April, 2007

Far more than your average birdwatcher, Mike Yip is a man on a mission! He 'accidentally' discovered the joys of photographing birds only a few short years ago, but the Nanoose Bay resident has been hooked ever since. In his first book, proudly presenting 124 colorful images of frequently and infrequently seen west coast species, the author's descriptive narratives portray a deep understanding and empathy for bird life, and the ecological challenges they face. Yip's new edition of "Vancouver Island Birds", will soon be hot off the presses, containing another 90 species not included in his first beautiful, full color book.

The photographer has been invited to share his wonderful images in an audio visual presentation on Sunday, April 15th, following our community vegan potluck supper in the Back Hall. Yip's desire to share his enthusiasm with other nature lovers is born out on line, where anyone can view the birds contained in his first book for free and enjoy referencing their own sightings. Please come on out to celebrate and learn more about the fascinating feathered species that share our island region!

March 2007

Happy Earth Week!

Please note the following change in our evening presentation. French director Jacques Perrin's gorgeous documentary "Winged Migration", will be taking the place of "Being Cariboo", previously advertised for this date. Perrin's film looks at the migration patterns of dozens of bird species and involved hundreds of people to make, including 17 pilots and 14 cinematographers. They were broken down into five teams that followed the birds into 40 countries, venturing from Iceland and Alaska to Senegal and Mali with more breathtaking stops in between. Spectacular, and a must see on the big screen!

"Migration" will be preceeded by a delightful 20 minute 'rough cut' (work in progress) titled "Surfin' the Waste". This thought provoking film about dumpster diving involves a handful of friends from the Comox Valley who moved to Montreal and found an edible island overflowing with food! Our all star cast bikes through the back-east winter in search of culled bounty in an all-singing, all-dancing, all-recycled musical documentary about actively reducing environmental impact. Featuring musicians Alden Penner and Mike Kirk from Campbell River, Allison Trumble from Cumberland, Liz Whittaker from Black Creek and director Tomoe Yoshihara from Denman Island!