Sharing a love of nature
Join us in celebrating, protecting, and learning about natural habitats in the Greater Victoria region.
Formed in 1944 as the
Victoria Natural History Society
What we do?
(Photo Credit: Gordon Hart)
Protecting
For 80 years, Nature Victoria has been a steadfast advocate for protecting the biodiversity of southern Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands. The three principal areas of protection we engage in are direct advocacy, support to other organizations that are advocating for issues we support, and the annual Christmas Bird Count.
(Photo Credit: Phil Lambert)
Learning
Nature Victoria is dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural world through various educational initiatives. These include a member newsletter featuring articles, project updates, and event announcements; monthly evening presentations covering topics like birds, marine life, and botany; and a variety of field trips exploring diverse natural environments. These programs aim to engage participants of all ages in hands-on learning experiences, promoting ecological awareness and a sense of community among nature enthusiasts.
(Photo Credit: Robert Harwood)
Celebrating + Sharing
Nature Victoria is deeply committed to fostering education, collaboration, and community engagement in the natural sciences. The organization offers scholarships and bursaries to support students pursuing studies in species and habitat conservation. Additionally, Nature Victoria actively participates in regional science fairs by providing financial support and volunteering as judges, aiming to inspire and encourage student projects focused on ecology and nature. The organization also collaborates with various environmental groups, offering funding and support to advance conservation efforts and ensure the sustainability of these initiatives.
We Need Your Help
There are many ways to get you can get
involved and make a difference!
Donate
Every dollar donated helps us to continue do great work.
Attend an Event
Explore nature and meet others in the community.
Videos
Volunteer Passion Projects
Invertebrate Alert
This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Visit https://invertsight.com/ to learn more.
Butterfly Count
Each month from April to September, one weekend will be designated for Butterfly Counts. If you are not able to complete your count on the weekend, you may do so during the following week. Please note: we are currently looking for a new count coordinator. Email: butterflies@naturevictoria.ca
Christmas Bird Count
Register to help collect data and monitor trends on bird species of Southern Vancouver Island.
The Victoria Naturalist Newsletter
Six times a year Nature Victoria produces a top-notch member newsletter chronicling species of note, future events, activities and field trips, conservation projects and nature resources in the community.
Non-members can view archived copies of The Victoria Naturalist here.
Become a member to receive current issues of the Victoria Naturalist.
Upcoming Events
- June 6, 2026
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Birding Killarney Lake
June 6, 2026 7:30 am - 10:30 am
Victoria RegionBirding Killarney Lake
SATURDAY, MAY 30
FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 3—Obstacles in paths or steeper grades, requiring agilityMeet at 7:30 am. at the lower parking lot next to Hartland landfill entrance. Killarney Lake (https://ebird.org/hotspot/L19713341?rank=lrec) is located downslope on the eastern side of Mount Work near the Hartland Landfill, yet it has remained relatively undiscovered by most of the Victoria community. The lake is situated in a lush Douglas-fir forest that is home to Western Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, wrens, various thrushes and warblers, and other species. We walk down the powerlines to the trail that circles the lake, on the way we may spot MacGillivray's Warbler in the scrub. As we move down into the forest, we'll be on the lookout for owls at a good "owly" spot. We'll circle the lake, stopping at main beach to scan for any waterbirds and swallows, before continuing on to where we entered the area. Total trail length is roughly 2.6 kilometres and has some steeper spots but is reasonable. The one caution is the powerlines approach as we'll be sharing the trail with mountain bikers. DIRECTIONS: From West Saanich Road, head up Hartland Road all the way to the landfill. Parking lots are clearly marked.
For more information, please email birdingfieldtrips@gmail.com.Meets every Saturday morning, usually at 8:00 a.m., rain or shine. Check here on the Thursday/Friday before to find out the week’s time and location. Novice and experienced VNHS members all welcome. Non-members can participate up to three times, after which they are expected to join the Society.
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- June 7, 2026
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Butterfly Walk
June 7, 2026 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Monthly Butterfly Walk
SUNDAY, JUNE 7
FIELD TRIP (LEVEL 2 —Paths can be narrow with uneven terrain)Join us on our monthly Butterfly Walk. Each outing is intended to help us learn more about local butterflies. This field trip is weather-dependent as it needs to be sunny and warm to make it worthwhile. We start at the top of Mount Tolmie (off Cedar Hill X Road). Meet at 1:00 p.m. in the lot by the reservoir where we will have an initial look for butterflies and then decide where to go from there.
Car-pooling is encouraged. We try to return by 4:00 p.m. Cancellations or special instructions will be posted on the calendar (https://naturevictoria.ca/events/ ) closer to the date. Contact Gordon Hart at
250-721-1264 or butterflies@ naturevictoria.ca for more information.
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- June 9, 2026
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Tuesday Birding
June 9, 2026 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Corner of Bowker Ave. and Bowker Place, VictoriaWe meet every Tuesday between 8-9 am one block south of the foot of Bowker Avenue on the waterfront. After 9 am, the group will then go to various locations around Greater Victoria, finishing at noon.
Novice and experienced Nature Victoria members are welcome!
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