The speaker at next week’s meeting of the Burke Mountain Naturalists (BMN) is for the birds — and for many other living things.

BMN’s monthly meeting, to be held Tuesday, will feature Delta naturalist, author and educator Anne Murray. Murray will present a historical and ecological tour through the Fraser Delta/Boundary Bay landscape, emphasizing the interaction of people with the landscape and wildlife.

For nearly 10,000 years, people have been drawn to Boundary Bay by the rich resources of the area’s ocean, marshes and upland forests. Beginning at the end of the last Ice Age, through 9,000 years of Coast Salish presence, to the Spanish and English explorers, and the boom of Gold Rush years and finally to the time of the pioneer settlers, the area has been home to vast flocks of migrating ducks, geese, swans and cranes, and huge runs of salmon.

Murray has written a book charting these changes in the landscape and the people that transformed it called Tracing our Past — A Heritage Guide to Boundary Bay, which discusses the successes and failures to conserve Boundary Bay and its habitats and concludes with a section on Heritage Destinations, a useful guide for those wanting to go out and explore the area with fresh insight. For many years, Murray has been an outstanding champion for preserving the natural landscape of the Boundary Bay area.

This free slideshow will be held at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at Como Lake United Church (corner of Marmont and King Albert in Coquitlam). All are welcome to attend. Bird-friendly, organic coffee will be served along with other refreshments.

For more information, call 604-936-4108 or visit www.bmn.bc.ca.