Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) is once again asking for your help in gathering important information about Species at Risk (SAR) on our island! A Species at Risk is defined as any naturally occurring animal and/or plant that is in danger of disappearing in the wild.

By submitting your sightings to us, we are able to input it to our SAR database, which we share with the BC Conservation Data Centre. This community-sourced information is then used by the government to help inform management decisions, estimate population numbers, and measure local biodiversity - so it's pretty important stuff!

Now that we are into the summer months, you may be noticing some activity from our two spotlight Species at Risk for this week: The Common Nighthawk and the Barn Swallow.

Nighthawks are around at the moment, and can be seen 'hawking' for insects in the evening. They can be recognized by their sharp electric 'peent' call. They have unique flying patterns and have a white-band on the undersides of their wings. Typically, they are spotted flying near grasslands and above the treetops. You can find out more about them and listen to their call at this link.

We also want to find out about Barn Swallow nests. Have you had barn swallows nesting near your home this summer? Their nest-cups are made out of mud and grass and they love to nest on buildings including barns! You can learn more about them at this link.

If you have any SAR activity to report, please email Michelle at foci.cecagmail.com with details including species, number, time, date and location. Thank you so much for helping preserve and protect Cortes' fantastic natural biodiversity!

And, remember, FOCI needs support from people like you! A yearly membership costs only $20 per person/$25 per family, and comes with some great perks! Check out our website for more details :)