Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve Society

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Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve Society This is Stó:lō Téméxw. The Great Blue Heron is one of the most distinctive North American birds.

We respectfully acknowledge that the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve is located on the shared traditional, unceded & ancestral territory of the The’wá:lí people, who are part of the Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribe, and the Semá:th Tribe. However, the Pacific Great Blue Herons do not migrate and depend entirely on wetland habitat in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island for their survival. The Pacific Great Blue Heron is a Species at Risk and requires our significant conservation efforts to ensure the long-term viability of its population. It is fitting that the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve takes its name from this bird, for on the south-western portion of the Reserve is one of the largest heron nesting colonies in the Lower Mainland. With over 100 nests, the colony is active from March through July of each year. We respectfully acknowledge that the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve is located on the shared traditional, unceded & ancestral territory of the The’wá:lí people, who are part of the Ts'elxewyeqw Tribe, and the Semá:th Tribe. We acknowledge the ongoing negative effects of colonialism on all Sto:lo peoples and seek to work side by side with those who looked after the land before us, incorporating traditional knowledge into the ways we are caring for this land through conservation and education.

10/11/2026

To mark Canada's Day of Truth and Reconciliation this year, we undertook a salmon leather workshop taught by Jay Peachy and had a reading of an Indigenous-written play by local author and Knowledgekeeper Gracie Kelly from The:wali.

We asked our director Camille about her philosophy behind this approach. You'll hear her answer in the video. The day was a powerful reminder of how much wonder exists around us every day. We have so much to learn from local Indigenous experts like Gracie and Elder Eddie Gardener from Skwah Nation, and from artists like Jay (originally from the Philippines) who are exploring the use of local traditional materials for making modern crafts and teaching others.

TGIF! This weekend could be a great opportunity to catch some Wolf's Milk slime moulds. The rainy conditions encourage...
10/09/2026

TGIF! This weekend could be a great opportunity to catch some Wolf's Milk slime moulds. The rainy conditions encourage individual amoeboid cells to congregate into large fruiting bodies or aethalium. Their distinct pink color and slimy texture (perfect for squishing!) has earned them the nickname 'toothpaste slime'.

Once the aethalium has matured, the color changes to brownish grey. The interior dries out into a powdery mass of spores, which are released into the air to begin the cycle of life once again.

The Wolf's milk alternates between two different life stages: 1) a feeding stage (the individual cells) and 2) a reproductive stage (the pink balls).

Now you know!

Unfortunately, the invasive Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus) has become a serious problem under the bird feeders outside o...
10/05/2026

Unfortunately, the invasive Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus) has become a serious problem under the bird feeders outside of the Interpretive Centre, so we have had to temporarily take our feeders down as we attempt to control the issue. Our plan is to have the feeders down for the month of October while we clean up all of the discarded seed and husks in and around the feeder area, humanely trap and collapse the burrows that are around the bird feeders so that we can get the feeders safely up again in time for the November start of FeederWatch. Thank you for your patience as we deal with this unfortunate issue.

10/05/2026

Have you heard about Salmon Leather? During our workshop on September 27th, we learned all about the process with local instructor Jay Peachy. We de-scaled the skin and soaked it in a tannin-based solution. Then we made some crafts out of processed skin that Jay had prepared. It was an excellent time & our pavilion space was the perfect place to do it.

Cured salmon leather is made into all kinds of items including jewelry, clothing and Indigenous Regalia. The colors are so beautiful!

10/02/2026

Green, green, green! There's so much green at the Heron Reserve, but do you know what the species are? Do you know which greens are introduced and which are native? We have many invasives at the GBHNR, including several that are pictured here.

We currently have UFV student Jae Vike doing some invasive plant mapping along five transects in the reserve. In addition to species identification, he is looking to determine the ratio of natives to invasives. His work will contribute to our greater knowledge of invasive ecology here.

As our climate continues to warm, British Columbia stands to receive even more invasive species from southern locations. It's not a matter of eradicating the invasives, rather about looking at how to manage the abundance that is already here.

Much of our attention goes to the usual suspects: Yellow flag iris, Purple Loosestrife and Himalayan Blackberry. However, monitoring the growth of lesser-known invasives is important too. Jae will be looking out for St. John's wort, Bittersweet Nightshade and Clematis.

How many can you name? Let us know in the comments!

Looking for ways to get outside and involved in your community this fall? Help us with our Bird Blind Channel restoratio...
10/01/2026

Looking for ways to get outside and involved in your community this fall?

Help us with our Bird Blind Channel restoration project! We are first preparing the area by removing blackberry roots, and then we will be planting up the riparian area with native plants. Email [email protected] to register for any of these dates!

09/28/2026

It was a wonderful weekend at the GBHNR, with Indigenous inspired events including a salmon leather workshop and a reading of Soowahlie matriarch Gracie Kelly’s play ‘It’s not just a rock’ in English and Halqemeylem.

This week is Canada’s national day for Truth and Reconciliation; however, it’s critical to recognize Indigenous ways of knowing and being during all weeks of the year. We are so grateful for the embrace of wisdom-keepers like Gracie, Elder Eddie Gardener, Storyteller Jay Peachy and artist Mike. Not to mention the crowd of folks that were there to watch, listen and take on a character for the play. We had ‘actors’ playing salmon, ravens, wolves, Mr. Greedy (aka the colonizer with all the cash) and our own mama bear (played by Camille!).

For us, learning that encompasses storytelling, costumes & actions, props, puppets and food is the best kind of learning. We hope to continue with such holistic events, because the true nature of reconciliation requires openness, respect and a desire to understand. Thank you to Gracie, Eddie, Jay and all of our participants this weekend! Another post about or salmon leather workshop is forthcoming!

O siem!

Have you ever heard birds rummaging around in the leaves and bushes? You are likely hearing Spotted Towhees! Spotted Tow...
09/26/2026

Have you ever heard birds rummaging around in the leaves and bushes? You are likely hearing Spotted Towhees! Spotted Towhees will hop back and forth, scratching the leaf litter apart to uncover insects and seeds to feed on. We currently have lots of Spotted Towhees foraging near our feeders, they are loving the rain, which has brought out more insects. Come visit us today to watch these vibrant birds hopping about!

With National Day for Truth and Reconciliation one week away, we wanted to promote the many events that are happening in...
09/23/2026

With National Day for Truth and Reconciliation one week away, we wanted to promote the many events that are happening in the Fraser Valley. We encourage you to connect, engage with and support your community at this time.

Hi’kw mékw’ewát thá:le, Every Heart Matters🧡

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Event
September 27th, 11:00am - 2:00pm
Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve
5200 Sumas Prairie Rd, Chilliwack
Join us at the GBHNR for a day of community, connection, and learning to honour the Earth. This event will include a Salmon Leather Workshop with Jay Peachy, lunch, and It’s Not Just a Rock interactive play by Gracie Kelly of Thʼewá꞉lí First Nation. Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action #83 calls for a strategy for Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists to undertake collaborative projects & produce work that contributes to the reconciliation process, focusing on creating, knowing and sharing. This event is open to all, we would love to see you there.
Registration is required for the salmon leather workshop:
https://book.peek.com/s/2a437f13-a7f3-4705-8ff9-c61c0e3c9119/L3J3A

Stó:lō totí:lt
September 29th, 10:00am - 12:00pm
UFV Evered Hall, SUS Building
33844 King Road, Abbotsford
*Open to UFV students, staff and alumni only*
https://events.ufv.ca/tlc/events/stolototilt/

Bridging Hearts: A Step Towards Unity and Healing
September 30th, 10:00am - 3:00pm
Coqualeetza Grounds, near the Longhouse
7201 Vedder Road, Chilliwack
https://www.stolonation.bc.ca/resource/bridging-hearts

Stetís ímexstowx (Walk Beside Us)
September 30th, 10:00am - 3:30pm
Thunderbird Memorial Square
32388 Veterans Way, Abbotsford
https://stetisimexstowx.ca/our-time-together/

5th Annual Orange Shirt Day Powwow
October 2nd 7:00 pm
October 3rd 1:00pm, 7:00pm
Chilliwack Secondary School
46363 Yale Rd, Chilliwack

Online Resources:
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation: Lunch and Learns
Daily webinars from September 21 - 25th, posted to youtube after
https://trw-svr.nctr.ca/lunch-and-learns/

Orange Shirt Day Story
https://orangeshirtday.org/about/orange-shirt-day/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuW4WbekhxY

Address

5200 Sumas Prairie Road
Chilliwack, BC
V2R4N7

Telephone

+16048236603

Website

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