TIDELINES

Photo by Dave Dorrington

Finn Slough Heritage & Wetland Society

October 1999 Newsletter

CONTENTS 

Baby Seal Rescue

Finn Slough Outreach Programme

Invitation to the Annual General Meeting

 Baby Seal Rescue at Finn Slough

One hot July evening, Finn Slough resident David Roberts awoke to strange sounds like “ two trees rubbing together in the wind,” he said “or an eerie moaning from a horror movie.”  David heard the sounds again during a luncheon meeting he and two other Slough residents hosted but,“Our guest was too polite to ask if we had someone tied up in the woodshed.“ However, the second he left,” said David, “We rushed under the house and found a tiny, exhausted baby seal.”

The residents called Marine Mammal Rescue and Rehabilitation Programme which is part of the Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Science Centre. Tammy and another marine biologist arrived carrying a fiberglass box with a grilled window. Tammy scooped up the baby seal and put him in the carrier saying, “He might be as young as three days. Must have been accidentally separated from its mother and then the tides brought him to Finn Slough.” She added, “He is very weak and undernourished -- it is a good thing you called us!”

The baby seal, named Seal #23 when he entered the orphan programme on July 23rd, 1999, weighed only 8 kg. and his age was determined to be 7 days. Eventually, he was re-named “Dagobah” and on September 3rd, 1999, at an impressive 18 kg. and fully capable of catching and eating fish independently, he was released at White Cliff Park in West Vancouver.

9480 Dyke Road, Richmond, BC; V7A 2L5

1-604-271-5140

tidelines@hotmail,com

www.angelfire.com/bc/finnslough/

The Finn Slough Heritage and Wetland Society’s display booth which showcases photos, video, birdlists, maps, wetland preservation information, history and heritage information, etc. has been seen in many naturalist, heritage and community events in the lower mainland including:

Living City Forum (The Song Bird Project) at Roundhouse Community Centre, Vancouver, September 1998

Richmond Heritage Umbrella Weekend at the Richmond Centre, February 1999

Fraser River Festival at Deas Island Regional Park,

June 1999

International Bog Day at Delta Nature Reserve

(Burn’s Bog), July 1999

Thanks to all the volunteers who worked the display booth! Special thanks to Gretchen Harlow who also gave away organic apples at Burn’s Bog and Deas Island displays!

You are cordially invited to attend

The Annual General Meeting

of the

Finn Slough Heritage & Wetland Society

(with soup, bread, tea /coffee, & nibbles)

Costumes optional

but welcome

Sunday October 31st, 1999

1:00 - 2:30 pm

Gilnetter Room

Steveston Community Centre

4111 Moncton Street, Steveston