In this Issue:
- CONDITIONS IN THE PARK
- UPCOMING EVENTS
- VIMFF Friday March 22
- View from my Backyard Saturday April 20
- AGM & Denali Presentation Wednesday April 24
- WORK WITH US
CONDITIONS IN THE PARK
After a dearth of snow in January and February, the subalpine on the Plateau received over a metre of snow in early March to supplement the meagre snow-pack. It had been sufficiently cold that there was no longer open water on Helen MacKenzie, as seen in January, and the semi-bare trails were much improved for snowshoes or skis. Well-laden subalpine conifers grace the foreground of the photo looking towards Albert Edward above. However, with rising temperatures this past week, any routes through the trees became hazardous as the laden boughs released huge snow-bombs. With temperatures into double digits at the treeline and above this weekend, the avalanche risk remains dangerously high.
Photographs portray the conditions better than words.
UPCOMING EVENTS
VIMFF – March 22nd at the Stan Hagen
SWI is thrilled to host the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival again this year – its 27th Annual Tour. The program as usual features some of the best thought-provoking and action-packed mountain films, running the gamut of climbing, snow-sports, biking, the environment and more!
Please note that there will be refreshments available at the Intermission ( teas, hot chocolate and cookies). Have a care for the planet and bring your own mug.
DETAILS:
Date: March 22nd, 2024
Time: 7pm – 9:30pm (Doors Open at 6:30pm)
Location: Stan Hagen Theatre, North Island College, Courtenay
Tickets: Adults $25, Youth (Under 16) $15
For more information see SWI Website: https://strathconapark.org/
and the VIMFF website : https://vimff.org/
The View from My Back Yard – April 20th at the Stan Hagen
SWI is delighted to invite back Astrophotographer Les Disher for an evening illustrating the dazzling wilderness in the skies. Les has been capturing deep sky celestial images since 1994 from his home near Courtenay and from various locations in B.C. and western North America. As an avid astrophotographer, he has been a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and his photos have received a number of awards.
DETAILS:
Date: April 20th, 2024
Time: 7pm – 9pm (Doors Open at 6:30pm)
Location: Stan Hagen Theatre, North Island College, Courtenay
Tickets: Adults $15, Youth (Under 16) $5
Les will put on a slide display of images that illustrate the majesty of the deep sky splendours to be found in the night skies right over our heads, and talk about his experiences taking them. He will also talk about the processes involved in taking and producing these images. The talk will be flavoured with interesting and humorous anecdotes and new and little-known facts. He will also do a few interesting and fun demonstrations to review of some relevant basic concepts.
To Purchase Tickets: Eventbrite Ticket Link
SWI AGM and Presentation, April 24th Evergreen Lounge, Filberg Centre, Courtenay.
SWI will hold its Annual General Meeting on April 24th in the Evergreen Lounge of the Filberg Centre at 7:00 pm in conjunction with a presentation by Mike Taylor on his expedition to Mt Denali, Alaska.
Strathcona Wilderness Institute is a not-for-profit organization whose essential role is, in partnership with BC Parks, to serve as an interface between the Strathcona Wilderness and the general public. We are a non-membership society, and so we invite members of the public with an interest in Strathcona Provincial Park to attend our AGM, since its purpose is to present our Annual Report to the public, as well as to elect the Board of Directors for the coming year.
With our mission to inspire awareness, appreciation and stewardship of the Natural World through research, education and participation, we schedule interpretive hikes and workshops, and oversee research projects in the Park, including the SWI Data Collection Project on iNaturalist. We also provide the Public with information about the Park at our two “huts” each summer in Strathcona Provincial Park, at the Paradise Meadows Trailhead and at Buttle Lake. All our activities are carried out by VOLUNTEERS and SUMMER STUDENTS (funded through the Canada Summer Jobs program).
So we invite former and potential volunteers to attend the AGM and learn more about SWI’s work, accomplishments and plans for the upcoming year. We always need volunteers to staff our visitor centres and participate in our educational programs, thus ensuring the continuation of what we have achieved in the past. Please put your names forward! Anyone who loves Strathcona Park and would like to contribute a little of their time to the organization of SWI’s many activities should consider becoming a director. Nominations can be made from the “floor”.
The AGM Agenda and Minutes of the 2023 AGM will be available on our websites event page.
For more information about the AGM please contact us at: strathconawilderness@gmail.com
Slide Presentation on Mt Denali by Mike Taylor
Our guest speaker will be Island Mountain Rambler, Mike Taylor, presenting a spectacular slide show on his 1991 expedition with three friends to Mt Denali in Alaska, the highest peak in North America (6190m). For the team this 23-day adventure was also an opportunity to raise money in support of cancer research. Mike, now living in Duncan, is a retired BC and Canada Lands Surveyor, whose work has taken him through BC, Alberta, the Yukon and Nunavut, and who was also involved in consultations when the Strathcona Park Master Plan (1993) was put together.
For more information please contact us at strathconawilderness@gmail.com
STUDENTS TAKE NOTE: Work with Us – Second Notice
SWI has submitted its annual application for support from the Canada Summer Jobs Programme to employ students to work in the Park this summer. So we are looking for energetic, self-reliant and environmentally conscious students who would enjoy working in Strathcona Provincial Park. Two of these will staff our information centres at Paradise Meadows and Buttle Lake, providing information to the public on the Park , its trails and natural history. Three will facilitate our Environmental Program: Two will act as Naturalist Interpreters for our scheduled walks and hikes, as well as assist in our ongoing Inventory of Species in the Park by documenting flora and fauna to be uploaded to the SWI Data Collection project on iNaturalist. We also require a Coordinator who will assist in the coordination of educational and research programs including the implementation of our summer interpretive walks and hikes and the SWI Data Collection project.
The positions are 8-9 weeks long, 35-40 hours per week. Those eligible must be between 15 and 30 years of age, and legally entitled to work in Canada. For detailed information on each position, with rate of pay see our webpage under the “work with us” tab: http://strathconapark.org/work-with-us/
Although these positions are subject to funding, we have been successful over the past 10 years in being awarded the grant, and so we encourage those interested to apply now as we hope to prepare a short-list for interviews.
MAGNIFICENT FIRS ENCASED IN SNOW ON THE PLATEAU
