by Alicia Fontaine, Volunteer Coordinator
Throughout October 2015, SPES staff and volunteers were busy with Creatures of the Night, an entertaining and educational nature program including a ‘creature feature’ information station and a theatrical candle-lit walk. This event took place in Stanley Park in partnership with the Halloween Ghost Train. Thirty-three dedicated volunteers donated nearly 650 hours towards our very successful event. Staff and volunteers had a great time dressing up as local woodland creatures such as raccoons and coyotes, to help engage visitors about nocturnal wildlife.
We had 673 visitors participate in 64 spooky nature walks. This year, 9,957 people visited our tent, doubling the number of people who visited us last year. We had the South Coast Bat Action Team join us on several nights throughout the event, educating people on our local bat species. We also had pelts and skulls set up where people could have the rare chance to feel the fur of a raccoon, or touch the teeth of a beaver. Our “hands on” graveyard beckoned visitors to dig about and uncover skulls of nocturnal animals living in Stanley Park.
We would like to thank our generous sponsor, the Stanley Park Dining Pavilion/Capilano Group of Companies, for allowing us to continue to run this highly successful program.
