Category Archives: Education

BLPA Nature Connections 2024

** DUE TO THE SEVERE INCLEMENT WEATHER FORECASTED, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO JUNE 9, 11am-3pm**
(those who have registered will maintain their spots)

Join the BLPA as we celebrate the City of Burnaby’s Environment Week!

Burnaby Lake Regional Park is a jewel in the center of a bustling metropolis. It is a haven for wildlife and people in the heart of the region. Ducks, song​birds, fish and more make their home in this regional park. Level walking trails through mixed forest are a relaxing way for people to connect to nature without having to leave the city.

Join us at Piper Spit where we will have our displays up so you can learn about the birds, wildlife and plant life you will see around the park, the history of the BLPA, our stewardship activities to protect the environment, and how you can get involved.

We will be offering the following guided outings. Click here for more information and links to register.

  • 11:00 am to 12:00 pm – Introduction to Forest Bathing
  • 11:30 am to 12:30 pm – Amphibian Walk #1
  • 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm – Nature Walk with Mandarin Translation
  • 12:30 pm to 1:15 pm – Merlin Bird ID/eBird Walk
  • 01:30 pm to 2:30 pm – Amphibian Walk #2
  • 01:45 pm to 2:30 pm – iNaturalist Walk

Spaces are limited. Guided walks are FREE but registration is required. The registration links above will provide full details on how to download the apps and set up your accounts so you are prepared for the day of the event.

Burnaby Lake Regional Park Profile from Metro Vancouver on Vimeo.

Salmon Sunday at Cariboo Dam

Chum are the most common salmon species you may see at Cariboo Dam in the fall. iStock

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 to celebrate their return!

DATE: Sunday, October 22
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!

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

We are also offering a guided nature walk using the iNaturalist app. It’s a great tool that you can download to help you identify the nature around you.

Register for the 12 pm Guided Nature walk here.

Fall is a great time to use the app! You may be able to capture sightings of organisms that can be only seen this time of year like funghi and spawning salmon. Also, the Regional Parks Snap & Share project is happening during the month of October! By registering and sharing your observations, you can be eligible to win a prize!

Register for Snap & Share here.

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.

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

Picture A Better Planet this Earth Day!

Celebrate Earth Day with the BLPA at Piper Spit

Visit our display at the entrance to Piper Spit to learn about our history, the stewardship work we do and the native species that have benefited from the efforts of our volunteers.

Many birds are also passing through on their spring migration journey along the Pacific Flyway. For the birds that spend spring and summer here, it is the breeding season and there are many nests being built throughout the park. In British Columbia, birds and their nests are protected under the provincial Wildlife Act and the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act.  This means restrictions to when and where vegetation clearing may be permitted. As a result, we are unable to host an invasive species removal work party at Piper Spit at this time.

However, you can sign up for a BLPA guided nature walk using popular nature apps and learn how to identify and record your observations, including many of the native species that BLPA volunteers have planted, and the year round and seasonal birds that have been observed at Burnaby Lake!

Lean more about the apps and to register here.