Saturday features canoes, birds, millionaires and art
Nature lovers are presently partaking in the 20th annual Meadowlark Nature Festival.
Tickets and details on all tours can be viewed online at meadowlarkfestival.ca or by phone at 250-492-5275.
Tickets for all events (except tonight’s keynote address by Tzeporah Berman) must be purchased by 3 p.m. of the day before the event.
The following is a list, along with a brief description, for tours available on Saturday.
Vaseux Lake Voyageur Canoe Tour: Paddle to the fascinating and secret places of Vaseux Lake in a voyageur canoe. One of the most biologically diverse regions in Canada, osprey, eagles, orioles, bighorn sheep and wildlife of all descriptions visit or make their home here. Learn about its unique natural and cultural history by exploring the lake and part of the endangered Okanagan River beneath magnificent McIntyre Bluff.
Cottonwoods Birding Tour: Conservation ecologist and author Michael Bezener leads this rare opportunity to bird at dawn at the ECOmmunity Place locatee lands in Penticton. You will see and hear a wide range of migrant and resident birds and learn about the Syilx cultural and conservation significance of species known to inhabit the site, including Yellow-breasted Chat, Western Screech-Owl, Barn Owl, Calliope Hummingbird, Lazuli Bunting, Veery and Yellow Warbler.
The Chat Chase: Join researcher Dr. Christine Bishop to see and learn about the recovery of the Yellow-breasted Chat population in the valley. Follow along Road 22 area dikes and dirt roads on a birding tour of the riparian areas and finally join up with the chat crew to band some chats.
Millionaire’s Row, a historical tour of Prairie Valley: Once known as Millionaire’s Row, Prairie Valley has a rich and fascinating history. Join David Gregory for a hike along the Trans Canada Trail and learn about the history of early Summerland, its fruitgrowing industry and colourful characters such as Sam McGee (Cremation of Sam McGee); R.B Angus, co-founder of the CPR; First Nations heritage and the geology of the valley.
Artist Talk with Dorothy Tinning – Creative Exploration through Landscape Art: Join 2017 Meadowlark featured artist Dorothy Tinning in a special talk as she discusses the process of creating a landscape with universal significance. Through observation and an openness to the way things evolve and grow, her paintings suggest a “sense of place.” A strong composition and a love of the outdoors allow her to respond creatively to a scene and paint it passionately.