Today celebrates one of our world's greatest engineers- the beaver. These rodents have amazing capacity to accumulate water in an area and alter hydrology. As climate change affects our planet, areas are subject to desertification, with water sources becoming more scarce and dry areas become even more arid. Beavers help to mitigate some of these effects- beaver ponds store water during wet times of years, and as water recedes in the dry months, water is released slowly into s

There are so many amazing aquatic species in the world, and still new ones are getting identified, even here in the Okanagan. One newly identified species is the Okanagan Crayfish. While it was known that crayfish were in the area, many people thought that this crayfish was the same as the Signal Crayfish which is native to the Pacific Northwest. However, this population was found to be more distinct than your normal Signal Crayfish, so it became its own species. Okanagan Cra

When looking at healthy river systems, complexity is very important. Having different sections to a river will provide different habitat and functions. Here are some complexities that we look for in rivers: Riffles: The shallowest part where water is usually running over rocks. This is where water is the fastest and there is the most oxygen. Sometimes fish will wait downstream from riffles to wait for food to flow their way. Runs: This is when water flows at a more uniform pa

We can't go through Invasive Species week without talking about one of the biggest threats in terms of invasives, Zebra, Quagga and other invasive mussels. These mussels are know for attaching themselves to every hard surface they can. Because of this they can damage infrastructure like irrigation pipes and municipal water systems which could cost millions to fix. These mussels also alter the food web, by outcompeting native species like salmon and Rocky Mountain Ridged musse

Today is all about being close to family. One family in nature that is definitely celebrating this holiday is Canada Geese. Canada geese have a family that is quite close and protective. Firstly, male and female geese will often mate for life, with only few records of "divorce". These parents are also quite protective of their young. Males will hang around the nest if they sense a threat and they will watch the nest if the female needs to leaves the eggs for a while. And whe

During the winter, its common to see more than mallards in the lakes. Many other waterfowl species can be seen, the problem is that a lot of them have black/white or brown/white colourations. Here are some similar species that can be found and how to ID them: Common Goldeneye: As the name suggests, look for the bright golden eye. The males of this species will also have a white pact between its eye and its beak. The females will have no patches on its face, and instead will h