march events Archives - Stanley Park Ecology (SPE)

Mar 4, 2026 @ 02:00 pmEvents

Senior Stroll: Talking Trees with Talaysay Tours

Welcome senior participants! Join the wonderful knowledge-keepers at Talaysay Tours for a nature walk to learn about how Indigenous people utilize the land for food, medicine, and technology.
Talking Trees:
“Each plant, each tree has its own special story. On this nature walking tour you will hear the stories of how shíshálh (Sechelt) Coast Salish & Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) People have been utilizing the land for food, medicine and technology for thousands of years. Your Talaysay cultural ambassador guide will share our ecological practices, ancient and contemporary history, stories, legends and Indigenous ways of living (knowing) with you.”

view looking up at tree canopy with tall douglas-firs against a blue sky — Photo: Julia Taylor

Mar 29, 2026 @ 09:30 amEvents

Birds of a Feather: Spring Arrivals

Get ready to spread your wings and join the flock for this month’s edition of Birds of a Feather! With the first spring flowers opening up, and the frosty days behind us, it’s time to witness the latest birds arriving for the new season. Our winter residents will be on their way to their summer breeding grounds, while other migrators will be making their way to the forests, shores, and waters, of Stanley Park for the warmer days to come. Join a local birder for a bird-filled morning with possible encounters with hummingbirds, warblers, swallows, and other birds active this season. No experience required, just bring your curiosity and take flight! Feel free to bring your own binoculars or borrow ours.

side view of male rufous hummingbird approaching white tree blossoms — Photo: Martin Passchier

Mar 28, 2026 @ 02:30 pmEvents

The Herons are Here: Colony Tour [FULL]

Did you know that every spring, Pacific great blue herons take to over 100 nests to raise their young, right here in Stanley Park at the edge of Downtown Vancouver? Join Educator Julia for a special site visit to the heron rookery and learn all about how these beautiful and large birds navigate the canopy, build their nests, and raise their fledglings. You’ll also discover how Stanley Park Ecology supports the heron colony by protecting them from predators and monitoring their success in summer surveys. This is part of our annual series, “The Herons are Here”! This time of year, there is a lot of bustling activity in the canopy as herons maintain their nests and start to lay eggs.

heron flying with conifer branch in its beak, against a blue sky — Photo: James Stevenson

Mar 28, 2026 @ 10:00 amEvents

Linocut Relief Print Workshop

Join our linocut workshop to learn how to make your own relief print! If you’ve ever wanted to try print-making, this is a beginner-friendly technique that can transform a simple design into a beautiful piece of art. We’ll learn how to take inspiration from the natural world and carve a design into a rubber carving block, then ink the block and print it onto paper to take home! Some techniques use actual linoleum blocks, but this workshop will use beginner-friendly rubber carving blocks.

Print-making materials on a table including prints of a heron, skunk cabbage plant, and chanterelle mushrooms, plus ink and carving materials — Photo: Julia Taylor

Mar 26, 2026 @ 06:00 pmEvents

Beavers, Frogs, and Bogs!

As you venture along the wetland trail, you might hear the croaks and calls of nearby frogs, the quacks of resident ducks, and the songs of red-winged blackbirds — if you’re lucky, you also might just spot a beaver! How well do you know the animals that call Beaver Lake (known as “Áx̱achu7” in the Squamish language) home? Join us for an evening stroll to learn about the wildlife found in this partial bog ecosystem and see what we can find!

close-up of a beaver in the water, facing forward with head partially submerged — Photo: Mark T. White

Mar 21, 2026 @ 02:00 pmEvents

Living Fossils and “Prehistoric” Plants

Let’s take it back millions of years across time, learning about the ancestors of plants that are found right here in the place we know today as “Stanley Park”. Join us to discover what makes a plant a “living fossil” and get a glimpse into the ecosystems of Earth during the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods and beyond. We’ll even get to take a look at a real plant fossil to compare one prehistoric tree to their present-day descendent! Come along for a light-hearted journey across time and the evolutionary track of plants such as horsetails, the dawn redwood, and ginkgo trees.

Join Us!