Organizers of the 27th annual Ornithological Congress and the inaugural Vancouver International Bird Festival are flying high with the success of the event despite hazy smoke that has grounded some of the tours.
Rob Butler, a member of the Burke Mountain Naturalists who established the Pacific WildLife Foundation at Port Moody’s Reed Point Marina, spent three years organizing the bird festival while his colleague Bob Elner brought the congress to the city.
Their efforts have brought over 1,500 ornithologists to the region and introduced the world of birding to thousands of locals at opening ceremonies, speaking events, tours, art installations with more to come this weekend.
“We put on such a great show for them, they’re just over the moon about this,” said Butler, who is also an SFU professor emeritus in the department of biological sciences, and with Mossom Hatchery founder Rod McVicar is counting all the birds in the Salish Sea (Puget Sound, the Juan de Fuca Strait or the Strait of Georgia) for a B.C. bird atlas.
Among the highlights of the bird festival so far was a parade at Jack Poole Plaza where stilt-walkers dressed in fanciful bird costumes led a procession, accompanied by First Nations drummers and dancers.
As well, new additions to the Birds of Canada stamp collection were revealed.
However, Butler said there’s more to come.
For example, there is a Bird Expo at the Vancouver Convention Centre, a Children’s Bird Festival, photo displays, speakers, as well as the presentation of a large mural, Silent Skies, made up of paintings of endangered birds by renowned artists.
Butler said he believes people need to be closer to nature — for their physical and mental health — and birding is one way to get people into parks and natural spaces.
“Once you start going out and trying to see some birds it opens your mind, you start to hear the sounds, you start spotting some birds, you see the world differently, and pretty soon you’re into it.”
Find out more at www.vanbirdfest.com
