The sun peaks over the horizon as it signals future days of warmer weather. This week, our selected photographer takes us into the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird  Sanctuary and gives us a taste of the benefits from protected wetlands and marshes. Although this is titled ‘Winter Marsh at Sunset’, the beauty is just as breathtaking year-round. 

The George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary is located in Delta, BC where it covers a 300-hectare area which includes wetlands, marshes, walking paths, and of course, a gift shop. The sanctuary is ideal for those who are interested in viewing a diverse community of birds, with over 250 reported species. The sanctuary contains many nesting sites for birds such as Sandhill Cranes, Mallards, Bald Eagles, Lesser Snow Geese, and many other migratory species. 

In Canada, BC leads all other provinces with 14% of total land designated to protected areas. On the other end, PEI has the least with 3% and New Brunswick is close behind with around 3.5%. It is our obligation as Canadians to keep pushing this number forward and to further the conservation movement. Without these areas, hundreds of species would lose their habitats and their ability to survive and reproduce, leading to the demise of many iconic organisms. In BC, we’re fortunate to have access to a variety of ecosystems which inspire and educate us daily. I believe BC’s natural beauty is partly responsible for the province’s support of environmental conservation which makes us, again, very fortunate. 

Thank you to TOTORORO.RORO for this crisp image and making us reflect on how lucky we are to live in the beautiful province of BC! If you would like to see more of their work, please click here! We’ve been receiving a lot of fantastic entries lately and if you would like to view or add to our collection of BC wetlands photography, please click here!