Blitz to tally the birds and the bees
A group of scientists are heading into the Flathead and Elk valleys this weekend to see what types of birds, bees, fish and plants live in an area set aside for conservation by Teck Resources.
On Friday, 14 scientists from British Columbia, Alberta and Montana will conduct a so- called BioBlitz, which means they will collect specimens of plants and bugs, and document all of the wildlife they spot.
Several groups have been working to protect the area in southeastern British Columbia as a national park as part of the Flathead Wild campaign.
None of the spokespeople were available Wednesday for comment, because they were in the backcountry, but they said in a news release that it’s an important area for both wildlife connectivity and biodiversity.
The land, which was purchased by the mining company for conservation in 2013, includes the former Flathead townsite, a 1,000- hectare section along the Flathead river and two 3,000- hectare parcels at Alexander Creek and Grave Prairie in the nearby Elk Valley.
“They are home to an incredible diversity of wildlife and are culturally significant to the Ktunaxa Nation,” Marcia Smith, Teck’s senior vice- president of sustainability and external affairs, said in the news release.
“We are excited to see the results of this year’s BioBlitz, which will build on our shared knowledge of this special part of the world.”
This is the fourth BioBlitz held in the area since 2012, with others showing there are no non- native bugs or birds. Scientists have also confirmed the area is rich in biodiversity, discovering a new species of spider and a fingernail clam that hasn’t been seen in British Columbia for almost 100 years.
The blitz is organized by the Flathead Wild team, which includes six Canadian and U. S. conservation groups — including Alberta’s Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative.