With spring in full swing, what better time is there for a festival celebrating all things birds?
On May 10, Nature Squamish—formerly known as the Squamish Environment Society—is hosting the Squamish Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Bird Festival.
Held between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at Junction Park and O’Siyam Pavilion, the festival will include workshops, guided walks, prizes and a love of all things birds.
Nature Squamish director Tiffany Brunke told The Squamish Chief the festival was part of the group's endeavours to make Squamish a designated Bird Friendly City.
Conservation charity Nature Canada states that in order to be classified as a Bird Friendly City, a town must “have met or exceeded a minimum standard with regard to reducing threats to birds in their municipality, protecting and restoring natural habitat and increasing climate resiliency; and actively engaging their community in these actions through education and outreach.”
Currently, in B.C. only three cities have met this criteria: Lions Bay, Vancouver and Saanich.
“Part of [Nature Canada’s] requirements is doing outreach and education for the community, and one of the ways to do that is hosting a bird festival,” Brunke said.
“Essentially, just providing inspiration and opportunities for the community to learn, engage and give back to supporting birds in our community, which also helps all wildlife and people within the community.”
The festival
Throughout the day, bird lovers will have the opportunity to take part in three different bird walks.
The family estuary bird walk is lined up for 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., the adult bird walk is at 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., and a feather-friendly decal walk is from 1 to 2 p.m.
Brunke said the walks will include instructions on how to use binoculars, information on what birds viewers can spot in Squamish, and how to identify certain birds.
Sign-ups for the walks are required by May 2.
“We are also hoping to have some information booths from local organizations that, through their work, inevitably also help to support birds,” Brunke said.
“We will have information about the main threats to birds and how our community can help support them and get involved. We'll also have some face painting and some activities for people of all ages.”
Birds in Squamish
So, what birds can people spot in Squamish? Plenty according to Brunke.
“This is our migratory season, so we are seeing a lot more species of birds. Right now, the warblers are coming into town, so we've got the yellow-rumped warblers, black-throated grey warblers. We've also got a lot of woodpeckers, like the red-breasted sapsuckers,” she said.
“There's a lot of shorebirds coming to town … like the least sandpipers, and we've got a lot of waterfowl, like the buffleheads are coming back. Then, of course, we've got our robins that herald in the spring, and the peregrine falcons have been soaring as well as ospreys.”
A change in name
While a new group name might be surprising for some, it's not the first time Nature Squamish has made the change.
“Over the years, I think this is probably, like, the fourth name change. I think it's just a matter of rolling with the times and just being more inclusive,” Brunke said.
“The [Squamish Environment Society name] was initially focused on the estuary. But, I mean, when you start to dig into protecting one thing, you realize how everything is connected. And so Nature Squamish is just a more all-encompassing, inclusive name.”
As for what she hopes the festival will provide for the community, Brunke said it's all about appreciating the Squamish environment.
“There's a part we can all play in just helping to support our birds, and it provides a really great opportunity to really connect with their space,” she said.
“There are a lot of people who I find can walk or run through trails and not really notice what's around them. So if you just stop and take the time to listen and notice, you'll actually find all of these amazing sounds and wonders and beautiful things, from birds to all wildlife.”
For more information on the Squamish Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Bird Festival, visit the Nature Squamish website.
