Maplewood Flats Conservation Area North Shore

Managed by the Wild Bird Trust of BC, this delightful nature escape is surprisingly accessible from Vancouver yet it feels like a million miles from the city. Its tangle of trees, winding paths and protected wetland beach lure swallows, ospreys and bald eagles – and there are free guided nature walks the second Saturday of every month (10am); check their Facebook page for upcoming themes and other events. It's a nature-lovers dream; on one of our visits a deer and fawn wandered languidly across the pathway in front of us.