Okanagan Wildlife & Nature Soc Fund
Donation protected
The Okanagan Valley is an extraordinarily bio-diverse region. A stunning landscape and hospitable weather; the unique combination of ecosystems and mild climate provides habitat for a stunning assemblage of species! Over 200 species of birds breed in the Okanagan, some of which are found nowhere else in Canada. Furthermore, a higher proportion of endangered wildlife is found here, than anywhere else in British Columbia, making it a critical region for conservation.
The Okanagan Wildlife and Nature Society (OWNS) is an unregistered non-profit organization started in 2016 to initiate a long-term songbird monitoring program in Summerland, BC. The Summerland MAPS project - Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) is a continent-wide collaborative project under the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) that assists avian conservation through demographic monitoring of breeding passerines and other landbirds and their habitats. IBP has designated target species by bio-geographical region for MAPS and the majority of target species for the Northwest Region breed in Summerland, in the South Okanagan, including several which are monitored by this project. This project has run two very successful seasons of data collection already. Please visit our Facebook page to see the past two years progress: https://www.facebook.com/okanaganwns/
Currently our two stations are the only active MAPS stations in the Okanagan Valley or anywhere on mainland BC which means data on the vital rates of breeding birds in this region is severely lacking. Habitat displacement due to increasing development is an ongoing issue in the Okanagan, in addition to other ongoing nation-wide problems affecting birds such as climate change, urban and agricultural development, and invasive species including outdoor house cats. Data provided by this project can help provide insights into how local populations are affected by these issues and highlight areas where conservation efforts should be targeted.
Our mission is to inspire passion for the natural world and to connect people with conservation by promoting awareness and providing engaging learning experiences with wildlife and nature in the Okanagan. Our goal is to use our programs to make wildlife research accessible and educational and to connect people of all ages in the South Okanagan to nature. OWNS aims to implement projects that promote and facilitate the public’s engagement with ecological research, and nature as a whole.
Our first step is to raise funds to legally incorporate as a registered society in BC with goals to apply for charitable status. We will be looking to recruit founding members and to set up a board of directors in the following months. The proceeding steps are to acquire all necessary equipment for the 2018 season and funds to pay two professional biologists a daily per diem for their time, effort and expertise. Our final goal is to raise funds for the construction of a small banding lab for our site in Garnet Valley. We need your help to accomplish these goals. Your donations will come directly to our organization and will be applied to the following goals
(we are offering a free bird t-shirt from Kingfisher Craft Company for any donation over $100 - just leave us your contact info with donation) - See below:
OWNS was founded by Jason and Matthias; two wildlife biologists who have a passion for studying wildlife and learning more about ecology in order to protect and conserve the natural world we interact with and depend on. We feel an intrinsic connection to nature, and to us, nothing is more satisfying than being outdoors surrounded by the sounds and sights of the natural world, whether it be in the rugged wilderness or in our own back yard. Sadly, for many people that feeling is becoming more and more drowned out by an increasingly technologically advanced and busy society. Conservation and protection of wildlife and the environment begins with a connection to nature in our everyday lives; an awareness for and interest in the changes in the natural environment and a willingness to help. We want to share our love of wildlife and nature and thirst for knowledge with others so that as a group we can do our part to preserve our beloved and important natural Okanagan ecosystems.
We have big aspirations for a bright future! We are seeking new ways to get the most of our efforts by collaborating with other local conservation initiatives, including habitat and creek health assessments and restoration, invasive weed removal and introducing bio-controls, collaborating with entomology research, reptile and amphibian surveys, owl surveys and monitoring. This will allow us to further establish this site as a research station where students can attend, training and carry out wildlife research and interpretive programs. And one day maybe we will have a Nature Centre!
Goals
Phase 1:
Acquire necessary field equipment for 2018 season
Cost = $440.00
Date $ needed by: April 1, 2018
Banding Equipment Required:
Description Quantity Cost/unit Total Cost
Poles – E.M.T – 12 6.99 83.88
10’ x 1/2"
Hand wamers - 1 46.95 46.95
HotSnapz 8 set
Donegan DA-5 1 60 60
OptiVisor 2.5x Mag
Alligator clip set 1 5.99 5.99
Shop Towel 3-pack 1 7.99 7.99
Hospital box 1 9.99 9.99
Spray bottle 1 2 2
Spare 30mm nylon 1 123.28 123.28
mist net
Leg gauge 1 47.46 47.46
Net repair kit 1 6.78 6.78
Avinet order shipping costs 1 43.33 43.33
Equipment Total 437.65
Phase 2:
Become a registered non-profit organization
Cost = $600.00 (lawyer fees)
Date $ needed by: April 1, 2018
Phase 3:
Acquire funds to compensate project leaders
Cost = $2520.00
Date $ needed by: June 15, 2018
Daily Per Diem for Project Leaders:
Bander's Daily 14 days $90/day $1260
Per Diem
Assistant's Daily 14 days $90/day $1260
Per Diem
Total $2,520.00
Phase 4:
Construction of a small Banding Research Lab
Cost = $6,000 (estimate – plans have not been finalized)
Date $ needed by: Built for Spring 2019
Look through our posts in our Facebook page to see the Banding Lab we want to build.
https://www.facebook.com/okanaganwns/
The Okanagan Wildlife and Nature Society (OWNS) is an unregistered non-profit organization started in 2016 to initiate a long-term songbird monitoring program in Summerland, BC. The Summerland MAPS project - Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) is a continent-wide collaborative project under the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) that assists avian conservation through demographic monitoring of breeding passerines and other landbirds and their habitats. IBP has designated target species by bio-geographical region for MAPS and the majority of target species for the Northwest Region breed in Summerland, in the South Okanagan, including several which are monitored by this project. This project has run two very successful seasons of data collection already. Please visit our Facebook page to see the past two years progress: https://www.facebook.com/okanaganwns/
Currently our two stations are the only active MAPS stations in the Okanagan Valley or anywhere on mainland BC which means data on the vital rates of breeding birds in this region is severely lacking. Habitat displacement due to increasing development is an ongoing issue in the Okanagan, in addition to other ongoing nation-wide problems affecting birds such as climate change, urban and agricultural development, and invasive species including outdoor house cats. Data provided by this project can help provide insights into how local populations are affected by these issues and highlight areas where conservation efforts should be targeted.
Our mission is to inspire passion for the natural world and to connect people with conservation by promoting awareness and providing engaging learning experiences with wildlife and nature in the Okanagan. Our goal is to use our programs to make wildlife research accessible and educational and to connect people of all ages in the South Okanagan to nature. OWNS aims to implement projects that promote and facilitate the public’s engagement with ecological research, and nature as a whole.
Our first step is to raise funds to legally incorporate as a registered society in BC with goals to apply for charitable status. We will be looking to recruit founding members and to set up a board of directors in the following months. The proceeding steps are to acquire all necessary equipment for the 2018 season and funds to pay two professional biologists a daily per diem for their time, effort and expertise. Our final goal is to raise funds for the construction of a small banding lab for our site in Garnet Valley. We need your help to accomplish these goals. Your donations will come directly to our organization and will be applied to the following goals
(we are offering a free bird t-shirt from Kingfisher Craft Company for any donation over $100 - just leave us your contact info with donation) - See below:
OWNS was founded by Jason and Matthias; two wildlife biologists who have a passion for studying wildlife and learning more about ecology in order to protect and conserve the natural world we interact with and depend on. We feel an intrinsic connection to nature, and to us, nothing is more satisfying than being outdoors surrounded by the sounds and sights of the natural world, whether it be in the rugged wilderness or in our own back yard. Sadly, for many people that feeling is becoming more and more drowned out by an increasingly technologically advanced and busy society. Conservation and protection of wildlife and the environment begins with a connection to nature in our everyday lives; an awareness for and interest in the changes in the natural environment and a willingness to help. We want to share our love of wildlife and nature and thirst for knowledge with others so that as a group we can do our part to preserve our beloved and important natural Okanagan ecosystems.
We have big aspirations for a bright future! We are seeking new ways to get the most of our efforts by collaborating with other local conservation initiatives, including habitat and creek health assessments and restoration, invasive weed removal and introducing bio-controls, collaborating with entomology research, reptile and amphibian surveys, owl surveys and monitoring. This will allow us to further establish this site as a research station where students can attend, training and carry out wildlife research and interpretive programs. And one day maybe we will have a Nature Centre!
Goals
Phase 1:
Acquire necessary field equipment for 2018 season
Cost = $440.00
Date $ needed by: April 1, 2018
Banding Equipment Required:
Description Quantity Cost/unit Total Cost
Poles – E.M.T – 12 6.99 83.88
10’ x 1/2"
Hand wamers - 1 46.95 46.95
HotSnapz 8 set
Donegan DA-5 1 60 60
OptiVisor 2.5x Mag
Alligator clip set 1 5.99 5.99
Shop Towel 3-pack 1 7.99 7.99
Hospital box 1 9.99 9.99
Spray bottle 1 2 2
Spare 30mm nylon 1 123.28 123.28
mist net
Leg gauge 1 47.46 47.46
Net repair kit 1 6.78 6.78
Avinet order shipping costs 1 43.33 43.33
Equipment Total 437.65
Phase 2:
Become a registered non-profit organization
Cost = $600.00 (lawyer fees)
Date $ needed by: April 1, 2018
Phase 3:
Acquire funds to compensate project leaders
Cost = $2520.00
Date $ needed by: June 15, 2018
Daily Per Diem for Project Leaders:
Bander's Daily 14 days $90/day $1260
Per Diem
Assistant's Daily 14 days $90/day $1260
Per Diem
Total $2,520.00
Phase 4:
Construction of a small Banding Research Lab
Cost = $6,000 (estimate – plans have not been finalized)
Date $ needed by: Built for Spring 2019
Look through our posts in our Facebook page to see the Banding Lab we want to build.
https://www.facebook.com/okanaganwns/
Organizer
Jason Jb
Organizer
Summerland, BC
