August 04, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
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On July 30th, I attended BioBlitz in Smithers. This event, hosted by the BV Naturalists and the BV Research Centre, featured 24 hours of flora and fauna fun out at Twin Falls!
My friend and I arrived at BioBlitz to find a large crowd of people of all ages filling the parking lot of Twin Falls. There were local experts who were conducting different presentations throughout the day, and for each presentation, they needed help to gather samples. As we arrived, there was a group of kids heading off to hunt for insects, and there were a couple people returning to one of the tents with a frog in each hand. The researchers recorded the species of every plant and animal found to compare to past and present BioBlitz years. We attempted to find a frog to add to the list, but instead found a really cool jelly fungus! Well, we didn't know it was called that at the time - we were pretty sure we'd uncovered a new scientific discovery of an alien species! Apparently this year has been a great year for fungi growth, so the list of fungi was getting pretty long. My photo is of a HUGE mushroom that somebody had added to the collection - I'd never seen one this big before!
After looking at our jelly fungus under the microscope, we joined the fun at the art table. They had Foxtail plants that we used as paintbrushes and we placed juicy berries all over our pages before placing a board on top of the page and jumped on them to create "Squished Berry Art". I think the 7 year old next to me made a prettier picture than I did, but I still had fun making it!
At about 10pm, I returned to BioBlitz to see a demonstration about bats. The experts set up nets and used a neat sonar-detecting instrument to try to catch a bat or two and while we waited, the experts told me a bunch of neat facts about bats. Unfortunately bats don't like rain, so we didn't manage to catch any to look at, but I really enjoyed talking with the experts about their past research experiences and learning about the bats in our area (and we also ventured into talking about owls and other night-time animals).
If you get a chance to attend next year's BioBlitz, it would definitely be a lot of fun! Whether you're interested in plants, fungi, mammals, insects, or birds, you'll be able to learn something new about the different ecosystems around Smithers!
July 15, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
Bombs? ... Quite unlikely
Tsunami? ... Even more unlikely
Community gathering call to put out a fire? ... We’ve got a wonderful fire department to manage that for us
Have no fear we really don’t need to worry about any evacuations in the near or far future…
There are many different stories milling around about why Smithers has a noon hour siren; some people believe its because were getting attacked, others think it’s a calling for the community to gather; a few thinks its really because when it comes to lunch we mean serious business; however, the truth is actually much less adventurous, thrilling or threatening sounding.
Why we really have our ferocious sounding alarm is simple to make sure our evacuation alarm is in good working order. Plain and simple, it’s to protect the lovely people and the wonderful visitors of Smithers.
July 11, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
10 fun summer things to do in Smithers:
1. Twin Falls Recreation Site! This 20min walk is just 10km from Smithers and wont leave you disappointed
2. Scenic Main Street! Check out our main street lined with colorful flags, colorful shops and even more colorful people.
3. Driftwood Canyon! This short 300m walk leads you to a viewing platform from which you can see our famous Fossil Beds
4. The Perimeter Trail! This 12.5km walk around town will show you a glimpse of all that Smithers has to offer.
5. Fishing! Smithers is known for its fishing; come check out any one of our many great fishing destinations.
6. Scenic/Wildlife Drives! If your looking to see wildlife or even just to see some great scenery Smithers is the place to come; with our many back roads that are easily accessible with even anything between a motor home and a compact car you’ll have no problem seeing the sights
7. Water Sports! From white water rafting and wake boarding to kayaking and paddle boating we’ve got you covered; with many water sport rental and retail stores in Smithers we can assist you in what ever your water needs may be.
8. Babine Mountains! For the longer hikes we also have the Babine Mountains with trails ranging from 4km all the way to 13km. A guaranteed wild life destination.
9. Farmers Market! If you’re here on a Saturday and interested in locally grown food and even more locally grown stories this is your place to be, with live music and horse rides it’s never a dull moment.
10. Stick around and stay a while! We love having you and you’ll love being here!
For more information on what Smithers has to offer, come by the Smithers Information Center or give us a call at 250-847-5072. We’ll be happy to help you with any further questions you may have.