Developers and industry alike are changing the Langley environment, potentially destroying habitat of birds and other wildlife in their path.
“It is important for children to be aware of our precious environment and hopefully help protect it in the future,” said Bob Puls, president of the Langley Field Naturalists.
And that’s why he and other members of the local club have chosen to spearhead a new education and outreach initiative aimed at Langley kids.
Working towards that goal, the field naturalists announce last week the launch of a new bird brochure, featuring 54 birds that can be seen locally.
“The environment is very important for our children’s health and well being,” Puls added. “Kids are the future and need to be aware.”
So, copying an idea that had proven successful in Delta, the Langley naturalists produced a brochure – made possible through grants from BC Nature, the BC Naturalists Foundation, the City of Langley, and VanCity.
These brochures are “important because it will encourage people – especially young people – to get outside and experience nature close up,” said club member Lilianne Fuller.
The club motto is the ‘know nature and keep it worth knowing’.
“We feel that introducing school children to the great outdoors will foster a love of nature in them, thus encouraging them to ‘know nature’ in the hopes they will, as they grow up , ‘keep it worth knowing’,” she added.
“Birding is a very inexpensive hobby to begin and people can participate literally in their own backyards and parks,” Fuller said. “This brochure is a great guide to local birds. In fact, on Brydon Lagoon, when we took the photos, [fellow birder and photographer] John [Gordon] spotted a yellow rumped warbler, which he remarked that had recently arrived from Central America.”
Since one of the grants was from the City, the field naturalists are making many of the initial 5,000 copies of the brochures are available for elementary schools in Langley City, first.
The club is already considering a second printing, and Fuller noted that if a grant can be secured from the Township of Langley, the hope is to have it distributed into Township schools soon, as well.
“We are not sure which is the best way to reach children but every little [bit] helps,” Puls said of the effort, that can include naturalists visiting schools, too.
Though the brochure is actually appropriate for every age and expertise in birding, the club is focusing its efforts on Langley’s youth, in particular, he elaborated.
The Langley brochure contains birds most commonly seen in the Langley area, although it only contains about half of the birds that have been recorded in the Langley’s at one time or another, Puls said, noting the colourful and informative pamphlet is easily distributed and not too costly to produce.
While the field naturalists have started this outreach initiative with a bird brochure, Puls suggests that other pamphlets focusing on local wildflowers, trees, or shrubs, might come in the near future – “as time and resources permit.”
“The club is active in protecting the environment of the Langleys,” said Puls, who has been a lifetime naturalist (70-plus years), 20 years as a club member, and nine years as president.
“We wish to encourage more residents to join the club and particularly need more youthful and energetic volunteers to help with some of our conservation projects,” he concluded.
In addition to the copies of the bird brochure being distributed to local schools, there are also copies available at local libraries, recreation centres, and at community events.
People can also contact the club by email at langleyfieldnaturalists@shaw.ca or by calling Lilianne 604-533-0638 to request copies of the brochure.
