Did you know that only female bees can sting? The bee stinger is a changed form of an egg laying organ called the ovipositor which only female bees posses. Males bees (also known as drones) do not have an ovipositor due to the lack of need to lay eggs. Bee's posses a stinger to defend their hive from danger and will only sting if they feel threatened. Since worker Honey bee stingers are usually barbed, once a bee stings its stinger gets stuck in the threat and often will kill

Did you know that Truffles are fungi but not considered a type of mushroom? Truffles are a type of fungi that grow dense, rock shaped reproductive bodies underground vs. mushrooms which are a type of fungal fruiting body that grow above ground and include both a stem and cap. Unlike mushrooms, truffles need an animal to spread their spores in order to efficiently reproduce. Truffles will secrete a smell that attracts animals (typically rodents) that will dig them up, consume

Raccoons get a bad rap for eating garbage and digging through our gardens, but we like to call that being an opportunistic forager! These little omnivores will eat almost anything that is edible from bird eggs, to clams, to our food scraps. Raccoons are great swimmers and their habit of catching frogs, fish, and crayfish has led to the myth that the raccoons wash their food before eating. Raccoons are usually quite shy but once they have been fed, they can become brave around

Juvenile Great Horned owl at Riverside Marsh A lot has happened in 10 years A decade at Riverside Marsh In 2016, Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship began planting at Riverside Marsh in Penticton. At the time, creating dense, thriving habitat here took a little imagination. Riverside Marsh is an oxbow- a former curve of the Okanagan River that became separated from the main channel when the river was channelized in the 1950s. These wetland and riparian areas can provide incredib

Since Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship began in 2013, we have planted roughly 3,000 native trees and shrubs every year across the Okanagan and Similkameen. That means more than 40,000 native plants have gone into the ground through our habitat restoration work. What does 40,000 plants actually mean on the ground? Those plants become more than trees and shrubs. Over time, they become habitat. They provide food, shelter and nesting places for birds, insects and other wildlife.

North American Porcupine quills have microscopic barbs that make them difficult to pull out, but penetrate skin easily! Porcupines are covered almost entirely in quills, which are a type of large, spikey modified hair. These quills act as an extremely effective defense against would-be predators. The tiny scale-like barbs on the tips of their quills are being studied as a model for new types of innovative medical equipment! The North American Porcupine has little relation to

Moose can dive up to 20 feet underwater?! Moose love aquatic vegetation, and foraging is the main reason for their diving behavior. Moose spend so much time underwater that they have developed specialized nostrils with internal valves that allow them to stay underwater for long periods of time while foraging. Moose can stay completely submerged for up to a minute, enough time to grab ample vegetation!

Did you know that buzzards and vultures are different species? Buzzards and vultures are often mistaken for one another but they play very different roles in the ecosystem. Buzzards are birds of prey that actively hunt small mammals, reptiles, and other animals using their talons and excellent eyesight. Vultures, on the other hand, are primarily scavengers. Rather than hunting live prey, they feed on carrion (dead animals), which helps to recycle nutrients and reduce the spre

The end of August is a great time to look for one of our endangered butterfly species, the Mormon Metalmark. This butterfly is quite small, with a wingspan of only about 3cm in length. Mormon Metalmarks are only found in the South Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys of BC in Canada. If you are looking for them, the best way to start is to find a plant called Snow buckwheat. Snow buckwheat is a larval host plant for Mormon Metalmarks, meaning they need this plant for their cater