Volunteers from the Squamish Environment Society (SES) have been contributing to the community since the Society’s founding as the Squamish Estuary Conservation Society in 1982.
Originally focused on saving the estuary from a large-scale industrial coal port, the Society has evolved into an organization of naturalists dedicated to wildlife and habitat preservation.
Volunteers who participate in SES activities are taking responsibility for something they consider important, making the natural environment their own, learning how ecosystems work, and cherishing the world around them. Through volunteerism, we collaborate to raise awareness through outreach and education activities.
Our volunteer activities include a wide range of programs that contribute to an awareness and growing understanding of our local environment.
Programs such as the monthly estuary bird count have been in operation since 1991 and have identified over 235 bird species. SES also sponsors the Audubon Christmas Bird Count and has been responsible for the Brackendale Winter Eagle Count for the past several years. Another major volunteer program is the annual Eagle Watch program, coming up to its 25th year in operation.
Eagle Watch was established in 1995 after a comprehensive study of overwintering eagles sponsored by the Nature Conservancy of Canada identified significant human impacts that could be best mitigated through a program educating the public regarding the life cycle of eagles, their place in our ecosystem and the importance of sustainable, ethical viewing opportunities.
Volunteers observing the biodiversity of Squamish can lead to many opportunities to become involved to better understand where we all fit into this wonderful world.
Citizen scientists of all ages can become involved through participation in many programs including toad monitoring in Alice Lake Provincial Park, purple martin nesting monitoring in the central estuary, monitoring activities of animals moving through our community along wildlife corridors, bird nesting sites, and habitat monitoring. Participation through the Biodiversity Squamish initiative is available for one and all to document the flora and fauna of the Squamish watershed through the iNaturalist web-based application.
There are so many opportunities for volunteerism through the Squamish Environment Society. If you love birds, there is something for you. If you love wildlife and the natural world, there is something for you.
If you are one of those folks who loves social media, website work, grant writing, and fundraising, there is a place for you. Like all organizations, SES is dependent on its volunteers and our volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization.
If you are interested in how you can contribute please visit our website at squamishenvironment.ca.
