The Kamloops Naturalists Club annual general meeting was held on Saturday the 18th of January, 2020. It was hosted in the St. Paul’s Cathedral. Key points included an overview of the busy 2019 year, the upcoming busy 2020 year, new and old business and an election. The annual general meeting saw an attendance of around 45 people and ended shortly after the election, potluck, and raffle.

Nancy Flood, president of the Kamloops Naturalists Club, gave her general report for the 2019 year. The items she discussed included continued progress on the viewing platform in Tranquille, the club’s efforts to protect Wells Grey Mountain Caribou, Nature Kid’s coordinator Mandy Ross being recognized by BC Nature as a distinguished naturalist mentor, and the loss of Adele Stapleton and Wayne Jennings, both long-time club volunteers.

Other reports included a financial update from club treasurer Michael O’Neill. The club has a healthy bank account balance and are in a position to look at new educational projects for this year. These will be brainstormed at the February general meeting. The 2020 budget was briefly discussed but will not be voted on until next month. Jesse Ritcey, program manager for the Next Generation Naturalists group, gave a preview of some of the group’s activities being planned for the year ahead. Then elections to the board were overseen by Tom Dickinson, a past president of KNC and TRU’s dean of science. Chelsea Enslow was elected as a new director-at-large with many other board members resuming positions.

Two bird presentations were given by Rick Howie and Norm Dougan – And the photography was stunning. Alongside their fantastic photography, both presenters provided information on the birds and environments as well as answered any questions people had. Beyond the presentations there was a potluck that was provided courtesy of the many members of the club as well as a ticket raffle containing donated prizes. The prizes for the raffle included stunning nature prints, informative books, decorative pieces, and many more incredible items.

This was the first Kamloops Naturalists Club annual general meeting I’ve attended. I found it to be vibrant and welcoming. The social atmosphere was warm as people assisted with setting up and others caught up with each other. Once the meeting began the focus switched to the speakers as everybody listened attentively. I don’t think I heard more than the occasional whisper from the audience, which I found refreshing. If I was asked to summarize the meeting atmosphere in one word it would be “community.” It is the sense of community found between individuals with a shared interest and demonstrated by their dedication and enthusiasm for all things nature.