Comox Valley Naturalists Society

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Guest Speaker

Sunday, September 21, 2003
Daphne Solecki
The Young Naturalists Club

Summer outdoor fun is not over with the start of the school season! Through Young Naturalists Clubs, young students can continue to have fun and learn about nature at the same time. Three guest speakers involved with organizing Young Naturalists Clubs, on Vancouver Island and throughout BC, were featured at the meeting of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society, on Sunday September 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Filberg Seniors Lounge, 411 Anderton Ave. in Courtenay.

The Young Naturalists Club of BC is a project of the Vancouver Natural History Society, which supports and manages the YNC on behalf of all members of the Federation of BC Naturalists. Although there is not a local branch of the YNC in the Comox Valley, the CVNS guest speakers outlined what would be involved in starting a local group.

Discovering nature first hand is the core purpose of the Young Naturalists Clubs, aimed primarily at children seven to fourteen years old. Each YNC is a locally organized group. Leaders organize activities such as ïExplorer DaysÍ, which are family-oriented participatory programs, using the expertise of local resource people. Fossil hunts, estuary walks, and low tide outings are some of the popular field trips that YNC clubs have organized. Each child in a family receives a membership package when joining for the annual family membership fee of $15.00. YNC members also receive a quarterly magazine, ïNatureWILDÍ, featuring nature-related articles and activities.

Daphne Solecki, coordinator of the Young Naturalists Club of BC, spoke about what is involved in setting up a local Young Naturalists Club, and showed a video about the Kelowna YNC. Alison Bakker, coordinator of the YNC group in Nanaimo, spoke about her experiences in setting up her club, in particular involving Home School students. Elthea Dale of the Arrowsmith Naturalists, leader of YNC Oceanside, presented displays that everyone tried their hand at, including birdsÍ nests, shells, and insects, to demonstrate one way of teaching youngsters about nature.