Oak Bay’s Active Living Guide features FOUP’s Fall Program – [2015]

If you have not already seen Oak Bay’s Fall 2015 Active Living Guide, FOUP’s 2015 Fall events & programs are featured on page 86. And.. on page 1, the Mayor’s Message acknowledges the work and accomplishments of all the many FOUP volunteers. See: https://www.oakbay.ca/parks-recreation/programs/active-living-guide. PDFs attached. 3program-guide-f2015-mayors-message and 3program-guide-f2015-parks [FOUP Fall Program]

Also, the original watercolour by Briony Penn, of the Uplands Park Seasonal Wheel that highlights the new Uplands Park Kiosk, is now hanging in the lobby of Oak Bay’s Municipal Hall.

Uplands Park Bird Walk – Sunday, August 30-2015

David Newell sends the following announcement:

On Sunday, August 30, Geoffrey will lead the Friends of Uplands Park bird Walk. Please meet at 8:00 a.m. in the large parking lot out at the end of Cattle Point. Uplands Park is at the north end of Willlows Beach in Oak Bay. After observing sea and shore birds, we will head inland into the park to listen to and search for the many song birds in this fabulous Garry Oak Meadow Community.

And another birding event of interest, also announced by David Newell:

On Saturday, August 29, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Geoffrey will be leading a bird walk for the CRD (Capital Regional District) out at Witty’s Lagoon, in Metchosin. On this walk, you will see and hear many woodland birds and several species of migrating shorebirds. Meet at the Nature House at 9:00 a,m. on Metchosin Road. Please note: we will be walking down, then up a fairly steep and long path to the beach. The path is, however, well-maintained.

Uplands Park Birding – Saturday, July 25,2015 @ 8:00AM

On Behalf of Geoffrey and David Newell:

Hello Friends of Uplands Park:

Geoffrey’s next birding on Saturday July 25 will have an earlier start: please meet at 8:00 a.m. out at the end of Cattle Point
before going into Uplands Park. The fall migration has started and has been fantastic: Band-tailed Pigeons, Cedar Waxwings,
Orange-crowned Warblers, Pacific-slope Flycatchers. We also had four Black Swifts the other day, a first for the park!
The Mountain Sneezeweed and Ladies Tresses are in full bloom now as well, adding to the enjoyment of the walk!

Hope to see you there!
Geoffrey and David Newell

Please remember its an 8:00 a.m. start. It gets too hot for the birds
later than that…

Mountain Sneezeweed – photo by Kathleen

Saturday Bird Walk in Uplands Park – June 27-2015

Geoffrey Newell sends the following reminder for Bird Walkers: 

Join Geoffrey Newell Saturday, June 27, for an exciting first of the summer Friends of Uplands Park bird walk.  Please meet at 9:00 a.m. in the large parking lot out at the end of Cattle Point, where the boat launches are. Uplands Park is at the north end of Willlows Beach, along Beach Drive in Oak Bay. After observing sea and shore birds, we will head inland into the park to listen to and search for the many song birds in this fabulous Garry Oak Meadow Community.

Photo by Wayne Matthews. Uplands Park. May 23-2015

Photos – Willow Beach Seine Net [RBCM & FOUP] – June 14, 2015.

The Willows Beach Seine Net, hosted by the Friends of Uplands Park, and, presented by the Royal BC Museum, [June 14-2015 – low tide] attracted many folks of all ages. The photos tell the story of the Seine Net out in the eel grass off Willows Beach, with folks of all ages pulling in the net and sifting through to find sea life. Thanks to Margaret Lidkea, of FOUP, for providing nets and small containers to transport the sea life from the net to the RBCM holding buckets. Thanks to the RBCM scientists for showing the sea life to the crowd and sharing facts about each one. All sea life was returned to the ocean at the end of the show and tell. A truly beautiful day. A truly exciting event.

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Willows Beach Seine Net – June 14, 2015 9 to 11am [Hosted by Friends of Uplands Park & RBCM]

The Friends of Uplands Park has partnered with the Royal BC Museum for a wonderful hands-on event Sunday June 14 from 9 to 11am at the north end of Willows Beach.  This is one of the museum’s Field Tripper Series celebrating 125 years of the museum doing public programs outdoors.

The museum staff will be running a seine net over the eelgrass beds to collect creatures and then bring in the nets to shore.  Families can find creatures, put them into little containers of sea water, and have them identified by experts.  It will also be low tide so other living things can be found.  People should wear boots or water shoes.

 

SeaChange Marine Conservation Society has just finished a map of the eel grass off the shore of Oak Bay and will have this on display.

Friends of Uplands Park are also in the process of planning an educational Marine Kiosk at Cattle Point.   About $7000 has currently been raised but we need another $7000 donated.  There will be a display of this kiosk as well as information about the flora and fauna of the area.

 

Uplands Park Birding with Geoffrey – Saturday May 23, 2015

David Newell sends the following announcement:

On Saturday, May 23, join Geoffrey for an exciting spring migration Friends of Uplands Park bird Walk.

Please meet at 9:00 a.m. in the large parking lot out at the end of Cattle Point.  Uplands Park is at the north end of Willows Beach in Oak Bay.

After observing sea and shore birds, we will head inland into the park to listen to and search for the many song birds in this fabulous Garry Oak Meadow Community.  To top it off, several of the  22 species of endangered species of  plants are now in full bloom.  Many thanks go to the numerous people who, over      the years, have put in so many good efforts to remove the invasive species that compete with them.

There will be no walk on Saturday, May 30 as Geoffrey and Jean will be refereeing at the Provincial Karate Tournament in Vancouver.