NEWS & UPDATES - January 2021

Winter Musings

What does winter look like? Do you need snow on the ground, does it have to be below zero to feel like winter? I guess it all depends where you are geographically. I find that here in Creston, it can involve white stuff and minus temperatures but not always. We had a green Christmas this year although we did end up getting some snow the day after. Overall it has felt pretty mild this year so far, I know that will change, but for this coastal raised gal, I am just fine with it! For me, growing up on Vancouver Island, winter meant rain and fog, lots of rain and fog... Over the holidays, I was out for a walk with my kids on our property and we found an interesting animal track in the snow. We pondered it for a bit...It looked like a smaller mammal made the prints, although the snow was just a skiff, light and fluffy, so we could not see a distinct track, just a small tunnel made by a leg that went all the way to the ground. My 7 year old daughter pointed out that it looked like something dragged in the snow as it walked...maybe a tail she thought. We pondered what it could be. A mouse, a vole, a rat? My 4 year old was pretty excited at the possibility of a rat although I think that if he actually saw one in real life there would be some high pitched shrieking going on! A salamander? My daughter wondered if a salamander could be out in this weather. It could I said. It would be slow moving, but it's possible. We settled on it being a small rodent, a mouse...Below are two pictures of the tracks in case you are keen to help us make a positive ID!! With so much craziness happening in the world, from the pandemic to civil unrest, I take pleasure in these small but precious moments of contemplating animal tracks in the snow with my kids. It makes me feel grounded to be out in nature, being curious, exploring, asking questions. And through the lens of a child, it makes it that much more authentic. Please enjoy the outdoors this winter! It's amazing what some fresh air and exercise can do for one's health and mental well being. We have a Winter Survival Quiz for you and some fun links to winter tracking, ice formations and exploring the subnivean zone (what is that, right?!). Read more below! Take care! Carla Carla Ahern Senior Manager, KCDCS

Who do you think made these tracks?

The Canadian Wildlife Federation has a good article on tracking down winter wildlife.

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Winter Birding...

Creston Valley Bird Festival The Creston Valley Bird Festival is posting some updates on "Where the Birds Are" so you can keep in the loop of winter sightings... eBird eBird is a great tool to track sightings in the area as well as post your own. There are many avid local birders that post their sighting regularly. The CVWMA has many hotspots such as Duck Lake, around the Wildlife (Discovery) Centre and Leach Lake . Accounts are free to set up. Here is a link to the Central Kootenays where you will find Creston Valley hotspots. Bird Feeders If you want to bird from the comfort of your home, set up a bird feeder! You can get some great sightings of winter regulars as well as stop overs by those migrating through. For some great information on types of feeders and tips and tricks to ensure you are offering healthy and safe food, check out Give Backyard Birds Something to Sing About from the Canadian Wildlife Federation.

WILD FUN - NATURE QUIZ NEW QUIZ... Test yourself on what you know about wildlife winter survival! Winter Survival Quiz Have an idea for a Quiz topic? Let us know!

Fun resources From Other Places

Friends of the Kootenay Lake have some podcasts that focus on the people and geography of Kootenay Lake. Our friends at Kokanee Creek Nature Centre have some nature cameras set up to capture what the wildlife are up to. Check out the latest visitors. The Schlitz Audubon Nature Centre in Wisconsin creates some great Blog features. Here are some winter related ones to check out: Art and Science of Ice Formations and Beneath the Snow: the Subnivean Zone (what is a Subnivean zone you ask? Read on!)

Website Updates - Just for Kids

Check out some of these great additions to our website resources. We added these fun winter resources below to our Just for Kids Page and some additional links on the Learning Links Page. Check them out! Just for Kids CBC Parents put together a list of 50 Outdoor Things to Do with Your Kids in Winter and it has lots of great ideas! From spray painting snow with food colouring to creating a giant game of tic-tac-toe… Nature Path Organics has some Must Try Winter Crafts for Kids that focuses on using recycled materials such as paper plates, cups, and paper rolls for crafting inside in the winter. The Canadian Wildlife Federation has a good article on tracking down winter wildlife. This guide will help you interpret winter wildlife signs like a pro! Freshly fallen snow can provide many clues as to who has been moving around in your neighbourhood. This article highlights how to interpret tracks in the snow by looking at distance between tracks, straddle and stride, gait and prints...and it showcases some common Canadian wildlife (and their tracks) sighted in the winter. They also have another great resource called Discovering the World of Animal Tracks that provides more tools and tips for understanding tracks.

Wildsight Creston Hosting Film Festival

Event Name: Wild and Scenic Film Festival Creston 2021 Event Date: Saturday Jan 30, 2021 at 7pm (MST) Cost: Single Ticket $20, Household $40, Student $15. Join Wildsight for their 7th Annual Wild & Scenic Festival. There is a wonderful mix of films and fabulous door prizes. This event always leaves participants feeling inspired, connected and energized. It’s what we all need in the middle of winter! New: This year the festival is presented as a live, virtual event on Wild & Scenic’s custom platform. You can view it from home, near the ski hill, or wherever you might be. The film selection will also be available 24 hours afterwards, so you can watch the next day as well. (From Saturday at midnight to Sunday at midnight.) Watch Party: Purchase a ticket to watch with your bubble at home. Door prize winners will be announced in the viewing platform’s chat feature during intermission. Thanks to Summit Cycles & Sports, Activity Base, the Kootenay-Columbia Discovery Centre, Bombton Bath Bombs, Mitchell & Sun for donating door prizes! For a list of all the films and to purchase tickets, visit Wildsight Creston.

Winter Programs

At the moment, we are holding off hosting any winter events/activities due to COVID. We feel that it is the safest for everyone if we can keep to our immediate social circles when gathering indoors or out. We will reevaluate this decision each month and will let you know what is happening! Thank you for your patience and be safe!

Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area

To access advisories and up to date information related to the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area, please check out their website or Facebook page.

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If you are interested in supporting KCDCS' mission to deliver environmental education and awareness programs, please click the link above. You can earmark your donation for ongoing program delivery or the development of a new Discovery Centre. KCDCS is a registered federal charity and can issue you a tax receipt.

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