BLPA at Burnaby Pride 2023

The Burnaby Lake Park Association is excited to be participating in Burnaby Pride activities this year. The BLPA supports all community members, and welcomes BIPOC community members to volunteer or participate in our regularly offered free programming such as nature outings. Our Board is composed of several members of the BIPOC community and we are guided by a commitment to inclusion and equity in all that we do.

We are participating in two events on Saturday, July 22.

9:00 to 10:30 AM
First, celebrate Burnaby Pride with a guided bird outing for members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies at Burnaby Lake Regional Park! All skill levels welcome.  Space limited. Free but registration required. Details and registration here.

12:00 to 6:00 PM
Then we will be headed to the Burnaby Pride Festival at Burnaby Civic Square with our information booth so you can find out about our activities and how to get involved. This event is organised by Burnaby Pride.

See you there!

World Migratory Bird Day – Spring 2023

World Migratory Bird Day 2023 focuses on water and its importance to bird life.

Water is fundamental to sustaining life on our planet. Virtually all migratory birds rely on water and its associated habitats at some point during their life cycles. Lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands, and coastal waters are all vital for feeding, drinking, or nesting, and as places to rest and refuel during long seasonal migrations.

Unfortunately, these aquatic ecosystems are becoming increasingly threatened around the world, and so are the migratory birds that depend on them. The increasing human demand for water, as well as pollution and climate change, is having a direct impact on the quantity and quality of water resources and on the conservation status of many migratory bird species.

Learn more in the graphic below:

https://burnabylakepark.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-ENG

Featured species in this year’s campaign include the Northern Shoveler, Rufous Hummingbird, Osprey, and Barn Swallow, just a few of the migratory birds you might encounter on a walk near Burnaby Lake this spring.

Add your name to become a Migratory Birds Defender.

Canada’s birds are in trouble. Grassland birds, aerial insectivores, and shorebirds have all experienced alarming population declines, and many more remain at-risk.

As Migratory Bird Defenders, we are asking decision-makers at all levels of government to promote healthy bird populations as a critical part of the ecosystems we all depend on.  Help us deliver a united call on behalf of Canada’s 450 bird species whose vanishing songs, chirps, tweets, and caws demand a simple but urgent message: it’s time to stand up for our country’s birds.

Add your name to become a Migratory Bird Defender and learn more about how you can protect birds in your community.

Check out the BLPA’s Bird Resources page.

BLPA – 2023 Annual General Meeting with Guest Speaker

The Burnaby Lake Park Association invites you to join us for our 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held at the Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Central Area Office.

The purpose of the meeting is to satisfy the requirements of the BC Societies Act by:

  1. Hearing the reports from the Board of Directors of the Burnaby Lake Park Association (BLPA)
  2. Presenting the financial statements of the BLPA
  3. Considering any Special Resolutions placed before the meeting*
  4. Presenting the results from the Nomination Committee and conduct BLPA elections*

We will begin the evening with a short meeting to conduct our AGM business before our guest speaker’s presentation. After the presentation, we will break for refreshments which will provide an opportunity for mix and mingle with your fellow stewards, nature lovers and a chance for you to meet the BLPA directors and other volunteers.

One of Burnaby Lake’s wildlife highlights of 2022 was Baby “Piper”, the Sandhill Crane. He was discovered next to Piper Spit at the end of May and we were fortunate to watch him grow over the summer, from awkward attempts to hop up on the boardwalk to flying lessons and finally stong enough to migrate with his parents.

With all the interest in Sandhill Cranes, we invited Myles Lamont to be our guest speaker.

Myles is a biologist, naturalist, and the principal of Terra Fauna Wildlife Consulting. He has worked in wildlife management and conservation with a variety of species but has a special interest in Sandhill Cranes and runs the Sandhill Crane Sightings web page for people to record their observations for his research. Along with an overview of the species, he will give an update on his surveys and population estimate of the distinct subpopulation of the Sandhill Cranes in the Fraser River Lowland.

We hope that you can join us. Click here for details, directions and to register.

*Please note, while all are welcome to attend, only members can vote.