Endangered Species Day - Celebrating our Local Digging Expert
Out of all the species in the Okanagan, one of the most endangered ones is the American Badger. These guys are so special though and have so many cool features. Everything about the American badger is built for the dirt and digging. Here are some features that make them digging experts: Eyes - Like some mammal, like cats and dogs, badgers have a thin "third" eyelid called a nictitating membrane that helps prevent dirt from irritating their eyes. This membrane is translucent s
Happy Mother's Day!
Shout out to all the mothers out there, both human and wildlife! This includes our local Western skink mothers. These females are highly protective of their nests and eggs until they hatch. The females will periodically leave their nest to bask in the sun so they can go back and heat up their eggs. They have also been seen fixing their nests and rotating their eggs for optimal development. They usually lay between 2-6 eggs, and it takes about one month for them to hatch. That
World Migratory Bird Day!
Welcome home to all our migratory birds who left us for the winter, and are returning to us for another amazing summer. One such bird that is returning to us is the Eastern Kingbird. Eastern Kingbirds are a long-distance migrant, flying to BC all the way from countries in South America like Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador. That's a long ways, more than 7300km! But they don't take this journey alone. Usually a flock between 10-60 birds is formed for this migratory journey and someti
Common vs. Latin Names ft. Mosses
Did you know that many mosses don't have any common names? When talking mosses, it is more normal to use their Latin names instead of a common name, especially compared to other groups of organisms. There are close to 12000 species of mosses that are usually just lumped into the category of "moss" without specifying the type of moss. Common names can be easier to remember for a lot of people, the problem is that language is always changing. One word may mean something one day
Porcupines - Flight over Fight
Did you know that porcupines will try to run away from danger before using their quills? Like most animals, it takes less energy to run than using other protective measure like venom or fighting. Porcupines will try to seek a safe haven under rocks or up a tree as their first instinct to danger. Porcupines spend a considerable amount of time in trees, eating and staying safe from certain predators. If this running strategy doesn't work though, then it's time for the quills. P
