insects

Jul 18, 2026 @ 10:00 amEvents

Hummingbird and Pollinator Walk

Have you walked through the trails of Stanley Park and hear the squeaky, scratchy calls of the Anna’s hummingbird above? Or perhaps looked to admire native flowers and noticed the busy buzzing of pollinating bees? Between the activity in the summer air and the scent of sweet flowers wafting in the breeze, the world of pollination is vibrant and full of energy! Join SPE Educator Julia Taylor on a colourful nature outing to learn about the fascinating world of hummingbirds, bumblebees, and some of the the flowers they rely on. Participants can borrow binoculars as we keep our eyes and ears tuned to nearby pollinators nearby.

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Jun 13, 2026 @ 02:30 pmEvents

Bumblebees and Bee-yond: Native Bee Walk

Ever wondered about the fuzzy, chunky bees flying around in the summer? Or maybe you’ve spotted a big bumblebee and thought, “that’s the largest bee I’ve ever seen!” Join us to celebrate Pollinator Month and learn all about the fascinating and diverse world of bumblebees and bee-yond! With over 150 species of native bee in our region, and in diverse colours from orange to blue to green, there’s a lot to appreciate. We’ll even get up-close with a few bee specimens (and possibly some live bees temporarily caught and viewed safely!) to really see what the native pollinators are all about. 

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Apr 25, 2026 @ 11:00 amEvents

City Nature Challenge: BioBlitz at Beaver Lake

Get ready to immerse yourself in nature and contribute to community science! Bring your smartphone and join us in competing with cities across North America to collect the most observations of wildlife and plants. Explore the forest surrounding the Beaver Lake wetland ecosystem while using the iNaturalist app. Don’t worry if you’re not an expert – no species identification knowledge is required! We’ll have staff and volunteers at the event hub to help get you started uploading your observations on the app, assist with species identification, and teach you about the ecology of the surrounding ecosystems. Join us and our partners at the University of British Columbia Beaty Biodiversity Museum, Douglas College Institute of Urban Ecology, the Entomological Society of British Columbia, and a member of the iNaturalist Ambassador Program!

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Aug 16, 2025 @ 01:30 pmEvents

[CANCELLED] Bumblebees and Bee-yond!

Ever wondered about the fuzzy, chunky bees flying around in the summer? Or maybe you’ve spotted a big bumblebee and thought, “that’s the largest bee I’ve ever seen!” Join us to learn all about the fascinating and diverse world of bumblebees and bee-yond!

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Jun 28, 2025 @ 01:30 pmEvents

Buzzing Native Bees

When you think of a bee, chances are you imagine the European honeybee. But what about our native pollinators? Here in BC, we have over 400 species of native bees! Come along for this buzzing outing to learn about their life cycles and ecology — from large fuzzy bumble bees to charming leaf-cutter bees to tiny bees less than 5 mm long! 

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