Feed the ducks, hold a snake, make a puzzle, buzz with bees or hike a trail with your family at special spring-break programs at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, from Monday to Thursday.
“This year’s lineup of spring- break programming is an exciting one and delivers on-the-ground — literally — experiential nature-based learning opportunities,” said Kathleen Burton, executive director of the sanctuary.
“We are thrilled to partner with organizations like South Island Reptiles to bring wonderful, fun and entertaining learning experiences to the community.”
The event features three days of drop-in events and one day for a guided hike, with a different theme every day.
On Monday, discover the avian world at Bird Bonanza. On Tuesday, take a tour of the grounds at the Swan Lake Trails Discovery. You can see or even touch a snake on Wednesday at the Snake Spectacular, and take a guided walk to see and smell the flowers at the Christmas Hill Wildflower Walk on Thursday.
There will also be family-friendly crafts and activities from Monday to Wednesday.
Admission to any of the programs is by donation ($5 suggested). The drop-in programs run from noon to 3 p.m. Monday to Wednesday.
Both the Swan Lake Trails Discovery and Christmas Hill Wildflower Walk feature outdoor guided walks on uneven terrain. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes, and bring a water bottle and snack if desired. The Wildflower Walk is a hike up Christmas Hill and leaves the nature house at 12:15 p.m. Thursday.
Throughout spring break, the Nature House will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. All programs take place at the sanctuary, 3873 Swan Lake Rd. For more information, go to swanlake.bc.ca.
CRD Parks offers guided walks that the kids will love
Spring has sprung and the outdoors beckons. Join CRD Parks naturalists on four family-friendly guided walks during Spring Break:
• On Friday, learn about the natural history of the black bear at Bear Necessities. The walk is suitable for children five and older, and shows how we can co-exist with these magnificent forest dwellers.
The program runs 10 to 11:30 a.m. at East Sooke Regional Park, East Sooke. Meet at the kiosk in the Ayland Farm parking lot, off Beecher Bay Road.
• Figure out the identity of an unknown animal at the Mystery Creature program on Sunday.
You have to solve riddles to find clues hidden along the trail to discover the mystery creature.
Along the way, you will learn fascinating facts about Durrance Lake from a CRD Parks naturalist.
The walk is suitable for children five and older. It runs from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Mount Work Regional Park, Saanich.
Meet in the Durrance Lake parking lot off Durrance Road, off Willis Point Road.
• Bring your preschooler to explore the wonderful world of insects at Bug Buddies, a guided walk suitable for children under five years old at the Mill Hill Regional Park in Langford on Tuesday.
A CRD Regional Parks naturalist will be happy to answer “What’s that bug?” as he takes children on a safari to search for grasshoppers, wood bugs and other not-so-creepy crawlies.
There is no fee, but you must pre-register as space is limited.
The event runs from 10 to 11 a.m. at Mill Hill Regional Park in Langford. To register, go to crd.bc.ca/parks-events.
• Discover the fascinating life of the butterfly at Brilliant Butterflies, a guided walk for children eight and older at Mill Hill Regional Park on Wednesday.
Around this time, butterflies will begin emerging from their cocoons, transforming themselves and the world around them.
The program runs from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Mill Hill Regional Park in Langford. Meet at the kiosk in the parking lot off Atkins Avenue. You can use B.C. Transit route 53.
Try to arrive 10 minutes before the start and leave pets at home.
More information on all of the programs can be found here.
See what electric vehicles look like
If you are thinking of reducing your reliance on fossil fuels, attend the Electric Vehicle Extravaganza, where you can meet owners, listen to speakers and look under the hoods of electric vehicles, at Edward Milne Community School, 6218 Sooke Rd., on Saturday.
The event is hosted by the Transition Sooke Speaker Series in partnership with Emotive and the Victoria EV Club.
There will be a display of the latest electric cars and a section dedicated to the availability of used electric vehicles. There will also be specialty speakers as well as information on Segways and electric bicycles.
Sooke EV owners will provide information on costs, range and charging infrastructure in the Sooke region (and any other location considered a significant distance from a major urban area).
The event is free to attend. It runs from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
More information here.
Books for sale to aid libraries
You can pick through thousands of books, CDs and DVDs at bargain prices at the Friends of the Library Book Sale, Saturday at the Nellie McClung Branch, 3950 Cedar Hill Rd.
Proceeds from the sale will go to support the Greater Victoria Public Library programs and services.
At Saturday’s sale, you can pick up books for the whole family, including novels, mysteries, science-fiction, romance, a large selection of children's books, gardening, travel, cooking and more.
There will also be audiobooks and large-print books.
The event runs from 5 to 8 p.m. You can pay $3 for an early bird admission fee.
If you have books to donate ahead of the sale, please drop them off at the library.
For more information, go to gvplfriends.ca.
Get glimpse of the past, from way back
Travel back to the age of dinosaurs — and beyond — at the Victoria Palaeontology Society’s Fossil Fair at the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, 3873 Swan Lake Rd., Saturday and Sunday.
This is the 23rd year of the event, which features a rich and diverse variety of animals and plants fossils found on Vancouver Island, as well as other parts of British Columbia.
The fair is an educational experience for all age groups.
Expect to see dinosaur bones, ammonites, trilobites, corals, mollusks, insects, giant palm leaves and microscopic fossils from the Cambrian Period (550 million years ago) to the end of the last Ice Age (a mere 10,000 years ago).
“This year, we will have 42-million-year-old fossilized snails from the Crescent Terrane on display,” said Tom Cockburn, chairman of the Victoria Palaeontology Society. “The partially crystallized snails have been found on volcanic rock in the land around Sooke, Metchosin and Colwood.”
Educators will be interested in display cases and storyboards used in presentations to school groups and youth camps.
Activities for children include a fossil scavenger hunt with prizes, fossil colouring, rubbing stampings and the chance to look through microscopes.
Think you’ve found a fossil? Bring it in for identification by an expert.
You can also read about the recently released results of voting for a provincial fossil.
The society co-operates with professional paleontologists undertaking research on fossils. All scientifically important fossils are donated to the Royal B.C. Museum.
Admission is by donation. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, go to vicpalaeo.org.
Art group hosts its annual show
The Victoria Sketch Club, the oldest art group in continuous operation in Western Canada, is celebrating its 110th year with its annual Art Show and Sale, today to Sunday in the Glenlyon-Norfolk School gymnasium, 1701 Beach Dr.
The club, formerly the Island Art and Craft Society, has been in existence since 1909, with past members including Emily Carr, Jack Shadbolt, Max Maynard, Samuel Maclure and Ted Harrison.
The show and sale features artist demonstrations, door prizes and more than 100 paintings on display.
Admission is free. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, go online to victoriasketchclub.ca.
