Atmospheric river brings wet start to 2026 Clockwise from top left: water drains below tennis court, free-running creek on Mountain Drive, water pours below blackberry bushes, and a look up Harvey Creek from beneath the highway. Photos by kc dyer. Living on the windward side of a mountain in a temperate rainforest means foggy, dampish winters are almost a given. However, the series of atmospheric rivers coupled with the mild Pacific air mass that is blowing through has meant

Wishing you all the best of 2026 First snow, Tunnel Bluffs trail, November 24. Photo by Chris Dunn. Have New Year's wishes to share? Leave your thoughts below, or email editor@lionsbaywatershed.ca Like what you're reading? For as little as $5/month, you can support local independent journalism by subscribing to The Watershed  HERE .

Village bird-watchers wanted Clockwise from top left: Anna's Hummingbird, Steller's Jay, Spotted Towhee, Black-capped Chickadee. All photos by Danielle Wills. "Every Bird Counts: Your Observations Matter" This is the just-announced conservation theme for World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) 2026 and it’s a great reason to take part in the Lower Howe Sound Christmas Bird Count on Sunday, January 4. In their official announcement , the global WMBD partners said, “Community science c

John Dudley breaks trails and brings sleepless nights Rudy Luethy's memorial bench, designed and built by Andrew Wray. Photo by Andrew Wray. This is the third and final installment (for now!) of long-time resident John Dudley's history of building trails in and around Lions Bay over the past three decades. If you have an interest in lending a hand with this eternally on-going project, he dearly hopes you will reach out. He shares his experiences in Part One HERE,   in  which

December 14 marks anniversary of Battani Creek Disaster Overhead view of Batanni Creek debris torrent aftermath. Watershed file photo. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the catastrophic debris torrent that cascaded through Lions Bay and across Highway 99, destroying one home and damaging several other properties, and taking the lives of David and Barbara Enns. Shortly after 10 a.m., reports came in of a massive mudslide that had torn down Battani Creek above Brunswick

Three years in the wild, thanks to local residents Bear cub in his crate right after capture in December, 2022. Photo courtesy Critter Care Wildlife Society. It's been three years since the orphaned bear cub who came to be known as Tsaw'in was given a new lease on life, thanks to the help of local residents. Near the end of 2022, a lone bear cub was spotted by local residents, with sightings reported on social media and also by text to Councillor Neville Abbott. After a few d

John Dudley remembers the ups and downs of trail building Photo by John Dudley. Long-time resident John Dudley has been building and maintaining the local trail system around the Village for decades, and he's looking for some help. In a recent outreach to local residents on social media, Dudley notes that "a number of our team have been with the group for over 25 years and are now approaching their best-before date." He says he's hoping to welcome some enthusiastic volunteers

Capturing the glory of the golden hour This gorgeous shot of autumn sun through the trees was taken November 13, 2025 by Christine Little. Have a beautiful photo to share? Email us at   editor@lionsbaywatershed.ca   Like what you're reading? For as little as $5/month, you can support local independent journalism by subscribing to The Watershed HERE.

Plus, a history of Lions Bay Trailblazing: Part One Official opening of the Totally Unnecessary Trail (now the Erin Moore Trail) June 1, 2001. Photo by John Dudley Sharp-eyed residents may have noticed a recent plea in the Lions Bay Village Update for new blood on the Trailblazer's Team. Founder John Dudley put out a call for "enthusiastic people who don't need replacement parts" and who are interested in seeing our local trails remain in good condition to reach out to the gr

Increased protections help ensure the health of the Sound Glass sponge reef photo courtesy Marine Life Sanctuaries Society. Council is poised to finalize a response to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) this week on a new initiative designed to increase protection for endangered species within Átl’ k a7tsem / Howe Sound. The Marine Conservations Target Initiatives Update (MCTIU), was developed and released this fall by DFO in order to receive First Nations and other stakeholde

Trail usage nearly doubled in August from 2024 Members of LBSAR ground team search for stranded hikers on November 5, 2025. Photo by Scott Mackenzie. While a few die-hard winter hikers continue to seek out back-country trails, the mid-November rains generally mean the bulk of the 2025 hiking season is over, and it's time for a look back. The process of keeping a good record of numbers of hikers in the watershed above Lions Bay was hampered this year when vandals damaged exist

It's not just unwelcome plants moving into town Image courtesy BCISC, Invasive species come in all shapes and sizes, and not all of them have roots. In addition to unwelcome plants that have moved into the region and taken over native habitats, a few invasive animal species have ecologists concerned. According to the Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council (SSISC), invasive animal species that already have a presence in this region include goldfish and red-eared slider turtles.

The loss of young humpback troubling A small group of Lions Bay residents gathered at Kelvin Grove Beach on Thursday to mark the death of a young humpback whale. The whale's body was found near Keats Island on October 26, and is being investigated by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). The Marine Education and Research Society (MERS) identified the whale as Wisp (BCY1464), a whale born in 2021 to Ghost (BCX1333). A Hello Ferry reported striking a whale the previous

Ways you can support night-migrating birds Image courtesy of Roland Dechesne of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada   and Bird Friendly Calgary. by Penny Nelson, founder/team lead Bird Friendly Lions Bay Although Lions Bay is on the Pacific Flyway, a major migratory route for birds, we don’t often see large numbers of birds flying by. This is because around 80% of bird species, especially small birds, undertake these gruelling journeys at night to take advantage of calme

First snow spotted on mountains above Lions Bay This trace of snow on the mountains above the Village spotted October 26, 2025. photo by kc dyer The Watershed values your opinion. Leave a comment below, or email editor@lionsbaywatershed.ca   Like what you're reading? For as little as $5/month, you can support local independent journalism by subscribing to The Watershed HERE.

Fall gardens still glorious Last week's beautiful autumn rose prompted an outpouring of glorious autumn garden blossoms from Watershed ...

Putting your autumn garden to bed Native honeysuckle fruit. Photo by Val Morton. Autumn is here, and that means it's time for a final...

New book captures beauty of the place we live — and more photo by Connor McCracken Vancouver creative Connor McCracken has worked in...

What is still blooming in your garden? We recently caught sight of this gorgeous autumn rose in full bloom in the Bradshaw garden on...

Autumn serves up bounty of produce It's harvest time, and this year, the gardens are bountiful. For the first time in years, it's been a...