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A newsletter on how The Nature Trust works to keep B.C. beautiful Conserving Rare South Okanagan Ecosystem ood things happen for conservation Gwith time, patience and the cooper- ation of interested private land owners. As part of the province-wide Union of British Columbia Municipalities Conference in Kelowna, Doug Walker announced on September 24 the successful conclusion of a major conservation transaction with the Kennedy family on land at the south end of the Vaseux Lake corridor at McIntyre Bluff. The property has been in the Kennedy family for the past 137 years. Some 15 years ago The Nature Trust of British Columbia started discussions about opportunities to protect Antelope-brush on the Kennedy property with McIntyre Bluff in the distance. portions of the family’s holdings as part FortisBC and the Canadian Wildlife agreement, the 40-hectare (100-acre) of a growing complex of conservation Service. This agreement with the property and the critical habitat it sup- lands in the Vaseux Lake corridor. Kennedy family is part of a larger ports will be conserved in perpetuity. The Nature Trust has secured conservation plan which includes “We are delighted to have the oppor- 40 hectares (100 acres) that represent future acquisition and the long term tunity to conserve such an outstanding one of Canada’s most endangered lease of property totaling 162 hectares piece of land along with our esteemed ecosystems with its funding partners— (400 acres) with a value in excess of partners,” said Don Krogseth, Chair of the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund, $3 million. Through this first purchase Continued on next page… A Gift for Conservation hrough the generosity of the Beaty ANNOUNCEMENT family, The Nature Trust of BC has T PLEASE SEE PAGE 3 acquired 6.5 hectares (16 acres) on Gunboat Bay in Pender Harbour on the Issue #21 Features: Sunshine Coast. As well as being a beautiful location, the property features a mosaic of South Okanagan streamside deciduous woodland, old Antelope-Brush . 1 meadows and upland second growth forest. Gunboat Bay Donation . 1 Heid Creek, a fish bearing stream, runs Managing the Land . 3 through the property and into the inter- Englishman River Celebration . 6 tidal marsh and mudflats in the bay. Columbia Wetlands Receive A tour of this ecological treasure International Recognition . 7 reveals western hemlock, western red cedar, Douglas-fir, and broadleaf maple as the canopy layer with a sparse sword fern understory. Along the creek there are Behr’s Hairstreak alder with some maple, cottonwood and butterfly cedar with dense salmonberry and rose See page 2 Looking up Heid Creek on Gunboat Bay. Continued on page 3… www.naturetrust.bc.ca ❉ 1-866-288-7878 The Nature Trust of British Columbia ❉ 1 South Okanagan: from page 1 attracted a rapidly growing human population, and the sandy soils that The Nature Trust of BC. “We hope to support Antelope-brush is the preferred have the chance to secure even more of substrate for a booming wine industry. this habitat in the future.” Over the last century, the landscape has Located just south of Vaseux Lake been steadily, irreversibly converted between Oliver and Okanagan Falls, this to rural subdivisions, orchard and property features the rare Antelope-brush vineyards with the result that now ecosystem. The muted tones of BC’s less than 9 percent of Antelope-brush native shrubsteppe are sharply contrasted ecosystems in the South Okanagan by adjacent orchards, vineyards, other remain relatively undisturbed. agriculture, and residences. Perhaps easily Since 1975 The Nature Trust of British dismissed as “wasteland” by the unin- Columbia, along with many partners, has formed, this remaining shrubsteppe habitat been actively securing highly threatened, is of extremely high ecological value. valley-bottom habitat in the Okanagan. And it is worth a closer look. Hosting Ground level view of Antelope-brush shrub- With this latest acquisition from the roughly 22 percent of all British steppe habitat. Kennedy family, we are one step closer to Columbia’s threatened and endangered ecosystem becomes a hunting ground for our conservation goals. In addition to vertebrates, and hundreds of rare insect the rare Pallid Bat, which searches the being ecologically significant itself, the and plant species, Antelope-brush habitat area listening for crickets and scorpions, property connects with provincially ranks in Canada’s top four endangered hunting by ear rather than by echolocation owned protected areas including Vaseux ecosystems along with Garry oak wood- like most other bats. The insect life is Lake Protected Area to the east and the lands of British Columbia, tall grass diverse and unique, including Canada’s prairie of Manitoba and Ontario, and the only native praying mantis. And waiting Carolinian forest of southern Ontario. to catch an insect are a host of migratory There is no shortage of fascinating life- songbirds including Western Meadowlark, history stories to be told about the species Vesper Sparrow, and Lark Sparrow. Other that inhabit Antelope-brush ecosystems. denizens of this habitat include a variety For example, the Behr’s (Columbia) of other birdlife, and reptiles including Hairstreak is an endangered butterfly that several species of snakes that are relies on the Antelope-brush shrubs for its restricted to the dry interior such as Night survival, as its larval foodplant. This Snake, Western Rattlesnake, Yellow-bellied attractive insect has been the subject of Racer and Gopher Snake. Antelope-brush ongoing research in the area. Burrowing is also a nutritious food item on the menu in the sandy soils beneath the shrubs one of larger grazing animals such as Mule may spy a Great Basin Pocket Mouse. This Deer and Bighorn Sheep. endangered rodent has a special relation- Antelope-brush ecosystems have ship with the Antelope-brush since it plenty to offer the botanically inclined. Behr’s Hairstreak butterfly. Photo by Bob Lincoln. caches seeds; the ones that are forgotten The sandy understory is dominated by grow into new shrubs. At night, the perennial bunch grasses, and a low White Lake Grasslands Protected Area to cover of ground-hugging plants such as the west. It is immediately south of the prickly-pear cactus. In the spring and Bighorn Sheep-Vaseux Lake National summer, this is punctuated by the bright Wildlife Area and is adjacent to the colours of flowering plants including Okanagan Falls/Vaseux Lake Biodiversity bitterroot, yellow bell, blazing star and Ranch. One of the remaining Columbia mariposa lily. Beneath this vegetation, River sockeye salmon spawning areas in undisturbed areas, is an extremely within the Okanagan River watershed is fragile crust formed of lichens and located just south of the property. mosses that provides the shrubsteppe We want to thank our partners for help- with nutrients and moisture. ing us to secure this South Okanagan Perhaps because it lacks the majesty treasure. And our fundraising efforts to of an old-growth conifer forest, this secure additional donations to support the habitat has gone relatively unprotected purchase of the remaining 121 hectares and Antelope-brush ecosystems are now (300 acres) are actively underway. in great peril. The same desert climate of Contact The Nature Trust of BC if you Nature Trust Board members tour Kennedy Property the South Okanagan that supports a want to help complete this internationally with Behr’s Hairstreak Recovery Team members. diversity of unique species has likewise significant land conservation project. 2 ❉ The Nature Trust of British Columbia www.naturetrust.bc.ca ❉ 1-866-288-7878 Gunboat Bay: from page 1 ANNOUNCEMENT BC Trust for Public Lands he Nature Trust of BC applauds the T Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management and the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection for the recent announcement of $8 million to create a public lands trust that will support biodiversity conservation in BC. The money will be used to improve conser- vation planning, and more efficient West shoreline showing second growth forest. acquisition and management of private below. In the wetter areas horse tails and lands that have unique ecological values. Nature Trust Chair Don Krogseth discusses skunk cabbage are abundant. Coho, A BC Conservation Lands Forum, a announcement with Minister Abbott. chum and cutthroat spawn in the creek. provincial partnership of government their goals. The four organizations The joint federal/provincial Sensitive and conservation organizations, will spearheading the forum are The Nature Ecosystem Inventory (SEI) systematically also be created to coordinate priority Trust of BC, Ducks Unlimited Canada, identifies and maps rare and fragile setting, identify shared opportunities, The Land Conservancy of BC and the ecosystems in a given area. The Sunshine and arrange partnerships to accomplish Nature Conservancy of Canada. Coast SEI riparian designation has been mapped on approximately one-third of this property. The riparian area of the site Managing the Land as recognized by the SEI, the presence s well as purchasing threatened land In this newsletter, we are profiling and spawning habitat for anadromous A to protect it, The Nature Trust of Carl MacNaughton who has been the salmonids and the mosaic of habitats British Columbia undertakes land man- South Okanagan Conservation Land illustrates the ecological sensitivity of agement with summer crews, stewardship Manager for the past six years. His this property and the significance of this partnerships with other organizations, family has lived in the area for four ecological gift to The Nature Trust. local governments and volunteer help. generations. Carl finds his role rewarding but A NATURE TRUST challenging. “There is never enough time to do all the things that I’d like to profile do. On a typical day, I do half field work—coordinating field activities— and half office work—meetings, administration and communication. I’ve grown as a land manager, taking The Pender Harbour area is a maze of on more administrative responsibility islands, coves, and reefs.

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