Hornby Island Natural History Centre
Category: Natural History Centre News
Taylor’s Checkerspot Larval Release
Team Checkerspot met to release larval on the Helliwell Park bluffs in March. This May, be on the lookout for the Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly flitting about on the Park’s bluffs.
Read MoreNatural History Garden
Plans are in the works to enhance the garden space outside the Natural History Centre. Phase one of this project will focus on drought tolerant and pollinator friendly gardening.
Read MoreFossil Fair Photos
The Fossil Fair was an enjoyable time for all. Special thanks to Dan Bowen and Betty Franklin of the Vancouver Island Paleontological Society for sharing their knowledge, Bronny McLeod for having the idea to hold a fossil fair, as well as all the volunteers and those who shared their treasures.
Read MoreFossil Fair – this Saturday!
Join us for a fossil fair this Saturday, May 13th, on the deck outside the Natural History Centre. The fair goes from 11:30 – 2:00. Enjoy hands-on activities for kids and local fossil displays!
Read MoreFossil Fair
Save the date for our Fossil Fair on Saturday, May 13th! Paleontologists and community members will share their fossil discoveries. Bring your own fossils for identification. Kids can participate in fun-hands on activities.
Read MoreDay of Drawing in the Centre
In February, join us for a day of drawing! We invite the community to drop in to the Centre on Saturday, February 18th between 1:30 – 4:30. Bring your sketch pad and pencils.
Read MoreSpring Programs Coming Soon
We are currently planning an exciting spring event lineup. Programming will include bird song ID walks, a plant identification walk, a fossil fair, student education projects, and a virtual exhibition on local wildlife photography. Please stay tuned!
Read MoreNew Nature Resources in the Centre
The Natural History Centre has new resources for all-ages to enjoy when visiting the Centre, which support our commitment to fostering a deeper personal connection with the natural world.
Read MoreThe Steward’s Winter 2022 Update
This past year has been filled with a flurry of activity beginning with reimagining our space as a place where visitors can learn about the complexity of relationships in the natural world through an exploration of exhibits filled with objects and information loosely organized around rocks and fossils, the sea, the air, and the land.
Read MoreFresh Water on Hornby Island – What Everyone Needs to Know
August 11th from 1:30 – 2:30pm at New Horizons, 1765 Sollans Road Dr. John Cox and has been conducting water-related research on the island since 2015, as a member of Hornby Water Stewardship. He will share his research offering an in-depth…
Read MoreNew Program: Forest Family Circles
Join us for this summer’s Forest Family Circles! Heather Royal-Brant is an exceptional teacher and has a wonderful way with storytelling, art, and capturing children’s imaginations.
Read MoreSummer 2022 Calendar
We are pleased to announce that the Summer 2022 Natural History Events Calendar is now available! Check out our speaker series, nature walks, forest family circles, or exhibit with hands-on activities.
Read MoreStudying Dungeness Crab in the Salish Sea
The students at Hornby Island Community School have been partnering with The Natural History Centre and Hornby Island Diving on the Sentinels of Change Project studying Dungeness Crab in the Salish Sea.
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 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 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.
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Hornby Island Natural History Centre 