bi-Monthly meeting will follow the presentation.
RMNats Annual Winter Social - Jim Smith Lake
Sunday, February 26, 2023 - 2:00-6:00 pm
We will be offering two or three walks in the Jimsmith Lake area with differing levels of difficulty - a flat, easy snowshoe walk on the lake and one or two more challenging uphill walks to nearby viewpoints.
Following the walks there will be a campfire and wiener roast in the Jimsmith Lake Provincial Park campground. Those who don't wish to participate in a walk are invited to join us for the wiener roast.
Further details will be emailed to members closer to the date.
Great Backyard Bird Count - February 17 - 20, 2023
26th Annual, World-wide Event
Easy to participate. Fun to do alone, with family or friends. You do not have to be an avid birder to participate. Over one of the days or all four, identify and count the birds in your yard, neighbourhood or where you are recreating. These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before their annual migrations take place. Go right to Great Backyard Bird Count for more information on how to record your sightings.
A Rocky Mountain Naturalists Club Challenge - it would be great to have 20 or more members participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count.
After entering your counts on eBird, at the end of the 4 days, send Marianne your totals in the form of a Trip Report. A Trip Report is easy to generate through eBird from all the lists you submitted over the four days. Send your totals to Marianne by Wednesday, February 22 to be eligible for a random draw of two, $30.00 gift certificates to Interior Reforestation Ltd. Number of participants, number of total species and individuals, along with draw winners, will be announced on Friday, February 24. A good resource is the Merlin Bird ID app - free and easy to use.
Annual General Meeting and Bi-Monthly Meeting - COTR Rm #KC190
Wednesday, January 18, 2023 - 7:00 pm
The Annual General Meeting will take place commencing at 7:00 pm followed by the Bi-Monthly meeting.
New Year's Day Snowshoe (Daryl/Marianne)
Sunday, January 1, 2023 - 11:00 am
On New Year's Day, join Daryl and Marianne on a 5 km snowshoe on a primitive, packed trail through mixed woods and terrain. Trip rating is 'Moderate Plus' in terms of length and difficulty, and we'll be back to the vehicles in about 4 hours. The weather is forecast to be partly sunny with temperatures of -6c to -3c. Participants must wear snowshoes because snow is deep and the trail is fragile. This loop trail has an elevation gain of 200m with several steeper sections up and down, with more-or-less level sidehill traverses. At about the halfway point, at the top of a significant climb, we'll get a fire going fairly quickly for a wiener roast. Bring your own wiener, buns or lunch. We will bring sticks and condiments. Drive along King Street to a point about 5 kms NW of Cranbrook. Here, Wilks Road, a right hand turn, intersects King Street at the group mailboxes. Drive 1 km up the well marked Wilks Road to the turnaround at its end. Arrive early enough to be ready to start snowshoeing at 11:00. Dress in layers; there is a moderate uphill at the beginning. In addition to snowshoes, bring poles, your lunch, water and consider a camera and binoculars. There are 3 good viewpoints, with the warming fire at the 1st one. We'll stop from time to time to listen and watch for birds, and interpret some forest attributes. This outing is limited to 10 participants.
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 - 8:00 am
This week we'll meet at the parking area for McGinty Lake at 8 am. This spot is situated east of Meadowbrook on the south side of Highway 95A, and west of the rest area where Cherry Creek crosses paths with 95A. It is about 2.2 kms west of the rest area and there is a sign reading Golden Rock Products. This turn off can be easily missed when travelling at the posted speed. On the north side of the highway, opposite the 'rock products' sign, there is a wide paved pullout. The trail head parking for McGinty Lake is a short distance along a dirt road which crosses a cattleguard. When we leave the vehicles, we shall walk along trails and dirt roads around the lake for a couple of hours. There may be an opportunity afterwards to visit Cherry Creek Falls nearby. Birders from Cranbrook may want to meet at the regular spot in the north end of the Tamarack Mall parking lot to arrange carpooling at 7:20 am.
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RMNats Club Camp 2023 - Tuesday, May 30 to Friday, June 2
We are beginning to get our club camp organized for this year! We will be going to Fairmont. If you are a camper, please visit the website for Spruce Grove and decide what kind of a site you want. When you phone their number, you will get Fairmont Hot Springs as they are doing the bookings. Spruce Grove opens up the week before the May long weekend. For those who don’t camp you might want to consider Fairmont Mountain Bungalows as they have various accommodation choices. There are also other accommodations in Fairmont if that is not to your liking! If you don't want to stay 3 nights, 2 nights is fine.
Little Big Day (Greg/Ruth)
Saturday, May 27, 2023 - 6:00 am to 6:00 pm
Each team will consist of 3 to 5 participants travelling in one vehicle or on the ground. Each team will select its own name which will be submitted at the supper final. The registration fee will be $25.00 per team. All registration fee money will be donated to a conservation effort in the East Kootenay. Identification of bird species for the event will occur between 6am and 6pm on May 27th within the Southern half Rocky Mtn Naturalist East Kootenay Bird Checklist (2016). The Alberta border is the eastern boundary, the American border is the southern boundary, the town of Canal Flats the northern boundary, and Ryan rest stop the western boundary. The height of land west of St. Mary Lake is also the western boundary. Participants will meet at the Lucky Star Restaurant in Cranbrook (6:30 PM cocktails 6:45 PM dinner) to submit their checklists and share their day. Dinner is not provided with the registration fee.
Bi-Monthly Meeting - COTR Rm #KC190
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 - 7:00 pm
There will be a very short, half hour business meeting. Ian Adams, a club member and BC Coordinator for the Key Biodiversity Areas with Wildlife Conservation Society Canada will have a short audio visual presentation on using iNaturalist and then we will head outside to the college grounds to practice using iNaturalist in the field. Please have the app downloaded on your phone.
Global Big Day Skookumchuck Prairie KBA
Saturday, May 13, 2023 - All Day
Global Big Day https://ebird.org/news/global-big-day-2023 is on Saturday, 13 May this year and my plan is to cover as much of the KBA as possible. With enough teams, we could divide it up into subareas, somewhat like we do for the Christmas Bird Counts but with less rules/restrictions. You could blitz your KBA subarea in a short amount of time and still have time to bird other spots in the region for your personal GBD list.
Note, that unlike the CBCs, you are not restricted to your map subarea. All and any checklists from within the KBA can be included. Do not worry about double-counting birds. All I ask is that the eBird Location you use be completely within the KBA, more or less.
Contact Dianne if you are interested.
Memorial Walk at Wasa
Sunday, May 7, 2023 - 9:00 am
Mildred White was one of the founding members of our naturalist club back in the mid 1980’s. One naturalist activity she was particularly fond of was looking for wildflowers on the ridge behind the Wasa Provincial Campground each spring. When she passed in 2001, the club continued with this outing now called the Mildred White Memorial Hike. Over the years, as we lost a few more members of our group, this annual outing became the Memorial Walk at Wasa.
We will walk about 3km and climb about 100 metres on this leisurely hike. Along the trail, we will be looking for wildflowers such as Shooting Stars, Drummond’s Rockcress, and Narrow-leaved Desert
Parsley. If we’re lucky, we could see Mourning Cloak or Milbert’s Tortoiseshell butterflies! We will be listening for birdsong from Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hammond’s Flycatchers or Cassin's Vireos to name a few.
This activity will be about 2 hours, with two groups going in opposite directions and is limited to 10 participants per group. Bring your usual supplies - water, binoculars, etc.
Elizabeth Lake Turtle Day
Wednesday, April 26, 2023 - 8:45 am - 4:30 pm
This year the RMNATS with our partner, Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) are again organizing Turtle Day. All events will take place in the area behind Elizabeth Lake Tourist Information Building. There is a school program with 3 schools of 2 Elementary classes each, rotating through 3 stations from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm. The Public Event is from 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm, taking place in the same area with the same events.
Read more on our blog at: www.rockymountainnaturalists.org/rmn-blog/turtle-day-2023
Cavity Nesting Group Outing at the Community Forest (Greg/Katrin)
Monday, March 27, 2023 - 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Meet at the 2nd parking lot on 2nd St S (the one with the gas line). We will be walking to Alkali Lake first. Approx 6km return of walking required to see all of the boxes (but you can always turn back sooner). Special gear recommended: grippers on footwear (or extreme care on ice) and snacks, water. This outing is rated as ‘hard’ as it is over 5km in length.
Cavity Nesting Group Outing at the Irrigation Fields (Greg/Katrin)
Friday, March 24, 2023 - 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Meet at the parking lot at Tamarack Mall between Staples and the trucker Husky and Boston Pizza (the ol’ regular spot for RMNat gatherings). Not walking, as all boxes are within 100-200m of the road. This is rated as an ‘easy’ outing.
Bi-Monthly Meeting - COTR Rm #KC190
Wednesday, March 15, 2023 - 7:00 pm
There will be a short slide presentation from BC Parks introducing iNaturalist and information about the BC Parks iNaturalist Project. In late April or early May, Ian Adams has volunteered to give us some in-the-field instruction and practice.
The Bi-Monthly meeting will follow the presentation.
RMNats Annual Winter Social - Jim Smith Lake
Sunday, February 26, 2023 - 2:00-6:00 pm
We will be offering two or three walks in the Jimsmith Lake area with differing levels of difficulty - a flat, easy snowshoe walk on the lake and one or two more challenging uphill walks to nearby viewpoints.
Following the walks there will be a campfire and wiener roast in the Jimsmith Lake Provincial Park campground. Those who don't wish to participate in a walk are invited to join us for the wiener roast.
Further details will be emailed to members closer to the date.
Great Backyard Bird Count - February 17 - 20, 2023
26th Annual, World-wide Event
Easy to participate. Fun to do alone, with family or friends. You do not have to be an avid birder to participate. Over one of the days or all four, identify and count the birds in your yard, neighbourhood or where you are recreating. These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before their annual migrations take place. Go right to Great Backyard Bird Count for more information on how to record your sightings.
A Rocky Mountain Naturalists Club Challenge - it would be great to have 20 or more members participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count.
After entering your counts on eBird, at the end of the 4 days, send Marianne your totals in the form of a Trip Report. A Trip Report is easy to generate through eBird from all the lists you submitted over the four days. Send your totals to Marianne by Wednesday, February 22 to be eligible for a random draw of two, $30.00 gift certificates to Interior Reforestation Ltd. Number of participants, number of total species and individuals, along with draw winners, will be announced on Friday, February 24. A good resource is the Merlin Bird ID app - free and easy to use.
Annual General Meeting and Bi-Monthly Meeting - COTR Rm #KC190
Wednesday, January 18, 2023 - 7:00 pm
The Annual General Meeting will take place commencing at 7:00 pm followed by the Bi-Monthly meeting.
New Year's Day Snowshoe (Daryl/Marianne)
Sunday, January 1, 2023 - 11:00 am
On New Year's Day, join Daryl and Marianne on a 5 km snowshoe on a primitive, packed trail through mixed woods and terrain. Trip rating is 'Moderate Plus' in terms of length and difficulty, and we'll be back to the vehicles in about 4 hours. The weather is forecast to be partly sunny with temperatures of -6c to -3c. Participants must wear snowshoes because snow is deep and the trail is fragile. This loop trail has an elevation gain of 200m with several steeper sections up and down, with more-or-less level sidehill traverses. At about the halfway point, at the top of a significant climb, we'll get a fire going fairly quickly for a wiener roast. Bring your own wiener, buns or lunch. We will bring sticks and condiments. Drive along King Street to a point about 5 kms NW of Cranbrook. Here, Wilks Road, a right hand turn, intersects King Street at the group mailboxes. Drive 1 km up the well marked Wilks Road to the turnaround at its end. Arrive early enough to be ready to start snowshoeing at 11:00. Dress in layers; there is a moderate uphill at the beginning. In addition to snowshoes, bring poles, your lunch, water and consider a camera and binoculars. There are 3 good viewpoints, with the warming fire at the 1st one. We'll stop from time to time to listen and watch for birds, and interpret some forest attributes. This outing is limited to 10 participants.
Fill in the form below for more field trip info. [We do not share your contact info)
The fossil box at Nature Bob's Interpretive Centre at Mount Fernie Alpine Resort.
Photo - Greg
