Environment

The Greater Victoria Green Team volunteers often come together in nature to help in hands-on ways. (Photo courtesy of Greater Victoria Green Team)

Greater Victoria Green Team to remove invasive species in Oak Bay’s Uplands Park

Volunteer initiative on July 31 aims to bring like-minded volunteers together

 

A climber is dwarfed by the massive rock face of the Chief in Stawamus Chief Provincial Park in Squamish, B.C., on August 16, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Many Stawamus Chief climbing routes closed after tons of rock tumbles in Squamish

Hot weather suspected cause of collapse at popular B.C. rock-climbing destination

 

Cherries at Pravin Dhaliwal’s family farm in Oliver, B.C., are seen cooked on their trees, when the temperature hit a record 41.5 C in a June 2021 handout photo. Dhaliwal is trying to maintain his passion as a third-generation farmer while dealing with the reality of climate change and says farmers need more support from provincial and federal governments. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Pravin Dhaliwal

Farmers say heat wave, drought show vulnerable agricultural sector needs support

Farmers across Canada look to provincial and the federal governments for help

 

Stuart LePage, of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, sprints to place a salmon in a vessel to be lifted by a helicopter and transported up the Fraser River past a massive rock slide near Big Bar, west of Clinton, B.C., Wednesday July 24, 2019. Officials say thousands of migrating salmon are making their way past an area of British Columbia’s Fraser River that was the scene of waterway restructuring efforts following a massive rock slide more than two years ago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Salmon getting through Fraser River slide zone as officials ponder permanent fix

Protected fishway at the slide site is allowing salmon to make it upstream

Stuart LePage, of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, sprints to place a salmon in a vessel to be lifted by a helicopter and transported up the Fraser River past a massive rock slide near Big Bar, west of Clinton, B.C., Wednesday July 24, 2019. Officials say thousands of migrating salmon are making their way past an area of British Columbia’s Fraser River that was the scene of waterway restructuring efforts following a massive rock slide more than two years ago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The weir at Cowichan Lake will be used to reduce the flow of water from Cowichan Lake into the Cowichan River due to drought conditions. (Citizen file)

Catalyst reducing water flow into Cowichan River due to drought

Catalyst confirms cubic metres per second going down to 5.5 by Friday

The weir at Cowichan Lake will be used to reduce the flow of water from Cowichan Lake into the Cowichan River due to drought conditions. (Citizen file)
Indigenous knowledge will help University of Victoria researchers better understand best land management practices in terms of biodiversity. (Pixabay)

Biodiversity project with University of Victoria connection to use Indigenous eco-knowledge

DNA research on plant and animal species relates to food security, human health and more

Indigenous knowledge will help University of Victoria researchers better understand best land management practices in terms of biodiversity. (Pixabay)
Bill Merilees, a retired B.C. Parks regional information officer, collected mollusk shells from B.C. and Washington state coastlines for 50 years and has donated his 140,000-specimen collection to University of British Columbia’s Beaty Biodiversity Museum. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)

Nanaimo man donates 140,000 mollusk specimens to biodiversity museum

UBC’s Beaty museum grateful for Bill Merilees’s historical record of B.C. marine biodiversity

Bill Merilees, a retired B.C. Parks regional information officer, collected mollusk shells from B.C. and Washington state coastlines for 50 years and has donated his 140,000-specimen collection to University of British Columbia’s Beaty Biodiversity Museum. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)
Wylie Thomas with remnants of the tallest camas plant he’s seen, on Kohweechela/Mary Tod Island. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)

PHOTOS: Crews decimate broom growth on Oak Bay island

A crew of six cut, dragged and bagged 52 cubic yards of broom on Kohweechela/Mary Tod Island

Wylie Thomas with remnants of the tallest camas plant he’s seen, on Kohweechela/Mary Tod Island. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)
The invasive seaweed Japanese sargassum is rapidly spreading in Maple Bay. (Sue Fryer photo)

Event aims to uproot invasive seaweed sweeping through Vancouver Island bay

Japanese Sargasso now taking over from Campbell River to Baja, California

The invasive seaweed Japanese sargassum is rapidly spreading in Maple Bay. (Sue Fryer photo)
The District of Sooke's wastewater treatment plant will receive structural and mechanical upgrades, and the local wastewater collection system will be extended to increase sewer capacity. (File - Sooke News Mirror)

Sooke mayor welcomes provincial funding for upgrades to wastewater treatment plant

B.C. contributing $4.6 million toward $6.6-million project

The District of Sooke's wastewater treatment plant will receive structural and mechanical upgrades, and the local wastewater collection system will be extended to increase sewer capacity. (File - Sooke News Mirror)
The MV Schiedyk is shown in this handout image. Tonnes of bulk fuel has been safely removed from a ship that sank off the west coast of Vancouver Island more than half a century ago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Bligh Island Shipwreck Response *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Tonnes of oil, diesel pumped from leaking B.C. shipwreck 53 years after sinking

The 147-metre cargo ship went down in Nootka Sound in 1968

The MV Schiedyk is shown in this handout image. Tonnes of bulk fuel has been safely removed from a ship that sank off the west coast of Vancouver Island more than half a century ago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Bligh Island Shipwreck Response *MANDATORY CREDIT*
Halfpipe with his mother Split Fluke in 2019. Photo courtesy Kaitlin Paquette.

Death of young humpback shows tragic impact of ship collisions, 2 experts say

Two-year-old ‘Halfpipe’ found dead July 8

Halfpipe with his mother Split Fluke in 2019. Photo courtesy Kaitlin Paquette.
The Habitat Acquisition Trust’s campaign to raise $1.4 million toward the purchase of Mountain Road Forest in Saanich for a new regional park is in its final days. (Black Press Media file photo)

Campaign to buy Saanich’s Mountain Road Forest nears deadline

Habitat Acquisition Trust hopeful of raising final $368,000 of $1.4-million goal by July 20

The Habitat Acquisition Trust’s campaign to raise $1.4 million toward the purchase of Mountain Road Forest in Saanich for a new regional park is in its final days. (Black Press Media file photo)
Margaret Lidkea shows the crow garlic volunteers will start to weed out of Uplands Park. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)

Crow garlic flies in Oak Bay’s Uplands Park

Invasive plant dimishes camas’ capability to grow

Margaret Lidkea shows the crow garlic volunteers will start to weed out of Uplands Park. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)
Passersby can now enjoy a view of the ocean along the McNeill Bay bluff with the clearing of invasive species underway. (Evert Lindquist/News Staff)

Volunteers beat back invasive species along McNeill Bay bluff in Oak Bay

Massive project follows three decades of ecosystem restoration

Passersby can now enjoy a view of the ocean along the McNeill Bay bluff with the clearing of invasive species underway. (Evert Lindquist/News Staff)
A free concert happening July 9 next to the south campus of Lansdowne Middle School will feature Indigenous poet Tanisha Nuttall, jazzist David Santana and vocalist Myriam Parent. (Photo courtesy of Friends of Bowker Creek)

Free Friday concert: Saanich school hosts Bowker Creek friends event

Summer concert series starting July 9 serves as fundraiser, educational opportunity

A free concert happening July 9 next to the south campus of Lansdowne Middle School will feature Indigenous poet Tanisha Nuttall, jazzist David Santana and vocalist Myriam Parent. (Photo courtesy of Friends of Bowker Creek)
A pumpjack works at a wellhead on an oil and gas installation near Cremona, Alta., Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Injection of public funds didn’t increase Alberta oil well cleanups, study suggests

Parkland Institute: Province may have simply replaced money energy companies would have spent anyway

A pumpjack works at a wellhead on an oil and gas installation near Cremona, Alta., Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Volunteers gathered in Colwood’s Pit House Park recently to remove armfuls of invasive Himalayan blackberry and Scotch broom plants. (Courtesy of Greater Victoria Green Team)

Colwood community members band together to remove invasive plants

Estimated 20 cubic metres of broom, blackberry plants removed from Lagoon area park

Volunteers gathered in Colwood’s Pit House Park recently to remove armfuls of invasive Himalayan blackberry and Scotch broom plants. (Courtesy of Greater Victoria Green Team)
FireSmoke Canada predicts light smoke throughout eastern and northern Vancouver Island the night of July 6. (FireSmoke Canada)

Light blanket of wildfire smoke to reach Island by Tuesday; no major events predicted

Western winds, mountains to likely protect coastal B.C. from wildfire smoke: expert

FireSmoke Canada predicts light smoke throughout eastern and northern Vancouver Island the night of July 6. (FireSmoke Canada)
A beautiful Saltair sunset in late June. (Photo by Opie Williams)

Record-breaking heat wave wiped out a wet start to June on Vancouver Island

Surprisingly, precipitation total for the month close to normal for Chemainus and Thetis Island

A beautiful Saltair sunset in late June. (Photo by Opie Williams)