Have a Nature Question?
ASK AL
Al Grass has worked as a career park naturalist and ranger throughout BC. Now he is a well-known nature tour leader and photographer. Al especially likes birds, insects and spiders.
We asked Al to tell us a story about being a park naturalist and here it is:
Something That Went ‘Crunch’ in the Night! It was getting dark and campers had gathered at the park’s outdoor theatre for my evening program. Soon after I started my talk, there came a ‘c-r-u-n-c-h-i-n-g’ sound from bushes nearby. “It’s a BEAR!” someone shouted. “No” I said, “It’s a toad” Again came the ‘crunch’ and again came the shout, “It’s a BEAR!” Well, there was no going on with the program with all that shouting. I went over to the leaves lying on the ground by the bushes where the crunchy sounds were coming from and - sure enough - I found a beautiful Western Toad! So I gave a little talk about the toad and put it back where I found it. No bears that night! stion. send me a que se a le “P ys sa l A n is chosen for Al Grass If your questio e-inu will win a Rit yo D IL eW ur at N and pencil! "Bufo boreas (Western Toad) Rain notebook a n to info@ync.c io st e 15061" by Walter Siegmund u q r u yo d Sen r Road - Own work. 1620 Mount Seymou V7G 2R9 North Vancouver, BC
Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - http:// commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bufo_boreas_15061. JPG#mediaviewer/File:Bufo_boreas_15061.JPG
Rupert and Franny with Victoria City Council. Photo by
Rupert’s Blue Dot Adventure (Rupert Yakalashek, YNC Victoria) It all started when I went to the David Suzuki Blue Dot Tour. The Blue Dot Tour inspires everyone to ask their municipal government to make a declaration recognizing the right for a healthy environment. So that is what I decided to do. During the recent municipal election I hand delivered letters to the candidates which said, “If you promise to make Rupert and Franny with this declaration for the right to healthy environment, I’ll convince my parents to vote David Suzuki. Photo by for you.” On December 18, 2014, I held a rally outside City Hall called “Rupert’s Rally for a Healthy Environment”, then my sister Franny and I made presentations to Victoria City Council. The Council voted unanimously to make the declaration recognizing the rights for a healthy environment. Since then Franny and I have made two more presentations, hosted a Blue Dot letter writing event at the Royal BC Museum and sent letters to every municipality in Greater Victoria, hoping they will make environmental rights declarations too. My goals are to contact every municipality across BC and to make a short video to encourage other kids to get involved and make positive change in their community.
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