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April 29, 2022
Hello Park Ambassadors, Members, and Friends
In this newsletter you'll find:
- What's in Bloom Along the Trails Right Now
- Volunteer Callout: HAD Planning Committee
- Derby Reach Regional Park Highlights
- City Nature Challenge: April 29 - May 2
- Party for the Planet — Tomorrow!
- Resolution for the Protection of Endangered Ecosystems in BC
- Download the DRBIPA App
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What's in Bloom Along the Trails Right Now
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Throughout May, June, and July you will find different flowers popping up along the trails at Derby Reach and Brae Island. Beautiful colours stand out against the green and brown forest backdrop. Making for perfect nature photos, plus a super peaceful, enjoyable, and fantastic smelling walk.
Here is a taste of what can be found in bloom right now.
- Dogwood flowers. Many tiny, white to greenish-white flowers grow on branches of small trees in dense, flat-topped, flower clusters, 2–4 cm wide.
- Western trillium flowers. Stems are considered part of a rhizome and the above ground part of the plant is an upright flowering scape allowing for the flower to form. Flowers start out white, but as they mature turn a pink or purple colour.
- Youth on age flowers. Many small flowers grow loosely upward on stems from dense-growing plants with large ground cover leaves. Flowers have a tubular purple-green to brown-green calyx and four linear red-brown petals.
- Stream violet flowers. These perennial flowers are relatively small at 1.5 cm long. They are yellow, with purple lines on the lower 3 of 5 petals, the inside corners of the lateral two petals bear clumps of small white hairs.
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Volunteer Callout: Heritage Apple Day
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Are you a DRBIPA Member or Park Ambassador looking to get involved with our annual community events? We are starting to plan our annual Heritage Apple Day celebration for October 2022. Please let us know if you want to join the planning committee — we'd love your help!
Heritage Apple Day celebrates the knowledge of heritage apples and the unique role of apples, crab apples, and orchards from centuries past in the area now known as Fort Langley. It is a fun family-friendly and commerce-free event for the community and apple lovers from all over.
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Derby Reach Park Highlights
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There are so many wonderful things to do at Derby Reach Regional Park. Keeping up with old traditions, trying new things, and making memories, there is something special about Derby Reach for all of us nature lovers.
Highlight #1: Have A Campfire
Did you know there are four day-use fire rings at the Edgewater Bar picnic area at Derby Reach? Fire rings are first-come, first-served — so anyone can enjoy a campfire. S'mores anyone? A fun activity for springtime while the air is still chilly and the sunsets along the river are as beautiful as ever. Don't forget to bring a small bundle of wood, kindling, and a lighter!
Park hours are currently 7AM - 9PM.
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What will you find during this year's City Nature Challenge? The 4 day nature observation challenge starts today! For the first time ever, the entire Greater Vancouver area is joining the City Nature Challenge. April 29 - May 2, 2022. You can contribute to citizen science during this international biodiversity challenge no matter where you are.
All you need to do is:
- Download and use the iNaturalist app (or access iNaturalist from a web browser).
- Use iNaturalist to make observations of wild animals, plants, or fungi from April 29th to May 2nd.
There is nature all around us, even in the city. Knowing what species are in our region and where they are helps us study and protect them, but the ONLY way to do that is TOGETHER. Scientists, land managers, and community members – working together to find and document the nature in our area. By participating in the City Nature Challenge, not only do you learn more about your local nature, but you can also make your city a better place – for you and other species!
Visit the Greater Vancouver City Nature Challenge web page for more details, iNaturalist user guides, and more.
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Learn how to be more sustainable at this annual festival event. Environmental workshops, speaker series, performers, exhibitors, and more!
Saturday, April 30, 2022 | 11am - 7pm
Happening tomorrow at Surrey Civic Plaza near Central City. Find all the details HERE.
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Resolution for the Protection of Endangered Ecosystems in BC
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Will your organization or business join the growing number of groups in asking the British Columbian government to commit to the key policies, targets and funding to expand the protected areas system in BC, including by protecting the magnificent old-growth forests in the province?
You can get more information or sign the resolution by Endangered Ecosystems Alliance HERE. If you are not authorized to sign on behalf of your organization, you can also send a message, as an individual, to government urging them to protect the province’s endangered ecosystems.
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We invite you to try the DRBIPA App on your smartphone or tablet and share it with your friends, too. Let us know what you think about our nature app. We'd love your feedback and ideas! And stay tuned for updates and more educational content coming this summer!
Google Play Store
Apple App Store
In partnership with Pacific Parklands Foundation, we were able to develop this app during the pandemic for Derby Reach Brae Island Parks Association as a way for anyone to keep up with our educational nature videos, participate in online activities, check out our guided nature walk highlights, plus more.
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