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Weird and Wonderful BC, Merritt, BC (2026)

08/13/2026

Our seventh featured species is the Beaver!

Few animals have shaped Canada's landscapes quite like the beaver. Known as nature's engineers, beavers build dams that create ponds and wetlands, providing habitat for countless species of birds, fish, amphibians, and insects. These wetlands also help store water, filter pollutants, and reduce the impacts of drought and flooding.

Despite their ecological importance, beavers can sometimes come into conflict with people when their dams flood roads, trails, or agricultural land. While these situations can be frustrating, many conflicts can be managed through techniques such as flow devices, culvert protection, and thoughtful land-use planning that allow both people and beavers to coexist.

Beavers are herbivores that feed on the bark, leaves, and twigs of trees and shrubs. Their famous orange teeth contain iron, making them incredibly strong and allowing them to continuously wear and sharpen as they work.

By creating and maintaining wetlands, beavers benefit entire ecosystems. Many species rely on beaver ponds for breeding, shelter, and access to water, making the beaver one of the most important keystone species in British Columbia.

Did you know? A beaver's teeth never stop growing. Constant chewing on trees helps wear them down and keeps them at a usable length.

Have you ever seen a beaver dam or lodge in the Nicola Valley? What was the most impressive beaver-built structure you've come across?

08/06/2026

Our sixth featured species is the Carpenter Ant!

Carpenter ants are a collection of similar species that are often viewed as pests, but in natural ecosystems they play an important role as decomposers. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood. Instead, they tunnel through dead, damp, or decaying wood to create nests, helping break down fallen trees and recycle nutrients back into the forest.

These ants live in organized colonies where workers cooperate to gather food, care for young, and maintain the nest. They communicate using chemical signals called pheromones, allowing them to coordinate everything from finding food to defending the colony.

While carpenter ants can become a nuisance when they move into buildings, they are usually attracted to wood that has already been damaged by moisture. Preventing leaks, removing damp wood, and keeping vegetation away from structures can help reduce the likelihood of ants taking up residence where they are not wanted.

In the wild, carpenter ants are an important food source for birds, bears, and other wildlife, making them a valuable part of BC's ecosystems.

Did you know? Carpenter ant colonies can "farm" aphids for the sugary honeydew that they make!

Have you ever found a Carpenter Ant colony before? 🐜

07/30/2026

Our fifth featured species is the Turkey Vulture!

With their bald red heads, dark feathers, and soaring flight, Turkey Vultures are often mistaken for something sinister. In reality, they are one of nature's most important cleanup crews. Rather than hunting live animals, Turkey Vultures feed primarily on carrion, helping remove dead animals from the landscape before disease can spread.

Turkey Vultures are uniquely adapted for this role. Unlike most birds, they have an excellent sense of smell and can detect the scent of a dead animal from great distances. By recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem, they provide an essential service that benefits wildlife, livestock, and people alike.

Despite their appearance, Turkey Vultures are not a threat to pets, livestock, or humans. They prefer open habitats, grasslands, forests, and valleys where they can soar on warm air currents while searching for food. Coexisting with Turkey Vultures is usually as simple as appreciating them from a distance and recognizing the important work they do. If you see a group gathered around a carcass, they are simply doing what they do best: cleaning up the landscape.

Did you know? Turkey Vultures can soar for hours with very little flapping, using rising columns of warm air called thermals to travel long distances while conserving energy.

Have you ever spotted Turkey Vultures around the Nicola Valley? What was your first impression when you saw one?

07/23/2026

Our fourth featured species is the Banded Garden Spider!

With its striking black, white, and yellow markings, the Banded Garden Spider is one of the most impressive spiders found in the BC Interior. These spiders build large circular webs between grasses, shrubs, and garden plants, where they patiently wait for flying insects to become trapped. Despite their intimidating appearance, they are harmless to people and play an important role in natural pest control.

One of the most fascinating features of these spiders is the zigzag pattern often found in the centre of their web. Known as a stabilimentum, this silk decoration may help make the spider look larger or act as a warning sign. Scientists are still studying its exact purpose, but it remains one of the most recognizable features of orb-weaving spiders.

Coexisting with Banded Garden Spiders is simple. If you find one in your garden, consider leaving its web undisturbed. These spiders are not interested in people and would much prefer to spend their time catching insects than interacting with us. Gardens with a diversity of native plants provide excellent habitat for these and many other beneficial invertebrates.

Did you know? Banded Garden Spider spiderlings will disperse through a process known as "ballooning", where they release a strand of silk that catches air currents and allow the wind to carry them to a new location!

Have you ever had a Banded Garden Spider in your garden? 🕸

07/16/2026

Our third featured species is the coyote!

Coyotes are one of the most adaptable mammals in North America. Found in grasslands, forests, deserts, and even urban areas, they play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems by helping control populations of rodents and other small animals. Their adaptability has allowed them to thrive in changing landscapes, including throughout the BC Interior.

Despite their reputation, coyotes are generally wary of people and prefer to avoid human contact. Most conflicts occur when coyotes gain access to food sources such as garbage, pet food, fruit trees, compost, or intentionally provided food. When coyotes become accustomed to human food, they can lose their natural fear of people and are more likely to venture into residential areas.
Coexisting with coyotes starts with keeping wildlife wild. Secure garbage and compost, pick ripe fruit from trees, feed pets indoors when possible, and keep pets supervised, especially during dawn and dusk when coyotes are most active. If you encounter a coyote, give it space, make yourself appear large, and encourage it to move away by making noise.

Did you know? There are no coyotes on Vancouver Island!

What has your experience with coyotes been in the Nicola Valley or surrounding area? Have you ever heard a coyote chorus at night?

07/09/2026

Our second featured species is the Little Brown Myotis, one of British Columbia's most important and misunderstood night-time neighbours.

Despite weighing only a few grams, Little Brown Myotis are highly effective insect hunters. Using echolocation, they navigate and hunt in complete darkness, feeding on a wide variety of insects throughout the night. They are one of nature’s pest control specialists, helping to keep insect populations in balance.

Unfortunately, bats often face an unfair reputation. While they are sometimes associated with disease or seen as pests, little brown myotis rarely test positive for rabies and generally want nothing to do with people. They spend their days roosting in trees, rock crevices, bat houses, and sometimes buildings, emerging at dusk to feed before returning to their roosts before dawn.

Coexisting with bats is easier than many people think. If bats are using a building, avoid disturbing them, particularly during the summer when mothers may be raising pups. Installing a bat house can provide alternative roosting habitat, and maintaining natural areas, wetlands, and healthy forests helps support the insects that bats rely on for food.

Little Brown Myotis populations have experienced significant declines due to white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has devastated bat populations across North America. Today, the species is considered endangered, making conservation and public awareness more important than ever.

What surprised you most about bats, or have you ever spotted Little Brown Myotis bats around Merritt or the Nicola Valley? 🦇

07/02/2026

Our kick-off species is the amazing Northern Pacific Rattlesnake!

The Northern Pacific rattlesnake is one of the most misunderstood reptiles in the BC Interior, often feared despite its important role in local ecosystems. As a predator of small mammals, they help control rodent populations that can damage crops and spread disease. Rattlesnakes are not aggressive and prefer to avoid people, using their rattle as a warning to signal that they feel threatened and to prevent unwanted encounters.

Being the only venomous snake in BC, these guys get a bad rep, but they don't want to interact with people as much as you don't want to step on them. Co-existing with rattlesnakes starts with awareness, and giving them space. Around homes, reduce rodent attractants and keep your yard tidy to make your space less inviting to both mice and the snakes that follow them. If you do come across a rattlesnake, there's no need to panic! Take a step back, give it some room, and let it move along at its own pace.

In British Columbia, Northern Pacific rattlesnakes are considered a blue-listed species, meaning they are of special concern due to factors such as habitat loss and human disturbance. Across their range in Canada, they are also recognized as threatened under federal legislation, highlighting the importance of protecting both the species and its habitat. Despite their reputation, these snakes are an important part of BC’s biodiversity and are facing real conservation pressures.

What has your experience with rattlesnakes been in the Southern Interior? 🐍

06/24/2026

The Weird and Wonderful BC campaign is a public education initiative focused on highlighting misunderstood wildlife species in the BC Interior. Many animals are often viewed with fear or negativity due to misconceptions or lack of familiarity, despite playing essential roles in maintaining healthy ecosystems. This campaign aims to shift those perceptions by sharing accessible, science-based information about species that are commonly overlooked, feared, or considered pests.

Over the course of nine weeks, a series of ads will run in the Merritt Herald, each focusing on a different species. Each feature will present interesting and accurate facts about the species, along with insights into their ecological importance and guidance on safe coexistence over here on Facebook.

By increasing awareness and understanding, the campaign encourages community members to see these animals not as threats, but as important parts of the natural systems that surround them. Through this approach, Weird and Wonderful BC supports a broader goal of fostering respect for wildlife and promoting coexistence in both rural and urban environments across the region.

This project is supported by CPAWS-BC through the Young Leaders in Conservation Program, which provides funding and mentorship to youth-led initiatives that advance conservation and environmental stewardship in British Columbia.

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