Category Archives: Education

BLPA Holiday Open House 2024

Drop by the Burnaby Lake Nature House for the BLPA’s Annual Holiday Open House!

This event is free and everyone, of any age, is welcome!

  • Guided outings – see below for descriptions
  • Decorate your own Wood Duck cookie*
  • Check out the birds at Piper Spit – spot late migration visitors, temporary winter and year round residents
  • Discover Santa’s “Naughty and Nice” plant list
  • Crafts and colouring
  • Get involved with Citizen Science and ask one of our App Experts how to use phone apps like iNaturalist, Merlin Bird ID and eBird and share your sightings
  • Visit the BLPA display and find out what we do and how you can get involved
  • Hot apple drink* to warm you up! To be more sustainable, bring your own thermal mug if you have one.

Hope to see you there!
Check the weather forecast and dress for the weather. We’ll be there – rain, shine or snow! ❄

Join us on a winter outing in the park! Free, but registration required. Select either:

  • 11:00 am to 12:30 pm – Guided Bird Outing
    Did you know? Winter is a great time to visit Burnaby Lake and see both migratory birds that visit the lake in the colder months as well as our year-round birds. Our leaders will share their knowledge and passion for birds while wandering through Burnaby Lake trails and at Piper Spit. We’ll listen for calls and songs, enjoy discussion on topics such as bird habitat and plumage, and share tips.
    Register here.
  • 11:30 am to 12:30 pm – Introduction to Forest Bathing
    “Forest bathing” is an art first practiced in Japan but has found new life in our modern world full of concrete, high rises, mental anxiety and a disconnect with nature. A daily dose of less than 30 minutes can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of dementia, restore mental health, and re-energize the body. This prescription is FREE at Burnaby Lake.
    Register here.
  • 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm – Winter Nature Walk
    Burnaby Lake may seem dormant in the winter, but there is still plenty of color and life to explore! Join us for an easy walk on forested trails – take in the crisp air, observe winter wildlife and learn about the plants around the trails.
    Register here.
  • 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm – Wreath Making Workshop – ⚠️NEW ACTIVITY ADDED⚠️
    Come join us for a fun and festive wreath making workshop led by Director Mark. He will guide you through the process, providing all the materials you need to craft a beautiful holiday decoration. No experience is necessary – just bring your creativity and holiday cheer! The decoration of the wreath will involve locally sourced plant materials like conifer trimmings, windall materials, and educate you on the proper use, display and disposal of invasive materials such as English Ivy and Holly.
    Register here.

⚠️**Road Construction notice**  ⚠️
Please take note that there is construction along Winston Street which includes single lane traffic that may add an additional 5 minutes to your trip. Details for the Winston Street Sewer project can be found here.

If the weather is nice, the parking lot can be very busy. You may need to park along Piper Avenue or at Warner Loat Park right off of Winston which is a 450 m/5 minute walk to the Nature House. There is also a railway crossing which may be blocked from time to time.

* While supplies last

Salmon Sunday at Cariboo Dam

One of the great things about the return of the traditional fall weather – cooler temperatures and rain – is the return of spawning salmon. Join the BLPA and our friends to celebrate their return!

DATE: Sunday, October 27
TIME: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
MEET: Cariboo Dam

Cariboo Dam, located at the east end of Burnaby Lake, is a great spot to view one of the great miracles of the natural world as salmon return from the ocean to their natal stream to spawn and complete their life cycle.

Visit our display to learn about salmon, the history of Cariboo Dam, the birds and wildlife you will see around the park during this time of year, the history of the BLPA, our activities and how to get involved!

We will be joined by our friends from Eagle Creek Streamkeepers and the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society, who run the fish hatchery and collaborate with Department of Fisheries and Oceans to operate the camera and fish counter at Cariboo Dam.

Pick up a Waterways of Burnaby poster so you can find the streams in your neighbourhood.

We are also offering 2 guided nature walks

You can also share your salmon sightings with the Watershed Watch Salmon Society‘s annual Salmon Spawn Watch. With climate change and other pressures, the number of salmon returning to each stream every year is changing. You can help them better understand what is happening with salmon around the province with just your phone and a social media account. Learn how to take part here and be eligible for prizes!

Cariboo Dam overlooks the Brunette River to the East where the salmon have made their way from the Fraser. They will spawn in the Brunette or make their way up any of the tributaries such as Stoney Creek or Eagle Creek. Some of them will rest and continue up the beautiful fishway into Burnaby Lake.

The start of the salmon spawning season at Cariboo Dam on October 17, 2024. The Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society operate the hatchery in east Burnaby and will be joining us on the 27th. – Photo: D. Nadalin

Salmon come back to their natal stream where they were ‘born’ because they ‘know’ it is a good place to spawn; they won’t waste time looking for a stream with good habitat and other salmon. Scientists believe that salmon navigate by using the earth’s magnetic field like a compass.When they find the river they came from, they start using smell to find their way back to their home stream. They build their ‘smell memory-bank’ when they start migrating to the ocean as young fish.1

Cariboo Dam is located on Cariboo Road between Government Road and Avalon Avenue in Burnaby, BC. You can park at the lot at 9157 Avalon Avenue or look here for directions.

1 US Geological Survey

Save the Dates!

The BLPA Board has been busy planning events for the rest of the year. Mark your calendars for these BLPA events this Fall

  • Saturday, October 12 – 10 am to 2 pm – World Migratory Bird Day Celebration
  • Sunday, October 27 – 11 am to 2 pm – Salmon Sunday at Cariboo Dam
  • Sunday, November 10 – 12 to 3 pm – Fall Sunday Funday
  • Sunday, December 1 – 11 am to 2 pm – Holiday Open House

More information about activities, guided walks, and registration for each event will be posted soon!