Hornby Island Natural History Centre
Category: latest news
Summer Employment Opportunity
Are you under 30 and interested in being an integral part of the reopening of the Hornby Island Natural History Centre this summer. We are looking for an energetic, enthusiastic, person to join us for 30 hours a week, for 12 weeks, beginning mid-June 2022.
Read MoreReleasing Caterpillars of Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterflies
On March 9, members of the Hornby Island Natural History Centre, Conservancy Hornby Island, Hornby Island Provincial Parks Committee, Comox First Nation and local volunteers joined personnel from BC Parks, BC Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Science Section, BC Conservation Foundation, Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team and several biologists to release caterpillars of Taylor’s Checkerspot butterflies. This is part of a multi-year project to restore habitat including providing essential host and nectar plants through propagation and planting out twice per year.
Read MoreThe Stewards Winter Update
Our beloved Natural History collection has not travelled very far since the school fire forced it into storage in August 2018, but it has moved multiple times. . . We are happy to let you know that everything has now been safely moved into our new home on the corner of Central and Sollans.
Read MoreStudents and Scientists Work Together on the Helliwell Park Restoration Project
On October 13th, Hornby Island Community School students worked for the sixth consecutive year on restoring habitat for the Taylor’s Checkerspot butterfly.
Read MoreYouth Employment Opportunity
The Hornby Island Natural History Centre is looking for an intern to be part of a team working to reopen our Centre. This position is funded by Young Canada Works at Building Careers in Heritage through the Canadian Museum Association.
Read MoreForest Backpacks for Families Photos from Lev and Zeva
This summer is the launch of our new Forest Backpacks for Families program and we have invited participants to share their experiences. Check out these finds by young naturalists Lev and Zeva! Thanks so much for sharing your photos with…
Read MoreNature Backpacks Available – New!
We have Nature Backpacks available! Find Kihan selling them at the Farmer’s Market on Wednesday and Saturday and in the Beulah Creek Nursery Garden on Thursday and Friday from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm. We’re looking forward to hearing about your time in the forest! Email us photos of your work, your questions and comments, and we’ll post them on our blog. hornby.naturalhistory@gmail.com
Read MoreRe-Imagining the NHC 2021 Survey Synopsis
In anticipation of the Natural History Centre’s reopening, we invited the community to help imagine the new Centre. Here are the results!
Read MoreCitizen Science: Spot and Record Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly Larvae
BC Parks has put a call out for volunteers to spot and record butterfly larvae at Helliwell Park on Hornby Island. In particular, the little black Taylor’s checkerspot larvae on the plantain plants that they love to feed on. If…
Read MoreStudents Aid in Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly Recovery Project
On October 27, Hornby Island students planted native plants along Helliwell Provincial Park’s bluffs to support the island’s rare Garry Oak ecosystem.
Read MoreMeet Michelle Willard of Mighty Museum
Meet Michelle Willard, Museum Consultant and Specialist! The Natural History Centre is excited to be working with Michelle Willard of Mighty Museum to envision the future of our Centre and its reopening. Michelle holds a Master of Arts in Anthropology…
Read MorePlanning for the Future
The Natural History Centre is thrilled to acknowledge recent grants from HICF, HICEEC, CVCF, and MAP that support our Centre’s short and long-term visioning and reopening process.
Read MoreNew Totes Available
Natural History totes featuring a lovely crow design by Stevi Kittleson and made locally by Leslie Richards and Shirley Wyndam are now for sale at Fibres and Beulah Creek Nursery. They are $25 each (cash only please).
Read MoreSummer 2020 Programs Postponed Due To Covid-19
Every summer, we look forward to connecting with those who visit the Natural History Centre and participate in the Centre’s programs. Unfortunately, this year we won’t be holding our usual summer activities due to concerns about the health and safety of participants and volunteers.
Read MoreTaylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly Reintroduction at Helliwell Park
This March, Hornby Island Natural History Centre volunteers assisted wildlife recovery specialists with the release of 400 Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly caterpillars into Helliwell Park.
Read MoreA Message from the Hornby Island Natural History Centre on COVID-19
The Natural History committee sends our well wishes to everyone during these difficult and uncertain times. Amidst the growing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, we are thinking of our community and visitors both both near and afar.
Read MoreNatural History and the School Rebuild!
On December 6th, 2019, community members, parents, and children filled the Hornby Island Community Hall for the highly anticipated new school funding announcement. We were thrilled to learn that the Natural History Centre will be included “on site” in the rebuild!
Read MoreInterview with Wildlife Photographer, barb biagi
Interview with barb biagi – Hornby Island wildlife photographer, Natural History Centre Steward, and wildlife rescue volunteer.
Read MoreStudents and adults work together to help Helliwell
In late October, Hornby Island students removed nearly 500 Hairy Cat’s Ear weeds from three sites at Helliwell Park. They also planted 518 seedlings of three types of native grass, Woolly Sunflower and Yarrow that were grown by members of the Natural History Centre.
Read MoreAutumn Update from the Stewards
Despite not having a visitable location during summer 2019 after the fire, Hornby Island Natural History has remained busy: maintaining the collection in the temporary storage location, hosting the speaker series and nature walk programs, and connecting with the community at the Market.
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