It will be an evening of info, food and the fun as the Burke Mountain Naturalists (BMN) hold a silent auction at their annual general meeting Dec. 11.
Attendees - club members or visitors - can browse and bid on items and gift certificates donated by local businesses, plus items and services donated by BMN members. There will also be a baking table with donated items for sale, and volunteers from the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society will sell fresh holly and other seasonal decorations.
Money raised will be donated to the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC, located in Burnaby. The association specializes in the care and rehabilitation of injured, orphaned or pollution-damaged urban wildlife. Each year, it cares for an average of 3,000 animals, ranging from abandoned chickadee nestlings to poisoned bald eagles to injured beavers, deer and raccoons.
Next Tuesday's meeting will include a brief AGM and seasonal refreshments, after which BMN member Ian McArthur will present a slideshow featuring the hikes, invasive plant removal parties, nest box cleaning, public nature walks and other activities from the past year, the group's 23rd.
This meeting also provides an opportunity to sign up for the annual Audubon Christmas bird count, to be held Saturday, Dec. 15. Every year for the past two decades, BMN members have collected data on the numbers and species of wintering birds in the Tri-Cities as part of the larger Audubon North American census, which is now in its 113th year and involves more than 50,000 birders. Participation is free, and anyone interested in joining a team of birders can email [email protected] or call Hilary Maguire at 604-469-5805.
The Dec. 11 meeting will be held in the church hall of Como Lake United Church, located on the corner of Marmont Street and King Albert Avenue in Coquitlam.
Doors open at 7 p.m. and silent auction bidding will close at 9 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend and there is no charge.
For further information, call 604-936-4108 or 604-461-3864, or visit www.bmn.bc.ca.
