Langley Field Naturalists have been reaching out to kids in an effort to educate them about local birds, and will soon be extending those efforts to include butterflies.
Yet another update has been made to the organization’s Birds of Langley brochure, and they’re making a butterfly brochure next, confirmed group publicist Lilianne Fuller.
Last fall, the field naturalists updated and reprinted more brochures spotlighting more than 50 local birds.
“Due to high demand,” the colourful Birds in Langley brochure necessitated a second printing, publicity chair Lilianne Fuller said. Well know it’s in its third reprint having circulated more than 6,000 and hope to soon distribute to all the local schools.
The bird brochures are being made available to everyone, but in particular it is focused on Langley’s youth.
“Teachers are encouraged to contact the club to replenish their supplies,” said Fuller, who said the brochures are also being made available at local libraries, recreation centres, and community centres.
It’s part of the club’s education and outreach initiatives aimed at engaging Langley kids, president Bob Puls explained when the bird brochure was first released.
“The environment is very important for our children’s health and well being,” Puls added. “Kids are the future and need to be aware.”
He’s and other field naturalists are anxious to see children get outdoors more and engage with nature.
The Langley brochure contains birds most commonly seen in the Langley area, although it only contains about half of the birds that have been recorded in the Langley’s at one time or another, Puls said.
The club motto is the ‘know nature and keep it worth knowing’.
“We feel that introducing school children to the great outdoors will foster a love of nature in them, thus encouraging them to ‘know nature’ in the hopes they will, as they grow up , ‘keep it worth knowing’,” Fuller added.
Given the favourable reaction they’ve received to the bird pamphlet, Fuller said the hope is to have the butterfly brochure ready in time for the annual butterfly tea at Campbell Valley Regional Park this July.
Or, a copy can be requested by calling Fuller at 604-533-0638 or emailing langleyfieldnaturalists@shaw.ca.