Greetings from the wetlands,

       June is an exciting time and prepped to be a busy month around the CVWMA. Surveys within the wetlands are happening, teams are collecting data and working hard, and the wildlife families are all around us growing, and foraging.

 

The Kootenay Community Bat project has recently announced the annual Bat Counts are scheduled and underway!  Check out the website and dates to see when and where you can be involved and get registered. Bat Count Workshops.

 

The Western Painted Turtles are active this time of year so please slow down and drive with caution on West Creston Road, and other roads around the wetlands. Road mortality is a major threat to the turtles here and accross BC. - "We brake for turtles"!

 

Introductions are in order here at Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area, and we are thrilled to introduce Julia Kaczkowski! Our newest member of the team, working as a Conservation Programs Assistant. I have included a bio below for everyone to get to know her a bit better. Julia is a very welcome, and valuable addition to our team! Welcome Julia!

  

 

 

Conservation Programs Assistant, CVWMA

  

 

Hi everyone, my name is Julia! I am originally from Lake Country BC, and after exploring life on the prairies and the east coast, I have had the pleasure of calling the beautiful Creston Valley home for the past six years.

 

I attended the Bachelor of Science program at Thompson Rivers University, majoring in animal biology, followed by the University of Saskatchewan, where I graduated with distinction from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. I worked in general practice as a veterinarian for six years, before deciding to realign my career to focus on wildlife biology and conservation science. Nature and wildlife have always been my biggest passions in life…rooted, winged, hoofed, pawed or clawed, I love it all! I started with the CVWMA in mid April, and it has been the most rewarding experience – I am learning so much, and every day brings something new. It is a great privilege to have the opportunity to contribute to the impactful conservation efforts carried out here at the Wildlife Management Area, and to work with such an amazing team in doing so! I’m so grateful to be here, and very much looking forward to what lies ahead.

 

Outside of work, you’ll often find me in the forest, stopping to admire luscious mosses and neat mushrooms, or sneaking a peak through my binoculars at a shy bird. I spend summers hiking and camping in the backcountry, fly fishing, trail running, and soaking up the sun alongside the Goat River. In the winter, I enjoy the world-class ski conditions to be found at Kootenay Pass, and trivia nights with friends at the local craft brewery. Creston has such an incredible kaleidoscope of delightful characters, and I feel very fortunate to be a part of this wonderful community. See you out there!

 

 

Spring is well underway in the Creston Valley, and with spring comes…new life! Canada geese are often the first waterfowl to nest here in the wetlands, and goslings have been hatching over the past few weeks. At Duck Lake, keep an eye open for geese on the water holding their heads and necks down low parallel to the water’s surface to minimize their profile and avoid detection from predators. In addition to the goslings, within the last two weeks we have seen Common Goldeneye ducklings, as well as Trumpeter Swan cygnets at Duck Lake! It’s always such a treat to see the first waterfowl broods of the year – a good pair of binoculars is the best way to appreciate these adorable balls of downy fluff.

At Corn Creek Marsh, Barn Swallows have been hard at work building their nests at the Swallow Hotel over the last month.  We have been performing weekly checks of the Swallow Hotel as part of our ongoing Barn Swallow population monitoring program. It’s been so interesting to observe how some pairs decide to refurbish previously used nests, and how others build new nests from scratch. At the end of May, we were delighted to see that the first clutches of eggs have hatched! (see nest picture included) Admittedly newly hatched nestlings are significantly less adorable than ducklings, but they are still very special. Barn Swallows are federally-listed as a Threatened species. In order to give these iconic birds the best possible chance of raising their young successfully, we kindly ask the public to refrain from entering the Swallow Hotel from May to September. Visitors to the area are welcome however, and we invite you to sit on the bench and watch the swallows swoop over the water, catching insects to feed their young.

In addition to our feathered friends, our large pawed and clawed neighbours are also out and about with their cubs. Yes, we’re talking about bears! Grizzlies have been very active in the Duck Lake and Leach Lake units, feasting on the fresh grasses and vegetation. Large amounts of bear scat have been observed at Summit Creek, and a black bear sow with two tiny cubs were seen near the Administration Office recently. Please be bear aware when using the CVWMA trails and dikes – carry bear spray, make lots of noise, keep all dogs on leash, and be sure to give bears (and other wildlife) plenty of space. Be safe, have fun, and enjoy all the beauty that spring has to offer!