Objectives of the Abbotsford Mission Nature Club
- To enjoy and interpret natural history
- To promote an understanding and an appreciation of natural ecosystems
- To promote the concept of stewardship of natural resources
- To participate as naturalists in public consultations related to questions of environment and development in the Abbotsford and Mission area
Club Meetings
The club meets monthly except for July and August. The meetings are the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30 pm.
Club Meeting Location
Ravine Park Hatchery, 2395 Crescent Way, Abbotsford BC.
(beside the Abbotsford Arts Centre)
Do I need to be a member to attend?
The Club is based on annual memberships, however guests and non-members are welcome to attend the meetings and field trips.
How do I become a member?
To join, visit Become a Member, complete and submit application form.
HISTORY
The Abbotsford Mission Nature Club, formerly the Central Valley Naturalists, was started in 1992 by a group of keen birders and lovers of the natural world. Under the shared vision of BC Nature, a Federation of BC Clubs — “to know nature and to keep it worth knowing” — the club engaged early on in several significant events in our community.
In 1992 the Club was contacted by the Hogan family and assisted them in preserving a beautiful parcel of forested land and in its donation to the City as parkland, creating the Hogan Family Nature Park. In 1994 when upland development necessitated the development of Willband Creek Park and Detention Ponds, the Club was involved in providing interpretive signage and habitat development planning ideas. More recently, over the last 5 years, the Club along with Abbotsford Christian Middle School student volunteers have installed and maintained over 50 swallow boxes and 12 wood duck boxes, planted thousands of native trees and shrubs, removed invasive blackberry and installed beaver protection around many trees within Willband Creek Park.
The Club’s most significant project in the Park was the Fall 2017 completion of the Co-op Community Viewing Platform thanks to the help of significant in-kind donations and funding from the ‘Co-op Community Spaces Program’.