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The Fantastic Beasts of Bowen Island

A new book from the Bowen Island Conservancy showcases some of the island's lesser known creatures
lizard
One of the featured creatures in Beasts of Bowen.

Amphibian and repitle lovers will have added incentive to hop and slither over to Bowen Island Community School this weekend for the CSA Christmas Craft Fair.

The Bowen Island Conservancy will be debuting their new book, The Beasts of Bowen Island, Amphibian and Reptile Discovery Guide written by Louise Loik. It shines a light on some of the island’s lesser known and lesser seen creatures, such as newts, salamanders, snakes, turtles, and toads.

Loik says she was inspired to write the book after seeing the work of her daughter Chantal Underdown, who was researching area amphibians. She says she realized there’s many more animals here than most people realize, and wanted to make people aware of them.

“This book is uniquely Bowen, and contains the most up-to-date, comprehensive information about island amphibians and reptiles ever compiled,” says Loik.

Beasts of Bowen also features photographs and artwork from several Islanders including Kathleen Ainscough, Lacey O’Neil, Peter Robinson, Mark Edmons, Haig Farris, and cover art from Jean Bradbury.

Loik explains in addition to the book being a collaborative effort, it’s also written in a way that stresses readability while also providing lots of scientific facts about each species featured.

Beasts of Bowen can be found at the CSA Christmas Craft Fair this Sunday, December 4, running from 10 am to 3 pm.