UBC Thunderbird Arena

A Profile in Biodiversity of the Surrounding Area

UBC Thunderbird Arena UBC Thunderbird Arena, also known as the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre, is on the campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC). The campus is on the traditional territory of the Musqueam First Nation, one of the Four Host First Nations. The arena will host preliminary Olympic hockey events and Paralympic ice sledge hockey.

Near the arena is Pacific Spirit Regional Park. At 763 hectares, it is the largest green space in Vancouver.  Within the park are 30 trails, 19 kilometres of walking trails and 34 kilometres of mixed use trails. The forest here is not ancient but second growth. It provides vital habitat for many species, including native and migratory birds. The forest is mostly made up of deciduous trees like Douglas maple, red alder, and black cottonwood, and coniferous trees, such as Douglas fir, western hemlock and western red cedar.

Great Blue HeronPacific Spirit Regional Park is recognized as an Important Bird Area because of its Great Blue Heron population. The wide variety of habitat within the park attracts a multitude of birds. The seaward facing bluffs and nearby beaches are habitat for the Western Grebe, Surf Scoter, Pelagic Cormorant, Glaucous-winged Gull, Dunlin, Great Blue Heron, and American Wigeon. Forested areas, parklands, and open fields provide feeding grounds for the Tree Swallow, and Chipping Sparrow, and nesting grounds for the Steller’s Jay, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Gray Jay, and the tiny Golden Crowned Kinglet. For several species of raptors such as the Northern Hawk Owl, Great Horned Owl, the Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, the Golden Eagle and Bald Eagle, the park is fabulous hunting grounds. 


Red-Tailed HawkOfficial bird counts are done throughout the year by bird watchers and birding organizations, with support from Bird Studies Canada. Findings are reported through e-Bird Canada and the BC Breeding Bird Atlas. Over 150 different species of birds use the Pacific Regional Park area. One bird you won’t find on the official bird count is the Thunderbird. Thunderbird often appears in First Nations folklore throughout North America. An important figure in Native American mythology, the Thunderbird represents the natural forces of thunder, lightening, and storms. This powerful creature was the inspiration for “Sumi”, one of the mascots of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Within Pacific Spirit Regional Park are four small streams. Pacific salmon and rainbow trout enhancement projects are underway. Also within the park is Camosun Bog, a wetland which formed over 12,000 years ago due to retreating ice. At the bog, sundew, bog laurel, cloudberry, lady fern, skunk cabbage, common rush, bog cranberry, bog blueberry, and sphagnum moss all flourish. Camosun Bog has been restored over the past decade thanks to the Camosun Bog Restoration Group and support from university faculty.

This wetland provides essential habitat for insects including mosquitoes, and for amphibians and reptiles.  Reptiles at the bog include the northern alligator lizard, the western garter snake, and the western painted turtle, the only native freshwater turtle in B.C. Amphibians like the rough-skinned newt, northwestern salamander, and many species of frogs find a great home at Camosun Bog.

So do other wildlife, such as the little brown bat, muskrat, and southern red-backed vole. The red-backed vole lives at only two other locations in Canada. To protect its sensitive habitat and provide access for the thousands of visitors, a series of boardwalks surround Camosun Bog. It is well worth it to take some time to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and natural beauty of Pacific Spirit Regional Park.

Black-Tailed DeerUBC Thunderbird Arena is very near UBC Farm. This 24 hectare farm is the only working farm in the City of Vancouver, Canada’s third largest city. The farm provides curriculum opportunities for many academic disciplines at UBC, including medicine, agriculture, science, and the arts. Dozens of initiatives happen each year through the work of thousands of students. As a living laboratory and interactive outdoor classroom, UBC Farm has open cultivation fields with forest stands, hedgerows, orchards, and teaching gardens. Over 250 varieties of    annual and perennial crops are grown using organic farming methods. The crops are harvested each year by the UBC Centre for Sustainable Food Systems. Fresh local produce and flowers are sold to neighbouring residents through the farm’s seasonal Farmers’ Market.

ChipmunkUBC Farm reaps as many benefits from wildlife as it gives back, including soil aeration from burrowing insects and earthworms. Other benefits come from pollinators like Anna’s Hummingbird, bumble bees, and the monarch butterfly. The monarch butterfly’s annual migration between Mexico and Alaska is a truly Olympian marathon, especially for such a tiny creature. UBC’s farmland provides important food sources for urban wildlife. The chipmunk, grey squirrel, porcupine, racoon, and the striped skunk for example all benefit from the farm, either directly from the food grown on it or indirectly from the insects and invertebrates the farm attracts. Larger mammals also enjoy the benefits of the farm too, including the black-tailed deer, and the coyote. The coyote is a predator well-adapted to the urbanized environment.

Urban wildlife and biodiversity face many threats because of their close proximity to human development.  Wildlife is very vulnerable to habitat loss and habitat degradation. Impacts on habitat arise from commercial, industrial, and residential expansion, land-based pollution (including pesticides), climate change and recreational overuse. Off-leash dogs and predation by cats are particular problems for urban wildlife because they can kill birds, degrade habitat and disrupt wildlife. Migratory birds are particularly susceptible to window collisions in urban areas. It is vital that measures are taken to prevent window collisions, particularly during the spring and fall migrations.

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