How do you know if a forest is healthy? What about a lake or seashore? Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES) is pleased to announce the completion of its decade-long ecological assessment of Stanley Park’s ecosystems. On October 21, 2020, SPES will launch its “State of the Park Report for the Ecological Integrity of Stanley Park, 2020” (SOPEI) at its virtual Annual General Meeting via ZOOM. The AGM’s 8:00 p.m. keynote presentation by SPES Conservation Projects Manager Ariane Comeau will debut SOPEI with an engaging snapshot of how Stanley Park’s ecosystems are faring in the face of natural and human impacts, including climate change.

“There are over 1030 native species in Stanley Park, including 46 species at risk. It’s important to understand how well the Park’s wildlife and their habitats are doing to better support them,” says Ariane. SOPEI 2020 marks a decade since its first publication. SOPEI 2010 provided the first-ever inventory of the Park’s animals and plant life and identified gaps in the knowledge of the Park’s ecological health. It inspired the Park Board’s “Stanley Park Ecological Action Plan” (SPEAP) and played a pivotal role in raising awareness about the ecology of the Park. Now, ten years on, SOPEI 2020 will report on the conservation efforts outlined in SPEAP and help prioritize specific areas in Stanley Park that require direct ecological support.

SPES invites its AGM audience to learn how hundreds of community volunteers helped ecologists and biologists conduct this 10-year-long ecosystem “health check.” Discover what limpet size, huckleberry productivity, tree cover, and water temperature can tell us about the Park’s health, and what still needs to be done to help us better understand the state of Stanley Park.

Details:

RSVP here to attend the virtual AGM keynote presentation: “A Park’s Pulse: Measuring the ecological health of Stanley Park”. Preregistration is required.

For more information, please contact: Ariane Comeau, SPES Conservation Projects Manager, 604-257-6908 ext.109 or conservation@stanleyparkecology.ca

About Stanley Park Ecology Society

Founded in 1988, the non-profit Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES) promotes awareness of and respect for the natural world through collaborative leadership in environmental education, research, and conservation in Stanley Park.

As a leading Park Partner of Vancouver Park Board, SPES operates the Stanley Park Nature House on Lost Lagoon, delivers popular school and public education programs, and champions habitat enhancement and urban wildlife projects in Stanley Park.

Image courtesy of Julie Marsh & Unsplash