Come join us this Saturday, May 11^th! In partnership with Metro Vancouver, we will be planting 500+ trees at Centennial Beach in Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta. If you are interested in taking part, please email execassistant@northwestwildlife.com. We still have a few spots remaining!

From our 25th Anniversary Tree Planting Event

As NWPS Communications Intern, Julie Whittet, concludes her internship with us last week, she reflects on her time spent working with our society. Read on below for a glimpse into her experience over the last six months.

Julie (left) helping coordinate our tree planting event last October

Last October, when I first interviewed to intern with Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society, I was keen to get some hands-on experience working with an environmental non-profit.  Not only did I gain that experience, helping NWPS get their messages into the media and out to the public, but I've also come away with a new appreciation for the everyday connections we have with wildlife.

Thanks to Darren Colello - NWPS' in-house expert of all things zoological – I have learned just how much biodiversity can be found locally, in and around Metro Vancouver.  It has been a real privilege to quiz Darren's encyclopedic knowledge of wildlife when working in the office:  Is it possible that the exotic cat I spotted in the bushes of my ravine was a lynx? Or, what was that strange speckled bird watching me eat my lunch on the patio at Whole Foods? Now, whenever I'm near a waterfront, I'm on the lookout for colourfully plumed blue-winged teals and the elegant silhouette of the great blue heron - and I can now proudly identify the families of house finches, juncos, and spotted towhees vying for their turn at my bird-feeder. 

During my time with Northwest I was able to share this enthusiasm with the broader public, at many events across the lower mainland.  I spoke with the campus community at the Langara College volunteer fair, I joined other preservation groups and local residents to learn about the annual return of spawning salmon at the Hyde Creek Salmon Festival, I even had a crash course in planting a first-stage forest for NWPS' 25^th Anniversary Celebration.  At each event I was impressed to find that people of all ages and from all backgrounds share a genuine curiosity about the welfare of our regional wildlife.

As a recent communications grad, I've been able to explore new ways of using words and images to engage citizens in the stewardship of our natural environment.  Following the lead of Kristine Krynitzki - NWPS' Executive Assistant – I learned that getting a message across is all about finding creative ways of connecting with people: through press releases, e-newsletters, updates on Facebook and blog posts like this one.  I couldn't have asked for a more rewarding internship, and will miss having such a kind and talented team to work with.

Thanks to everyone at Northwest for giving me this unique opportunity to help preserve the wild places that make living in B.C. so special.

 

All the best,

 

Julie

This Valentine’s Day, celebrate happy, healthy relationships and your commitment to Canada’s wonderful wildlife by making a donation in your loved one's name to Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society.

Jacqueline Crivillo, Your Shot, National Geographic 

While they won’t celebrate Valentine’s Day with a card and flowers, beavers take this time of the year to find that special someone to call their own. Once they mate, these family-oriented creatures will make a home together. Grey wolves show their love by sticking together in packs, working as a team to defend their territory, find food and raise their pups. A pair of Canada geese will defend and raise their young together after mating, year after year. Much like with humans, the hormone oxytocin plays a role in helping prairie voles bond. Once a bond is formed, it is unbreakable for the remainder of these small mammals’ lives. 

Animals love too, just like you.

There's no better time to show your love for all things wild. Donate today.

Come plant some trees with us!

As Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society continues to grow as an organization, so to do we want the natural environments that surround us to. So, in honour of our 25th anniversary, we will be planting 2500 trees and shrubs generously donated by Metro Vancouver and we would love for you to come out, lend a hand and share in this extraordinary milestone with us as we couldn't have done it without all of you! 

Come by the Serpentine Fields entrance at Tynehead Regional Park in Surrey between 10am - 2pm (rain or shine!) for a fun-filled day of celebration, group tree planting, wildlife education displays, a delicious barbeque lunch and more! Everything at this family event is free of charge so come one, come all, even Fido too! This is a pet-friendly event so feel free to bring your dogs and let them roam free in the adjacent off-leash dog area. 

A donation page has been set up for the symbolic adoption of each tree with all proceeds going directly to bring free environmental education programs to inner-city schoolchildren throughout BC. If you're able, please give generously at http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=20271 

For directions to the Serpentine Fields entrance please see http://www.metrovancouver.org/about/maps/Maps/Tyneheadmap.pdf 

Free parking is available at the Serpentine Fields entrance

The Serpentine Fields park entrance is also transit accessible with a little bit of walking. For directions, please call Translink at 604-953-3333. From Surrey Central SkyTrain station, you can catch the #337 "Fraser Heights" bus to 168 St at 104 Ave. From there, walk south on 168 St. to the pedestrian overpass. Cross the overpass and you will find us set up on the other side of it inside the park. 

For more info, please email Kristine at mailto:execassistant@northwestwildlife.com or call 604-568-4907

Volunteers Needed for Tree Planting Event

As you may already know, 2012 is NWPS’s 25th anniversary. As we continue to grow as an organization, so to do we want the natural environments that surround us to. So, in honour of our 25th anniversary, we will be planting 2500 trees and shrubs and we would love for you to come out, lend a hand and share in this extraordinary milestone with us as we couldn't have done it without all of you! 

To make this day a success, we need your help! We are arranging an Event Committee with approximately 30 volunteers to help run the event and we would love for you to be one of them. Please read the positions below and email me ASAP at execassistant@northwestwildlife.com or call me at 604-568-4907 if you would like to sign up. Positions will be filled on a first-come-first-serve basis so be sure to sign up as soon as possible. Please note that all volunteers will need to be available for a 1-2 hour site meeting at either 9am or 10am on Friday October 19th at Tynehead Park in Surrey, and for the whole day during the event (8-4pm on Saturday October 27th). Please only sign up for a position if you are sure you will be able to fulfill that time commitment.

The event will be held by the Serpentine Fields entrance at Tynehead Regional Park in Surrey between 10am - 2pm on Saturday October 27th. It is going to be a fun-filled day of celebration, tree planting, wildlife education displays, a delicious barbeque lunch and more! Everything at this pet-friendly family event is free of charge. For directions to the Serpentine Fields entrance please see http://www.metrovancouver.org/about/maps/Maps/Tyneheadmap.pdf 

VOLUNTEER POSITIONS TO BE FILLED:

Planting Coordinators – 7 positions left

Planting Coordinators are responsible to setting up, coordinating, planting and cleaning up afterwards, one of the treeplanting areas. You will be required to arrive at 8am to set up and stay until all the planting is complete (apprx. 3pm). You will be responsible for your area and designated trees and plants by guiding event attendees what to do when they arrive at the site to plant. At the end of the day, you will need to help us finish any planting left over and pack up and tidy the planting area. A free BBQ lunch will be provided.

Foot Traffic Marshalls – 5  positions left  

Each Traffic Marshall will be stationed at a spot either at the entrance to the park or along the path between the main event and the tree planting area to direct event attendees where to go. You will be required to arrive at 8am and stay until 2pm. Prior to the event, your responsibilities will also include assisting in making direction marker signs and putting them up the morning of the event. During the event, if time permits, you may also be asked to assist with planting some trees. A free BBQ lunch will be provided.

Educational Display Table Hosts – 2 positions left

Under the direction of the NWPS Education Coordinator and Intern, you will assist with setting up the display table of NWPS biofacts (taxidermied owls, bear skulls, furs, etc.), answering questions event attendees may have, supervise people handling the biofacts and packing up the display table. You will be required to arrive at 9am and stay until 2pm. A free BBQ lunch will be provided.

Raffle Prize Table Host – 2 positions left

Under the direction of an NWPS Director, you will be responsible for setting up the table, answering questions about the raffle, assisting attendees in entering the raffle (purchasing tickets, etc.) and packing up the table at the end of the day. You will be required to arrive at 9am and stay until 2pm. A free BBQ lunch will be provided.

Floater – 4 positions left

As a Floater your responsibility will be to help out wherever necessary. This may include, but is not limited to, welcoming event attendees, guiding people to the planting site, assisting with planting any excess trees, answering general questions about the event and NWPS, filling in at the various stations to relieve other volunteers for bathroom or lunch breaks, directing people to the bathrooms, food areas, etc. You will be required to arrive at 9am and stay until 2pm. A free BBQ lunch will be provided.

Event Photographer – 3 positions left

You will be responsible for capturing photographs of various aspects of the event. Each photographer may be assigned a specific area to focus on but may switch with other volunteers as desired. All photographers must have access to their own equipment. You will be required to arrive at 9am and stay until 2pm. A free BBQ lunch will be provided.

Event Promoter – unlimited ppl needed

Your job is to promote this event in any way that you can. Tactical suggestions include using social media, writing press releases and submitting them to newspapers, etc., calling reporters and/or radio stations and offering to interview about the event, distributing promotional materials (either of your own creation or provided by NWPS) such as posters and postcards, verbally telling all your friends and family, etc. Please direct people to sign up to attend the event online via our Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/179367255530735/ or the EventBrite invitation at http://nwpstreeplanting.eventbrite.ca/. Also, a donation page has been set up for the symbolic adoption of each tree to be planted with all proceeds going directly to bring free environmental education programs to inner-city schoolchildren throughout BC. Please include this information whenever possible by asking people to please give generously at http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=20271 

Tree Planter – 30+ ppl needed

You will be responsible for planting some of the 2500 trees and plants. We particularly need people to help out with the smaller, more fragile plants in the more difficult forest setting. You may arrive and depart the event at whichever times between 10am and 3pm you wish. A free BBQ lunch will be provided. If you would like to volunteer as a tree planter, please simply register for the event via our Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/179367255530735/ or the EventBrite invitation at http://nwpstreeplanting.eventbrite.ca/.

Reflections from our Intern

As NWPS Intern, Annie Merritt, concludes her internship with us this week, she reflects on her time spent working with our society. Read on below for a glimpse into her experience over the last four months.

Annie on her first day with NWPS

I first learned about Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society while searching for summer internship opportunities online. NWPS caught my attention because of their focus on both wildlife preservation and environmental education, which combines my two passions of protecting the environment and working with youth.  In my many years working as a Camp Counselor and Youth Mentor I have come to appreciate the curiosity, imagination and enthusiasm of youth.  This makes working with this age group very rewarding, but even more importantly, it makes for a very receptive audience when teaching about the value of environmental stewardship.  Given the importance of educating our future generations about their role in the preservation of wildlife and wildlife habitat, I think that the outreach work done by NWPS is incredibly important and I was very happy to have the opportunity to get involved with this organization.

Interning with NWPS has been a very positive experience.  Because it is a smaller organization, I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of different projects, and I have gained a good understanding of the work that goes into the operation of an environmental non-profit.  The experience I have gained working here has included event planning, newsletter and press release writing, applying for grants and in-kind donations, and participating in various NWPS activities including school programs and festival events. Because of the variety of tasks, I have really been able to diversify and build upon my existing skill set.  This has also made for a great work environment, as no two days at NWPS have been the same!

As my time at NWPS comes to a close, I would like to express my thanks to NWPS’ Executive Assistant, Kristine for always patiently answering my questions, and Education Coordinator, Darren, for sharing his absolutely contagious enthusiasm for wildlife. It has been such a pleasure working with you this summer! I would strongly encourage anyone looking for an opportunity to enrich their knowledge and diversify their skills to get involved with NWPS.  Not only will you be able to contribute to the protection of the environment, but you will also have a great time doing it! 

- Annie Merritt, NWPS Intern

If you would like to Intern with NWPS, please check out the current job posting at http://www.workcabin.ca/jobs/conservationwildlife/internship-unpaid

NWPS Brings Together Green Energy Leaders

On Saturday, August 11^th, Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society (NWPS) hosted the first annual Beat the Heat Contest’s Final Judging and Networking Event at the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability at the University of British Columbia.  Touted as the “greenest” building in North America, this was a fitting setting in which to bring together students and professionals with a shared dedication to green energy for an afternoon of idea sharing and networking.   

Beat the Heat is a contest searching for the next great green plan to help curb climate change. Serving as a forward-thinking educational platform that provokes thought, discussion, engagement and action in post secondary and post graduate institutions, Beat the Heat seeks to advance energy efficiency and environmental conservation initiatives in BC.

To do this, Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society with sponsorship from FortisBC challenged BC students to come up with a plan to optimize natural gas use for a greener BC.

In attendance at the final event were students and professors from various post-secondary institutions from across the province, as well as many green energy leaders representing a wide range of disciplines from the energy industry as well as from the non-profit sector.  The event kicked off with a friendly welcome from John Hawkins, the event MC and professional public speaking coach.  NWPS President, Jim Pigott, then shared with the audience a bit about the important work being done by the society to preserve wildlife and wildlife spaces in North America. Samantha Collins, of FortisBC’s Conservation Education and Outreach team spoke next, congratulating the contest finalists and highlighting some of the many outreach programs run by FortisBC in support of educating the public about the importance of optimizing energy use.  She underscored the importance of recognizing that BC residents of all ages, including post-secondary and post-graduate students, are consumers of natural gas and therefore play an important role in ensuring that this resource is used wisely.

Natural gas plays an integral role in BC’s energy mix. As our province continues to grow, so too does our demand for energy – up to 45% over the next twenty years. Luckily, British Columbia is home to large number of natural gas reserves, which helps us cope with our increasing energy demands.

Natural gas is one of the cleanest burning fossil fuels. This makes it better for the environment than imported electricity and other fossil fuels, but we want it to do even more. That’s why we asked students to share their ideas about how to best use natural gas for the preservation of BC’s natural environment. While many students from across the province put forth excellent ideas, Geoffrey de Ruiter and Vilma Falotico emerged the two contest finalists.

Following the introductions, the contest finalists presented their innovative ideas to optimize the use of natural gas to the audience in front of a panel of live judges including the Honourable Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of Advanced Education, Dr. Tony Bi, Professor and Associate Director of UBC’s Clean Energy Research Centre, and Mr. Paul Willis, President of Willis Energy. Vilma Falotico, a recent graduate from the Sustainable Business Leadership and Sustainable Energy Management programs at BCIT, presented her submission entitled “Plan to Optimize Natural Gas Use”, including an in-depth assessment of BC’s current and projected natural gas use as well as a proposal for introducing an industrial waste-heat recovery system.  Next, Geoff de Ruiter, a PhD student at UNBC presented his proposal, “Shift and Couple: Opportunities in Natural Gas Efficiency”.  Geoff put forward several ideas in this presentation, including a plan to move towards a centralized system of combined heat and power cogeneration systems as well as a plan to improve natural gas efficiency with dual installation of on-demand heat water systems and wastewater heat recovery.

 Following deliberations, the final judges awarded Geoff de Ruiters first place prize of $10,000 and Vilma second place prize of $5,000.  This prize money will support their education and career advancement expenses. 

Following the presentation of the finalists’ submissions, all attendees enjoyed a catered lunch and took advantage of the opportunity to network and share their own ideas regarding means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through smart energy use.

For more information please visit www.beattheheatcontest.com