Lillooet Naturalist Society
The Lillooet Naturalist Society has been promoting knowing nature in the Lillooet area and keeping it worth knowing since 2002. The Society is a member organization of BC Nature and all our work, which is mostly volunteer, is to do with promoting the amazing biodiversity in Lillooet as well as conservation, restoration and education, all to do with the natural world.
The volunteer membership has produced a hiking guide that takes people to some of the amazing nearby outdoor locations, called “Canyon to Alpine, Lillooet Hiking Guide.” The Society’s Hiking Guide gets people to all the different ecosystems around Lillooet and provides education about the different habitats and creatures that enjoy them. Other helpful resources put out by the Lillooet Naturalist Society include a bird checklist for the area and a bat checklist for the area.
The Society also support a native plant nursery, led by the Sekw’el’was, the Cayoose Creek Indian Band, called Splitrock Environmental Sekw’el’was, that provides education about the indigenous plants, sales of native plants and restoration services.
Meet the Volunteer Board of Directors
Meet the Volunteer Board of Directors
The Lillooet Naturalist Society is comprised of the Board of Directors (from left to right: Simon Warhurst, Vivian Birch-Jones, Robin Strong, Chris Galliazzo, Kevin Aitken and Greg Smith) and many dedicated members. Members of the Lillooet Naturalist Society love Lillooet and find the community's natural setting spectacular. Lillooet has, "resilience and positive energy," which makes "folks love this little town," said Vivian. As a volunteer-driven Society, members help in the appreciation of the natural world. Everyone loves the wildlife and there is great interest in the Society's efforts to educate about the biodiversity and conservation efforts of Lillooet's wildlife and wild places. Lillooet is uniquely situated at the blending of Coastal Mountain ecosystems with the dry interior grasslands and there is tremendous habitat and biodiversity.
Many members enjoy getting out with the other Lillooet Naturalist Society volunteers to enjoy and work on the area hiking trails. Members also enjoy seeing the native plants, birds and other wild creatures. Volunteers share this enjoyment with visiting experts and locals that are just learning about the natural world through events such as their annual Christmas Bird Counts, the ongoing seasonal Bluebird Box monitoring, a shoreline clean-up day and education about fish and wildlife research. All of their events take a huge amount of volunteer effort and are rewarded by high interest and large attendance.
A recommended local activity, besides the many Lillooet Naturalist Society events, is the Kaohom rail shuttle from Lillooet to Seton and back. On this world class train ride there are opportunities to experience great natural and cultural education and enjoy spectacular scenery.
Photo credits: Ian Routley (Wildlife and landscape photos) and Jonah Greenman (Board of Directors photo).
Lillooet, BC V0K 1V0
Hours
Contact us for for information and volunteer opportunities.
