Category Archives: Wildlife

Holiday Open House 2023

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
  • Learn tips on winter plant ID
  • 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.
  • 12:15 pm to 1:15 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.12:15 pm to 1:15 pm. Register here.
  • 12:45 pm to 1:45 pm – Winter Nature Walk II
    Due to popular demand, we have added a second walk
    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

Join the Regional Parks Snap & Share!

Join the Burnaby Lake Park Assoication as we celebrate the change of the seasons. We’re participating in the Regional Parks Snap & Share event and invite you to get out into nature. During the month of October, park visitors are encouraged to SNAP a photo of flora or fauna and SHARE their observations to iNaturalist app to contribute to Citizen Science!

This event is taking place in Burnaby Lake Regional Park and all Metro Vancouver’s regional parks and greenways. Pay attention to plants, fungi, mosses, and wildlife you haven’t noticed before. Then simply snap photos of what you discover and share your photos on iNaturalist.

TWO EASY STEPS TO PARTICIPATE

1. Go to iNaturalist.ca or download the iNaturalist app on your smartphone and set up an account.

2. Take photos in any Metro Vancouver regional park or greenway from October 1st-31st and upload them to iNaturalist.

The BLPA has a month full of activities in October to help you learn to use the iNaturalist app effectively as well as opportunities to increase the number of species that you can observe.

iNaturalist is a great way to build your nature knowledge and get feedback on your observations. What’s more, you’ll be joining a global community of citizen scientists and contributing to biodiversity science.

Click here for iNaturalist Tips and Tricks to get started.

It’s a fun outdoor activity for everyone, on your own or with your friends and family!

WIN PRIZES! 

  • All registered participants will be entered into draws to win these prizes:
    • Capilano Suspension Bridge Park family admission ticket (family of 4)
    • $100 gift card for Book Warehouse
    • VanDusen Botanical Garden family membership (family of 4)
    • Beatty Biodiversity Museum family membership (up to 2 adults & 4 kids)
  • Individual with the most observations:
    Talasay Tours – Tour of your choice (2 adults, 2 kids)
  • Individual with the most species observed:
    Vancouver Aquarium family membership (2 adults, 2 kids)

All draws will take place on November 1.

PLEASE NOTE: To be eligible for prizes you will need to register for this project with your iNaturalist User Name. Register any time up to October 31.

You can check out the Regional Parks Snap & Share project page on iNaturalist to see what others have been observing and view the leaderboard.

Please take photos safely. Stay on trails. Do not approach wildlife. Please do not pick or remove anything.

This program is generously sponsored by

Our vision is for a healthy, dynamic regional park system, loved and supported by the community, and protected and enhanced for future generations.

Other Participating Organizations

Catching the Spirit Youth Society, Colony Farm Park Association, Derby Reach Brae Island Parks Association (DRBIPA), Kanaka Education & Environmental Partnership Society, Minnekhada Park Association, Pacific Spirit Park Society

Join the BLPA in the City Nature Challenge!

The Burnaby Lake Park Association is attending this year’s Burnaby Blooms and offering you an opportunity to learn how to use iNaturalist during this year’s City Nature Challenge (CNC), April 29-May 8, 2022.

What is the CNC? It’s an annual citizen science event that gets people outside to enjoy nature in their city as well as create a living record of urban wildlife. Participants are asked to get outside and take photos of wildlife (this includes both plants and animals!) using the free iNaturalist app or iNaturalist.ca. More than 400 cities took part in 2021 from around the world, 25 of which were right here in Canada.

While the City of Burnaby is not officially participating in the CNC this year, the BLPA wants to introduce the community to how fun an easy it is to use the iNaturalist app and website – simply snap a photo, share what you have seen and learn about the nature around you!

Join the BLPA at Burnaby Blooms for a workshop a guided walk to use the app:

  • DATE: Saturday, May 7
  • TIME: 2:30 – 3:30 pm. (2:30-3:00 – workshop, 3:00-3:30 walk to use the app
  • LOCATION: Deer Lake Park – see map below for meeting location
  • REGISTRATION: City of Burnaby registration link
  • COST: $5 – The City of Burnaby will accept Drop in fee on-site!

To get the most out of the workshop, please download the iNaturalist app ahead of time and set up your account.

You can put your iNaturalist app to use year-round, tracking biodiversity wherever and whenever you’re in the mood to observe nature. Many nature groups host projects like the CNC through the year. The BLPA will have a project this fall that you can join.

Go to iNaturalist.ca or download the iNaturalist app on your smartphone and set up an account.

If you’re new to iNaturalist, check out these tutorials on how iNaturalist works:

From the iNaturalist phone app: How to make an observation on iNaturalist

From the iNaturalist website: How to use iNaturalist’s Photo and Sound uploader