As Rick Mercer would say: If you happen to be in Vernon on Sept 13 & 14; Take in Allan Brooks Nature Centre all weekend Garage Sale fundraiser

We had a bit of spare time on our hands two weeks ago while visiting Vernon, so we took in what turned out to be one non "event".  "Non" because the heritage Mackie House was not open to the public, but we got a 20 minute tour thanks to onsite Manager C.  There are many unique features about this house, but three caught our attention straight away:

DumbWaiter from Kitchen to the Basement through the hardwood flooring!!

 

This shelving arrangement is adjustable every 1 1/2"

Root Cellar could double as a bomb shelter with it's convex/barrel ceiling/roof

Mackie House Jnr. (R) contributes to Nature

       *******************

The main event though, to use the pun, to 'copp' a hilltop view of Allan Brooks Nature Centre, turned out that the ABNC volunteers were getting ready for their Garage Sale in two weeks time.  But now it's Now!!!!  Tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday.

Disorganized ......  Spic and Span for tomorrow

Where is the Allan Brooks Nature Centre?

Barracks and Highway below

 Have you ever noticed while approaching Vernon from Kelowna, or leaving Vernon for Kelowna, looking to the west, the White, squarish, building flying the Canadian flag atop the highest hill which is still part of the Army barracks and parade grounds (Department of National Defence Camp)?

After the Wars I, II, Korea, Cold, a Government (of Canada) built a Meteorological building up there and continued existing until 2000 when MP Sheila Copps, Liberal Heritage Minister downsized it and with a Photo Op shovelful of dirt awaiting, Allan Brooks Nature Centre was born.  Copps' embossed name, not like the once polished politician, is almost readable, at the bottom right hand corner.

The Allan Brooks Nature Centre hours: Open Monday to Saturdays from 9am - 4 pm, Closed Sundays.  

Allan Brooks Nature Centre

There are warning signs aplenty, majority reserved for Nature crossings and exorbitant prices.....

Major Allan Brooks bio

******************

Earlier Post on Allan Brooks (who inspired Robert Bateman)

There was one treat in store for us after we left the Tourism Office in Vernon, their Museum which is the depository for over 70 original paintings/sketches on display by Allan Brooks!

Like these http://thecanadasite.com/art/art55_brooks.html

Allan Brooks Artist Naturalist: Haines Ranch 1922, Okanagan

New School: Robert Bateman doesn't "hunt" or, kill to be an artist
 
           The Old School:  Allan Brooks' friends, did.

 Vaseux Lake Party, 1922.

 Back row - Left to Right,  Allan Brooks, P. A. Taverner, Frank Farley;
Bird Observers xls file
Front row - H. "Mack" Laing, George Gartell, D. Allan Sampson

 ....... On the morning of June 10, we walked down the mountain in advance of the truck, we saw a small hawk topping a large bull pine.  From its dark colour we were sure it was a Pigeon Hawk (Merlin) and not a Sparrow Hawk, so we turned aside to get it.   Travener presently fired and dropped it, then we stood and gloated.  It was a black adult Pigeon Hawk, the coastal form, then considered one of the rarest North American birds in museum collections.  We were standing in the dry belt where a pale-coated Richardson's Merlin might be expected as a stray from the arid plains, but this slately-blue beauty!  We both had the same thought at the same time, what will Brooks think of this, for the pursuit of this dark form on the coast had been his Holy Grail.

It is my considered opinion that Travener was the luckiest man who ever packed a collecting gun afield.  He turned up the most unexpected things, not by special skill but by sheer blundering luck.  To prove my point, next day at base camp near Vaseux Lake he returned from a short walk at midday with a Dickcissel, a bird that anywhere west of Manitoba could be called a rare take.   This was a new record for British Columbia! .......

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Allan Brooks

~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Haynes Ranch

 Farming and Orcharding began following World War I. A government sponsored Soldier's Settlement program was initiated and offered veterans assistance in developing 10 acre units of land. By 1927, a government irrigation system was in place, and the desert hillsides around Osoyoos bloomed. It was soon apparent that this was a perfect spot to grow ground crops and develop orchards. Orchard farming became a general practice, and today we're proudly producing the earliest fruit in Canada.

Haynes Ranch 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MAJOR ALLAN BROOKS of OKANAGAN LANDING

JEAN WEBBER

Living Landscapes

The name of Allan Brooks was a household word in Canada thirty years ago. His illustrations in Taverner's Birds of Western Canada, a series in the National Geographic magazine, calendars, cards issued by the National Association of Audubon Societies, and covers on Keystone school exercise books all familiarized Canadian children and adults not only with North American birds and mammals, but also with the work of this eminent zoological illustrator.

For residents of the Vernon area Major Allan Brooks, walking with his military bearing, dressed in tweed jacket and plus fours, often with a gun under his arm, was a familiar figure, for Okanagan Landing was his home from 1905 until his death in 1946. To the end of his days he loved nothing better than rambling over the Commonage or Rattlesnake Mountain, checking on the wildlife, hunting in season. He was a superb marksman and a member of the Vernon and District Fish, Game and Forest Protection Association, donating his pictures as prizes for their crow and magpie shoots. There are some who remember his participation in Okanagan Landing and Kelowna regattas. SNIP

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then and Now

49° 5'28.52"N 119°31'49.64"W

********************************

 Haynes Ecological Reserve

Source Link

Map Link

Location and Maps

Any maps listed are for information only - they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.
Adjacent to N end of Osoyoos Lake, 6 km NNW of Osoyoos

• Location Map
• Ecological Reserve - Detailed Map