Written by Katelyn Bissat, Provincial Network Coordinator
On a sunny Monday morning in June, the Burnaby Home Learners Club explored the Alaksen National Wildlife Area. The Alaksen National Wildlife area (NWA) is located on the unceded lands of the Stz’uminus peoples. Alaksen is an exceptional habitat and a very important area for migrating birds, both as a stopover and as an overwintering area. It’s situated on a river delta containing a number of habitat types including estuarine habitats, remnant wetlands, riparian forests, agricultural areas and urbanized zones.
Alaksen is a great area for birdwatching! Visitors can often see widgeons, mallards, northern pintails and teals. Sometimes guests will have the pleasure to witness flocks of 15,000 or more dabbling ducks at one time! Birds will migrate to Alaksen from many different parts of the world including Siberia and South America.
This National Wildlife Area is a great place to visit for families. It’s recommended to spend 1-3 hours at the site and visitors can enjoy many activities from trail walking, wildlife viewing, nature photography or geocaching. Alaksen offers three hiking trails of various lengths for visitors to enjoy and there are accessible washrooms and parking.
A big thank you to Burnaby Home Learners club leader, Purdy Jones, for helping organize this Explorer Day. Special thanks to the staff at the Alaksen National Wildlife Area for sharing their knowledge of the area with NatureKids members!
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