September 2003 Acorn Newsletter - Salt Spring Island Conservancy

8/8/2019 September 2003 Acorn Newsletter - Salt Spring Island Conservancy

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Acornthe

TheNewsletteroftheSaltSpringIslandConservancyNumber24,September2003

TheLandNeedsASong

Continued on page 6

Land Needs a Song.........1President’s Page...............2Director’s Page................3Martin Williams..............4 Andreas Vogt...................5Our Small Miracle...........7Education Committee.....8Restoration and Mgmt....9Operation Herbivore......12Environmental Watch....14 Very Civil Service...........15 Annual Appeal...............15Thank-you Luke............15Meadow on Red Mt.......16GSX Hearings................17Bateman Cards................2Historical Perspective....21 Volunteers.....................23SIRJ...............................23Board Trends............24-25

Inside:

FeaturedArtist:

Kate Lesliepage 26

Bob Weeden, May 2003

Conservancy members all feel a duty of care toward land. With the recent giftof 72 acres and purchase of 50 more,we face not a generalized, abstractresponsibility but a real and specic one.The law calls us landowners and requiresat least a low level of stewardship. Ourconstitution and professed ethicsdemand a lot more.

In practical terms, what

do we do about ourduty of care? Alogistical rststep is to writea managementplan for eachpiece, onethat reectsour mandateand sets forth ourown action orders anda building block for laterConservancy stewards. Musingabout such plans – and I’ve written a fewand critiqued many in the past 40 years– I mentally descended a short ight of stairs. Will you walk with me?

From the top landing, the here andnow in which the plan will be crafted,the light shines fully on the rst step

below. A plan, a prescription for action,follows from intentions. Commonly these

are spelled out at the start of a plan.Do we intend to retrain and restore allnatural wetlands, keep livestock out,suppress res, invite recreationists, hostexperimental science, stall natural change,eradicate exotics? If actions are the cuttingedge of our plan, intentions are the shaftthat directs them.

No problem: we can dothat. But intentions

aren’t thebeginning of anything. Theyspring fromthe kind of relationship weenvision, oftenhazily, betweenthe land andourselves.

Putting thatrelationship into words

is hard – in our metaphoricaldescent it is a poorly lit second stepdownward. Do we see ourselves as thesuperior “I” deciding the fate of thenon-human “it”? If so, are we primarilyprotectors and healers, or reapers of a harvest of benets, or guardians of resources for future people? If – and thistruly would be daring – we want to take



President’sPage

Red Elderberry -Sambucus racemosassp. pubens

Introducing:PeterLamb

I want to begin my rst message asPresident by recognizing the enormous

contribution made by the Past President,Bob Weeden, to the work of your Con-servancy and its public face. A generousvolunteer when needed and with a poetic,informed view of our Island, Bob hasenriched the role of the Conservancy overhis time in ofce. I am pleased that hewill continue to serve as a Director.I also want to acknowledge the dedicationof Ruth Tarasoff who retired as Secretarybut thankfully also remains on the Board.

We welcome three new Directors to theBoard - Linda Quiring, Nigel Denyer andRachel Bevington - who, I know, will eachoffer their knowledge and enthusiasm to

the challenges we face.

Challenges to an organisation like oursalso present opportunities and I hope wecan continue to actively pursue suitableways of securing protection of signicant

lands on Salt Spring. The acquisition of the Andreas Vogt Nature Reserve and theMartin Williams Land, together with avery successful education program andnew covenants have raised the prole of the Conservancy in recent months as aneffective stewardship tool. We need tobuild on that reputation as new opportu-nities are identied or presented to us.

However, none of the hopes for our

organisation will be achieved withoutcontinued support from our members andaccess to the necessary funds. These pres-ent an ongoing challenge to the Board andwe welcome your active participation in

the work of theConservancy.Contact ourofce if youwould liketo help in any

way.



Director’sDesk

As Summer changes into Fall, it is agood time to look back and reect onhow the Salt Spring Island Conservancyhas changed this past year. While ourPresident and some board members havechanged, the greatest change has comefrom the donation and acquisition of locallands now stewarded in perpetuity by theConservancy.

On May 15th, the Salt Spring IslandConservancy announced the dedication

of a 72 acre south Salt Spring Islandgift of land donated by Cordula Vogtof Salt Spring Island and her mother,Oda E. Nowrath of Duncan. The landwhich has been named the Andreas VogtNature Reserve, is being managed in anenvironmentally sensitive manner by SSICto protect the land’s Garry oaks, Arbutusand wetland areas. In co-operation withthe Trail and Nature Club, a trail wasinstalled and has beautiful views of the

Gulf Islands, Fulford Harbour, as well asMt. Maxwell, Mt. Tuam, Mt. Bruce andMt. Sullivan.

On August 8th, the Conservancycompleted a purchase of 50 acres of land from Martin Williams of Salt SpringIsland. Martin Williams, “wanted it leftin its natural state” and also dedicated aright of way across the remainder of hisparcel and separate residential lot to allowaccess to the Jack Fisher trail networkfrom Toynbee Rd. The property will bemanaged by SSIC who spearheaded thefundraising campaign with the help of theSalt Spring Trail and Nature Club, andthe support of other conservation groups.

A huge thank you to all of our membersand friends who once again have showntheir amazing support by donating to thispurchase!

Changes Other changes this year has brought werethe changes to our board at our AnnualGeneral Meeting on May 27th. You willnotice on the President’s page that Peter

Lamb has taken over as President of theConservancy. Peter was a driving forcebehind the Martin Williams acquisition soit is wonderful to have an already activeboard member take on this role. We werevery fortunate to have had Bob Weedenas our President and even more fortunateto still have him on our board in the newrole of Past-President. Other new boardmembers include: Rachel Bevington; ournew Secretary and Acorn Editor, who

you can tell from this issue is dedicatedand talented; Nigel Denyer, who has beenbusy getting our important covenant andstewardship les organized this summer;and Linda Quiring, who has beenshowing us her expertise on Salt SpringIsland issues, most recently on how to geta photo of the board taken by this issue of the Acorn.

Last but denitely not least, Robin Ferryhas taken on the position of VolunteerCoordinator for the Conservancy. Shehas spent many weekends this summerorganizing volunteers to sell tickets forour 3rd annual bench rafe at the Saturdaymarket. Robin started as Coordinator lastspring by designing new volunteer formsand updating the volunteer form at theback of this Acorn. Please mail it in or callthe ofce at 538-0318 if you would like to

nd our more about volunteering. Withall of these changes,we need yourhelp more thanever.

-Karen Hudson



July 10, 2003 -The Salt Spring IslandConservancy announces the completion

of a 20 ha (50 acre) purchase of land fromMartin Williams of Salt Spring Island. Itwas subdivided for the purpose of thispurchase from a 64 ha (159 acre) parcelof land owned by Martin Williams who,“wanted it left in itsnatural state.” Aspart of the purchaseagreement, Mr.

Williams dedicateda right of way across

the remainder of hisparcel and his separateresidential lot to allowpermanent accessto the trail networkfrom Toynbee Rd. Itis adjacent to 65 ha(163 acres) of crown land plus 22 ha(56 acres) of land owned by the IslandsTrust Fund. The land purchased by the

Conservancy protects open Douglasr/arbutus forest on the south-facingridge of Mount Erskine, including partof the popular Jack Fisher Trail with itsmagical fairy doors and panoramic views.The land contains mature r groves,

rare plant communities, uplandbog vegetation, sensitive wildlifehabitat as well as dramatic rockyoutcrops and viewpoints. Thesenatural features are symbolic of the southern Gulf Islands, whilealso threatened and becomingincreasingly rare.

The protection of the naturalvalues of this land has long beenof interest to Martin Williams, thelocal community, and the IslandsTrust. The landowner originallyapproached the Islands Trust FundBoard in 1990 with an offer tosell this land but the Board wasnot able to conclude a satisfactory

agreement at that time. The purchaseis another important step in achieving

the vision of the South and West SaltSpring Conservation Partnership, acoalition initiated by the SSI Conservancyto protect greenspace in the largest

undeveloped part of the Trust area.

The property will be held and managed

MartinWilliamsLandAcquisitionTheMartinWilliamsLandAcquisitionisCompletedonitsSecondTryin

ThirteenYears!

Continued on page 14

ConservancyInterests

Martin Williams LandDedication on MountErskine July 10th, 2003



TheAndreasVogtNatureReserve


-Charles Dorworth

The Andreas Vogt Nature Reserve wasformally transferred to the Salt SpringIsland Conservancy on 2002 December11 as an ecological gift by Cordula Vogtof Salt Spring Island and Oda Nowrathof Duncan. We gathered with Cordulaand Oda to dedicate this splendid gift tothe Conservancy on 2003 May 15. TheReserve is located off the end of Sarah

Way near the south-east corner of SaltSpring Island, and is comprised of 71.89acres of land with (largely) an east-facingslope. The land attens at the top of the

ridge, lending views over both FulfordHarbour and the Straits to the southand of Mt. Maxwell and Mt. Prevost tothe west. This property will be held inperpetuity by the SSIC and managedon an eco-friendly basis with limitedprovision for community use.

In a more nearly spiritual sense, the SaltSpring Island Conservancy was chosen byOda and Cordula to serve as steward of

their property in the name of the peopleof Salt Spring Island,

in the localsense,

and the present and futuregenerations of the humanity, in thelargest sense. It will be a part of our earthin which natural values are respectedand preserved. We, the Conservancy,are grateful to our kind donors for thefaith they have displayed in us and are


developing a Management Plan to insurethat the objectives developed betweenthe Conservancy and our donors are fullyrespected. To cement those objectives,a covenant is being written by ourcolleagues in The Land Conservancy toplace those restrictions and objectives in abinding legal format.

In a historic sense, the AVNR andSalt Spring Island were part of avolcanic plateau located beneaththe surface of the primordial ocean,some 370 million years ago (370yrs. BP-Before Present) and quite

possibly off the coast of presentday South America. During theperiod of earth formation andevolution, this plain wasundoubtedly subjected to massivestresses, among those the intrusionof magma from the earth’s moltencore which lled the many cracks andcrevices in the plain. Those intrusions arestill visible in places where the primordialrocks have been uncovered and have been

assigned the geologic name “SaltspringIntrusions”.

Primordial Salt Spring, as part of a landmass which oated on the semi-uid

interior of the earth, was in motion.That land mass, now termed

Wrangellia, moved graduallynorthward, possiblyby erratic routes and

undoubtedly grew larger andsmaller at times, en route, as itcollided with other terranes which

were also in motion.

At approximately 100 million years BP, Wrangellia collided with or “impacted” theNorth American Terrane, as one of severalsuch incidents over a period of 180million years. Similarly, Wrangellia itself was impacted by other terranes which

Vanilla Leaf - Achlys triphylla



LandNeedsaSongContinued from page 1

off the royal robes and meet the land asequal partners in the business of living,what does that mean in terms of everydayaction?

One more darkening step and I’vereached my stopping place. Everysuccessful relationship is founded ona respectful understanding, or at leaston abiding search for understanding,of the essential character of spirit of thepartner. The partner we want is land,and its character goes deeper than slope,

elevation, dryness, listof owers, or tally of

values. I strugglefor expression but

I think land,like a person,

has a song,a melodicspirit, adistillationof past

becomingsand future

possibilities.

The hard part isto sense the land’s voice

in its medium and express it inours. We can do it. Composers, painters,poets and photographers have done ita thousand times in serendipitous actsof artistic expression. Earlier cultureswith apparent needs much greater and

ears more sensitive than ours have sungabout the essential spirit of Earth formillennia. But what lucky spontaneity orthe accretion of centuries of tradition havedone isn’t easy to do on demand with aConservancy committee.

I’ve never heard of a managementplanning process that began by listeningfor forest to sing. Usually a consultantdrafts a plant and consultants tend

or pretend to be tone-deaf. Maybe weshouldn’t expect the impossible, butwe can try for something beyond theusual. Suppose, for example, we asked avaried gathering of long time neighbours,First Nations people, artists, naturalistsand poets to give it a try? What we areattempting is to ask the mind to expressthe spirit, and imagination is the mediumbetween the two.

As Wendell Berry’s novels, essays andpoems have shown readers so lucidly,the relation between landscape andperson necessarily engages every part of

that person as it does every facet of theland. To hold anything back is perilous.The management plan has to embodythat completeness somehow. It isn’t easy.Climbing out of the gentle twilight of spirit and song, we feel the pitiless lightof today’s realities magnify the things of rational intellect and muscle. We look forrational things to do. We begin willy-nillyto speak of resources, interests, realities,feasibilities and urgencies. That which is

in the realm of meaning and story givesway to what is tangible about this acre,this set of people, this moment. The songfades.

It is a commonplace, perhaps necessary,process. After all, we can only negotiatewith real persons about choices availablenow or soon. Can we remember that thepresent and the plans we conceive in it

just arrived from a contingent future andwill recede into an archived past? Canwe continue to see today’s plan as anattempt to keep alive, through the harshweathers of our times, our intended waysor relating to a land whose song we onceheard?


Hip Bone



OurSmallMiraclefor people with the “re in their belly” forgood stewardship, and whose individualloss is compensated by new people, newenergy.

Martin Williams’s dreams are now yourConservancy’s dreams (and duty), andthe covenant holders are the IslandsTrust Fund Board and the Trust Councilthrough its Salt Spring Island Local TrustCommittee. Should the Conservancyhave to dissolve, its constitution requirestransfer of land title and the covenants toanother organization with the same goals.

We’ve done what we can withincontemporary law to secure enduring“protective custody” for the land. Towhat end? Put simply, it is to give naturalprocesses more chance to determine theevolution of this fragment of landscapethan they usually get in this era of HomoPseudosapiens Interferens.

Unless re or diseases intervene, acentury will bring measurable change tothis steep, sun-staring slope of Cascadia.

The forest, though containing some oldtrees, is mostly in its youth. Its foliage iscatching carbon dioxide and sunlight,storing the carbon as woody stems andlimbs, and exhaling oxygen.This is the time in aforest life when it is atemporary carbon

sink, givingRalph and Jeanan excuse toget greencredits and keep thesmokestacks belching not this century butlater, in old age, or even more abruptlyduring a re, the balance between notgrowth and not decay will switch, and thecarbon dioxide will be back in circulation.

-Bob Weeden

Trivial arguments make headlines whilemarvels go almost unnoted. So what’snew?

One marvel won’t go unnoted if I can helpit. That’s because it is our small miraclemine and thine.

At 10:30 am on July 10,2003,a small group of folks

met on a sunnyknoll overlookinga view of the green

forests of SaltSpring Island and,at sights limit, of

the snowy

OlympicMountains. There

a man whose 20- year dream had been topreserve some of his land into a distantfuture, met with Conservancy leaders to

mark its transfer into their care.

People, individually, are the source of theonly worthwhile ideas and passion in thisworld. But people, individually, are bothckle and mortal.

How, then, can a good idea- in this case,the idea a good land stewardship- begiven a chance to endure long enough to

match natures majestic pace of healing,diversication, and systemic change?

Our answer is to make the idea themandate of an institution, which hasevery chance to outlive any individual,and to build an umbrella of legalconservation covenants held by twoother, independent, institutions. Theorganizations become an enduring home





please phone Jean Gelwicks at 537-4859or e-mail [email protected] withyour suggestions.

Our rst activity which will be heldin Sept. or early October will be acontinuation of our Tourist in Our OwnBackyard Series entitled UNDEWATERSALT SPRING and will be presentedin conjunction with Dr. Bill Austin of Khoyatan Marine Labs and the MarineEcology Station. It will be an eveningslide show and a half day eld trip. The

slide presentation will feature dramaticslides of our spectacular marine life.Our waters are known among diversand biologists for their brilliant array of sea stars, nudibranchs, and diversity of other species. This illustrated talk willhighlight many of the colourful andintriguing denizens of BC waters withan emphasis on our local underwaternatural history. The eld trip will leaveFulford Harbour by comfortable charter

boat to a nearby location rich in sea life.Here we will lower Seamore, the ROVsubmersible, down to the ocean oor anduse remote controls to track along thebottom. Live video signals from Seamorewill be transmitted back to the boat anddisplayed on monitors in the boat. Thiswill be accompanied by interpretationfrom our marine biologists. This is anunique opportunity to explore the ocean

oor as a marine biologist does, butnot get wet! The cost will be around$45 - $55. Space on the eld trip willbe limited. If you are interested, werecommend getting your name on the listahead of time. Once the dates for the eldtrip and slide show have been set, peopleon the list will be notied and given rstoptions on securing the space. Don’t missthis one.

UnderwaterSaltSpring:AnEducationCommitteeReport


- Jean Gelwicks

As chair of the Education Committee,I am in the unique position of beingable to praise the Education Chair andCommittee for a great year of educationalevents without boasting. I took a leavefrom the Education Committee in Augustto travel for eight months. Withouthaving to be asked twice, Andrea Rankinagreed to take over as Education Chair.On my return in April the EducationCommittee had grown in size and were in

the process of planning 7 events for Mayand June! A nice welcome back. I shouldgo away more often. I want to thank andcongratulate Andrea and the Committeefor a rich and productive year. A few of the events that happened last year: thepopular series, Tourist in Our Own Back

Yard continued, dynamic speakers like Vicky Husband, Elizabeth May and PeterMatthiessen informed and entertained,members learned about Sharp Tailed

Snakes, invasive species, and butteriesand we laughed with Des Kennedy at theworld premier of the movie Living ThingsWe Love to Hate, for example. Hats off tothe Education Committee. It was a good

year.

I say year, because the EducationCommittee, comprised of a numberof teachers, cannot break the habit

of thinking that the year begins inSept. and ends in June. Which meanswe are also use to having summer

vacations. So, we have beenon “summer vacation” since the end of

June and are just now getting back to thedrawing board and starting to plan forthis coming year. I am telling you this,as now would be the best time for us tohear from our members. If you have someideas for us and/or would like to join us


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/september-2003-acorn-newsletter-salt-spring-island-conservancy 9/289Continued on page 21

RestorationandManagement:ACommitteeReport

to T&N, though most of us on that trailbelong to both groups. It has been thesite of two broom control efforts by theConservancy and the Trail and NatureClub as well as individual efforts by thoseof us with a half-day to spare and loppersin need of exercise.

The M ARTINWILLIAMS PROPERTY wascommemorated as well (2003 July 11),with a good turnout, at the top of Mt.Erskin. The trail to the property (due forinstallation this fall) will avoid certain

portions of the presently used roadway,at Martins behest. Beyond that, we haveapproached a contractor to generate aManagement Plan for the Martin WilliamsProperty and expect to hear from Robin

Annschild shortly with her proposal.Similarly, we are looking for a full reporton management plan requirements forthe S ALT SPRING ISLAND W ATERSHED

PROPERTY.

This leaves undone our initiative towardthe development of a native plantnursery and holding area, as proposedby Maureen Milburn, from which stockmight be drawn to repopulate areas such

- Charles Dorworth

The past three months have found theR&M Committee a bit past the formativestage and easing its way into fully activemode. With a membership comprised of: • Maureen Bendick• Charles Dorworth• Karen Hudson• Ann Richardson• Ruth Tarasoff • Bob Weeden

we have initiated meetings amongstourselves, and between R&M and theCovenants Committee. In the latter case,it seemed well for both committees to befully up to date on one another’s activitiesand to explore the possibly gray areabetween Covenant and Management toavoid duplication of effort.

The ANDREAS VOGT N ATURE

RESERVE was both named andcommemorated (2003 May 15),with a cheerful turnout for theoccasion. We gathered at the endof Sarah Way, uphill from the AVNRand the rain began. We headedtoward the commemoration site andthe rain approached deluge stage, welland truly, until the group regainedtheir vehicles an hour later, when the

sun appeared. Always pre-plan ahead!Beyond that, we now have a brightgreen Management Plan for the Andreas

Vogt Nature Reserve, designed both toinsure the preservation of the area and toallow prescribed and proscribed activitiesthereon. The area now has a fullyedged trail with major credit due to ourvolunteers and to those of the Trail andNature Club, the latter of which providedmajor expertise and labour. Many thanks

Well at Honnemardu April 3rd, 1996




Reserve from the south and from glacialrefugia in B.C., where topography hadprotected them from glacial scouring, andpossibly from elsewhere on the feet of

birds and other animals and by wind andwater. The reserve was not always at itspresent height, having been depressed atleast 150 m by the weight of the glacier,nor was the level of the ocean always atwhat we now consider “sea level”. Meltingof the glaciers resulted in a rise of thelevel of the ocean and the land itself rose(rebounded) once the enormous weightof the glacier was removed through glacialretreat.

Thus, one might envision simple formsof plant life as the rst visible forms toinhabit Salt Spring Island. They servedto prepare the site, in an ecological sense,for progressively more complex forms.Prior to colonization by complex plants,micro-organisms would have moved into colonize the soil and, subsequently,some even colonized the incoming wavesof plants. Perhaps the most visibleforms of microorganisms today are themushrooms.

In due course, and probably not longafter the retreat of the glaciers, animalswould have colonized Wrangelliaand the previously glaciated North

American Terrane. These included Homosapiens, who underwent relatively littlemorphological change to the present time

but became increasingly technologicallyand socially complex to yield our presentday society.

In due course, Salt Spring Island wasdened from Vancouver Island as aseparate entity and was intermittentlycolonized by native peoples. The landwas mostly covered by native forestand a layer of biologic material and

passed beneath the surface of Wrangellia(they were “subducted”) and wereaccreted in come instances to Wrangelliaor to the North American Terrane.

Such collisions sound dramatic andthey were, however, the results of suchimpacts required millions of years todevelop. The hills of Salt Spring Island:”The Rock”, were elevated during theprocess of such impacts and thereafter

were eroded, with the detritus passingdown into the ocean. Final major erosionoccurred during major glacial scouringof the surface of Wrangellia, whichterminated with retreat of the Frasertongue of the last glacier approximately8-9,000 years BP.

When one hikes from Sarah Way ontothe ridge of the Andreas Vogt Nature

Reserve, one is walking along a bit of theremaining Cowichan Anticlinorum, thepart of the residual “ridge” which wasformed during terrane collisions. At theridgetop, exposed rocks clearly show theeffects and direction of movement of theFraser glacier, as deep scratches scored onthe rock surfaces.

As the glaciers retreated (melted), plantlife gradually re-colonized the Vogt

AndreasVogtNatureReserveContinued from page 5


Cordula Vogt and OdaNowrath on the rainydedication day, May 15,2003




AndreasVogtNatureReserveContinued from page 10

humus developed beneath the trees,which supported multiple life forms andprotected the soil surfaces from abruptclimate changes. In the mid-1800s, land

was progressively claimed, or “owned”,and the island developed to its presentform.

Within this century, the Vogt Reserve wasowned by Colonel Bryant and his family,who farmed the area for a time and byMacMillan Bloedel Ltd. Thereafter, timberon the land was harvested through therst deployment of a feller-buncher (massmechanical harvester).

With all the requirements of modernlife, it is easily seen that the forests andminerals of British Columbia contributedmarkedly to the development of ourspecies to our present level of social andeconomic complexity. Among thosecontributors, surely, is cellulose biomassfrom forest trees, which has uses asdiverse as dimension stock for furnitureand house construction and pulp forpaper manufacture. The chains of carbonunits which form the chemical celluloseand then microscopic backbones of trees are put to even more complex usesthrough the devices of modern chemistry.But a price was paid!

Consequently, at the ridge top of the Andreas Vogt Nature Reserve, we arestanding among the fallen stems and

stumps of the previous forest lookingacross a property nearly cleared of treesduring the logging operation(s). Thedevastation which results from suchlogging practices is not limited to themature forest trees. Summer sun onsuch a slope can raise temperatures atthe soil surface to 40 or 60ºC, killing themacro- and microora and fauna whichwere adapted to deep forest temperatures.

Such surfaces may not be revegetateduntil they are shaded by plants whichgradually colonize the area from the edgesof a clearcut. Before that time, however,

the best view sites rst and then theothers would be occupied by “big-boxhouses” and, quite likely, the residualGary Oak (Quercus garryana) wouldeither be in the way orwould

nott a suburbia landscaping plan, andwould be removed. This is often termed“progress”.

Complete loss a forest of native trees





- Emily Gonzales

Tall chocolate lilies sway in a springbreeze. Blue-eyed marys, a cluster of

pink, green, and blue, huddle togetherin dawn’s chill. An ocean wave sends aspray of droplets toward a thick bunch of sea blush. Camas blossoms form a densesurface of violet and mimic the swell of the surf in the breeze. This rainbow of vegetation is so lush that it as high as mywaist. The scene is from April 2003, therst eld season of my PhD project, as Iconducted vegetation surveys throughoutthe Gulf Islets.

But two hundred years ago, such a lushmeadow would have been commonthroughout this region, rather than the

ecological rarity that it is now. Theseislets give us a snapshot of coastalbluff Garry oak ecosystems before weconverted the land for agriculture,introduced new species from acrossthe oceans, and directly or indirectly

OperationHerbivore-AResearchOpportunity

increased the number of animals thatgraze on these plants.

Protection of Garry oak meadows is

an important step, but herbivory andcompetition from non-native speciescan degrade ecosystems even after areashave been protected. For example,in Wisconsin where white-tailed deerare abundant, the loss of native plantdiversity over the past 50 years is greaterin protected areas (>50% loss), where thedeer are not hunted, than in unprotectedareas (12% loss). Black-tailed deerwere introduced to Haida Gwaii and

signicantly changed the vegetationstructure of the forest by removing shrubsand young trees. This had cascadingeffects for other native species including

birds that relied on the shrubsfor habitat. Non-native plantscan have negative effects as well,such as competing with nativeplants for limited resources.Tall grasses can outshade nativeowers and some species, suchas Scotch broom, may changethe chemical content of the soilmaking it more difcult for otherplants to establish.

Garry oak ecosystems on thelarger Gulf Islands are faced withabundant herbivores and non-native plants. Sheep, goats, anddeer have browsed heavily on

Garry oak ecosystem species.Non-native grasses such asHedgehog dogtail and Orchardgrass are now the dominantplant species in many Garry

oak meadows, such as Mount Maxwell. Iam interested in how non-native grassesand large herbivores impact nativeplants. Scientic studies demonstratethat herbivory generally increases


Emily Gonzales samplingusing a quadrat




native plant diversity. Knownas the “intermediate disturbancehypothesis”, herbivores ‘disturb’dominant plants by eating them

and thereby allowing other plantspecies to establish. Herbivores mayplay an important role in Garry oakecosystems by controlling non-nativeshrubs and grasses.

I have three different studiesthroughout the Gulf Islands. Therst looks at broad patterns of species distribution on island sitesthroughout the Gulf Islands. I am

conducting vegetation surveys onislets that have had few humanvisitors and no herbivores andcomparing them to sites on largeislands with abundant herbivores andan extensive history of human usage.This data will provide a gradient of plantspecies composition across sites withdifferent degrees of degradation. Theislets with minimal impact may serveas a template for restoration projects ondegraded sites on islands.

The other two experiments, which differin the age of the native plants added tothe experiment, involve plots where non-native vegetation is removed throughclipping and exclosures, small fences,to exclude herbivores. The clippedplots measure the impact of shadingby non-native grasses on native plants.

The exclosures measure the impactof herbivory by deer, sheep and goatson native plants. The treatments arecombined so that I can also measure theinteraction between non-native plants andherbivores on native plants. It is possiblethat herbivores help control non-nativeplants, which benets native plants. It isalso possible that non-native plants helpshield native plants from herbivores.

One of these projects was started inFebruary 2003 on Salt Spring andinvolved the planting of maturing plants.This experiment will run for the next2 seasons. I have a similar experimentwhich involves seeding native speciesso that I can also test how herbivoryand non-native plant competition affect

the growth of plants from seed as wellas recruitment and dispersal in thefollowing growing season. This studywill commence in the fall of 2003 at the

Andreas Vogt Nature Reserve and acts asa restoration project as well as a researchproject.Once we begin to understand theecological interactions in Garry oakecosystems, we can effectively begin theprocess of restoring them. Stepping ontothe tiny Gulf Islets gives me a glimpse of the past. Stepping onto the Andreas VogtNature Reserve gives me a glimpse of thefuture.

Emily Gonzales, Ph.D. studentCentre for Applied Conservation ResearchUniversity of British [email protected]

OperationHerbivoreContinued from page 12

Sword Fern -

Polystichum munitum

Emily Gonzales




EnvironmentalWatchdogsOrganize A similar organization in the US unitesover 1500 members, most of them For-est Service employees. It has been ex-tremely effective in forcing agency deci-sion makers to remember, in the heat of the daily pressures from resource users,their public interest duties and legislativemandates.

An important job of both groups is toprotect “whisle blowers” from punish-ment by the ofcials they have embar-rassed.

For membership information go

to www.pse.ca or write to PSE [email protected] or 1203-207 W. Hastings,

Vancouver, BC, V6B 1H7 or call 604-899-2724.

MartinWilliamsLandAcquisitionContinued from page 4

by the Salt Spring Island Conservancy,which spearheaded the fundraisingcampaign with the help of the SaltSpring Trail and Nature Club, as wellas the support of other conservation

groups. A conservation covenant, heldby the Islands Trust Fund and the SaltSpring Island Local Trust Committee isregistered on the title. Earlier this year,the Conservancy was given a generous

donation of 72 acres of land by Cordula Vogt and Oda E. Nowrath

The Conservancy formed in 1994 to helpthe community preserve natural habitats

on Salt Spring Island. Its core functionsare public education, acquisition of land title, conservation covenants andpromoting good land stewardship. TheSalt Spring Island Conservancy wouldlike to thank Martin Williams for thisoutstanding contribution to greenspaceon Salt Spring Island. Purchase of thisland was made possible by the generousnancial support of Salt Spring Island

Conservancy members, the Salt SpringTrail and Nature Club and its members,The Salt Spring Island Foundation, theRoyal Canadian Legion (local Branch92), the Islands Trust Fund, the GeorgiaBasin Ecosystem Initiative, The EJLBFoundation, The Land Conservancy of BC, TD Friends of the Environment, ananonymous local donor and other localprivate donors.

EnvironmentalPolicy

- Bob Weeden

Last year concerned civil servants formedPublic Service Employees for Environ-

mental Ethics (PSE) to supportefforts by the BC govern-

ment employeesto guard resources

against shortsighted po-litical decisions.

Dr. Jim Pojar, internationally famous plantecologist and co-author of eld guides toBC plants, became the chair of PSE’s rstboard of directors. Staff have been hired,

a newsletter started, and a membershipcampaign begun.

Bees



The Salt Spring Island Conservancy’s 3rd Annual Appeal succeeded in reaching it’starget of $10,000 by August 31st!!!!

At last count before this issue went toprint, the Total = $10,135!!!!

Thanks to all of you who gave sogenerously to help fund our operations.•Please note, donations help theConservancy at any time, so we willcontinue to accept donations for the

AnnualAppealHits$10,000!!!

Thank-you to Luke Hart-Weller for thebeautiful bench for our 3rd annual benchrafe and thank you to all of our market-in

the-park rafe volunteers this summer:Ruth and Sam Tarasoff,Robin Ferry,Sharon McCollough,Nigel and Nina Denyer,Karen Hudson,Carola SuarezIan and Samantha Beare,Maureen Moore, Ann Richardson,Kate Whiteld Jan Slakov,

Nancy Braithwaite,Margaret Haines,Cara Joy Hughes,

Nancy Holcroft,Gillian Kidd,Linda Quiring,Doug Wilkins, Judy Cook,Roy Brewer,Charles Dorworth,Maxine Leichter, Jean Gelwicks andPeter Lamb, and Andrea Rankin .

Thank-youLukeHart-Weller!

Appeal if you have not yet sent in yourform.New members who may not haverecieved the Appeal by mail in Juneare encouraged to send a cheque with

“Annual Appeal” written in the Memo toSalt Spring Island Conservancy, PO Box722, SSI, BC, V8K 2W3

AVeryCivilServiceThis spring Conservancy membersenjoying a walk at Mill Farm heardchainsaws in the near distance.Investigating later, they found two trucksbeing loaded with rewood from treescut within the Park. A phone call to alocal volunteer warden led to a report toCRD Parks, and quite soon, to issuance of tickets to the owners of the vehicles.

Nothing notable: people just did whatthey should do. But then the whistle-blowers received a handwritten note on awildower-decorated card, which said:

“ A note of thanks to you both foryour role at Mill Farm Regional Park

Reserve recently. I received news of your assistance from our volunteerwarden Nancy Braithwaite. Thanks toyour prompt attention to the damageyou noted (and the licence numbers!)we were able to issue tickets to theindividuals responsible for this sad anddisturbing action. Our very great thanksto you for the care and responsibility youtook. I wish you many other enjoyabletimes in the park.

Sincerely,Jenny EastmanCoordinator of VolunteersCRD Parks”

Now I call that a very civil serviceindeed.

EnvironmentalPolicy



MeadowonRedMountainNaturalHistory

-Bob Weeden

Undulating toward timberline as gentlyas breathing, the trail slips us between

shadowed columns of Englemann spruceone moment and parades us across sunlitglades the next. Judy and I are morningfolks; even with the weight of breakfastoatmeal in our midriffs we feel bouyant.Never again today will the sky be so blue,the colours so clean, the air so subtlelyodorous, the world so brimful of expecta-tion.

The forest brightens as we rise to 7000

feet above sea level. Glimpses of cliffs andtundra become more frequent. The trail

bendsuphill,

carries usthrough a

coppice of spruce and subalpine r, and sud-

denly we are in the meadow.

The exquisite beauty of the placeholds us in thrall. An emotion likelove roughens my breath, my eyes

widen and mist over. In awe, Ithink that o die in this mo-

ment would be to diein grace - but

why should sucha thought come when I am as alertwith every sense, as open to every mes-sage, as present in the instant as fully as I

can be?

The feeling of swallowing the place as awhole too soon gives way to my analyticeye. (It is an unbreakable habit, this busi-ness of going through a landscape full of Hows? and Whys?, but whether curse orblessing I don’t know.) I see the verdantmeadow, but wonder about the contoursthat form it. How did this shallow dipcome to strike its diagonal across these

slopes? What made the anking swellsthat widen it here, pinch it there? It is apage I want to read, but the enormousand unnished book behind it is a mys-

tery.

The meadow’s upper half is at timber-line, where clusters and stringers of treesdot the broad openings. Winter winds- my memory echoes their sibilant rush- whip snow downslope, lling hollowson the way. Reaching the rst trees thewind drops snow in their lee as well as inthe shallow arroyo. This snow, not com-pletely gone even by mid June, spells the

difference between meadow and sparsertundra. The moisture remains even in thishot late July, especially in the meadowsand lower reaches, in the shade of tallertrees.

This shallow, eccentric oval traps notonly moisture but bits of leaf, butterywings, slivers of frost-riven rock, andother debris that wind and gravity skit-ter along the slopes. Soil builds, holdsmore moisture, permits deeper roots andtaller plants. The knee-deep communitythrives, inviting children and mice to playlike secrets in the grass, lling the senseswith the fragrance of owers, the industryof insects.

If you have an eye for such things, thepatterns made by the owers clamoursfor explanation. In this, our rst real visit

to southern BC’s high country, all we cando is to compare it with remembered im-ages of beloved Alaskan alplands. Maybethat’s why the familiar and gorgeousalpine lupine rst holds our glance.Forming dense, extensive colonies of blueat the edge of the meadow (but scatteredthrough the meadow, too), this is thebrass section of the oral symphony. Thelupine is a wonder at every scale: com-plex and perky as a single ower, lovely

Barn Swallows -Hirundo rustica




by the stalkful, and stunning in distantdisplay.

The meadow’s core seems to be a collageof a dozen abundant species jumbledtogether. Tall cinquefoil is everywhere. Soare speedwell, alpine forget-me-not, yel-low lousewort, penstemon, and the pink-red alpine paintbrush. A vexing of differ-ent sunowers looms out of the carpet,sending us on a futile hunt for names inour botany. The ecologist in me insiststhat there must be patterns in the jumbleand reasons for them. Judy points outthat the globeower, now bearing only

a ball of naked achenes after petal-fall,seems common only in the wettest places.Mostly, though, we can’t puzzle out thene patterns. For some reason it doesn’tmatter as much as it used to. Maybe I’mhappier to nd mysteries, now, than an-swers.

Deer love this summer meadow, as drop-pings and trails tell us. Their clearest trailsconnect one copse of trees with another

around the meadows edge, not across it,as if a deep racial memory of wolves madethe deer shy of wide openings. If so, in-stinct and reality are at odds, because thecougar’s ambush is still a threat.

Ground squirrels love the meadow,too, but their trails tell a different story.They radiate from burrows built on lowmounds of deeper, drier soil in or near

the meadow. Having eaten, trampled, orburied with excavated soil most plants onthe mounds, the watchful squirrels, bolt-upright, watch with wide-angled visionfor prairie falcons and coyotes. At thismorning hour they improve the shiningmoment by chewing mouthfuls of a veryhigh-bre diet.

As I trace the choices of wild instinct Irealize how differently we humans lay

out our trails. The roads we build for ourmachines to carry heavy loads fast aren’tcomparable, of course, but this hikingtrail up Red Mountain should be. Like ananimal trail, it guides the single unaidedbody along its hours of travel. Its sinu-ous windings through trees, over roughground, and up or down steep gradesreect the stride and posture, weight andmuscle distribution of our bodies. Unlikethe deer trail, however, this recreationtrail responds to our knowledge of thedamage human feet can cause on frag-ile ground - hence the switchbacks, theboardwalks across seep

and rill. There’s another difference. Eventhis trail, though designed for leisure

hours, is laidoutto leadpeoplefrom a com-mon originthrough neutraldistance to one ormore destinations, usu-

ally panoramic viewpoints.It does not visit dens or noontimeretreats, it doesn’t seek cover from preda-tory eyes, it doesn’t sacrice efciency of travel to access food sources.

Which reminds me that Judy and I haveour own goals for the day, and must moveon. We are more like browsing wanderersthan racers; still, we do want to reach the

top of Red Mountain and follow a newtrail bck to camp by end of glorious day.Camera tucked away, binoculars slungaround necks, we shrug more comfort-ably into our daypack straps and set off.Meadows call to me more than any otherlandform does. I can wander in thoroughenjoyment for hours up desert washesand through close-knit forests, absorb-ing the brilliance of sun and palette of earthy colours of the one and the cool

NaturalHistory

MeadowonRedMountainContinued from page 16




GSXHearingsFebandMarch2003RegionalInsight


- Ruth Tarasoff

Strength,Knowledge, Integrety, Love,Commitment. Strong words indeed.

These would be the words to describethose ghting for the lives of orcas resi-dent and transient, harbour porpoises,crabs, eagles, blue herons and last but byno means least, those who live in thesescattered Islands who care about them.

I am referring to the Georgia Strait Cross-ing Concerned Citizens Coalition or for

those with an aptitude for acro-nyms GSXCCC who represent 7

member groups of which SaltSpring Island Conservancy[SSIC !] is one. In particular,I hail Susie Washington-Smyth of Saturna and Dr.Kathy Dunster of Bowenwho presented our caseso passionately before the Joint Review Panel of the

Canadian Envi-ronmental

Assess-ment

Agency and

the National Energy Boardhearings in Sydney earlierthis year.

At issue, the proposal by B.C. Hy-dro and its partner, U.S. based WilliamsEnergy Company of Louisiana. to builda pipeline across the Strait of Georgia forthe purpose of lling a perceived futureshortfall in energy to Vancouver Island inthe form of natural gas.

In pointing out inadequacies in the ma-rine baseline data collected by the propo-nents [GSXVIPP], fears were expressed by

the Coalition about the pipeline pass-ing through the habitat of the SouthernResident population of killer whales,already listed as endangered by [COSE-

WIC] . Harbour porpoises, a species listedas threatened by the B.C. Government,40 blue heron nests, missed in baselinedata of the land portion of the pipelinecorridor, also listed as threatened [COSE-

WIC]. Cumulative threats to marine lifecalls into question the very raison d’etre

of the Georgia Strait as one of the 5 newNational Marine Conservation Areas es-tablished this year by the Federal govern-ment “ to provide protection in perpetuity,important marine areas of Canadian oceanwaters ”. Canadian Parks and WildernessSociety-B.C. [CPAWS-BC]. The pipelinescourse through Satellite Channel bisectsthe existing Ecological Reserve south-eastof Cape Keppel. Agenda 21 of the Kyoto

Accord, newly signed by Prime Minister Jean Chretien would seem to be forgottenby a plan locking Vancouver Island into anatural gas energy future. It is also seen tohave a dampenng effect on initiatives foralternate clean sustainable energy sourcessuch as wind, water and solar.

In July of 2003 the GSXCCC wasrefused a motion arising out of the

BC Utilities Commission hearings

in Nanaimo where it was learned thatBC Hydro’s knowledge that the existingTerasen Gas Pipeline [formerly CentraGas] could be expanded at considerablyless cost [a difference of $180 million] interms of money as well as environmentalcosts related to new construction of theproposed GSX pipeline. A surprise inter-vention by the the Justice Department of Canada raised everyones hopes by arguing

Curled Dock -Rumex crispus



that contrary to the Joint Review Panelsview that it was not in their mandate, thatindeed the Terasen Proposal was seen byall the Federal intervenors as an alterna-tive energy source and therefore wellwithin the interpretation of alternativesto the proposed project. However, laterthat month, the Joint Review Panel rec-ommended approval of the Georgia StraitPipeline Crossing.

Disappointment, dismay and concernscontinued to be expressed for the sur-vival of the 78-82 remaining killer whalesknown to traverse the waters between the

Southern Gulf Islands and Puget Sound.Recent stastistics show a 20% declinebetween 1995-2001. Of interest, recently,Sept 2nd. samplings of harbour seals,seen as markers for the overall healthof killer whales show high percentagesof toxic contaminants which only addsto the cumulative adverse effects on themore vulnerable species. In July, cumu-lative effect was denied by the ReviewBoard. A newly organized grass roots

transboundary stewardship group basedin Washington state, oversees the OrcaPass International Stewardship area. Theystated that “ the ecological costs of pro-

ceeding with this project are simply toohigh”. David Anderson, Minister of theEnvironment launched Environmental

Week in June of this year which purportsto encourage Canadians to take action forour environment. As Islanders, we cantake pride in setting a high standard inthis regard. Before the NEB hearings drewto a close, the legion of company lawyersand sundry staff , as well as the 3 mem-bers of the NEB Joint Review Panel wereexposed to one of the most extra-ordinarydemonstration of how Islanders really feelabout their environment and what theyhad done to express it.

We came out of the Hearing room after aday listening to those who would makeof it an industrial site, an economic op-portunity. Arrayed around the foyer of the Mary Winspear Centre glowed themaps, Islands of the Salish Sea, executedin the most glorious and diverse man-ner by the artists of the Gulf Islands. Thecontrast was stunning, the message clear.This is how we view these Islands and all

that live among them and we will go toinordinate lengths to preserve and protectthem. David Anderson, Herb Dhalilwal,Sheila Copps. Jean Chretien et al, are youlistening?

GSXHearingsContinued from page 18

greenness of the other. But forests trun-cate my eager glance, hem me in, makeme whisper. Deserts teeter on the brink

of desolation, their times of lush beautymay only be hours long. They make mesquint. But the meadow in all its guises -saltmarsh, prairie gem, unmown hayeld,or subalpine garden - draws me in. Maybethis is an upwelling atavism, a universalsubmemory of early human days whenthe savannah stretched far and far and wegathered seeds and bulbs, gazelles andbustards from the rich meadows. Surely itis the beauty of combined space, colour,

and exuberant life.

As a boy I waded through daisy and

timothy reaching my waist, smelling theincomparable odour of crushed grass,hearing grasshoppers ratchet away. Justahead a bobolink rose and poured itsmelody through the limpid air. It was asif a ower had lept skyward and begun tosing, and I was forever enchanted.Cathedral Provincial Park. For locationsee Ashnola River Quadrangle 92H/1,at 49/40 N, 120/12 W. We visited it July 21-25, 2003.

RegionalInsight

MeadowonRedMountainContinued from page 17



BirgitBatemanCardsSeptember 5th, 2003- The Salt Spring IslandConservancy is pleased toannounce the launch of a

new collection of originalphotos cards by Birgit FreybeBateman which will maketheir rst appearance atthe Salt Spring Island FallFair. This well-known localphotographer gives us newopportunities to appreciatethe beauty around us in herimages entitled ChocolateLily, Arbutus Bark, and Mt.

Maxwell Sunset. The SaltSpring Island Conservancyhopes by raising fundsfrom the sale of these cards,they can continue to protectspecial features of Salt Springand the inherent fragilitythat lies at the heart of all beautiful things. The

dramatic andcolourfulphotosdisplayedon the cardsreect the beauty of SaltSpring’s natural worldthat the Conservancyhas been dedicated topreserving for almost adecade. Visitors to theFall Fair can nd the

photo cards at the SSIConservancy fall fairbooth near the maindisplay building. Thecards can be purchasedindividually or as a set of 3. After the Fair, the cardswill be available at the

Conservancy ofce in the Upper GangesCentre building, the Treehouse Café,

Volunteers

Chocolate Lily

Treehouse South, and at Conservancyeducational events throughout the year.

The Salt Spring Island Conservancy wasformed in 1994 to help the communityto preserve natural habitats on Salt SpringIsland and in its surrounding waters.

Its core functions are public education,acquisition of land title and conservationcovenants, and promoting good landstewardship. The Salt Spring IslandConservancy would like to thank Birgitfor the use of her beautiful photos. If any other local businesses would like tosupport the Conservancy through the saleof these cards, please call the Conservancyofce at 538-0318.

Mt. Maxwell Sunset



HistoricalPerspective

as the AVNR. Pat Parks has indicated herwillingness to contribute expertise andtime, once her major summer work ather nursery has subsided and we get ouract together. That leaves, ALSO, manya Scotch broom plant in need of gentleattention. Our time spent at the rst SSICcovenanted property which we assailed(Wellbury Point) went well, with 5volunteers, but much more is needed andanother effort is planned for September.

YOUR PART!: We need a few more peoplewho will to take an active role on the

RestorationandManagementContinued from page 9

Volunteers

In two years the Conservancy will be 10years old. We’d love to complete a thor-ough history of SSIC for members and thecommunity, backed by source documents.

A newspaper clipping le is an important

part of that database. Bob Weeden is do-ing his best to put such a le together, butneeds help.

If anyone has clippings from local orregional newspapers that report on Con-servancy activities, or deal with majorenvironmental issues we were involvedin (Texada land purchase, Georgia StraitPipeline Crossing and lake stewardship,

R&M Committee,most particularlythose willing to occupytask-leadership positionsin activities such as broomcontrol and the plant nursery. Areyou there? If you do not care to be partof the Committee but have active interestin these two projects, in particular, pleasecontact any R&M Committee memberand make your intentions known. Doyou have new ideas to contribute?

We’re prepared to entertain any and allproposals.

Vetch

for example) which you will give to us,please call Bob at 537-5403. Thoughles for 1996 and its Mill Farm campaignare quite complete, les for ‘97-’99 and2001-’02 are hit-or-miss. Copies of Bar-

nacles, Island Tides or Driftwoods fromthose years would be appreciated.

Have you saved posters from SSIC educa-tional events and fundraisers? Those, toowould be welcomed. We don’t have spacefor duplicates, but a complete set wouldbe great.

Bob Weeden





RecognizingVolunteersMyExperienceonSaltSpringIslandI have been participating in an interna-

tional volunteer work exchange program

under the auspices of Canadian Cross-roads International. I am from Bolivia. Ihave been working at SSIC since May 26.I will continue to work until October 1st.I have learned about many things at SSICincluding: environmental issues, land con-servation, native plants, birds, butteries,reptiles, sea creatures and which habitatsplants and animals like. I feel privilegedto have this opportunity to work in thisorganization. I am very grateful to allmembers of SSIC, especially to KarenHudson for all help that she has given me.In Bolivia the environmental organizationdoes similar work except for land conser-vation.

I have learned about Salt Spring Islandculture including the people, customs,language, shared attitudes and lifestyle.

On Salt Spring Island there is less pollu-tion than in Bolivia. Street, parks, lakesand beaches are clean for the most part.The people are responsible. They put theirtrash in the container. In my country moststreet are dirty because people do not takeresponsibility for their garbage. They put

their trash anywhere. In my country thetrash isn’t recycled. The trash is buriedin places far away from the city. In theseplaces live poor people and the trash con-taminates theirenvironment.

In Bolivia thefarmers growonly one cropover a large areaof land. On SaltSpring Islandthe farmers growdifferent crops

over a smallarea, this ismuch better forthe soil and organic farming.It’s difcult in Bolivia to nd organic foodbecause all the farmers use chemical fertil-izers and pesticides. I would want to teachthe farmers in Santa Cruz –Bolivia aboutthe importance of organic food for thehealth of the people and the health of theenvironment.

I increased my awareness about organicfood, agriculture, environment and inva-sive species, which I will share with otherswhen I go back to Bolivia.

By Carola Suarez

Dear Conservancy member:Last March the SSI Conservancy co-sponsored an intriguing and informativeevening with Guujaaw, president of the Haida Nation, in conjunction withSalt Spring Islanders for Justice andReconciliation (SSIJAR). Future events arebeing planned that combine interest in thenatural environment with the culture andknowledge of aboriginal people (e.g. atalk on traditional uses of local plants,

or a picnic and talk with Elders fromSaanich). If you would like to receiveemail notication of these events, youmay contact Phil Vernon, Chair of SSIJAR, at [email protected] have your name put on their publicevents list.

SSIJAR has given its assurance that youraddress will not be given out toany other group.

SaltSpringIslandersforJusticeandReconciliation

Volunteers

Carola Suarez



NewFacesonBoard

A summary of major items recently dis-cussed by the Board.

Vogt Reserve: Management Plan reviewed

and trail under construction Williams Land: Title transfer completedand Management Plan proposal received.Cusheon Lake: Conservancy invited toparticipate in discussions of potentialland acquisition near the Lake.

Advisory Design Panel: Appointment of Conservancy representative to Panel, withspecial interest in upcoming ChannelRidge Village plans.

Acorn: Appointment of Rachel Bevingtonas Editor and an Editorial Committee toprovide assistance and guidance.Endowment Fund: Preliminary discussion

of a proposed Fund for the Conservancy.Tenth Anniversary: Plans to celebrate,in2004, the 10th anniversary of the found-ing of the Conservancy.Fall Retreat: Proposed meeting of Direc-tors and others to consider future strate-gies and priorities for the Conservancy

BoardUpdate

Back row - left to right: Bob Weeden, Nigel Denyer, Rachel Bevington (Sectretary), Samantha Beare (Treasurer),

Jean Gelwicks, Doug Wilkins,Middle row - left to right: Linda Quiring, Maggie Ziegler, Ruth Tarasoff,Front row - left to right: Peter Lamb (President), Charles Dorworth, absent was Maureen Bendick (Vice-President)

BoardTrends



Revised June ‘03

President Vice-PresidentPeter Lamb (2005) Maureen Bendick (2004)

Treasurer Secretary + Editor Samantha Beare (2004) Rachel Bevington (2005)Nigel Denyer (2005) Charles Dorworth (2004)

Jean Gelwicks (2005) Linda QuiringRuth Tarasoff (2005) Bob Weeden, Past Pres. (2004)Doug Wilkins (2004) Maggie Ziegler (2004)

Executive Director: Karen Hudson (2003 Term: Feb 12th - Dec.12th)Chairs, Co-Chairs & Members of Standing Committees:Covenants: Maureen Milburn; chair, Charles Kahn, Charles Dorworth, Peter Lamb, Ann Richardson, Doug

Wilkins, Greg Spendjian, Ruth Tarasoff, Nigel Denyer, Vivian Chenard.

Education: Jean Gelwicks & Andrea Rankin; co-chairs, David Denning, Jan Slakov, Rachel Bevington, IanMitchell, Andrea LeBorgne, Kate Leslie, Deborah Miller, Willie WaddellExecutive: (President)Land Restoration and Mgmt: Charles Dorworth; chair, Maureen Bendick, Ruth Tarasoff Land Acquisition: Charles Kahn; chair, Peter Lamb, Elizabeth White, Nigel Denyer, Greg Spendjian, NeddyHarrisFundraising; Stewardship: (vacant)

SSICBOARDOFDIRECTORSBoardTrends

The Education Committee would liketo put a list together of residents whowould be willing to volunteer to give atalk, slide show, presentation or walkand talk on any one of a wide variety of topics related to nature and conservancywork. We would like to make this listavailable to the education committee and

also to teachers in the schools. Volunteerswould be asked to stipulate for whatage group they feel their talk would bemost appropriate and the educationcommittee would support them any waypossible. We are well aware of the richresource of people that live on the islandand would like to take advantage of it somore people could benet from all thewisdom and knowledge that exists here.

If you are interestedor might be interestedor just have somequestions, pleasecall Jean Gelwicksat 537-4859 orKaren at theConservancy

ofce at538-0318.

THEEDUCATIONCOMMITTEEIS

LOOKINGFORVOLUNTEERS



FeaturedArtist-KateLeslie

McLennan Road June 26th, 2003

“When I am out in nature, creating art, I am athome.’ Illustrator Kate Leslie’s all-time favouritegig involved teaching drawing in the woods for anEmily Carr program at Goldstream Provincial Park.

A number of sketches chosen for this edition of the Acorn were drawn while Kate was teaching at theSharavati Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka, SouthIndia. Currently, she lives adjacent to Ruckle ProvincialPark where she can often be seen wandering with her

sketchbook.” - Kate

Volunteers

Kate Leslie is a writer and wildlife artist whois very active in the conservation of wildlifein British Columbia.



Editor and Layout:Rachel Bevington

Board of Directors:Samantha Beare (Treasurer)Maureen Bendick (Vice-President)Rachel Bevington (Secretary)Nigel DenyerCharles Dorworth Jean GelwicksPeter Lamb (President)Linda QuiringRuth Tarasoff Doug WilkinsBob Weeden (Past-President)Maggie Ziegler

The Salt Spring Island

Conservancy#203 Upper Ganges Centre,

338 Lower Ganges Rd.Mail: PO Box 722, SSI, BC

V8K 2W3Ofce hours : Mon/Wed/Fri

9 am - 12 amPhone: (250) 538-0318

Fax: (250) 538-0319Email:

[email protected] Web site:

saltspring.gulslands.com/ conservancy

The Acorn is the newsletter of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy, a local non-prot society supporting and enabling voluntarypreservation and restoration of the natural environment of Salt Spring Island and surrounding waters. We welcome your feedback andcontributions, by email to [email protected] or by regular mail. Opinions expressed here are the author’s, not subject toConservancy approval.

Membership Application

Youth (Under 16) 1 yr @ $10 _Senior, or Low-Income: 1 yr @ $15 _ 3 yr @ $45 _Regular Single 1 yr @ $20 _ 3 yr @ $60 _Regular Family 1 yr @ $30 _ 3 yr @ $90 _Group/School 1 yr @ $30 _ 3 yr @ $90 _Business 1 yr @ $50 _ 3 yr @ $150 _

Name: ______________________________________Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Postal Code: _______________

Phone: ______________________________________E-mail: ______________________________________

Please send me the Acorn via e-mail

This is a renewal for an existing membership

DonationsIn addition to my membership fee above, I have enclosedmy donation in the amount of:$50 _ $100 _ $250 _ $500 _ Other ___________Tax reciepts will be provided for donations of $20 or more

Volunteer Opportunities

I would like to participate in the workof the Conservancy by volunteering inthe following way(s):

• Ofce Work (Typping, Filing orComputer)• Information table at Saturday Market• Education Programs• Annual Fundraising Events• Information table at SSI CommunityEvents• Joining the SSIC committee (LandManagement, Fundraising, Membership,

Stewarship)• Other: __________________________

the Salt Spring Island

ConservancyGanges P.O. Box 722

Salt Spring Island, BC

V8K 2W3

Printed on recycled paper

Donations of any of the followingwould be gratefully appreciated:

Ofce itemsErgonomic Chairs

Digital CameraLaptop Computer

Household Items Vacuum CleanerElectric tea kettleSmall refrigerator

Other ItemsGPS UnitComputer desks

Even Small Actions Can Help! Please remember to put your shopping receipt in the green Conservancy receipt box at GVM, and to say “Community Chest #58” at the check out at Thrifty’s. You can also credit theConservancy when you take back your bottles to the Salt Spring Refund Centre (Bottle Depot at GVM). Everylittle bit helps keep our programs running!

ItemsNeededbytheConservancy:

AnInvitationforArticleSubmissionstoUpcomingIssuesoftheAcorn We the Editorial Committee would like to invite you to send us anyarticles that you can think of for publication in upcoming issues of the Acorn. As mentioned on page 21, we are trying to gather enoughmaterial together to write a detailed history of the SSI Conservancyfor our 10th anniversary. We are also trying to include some types of articles in every issue: a natural history article, a complexity articleof some kind such as a book review or essay, articles on stewardshipof the land, and articles about fundamental conservancy interests.Fundamental conservancy interests include things such as politicalpolicies, accountability and issues that go beyond borders. We alsowant to cover some of the issues that have a regional scale such asthose pertaining to the Fraser River delta or Puget Sound, for example.If you have any ideas, write to us at [email protected] [email protected] or PO Box 722, SSI, BC, V8K 2W3. Thanks!



40026325

the Salt Spring Island

ConservancyGanges P.O. Box 722

Salt Spring Island, BC

V8K 2W3

Documents

September 2003 Acorn Newsletter - Salt Spring Island Conservancy