www.saltspringconservancy.ca

Number 67 The Newsletter of the Conservancy Spring 2021

Conservation in Action

Planting a pesticide-free, pollinator-safe garden: p.6

A pretty Bombylius sp. Photo: Pierre Mineau 2 The Acorn ~ Newsletter of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy

A Message from the President and the Executive Director

Welcome to the spring 2021 edition of The Acorn! Within SSIC that previous president John Borst began in our fall these pages we celebrate “Conservation in Action” in arti- edition of the Acorn. Sadly, conservation advocate and cles written by Board members and volunteers. Board one of the founders of the SSIC, Nancy Braithwaite, died member Dr. Tara Martin’s article on “Conservation and in January and we recognize her accomplishments in a Reconciliation” reports on a precedent-setting land acqui- memorial written by two other co-founders, Maureen sition where the land will eventually return back to local Milburn and Fiona Flook. First Nations ownership and management. Other articles profile work on combatting invasive plants, planting pes- Despite the challenges of operating under Covid-19 ticide-free gardens, and working to prevent off-trail incur- restrictions, your Conservancy has continued to embody sions into our nature reserves. There is a dose of natural “Conservation in Action,” working hard to manage our history: information on the beavers living at Blackburn nature reserves, protect and monitor species at risk, Nature Reserve and Common Nighthawks at Alvin restore our ecosystems and educate the public with a Indridson Nature Reserve. The photos, below, document series of webinars on natural history and climate change. progress on the Garry Oak Demonstration Ecosystem We have reached out to landowners, walking their land at Blackburn Lake Nature Reserve. Finally, we celebrate with them and providing stewardship advice. In March, spring by reporting on the herring spawn, once common we held a very successful art auction fundraiser thanks to in the bays on Salt Spring Island but now reduced consid- the generous donations from island artists. We couldn’t erably along the BC coast. We hope you find the articles do these things without our hard-working staff, Board informative and inspiring. members and volunteers and support from our members and donors. Many, many thanks! Last year was the 25th anniversary of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy. Ashley Hilliard, former SSIC President and —Susan Hannon, President long-time volunteer, has completed a short history of the —Penny Barnes, Executive Director

Sheila Dobie planting in the Garry Oak Demonstration Ecosystem. Chris Drake preparing pots for seeding in the Native Plant Nursery. Photo: Debra Cobon Photo: Debra Cobon

The new signs for the Garry Oak Demonstration Ecosystem at Blackburn Lake Nature Reserve. SPRING 2021 3

25 Years of Excitement and Success — part 2 —

Robert & Shauna Makaroff Nature Reserve

Part 1 of this survey of the first 25 years of the Conservancy, With a conservation covenant, a landowner can volun- written by past-president John Borst, appeared in the Fall tarily agree to protect ecologically important parts of the 2020 edition of The Acorn. It noted highlights from the land, yet retain ownership, and also receive income tax Conservancy’s establishment as a society benefits. It was a valuable new tool for the Conservancy in late 1994 to 2000. and other similar conservancies. By then, the Conservancy had become a registered charity, The new tool was put to use in the Texada Logging cam- as it is today, authorized to issue tax receipts for dona- paign, where the Conservancy holds a conservation cove- tions. It had also become qualified to hold “conserva- nant on the Maxwell Lake watershed lands. tion covenants” pursuant to section 219(3) of the Land Title Act. A conservation covenant is an agreement regis- tered on title restricting the use of land and designed to protect its natural features. Until the late 1990s only gov- ernment entities, such as the Islands Trust, could hold such covenants. Permitting private groups, such as the Conservancy, to hold such covenants was a major step forward in conservation. It added a new option to protect privately owned land. Government would usually intervene only if a landowner wished to develop or subdivide the land. A landowner desiring to protect ecologically special land could either give the land to a conservation organization or govern- ment – or approach them to buy it. Both of these options require the landowner to part with the land and involve obvious challenges, such as public fundraising campaigns. Howard Horel Nature Reserve 4 The Acorn ~ Newsletter of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy

By 2001, the Conservancy has grown to the extent of being The 2000’s see the establishment of cherished nature able to hire its first Executive Director, Karen Hudson. It reserves, the result of generous donations by landown- also has the capacity to engage biologists to assist in its ers in combination with public fundraising and grants: work. This now includes several public education initia- Manzanita Ridge, Mount Erskine, and North View. tives, including a guide for new Salt Spring Island resi- dents and the popular Bird Checklist of Salt Spring Island. In 2008, Linda Gilkeson takes the helm as Executive Director, succeed in 2012 by Christine Torgrimson, and In 2004, at the initiative of many volunteers, notably in 2019 by Dr. Penny Barnes. Jean Gelwicks, the Conservancy launches the Stewards in Training program. Inspired by Richard Louv’s book, Last The decade from 2010 - 2020 is marked by several more Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature sizeable reserves: the Alvin Indridson, Robert and Shauna Deficit Disorder, the program is offered free to all Salt Makaroff, Blackburn Lake (including the donation of a Spring students in grades K – 8. Every year they spend building for the Conservancy) and Howard Horel Nature a day at one of the island’s natural places, engaged in Reserves. All Conservancy reserves are accessible to the hands-on learning about local ecosystems. public, with information on them available on the website, and are a testament to the generosity of the donors. Entering this new decade, and notwithstanding the pandemic, the Conservancy strives to steward the land entrusted to it and to promote conservation on this special island, as it has throughout its now 26-year history. Thank you to all supporters, staff, and volunteers. —Ashley Hilliard

Sharp-tailed snake Photo: Christian Engelstoft

That same year, the Conservancy first receives support from the Government of Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program. Continuing till this day, the program funds research and monitoring of species at risk on Salt Spring, such as the harmless and endangered Sharp-Tailed Snake.

Manzanita Ridge Nature Reserve

North View Nature Reserve SPRING 2021 5

Conservation and reconciliation go hand in hand

Beautiful camas at sunset on SISCENEM. Photo: Tara Martin

Every now and then something magical happens. As I landed have been replaced with dense stands of second and third on shore and walked up the beach into the meadow I growth firs, and their understories have been browsed knew this island was everything I had imagined and more. away by introduced sheep and hyperabundant deer pop- Months earlier I had learned that an island I had passed ulations. The wildflower meadows have been replaced by hundreds of times throughout my childhood growing up agricultural fields, stages for grand residences or if pro- in the Salish Sea, had come up for sale. I quickly sought tected, they are dominated by invasive grasses, shrubs and permission to access the island and undertake a flora and invading firs. fauna survey. This is where I spent much of the early days The vegetation of these islands co-evolved with the First of COVID lockdown – camped on the island with my Nations that lived here for millennia. Through their stew- children, meticulously documenting the flora and fauna ardship that included the use of low intensity fire, seed of this extraordinary place. and bulb propagation, weeding and hunting of herbi- Few islands remain in the Salish Sea that retain their native vores, a diverse flora developed containing hundreds of flora and fauna. Most Gulf, and San Juan, islands have lost species of flowering plants, native grasses and sedges. their extensive native wildflower meadows, and long gone These islands were their gardens producing an abun- are their rich forests with big ancient old trees and thick dance of nutritionally rich plant foods and essential med- understories of berry producing shrubs, orchids, trilliums icines. These islands were also their graveyards, where and more. Today, where forest remains, the big old trees they buried and honoured their dead. 6 The Acorn ~ Newsletter of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy

This island, called SISCENEM (Pronounced – Sees- quinem) is a small 9.5 acre island that forms part of “Everyone living in WSÁNEC´ Territory is a subject the traditional territory of the WSÁNEC´ First Nations to the Douglas Treaties. WSÁNEC´ people have (https://wsanec.com/). It is part of the Coastal Douglas Fir Douglas rights and Aboriginal rights and title, and (CDF) Bioclimatic Zone, our most endangered zone in settlers have obligations to protect and honour British Columbia with <1% Old Growth remaining. The those rights. This means that reconciliation is every- majority of the CDF is privately owned and the WSÁNEC´ one’s responsibility. The return and Coast Salish Nations have been left with tiny postage of SISCENEM to WSÁNEC´ people by The Land stamps of their former territories. Conservancy—with the support of generous private donors and Dr. Tara Martin—is a meaningful step There is much talk about reconciliation in Canada. But in that direction. It shows that reconciliation doesn’t what does this really mean for us living and undertaking have to wait for government’s lead and that we can research on these unceded territories? Growing up in the all do our part to protect the environment and help Salish Sea I learned nothing about the people who had heal the WSÁNEC´ people. The phrase “Land Back” lived, stewarded and thrived in these islands before me. is no longer a euphemism. It’s finally a reality.” There was no mention in school of the numerous nations whose villages covered these islands, whose artefacts and —Chief Don Tom, Tsartlip First Nation and signs of habitation I would come across in my explo- WSÁNE´C Leadership Council Chairman. rations as a child and later as a scientist. There was no mention of the residential school located on neighboring ‘Kuper’ island (now called Penelakut), just a stone’s throw This is what reconciliation can look like. from my home on Salt Spring Island, that still operated as late as 1978. “Right from its founding by the Catholic —Dr. Tara Martin church, the scale of suffering at Kuper Island Residential https://www.capitaldaily.ca/news/here-are-all-202- School was beyond the pale.” I was 5 at that time. children-known-to-have-died-in-vancouver-island- Three decades later I would find myself unravelling the residential-schools deep connection of Coast Salish people to these lands through my research and through my relationships with elders and knowledge holders in these communities. I have come to understand that one of the greatest threats to these ecosystems has been the loss of the stewardship by the WSÁNEC´ and Coast Salish peoples. Fast forward to the spring of 2020, upon setting foot on SISCENEM, I knew I had to find a way to make sure this island was protected in perpetuity through the stew- ardship of its rightful owners. Following the surveys, I reached out to the WSÁNEC´ Leadership Council and shared my findings with them. Simultaneously I began the search for a donor to provide the capital to purchase the island and began conversations with various conser- vation NGO’s around their willingness to play a part in a historic conservation project – one that returns land to its rightful owners and works with nations to co-manage the land for ecological and cultural restoration in perpetuity. By some miracle it all came together. Friends, David and Linda Archer Cornfield, former Microsoft techs, filmmak- ers and devoted conservationists donated the funds and The Land Conservancy (TLC) jumped at the opportunity to work together with WSÁNEC´ and myself to develop an eco-cultural restoration plan for the island. The island is now protected and on February 26th 2021, an agreement was signed between TLC and WSÁNEC´ to transfer title. Tara Martin in a field of camas and sea blush. | Photo: Tara Martin SPRING 2021 7

Planting a pesticide-free, pollinator-safe garden

Pale Swallowtail ­— Papilio eurymedon. Invertebrate megafauna! Photo: Pierre Mineau

spring is here and you may be getting excited at the thought a new level. This is because, in addition to being systemic— of ordering seeds and planning your garden for the coming that is circulating throughout the plant and contaminating year. Having heard that many insect groups, especially pol- both nectar and pollen—neonics are extremely persistent. A linators, are in decline you may be investigating creating drench solution applied to the pot of a flowering annual, or better habitat for pollinators around your home. You may perennial plant start, in a large nursery operation may con- even be enticed by “pollinator friendly” labels in nurseries taminate flowers a year or more later. The presence of fungi- and garden centers. cides on the same plant or nearby plantings can enhance the toxicity of many insecticides. Foraging insects could con- Before you buy, however, there are some questions you need ceivably pick up a lethal dose, or be impaired in more subtle to ask. In nursery production, even “pollinator-friendly” but no less problematic ways plants are commonly treated with a range of pesticides, pri- through effects on immune marily insecticides and fungicides. In many cases, home gar- function, reproduction deners have no idea that they are poisoning pollinators and success, foraging ability other beneficial insects through their efforts to plant pollina- or behaviour. tor-friendly gardens. The advent of highly systemic and bee-toxic insecticides has made it much harder for us to safely carry out our gardening Red-belted bumblebee. or landscaping. One group of systemic insecticides, the neon- One of our common species. icotinoid class (neonics in short), has raised this concern to Photo: Pierre Mineau 8 The Acorn ~ Newsletter of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy

Surveys have shown that problematic insecticides are often Planting a pollinator-friendly garden can be rewarding found on nursery plants and seeds­—the aforementioned and very useful to insect life when they so clearly need neonicotinoids such as clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidaclo- our help. Do not be discouraged by the above. If enough prid and thiamethoxam, as well as some their newer replace- people demand accountability in ornamental plant pro- ments flupyrafifurone and cyantraniliprole. As if these duction and make it clear that they want plants that are mouthfuls were not enough, these and other problematic truly safe for pollinators and other insects, the market active ingredients have a multitude of different, often innoc- will eventually shift. For more information on creat- uous-sounding trade names too plentiful to mention. ing a truly pollinator-friendly garden, consult the fol- lowing link: https://xerces.org/blog/to-protect-pollina- tors-talk-to-your-nursery. Xerces is a professional organ- isation dedicated to invertebrate protection. More infor- mation on how to attract pollinators to your garden can be found at: https://davidsuzuki.org/queen-of-green/ create-pollinator-friendly-garden-birds-bees-butterflies —Pierre Mineau

Little miner bee in the Andrena genus. A good example of small bees that often go unnoticed but play important roles in pollination. Photo: Pierre Mineau

Little syrphid ­— Scaeva pyrasti. An important pollinator. Photo: Pierre Mineau

What can you do? The safest approach is to grow your own plants from untreated seeds, e.g. a certified ‘organic’ seed, seeds clearly labelled as ‘untreated’ or seeds you have produced yourself. When purchasing flower or ornamental (i.e. non-food or non-feed) seeds, it may be difficult to know whether or not the seeds have been treated if the seed envelope is silent on the issue. A call to the seed manufac- turer should clear that up. When buying plants or plant starts, make sure you talk to staff in the garden centre but be aware that they might not know, if the starts were obtained from a wholesaler. It is best to buy your plant starts or ornamentals from a local source, from someone who can answer your questions about their procedures Woodland skipper. and possible use of pesticides throughout the growing Photo: Pierre Mineau period. Ask about the potting soil and whether it might have been pre-treated. Get to know your nursery opera- A thick legged hoverfly—Syritta pipiens. tor and explain your concerns. Treat the conversation as Good for both pollination and aphid an opportunity for mutual learning. Unfortunately, state- control. Photo: Pierre Mineau ments such as: “The government has approved the pesti- cides we use” or “They have been shown to be safe” are no longer sufficient. If unsure about the plant you have bought, discard as much soil as possible before planting. In the case of peren- nials, consider removing blooms or netting the plant to prevent pollinator access for the first year or two. SPRING 2021 9

infested. Knowledge of the scope of the gorse problem will help us prioritize our energy to deal quickly with small patches, before they spread. This mapping might also lead to government funding in dealing with this serious fire hazard. Aside from our physical demonstration sites, we write articles, answer residents’ questions and set up displays English Holly Scotch Broom English Ivy to promote native plants. At Seedy Saturday and the twice Photo: https://bcinvasives. Photo: J. Leekie Photo: J. Leekie ca/invasives/english-holly annual garden club sales we have a table with examples and lots of informative pamphlets about threats posed by invasive plants and the benefits of native alternatives. Combatting Invasives and Come and visit us after Covid ends! Encouraging Native Plants One of our most successful spring projects, for at least ten on Salt Spring years running, is the Invasive Plant Drop-Offs, held in col- laboration with the fire department over the last three years. Imagine our island restored to its former glory with native We erect “Cut Gorse Now” and “Cut Broom in Bloom” plants flourishing and invasive plants eradicated. It might signs around the island in spring. We publicize why these seem a pipe dream but it is the vision of our Native Plant plants are problematic and then arrange two drop-off days Stewardship Group. We encourage the planting, tending for cut woody invasives. This year the event will be held and restoration of native species that are well-adapted to at the Community Gospel hall on Saturday, May 15, and local conditions and that provide important habitat for at Fulford Hall on Sunday, May 30. Since the plants are butterflies, wild bees and other wildlife. Providing infor- chipped, we ask that all soil and roots be removed, and mation on competing invasive plants and how to remove we appreciate donations to help cover the chipping cost. them is also a major focus. The firefighters do the heavy work unloading the vehi- cles and loading the chipper. Local farmers take the chips To protect native plant communities we’d like to rid the and use them for mulch on their gardens. We thank all island of gorse, broom, holly, English ivy, spurge laurel islanders who participate in removing invasive plants from and several other invasive weeds. Realistically, this their property and the roadsides, allowing native plants to requires a community effort, so we work to explain to re-emerge and our island ecosystems to be restored. islanders the negative impacts they have on the sensitive island ecosystem. These impacts include displacement of Useful resources and information about native plants native species, loss of wildlife habitat, reduction of biodi- and stewarding your land are compiled at https:// versity, disruption of natural systems, degradation of agri- saltspringconservancy.ca/protect/your-land/protecting- cultural lands, alteration of soil chemistry, and in some private-land/ Valuable information about inva- cases increased fire hazard and health risks. sive plants can be found on SSIC web-site’s https:// saltspringconservancy.ca/invasive-plants/. It’s well worth Over the years we have been working on our own prop- looking at, and provides tips on best practises for remov- erties, in our PODs, and on our demonstration sites. The ing many common species. next time you are on Long Harbour road check out a long- time project, indicated by the SSIC sign, where we annu- Specific questions can be sent to us through the SSIC ally remove all the broom, leaving room for Blue-eyed office by [email protected] Mary flowers, Oregon Grape, ferns, Miner’s Lettuce and other natives to thrive again. In another project, at the Native Plant Stewardship Group top of Booth Canal Road, we have removed gorse from the (formerly the Stewardship Committee of SSIC and now associated withTransition Salt Spring) ditches and planted Ocean Spray instead. Soon we will —Deborah Miller, with input from Jane Petch, Cathy do our annual culling of Hairy Cat’s Ear, a dandelion-like Young, Frances Hill, Sharon Sullivan, Anna Ford plant, from the large deer exclosure on SSIC’s Andreas and Jean Wilkinson Vogt Nature Reserve to help native wildflowers flourish. One of our recent projects is a "Gorse Mapping Project" using the popular app iNaturalist (https://inaturalist.ca/ projects/mapping-gorse-on-saltspring-island). We hope Chipping invasive plants that members of the public will expand our map from the at the 2020 drop-off in Fulford publicly-visible into the many private properties that are Photo: Native Plant Stewardship Group 10 The Acorn ~ Newsletter of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy

Volunteer Tony McLeod stands Wide trail created by dirt bikes on a dirt bike trail that went on a steep slope going up into a through a stream bed. Garry Oak meadow. Photo: Susan Hannon Photo: Susan Hannon

a small lake where waterfowl and other wildlife feed and Off-trail excursions in our breed. Several areas have been deeply rutted. SSIC has nature reserves been working hard to prevent these incursions by install- ing fencing across the trails where they enter the reserves. “Please stay on the trail” is a common sign found in pro- Signs on the fences explain why vehicles are banned. To tected areas around the world. Sadly, many people ignore date, these signs have worked. the signs and widen trails, make their own trails and create short-cuts. This is increasingly becoming an issue in our While off-road vehicles may seem to create the most egre- nature reserves on Salt Spring. Not only are hikers going gious damage, even hikers can cause problems by wander- off-trail, but mountain bikes, dirt bikes, quads and 4X4 ing off the trail. Most of our reserves are protected under trucks are also going where they shouldn’t. The ecological conservation covenants, which limit the amount of human effects of off-road vehicles are obvious. In wet areas, tires disturbance, including the length of trails. Creating new, create ruts that divert water, altering the hydrology of the unauthorized hiking trails contravenes the covenant and area and increasing erosion. leaves us open to prosecution by the covenant holder. Often, trail systems were designed to keep people away As an example, Channel Ridge has 18.5 km of official from sensitive areas, such as wetlands or steep areas with hiking trails; mountain bikers have created 24 km of shallow soils and fragile vegetation. Our reserves are there illegal trails off the main trail system. In our more remote to protect nature, so the next time you hike in these beau- nature reserves we have found incursions by dirt bikes tiful, natural spaces, “Please stay on the trail.” and attempts to enter by 4X4 trucks. To try and prevent 4X4’s from mud-bogging and accessing sensitive areas like —Susan Hannon wetlands, SSIC decommissioned the old logging roads on these more remote reserves between 2011 and 2014. Decommissioning involves using an excavator to roughen up the road by creating mounds of soil and coarse woody debris. This “rough and loose” surface prevents water from flowing over the road, restores hydrological flow and creates microsites where seeds of alder and other pioneer- ing species can establish.

While the decommissioning work has prevented truck ingress, dirt bikes are able to get around the piles of dirt. On a steep slope in one reserve, dirt bikes ripped up the soil and vegetation over a 3m X 600m strip up into a Garry Mud-bogging in an area on crown land close to the entrance of the oak meadow. This area will take a long time to recover. Makaroff Reserve. At another reserve, a dirt bike trail goes through a small Photo: Susan Hannon stream, up a slope and skirts through the riparian area of SPRING 2021 11

Aerial view of herring spawn on the east coast of . The milky colour of the water is caused by herring milt or sperm Photo: Rebecca Benjamin-Carey

Singing frogs welcome a small fish home

“The moon that we are in now in the WSÁNEC´ calendar Herring are a keystone species in the ocean ecosystem, is called the WEXES moon. WEXES is the frog. The frog serving as a link between plankton and larger animals. announces the regrowth in our land. The coming out of the Chinook and coho salmon, lingcod, Pacific halibut, and long sleep, which mother nature does during the winter. Pacific hake feed on herring year round. Marine mammals And the croaking of the frogs is what woke everything up also rely on herring, including humpback whales, dolphins, to start the regrowth process. The WEXES moon always porpoises, sea lions, and seals. This energy transfer is vital to told our people that the herring were coming. The herring a working ecosystem and the survival of endangered species. were coming and they should prepare themselves.” These For example, Pacific herring are a food source for Chinook are words from WICKINEM,´ Eric Pelkey, hereditary chief of salmon, which, in turn, are the primary food source for Tsawout, one of the WSÁNEC´ Nations, whose territory con- endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. sists of parts of Salt Spring Island. The WSÁNEC´ calendar is also known as the Thirteen Moon calendar, which guides the It is no surprise, then, that Pacific herring are also natural laws of the WSÁNEC´ people. culturally important to Indigenous peoples on the Pacific coast. Both oral history and archaeology affirm The Pacific herring spawn used to cause a great deal of that Indigenous People in the region have harvested excitement in the spring around Salt Spring Island and in herring for generations. WICKINEM´ describes that other parts of the Salish Sea. The herring migrate from off- herring “was one of their primary food sources as shore waters to coastal bays and estuaries where each female well as trading items amongst our people.” A study deposits up to 20,000 tiny eggs on kelp and eelgrass. Males published in 2014 by McKechnie et al. (https://doi. release millions of sperm, or milt, turning the ocean milky org/10.1073/pnas.1316072111) found that in 171 white. This generates a spectacular feeding frenzy among sea ancient village sites in B.C., herring made up the lions, seals, gulls, murres, cormorants, surf scoters, Orcas majority of the fish bones in 99% of the samples and humpback whales. Pacific brant feed on the roe during taken. The data showed a history of consuming their northward migration to breeding areas in the Arctic, herring that dates continuously for the last 2500 celebrated by the Brant Festival in Parksville each spring. years and indicates that historical herring populations Bears and wolves feast on the roe on the shore. were much more abundant than in more recent times. 12 The Acorn ~ Newsletter of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy

We haven’t seen these great spawning events around Salt populations. In response, a commercial roe fishery was Spring in decades. In Ganges Harbour, WICKINEM´ recounts opened by DFO; the fish bodies were used for farmed salmon, the words of his great grandfather, Louis Pelkey, “They said and pet, food. Pacific herring fisheries are currently managed that the runs were so heavy that it looked like you could by DFO as 5 major and two minor stock areas (https://www. walk across the water there were so many herring coming pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/mplans/herring-hareng-ifmp- in there, and that all they had to do was ride out there in pgip-sm-eng.html#stock). The Strait of Georgia stock is cur- the canoe and scoop them up and in no time they would rently the only one with a commercial roe fishery due to low fill up their canoe and have to go and unload them.” In populations in other areas. First Nations food, social and cer- the early 1900’s, Louis Pelkey appeared before the Indian emonial fisheries are permitted in all areas. Reserve Commission and pleaded with the government to preserve Ganges as a Saanich reserve “specifically because There is disagreement over why herring populations have of the Herring fishery that our people enjoyed there”. Data declined. Many First Nations people, scientists and con- from Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) on herring cerned community members cite overfishing as the main spawn in section 181 of the Strait of Georgia stock (which cause and have called for quota reductions or a complete contains Ganges Harbour) from 1940 to 2016 (https:// closure of the roe fishery. Others have invoked climate www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/species-especes/pelagic- change (herring are cold water fish), changes in abundance pelagique/herring-hareng/herspawn/tabsfram-eng.html) of their planktonic food, more competition from increasing shows that the size of the herring spawn fluctuated annually, sardine populations and increases in predation, which may with the last obvious spawn in 2009. have caused declines or shifts in the spatial distribution of the fish https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsq134( ). Commercial fishing of herring began in the late 1800’s and declines were noted by the 1920’s, which motivated research The spectacle of herring spawns and the commercial fishing on herring by DFO starting in the 1930’s. DFO identified vessels can still be witnessed in the Northern by local, non-migratory populations of herring that were dis- Hornby and Denman Islands and off the coast of Parksville tinct and did little intermingling. During World War 2, and Qualicum Bay. With new research and increasing pres- herring was a staple food, so the DFO eliminated fishing sure from First Nations and the public, we can hold on to quotas and, after the war, harvests remained high to preserve hope that a resilient, small, oily fish will return to the waters jobs and keep the canneries in operation. By the late1960’s, around Salt Spring Island. herring populations in British Columbia and Washington —Alex Harris had collapsed in most places and Canada closed the fishery, aside from some Indigenous food roe fisheries. In the early 1970’s the herring industry in Japan collapsed, increasing demand for roe taken from North American Background: Gulls feeding on herring roe near , BC. waters, where there had been a rebound in some herring Photo: Alex Harris SPRING 2021 13

A Common Nighthawk on her nest.

Common Common A Common Nighthawk roosting. Nighthawk eggs. Nighthawk chicks. Common Nighthawk Photos : Ren Ferguson One of the most exciting moments of my first year on Salt of South America, mainly Brazil. The birds congregate in the Spring was standing on my deck on an evening in early June fall and fly down the Mississippi flyway, across the Gulf of and suddenly hearing a sound I hadn’t heard in decades: the Mexico ending up in South America. One bird tagged on nasal “peent” and thrum or boom of a displaying Common Sidney Island flew 3000km across the Rockies to join the Nighthawk. Looking way up above Reginald Hill I saw the southward migration. In the spring, they take a more direct familiar and fluttering flight and dark narrow angular wings route back to their breeding areas. with a blaze of white. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes Nighthawks nest on rocky outcrops, clearings, burned areas the display of the male as follows: “Flying at a height slightly and sandy gravel. In urban areas they will nest on flat, grav- above the treetops, he abruptly dives for the ground. As he elled roofs. The female lays her eggs directly on the ground. peels out of his dive (sometimes just a few meters from the Two brown speckled eggs are laid and the highly cryptic ground) he flexes his wings downward, and the air rushing female- her plumage is dark brown and mottled- incubates across his wingtips makes a deep booming or whooshing the eggs for about 18 days. It is very difficult to see the nest sound, as if a race car has just passed by. The dives may be and females often remain on the nest until a predator or directed at females, territorial intruders, and even people.” human is very close, relying on her camouflage. The male Sadly, nighthawks are no longer common. Across its range, roosts nearby and will hiss and dive bomb suspected pred- the Common Nighthawk has declined by 50% in the past ators. Both parents feed the young with regurgitated insects 40 years. Nighthawks belong to a group called “aerial insec- and the chicks grow quickly and begin to fly at about 18 days tivores”- birds who take insects on the wing. Many species old. By 30 days after hatch they are ready for independence. in this group, including swallows, flycatchers, and swifts, On Salt Spring, nighthawk nests have been found in Andreas are declining. Nine of the 31 species of aerial insectivores Vogt Nature Reserve and Mt Tuam, and they also likely breed in Canada are currently listed under the federal Species at on Mt Maxwell, Channel Ridge, Mt Erskine, Manzanita Ridge, Risk Act. The declines are linked to habitat loss and degra- Reginald Hill and other open, rocky areas. The birds are par- dation and the widespread use of insecticides. These factors ticularly vulnerable to disturbance and predation during the are exacerbated by climate change, which can alter the nesting season. Last year we posted signs at Andreas Vogt timing of insect availability. Climate change also increases alerting the public that nighthawks were nesting and reinforc- the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, which ing the message that dogs should be kept on leash. If nests are reduce breeding success or increase the costs of migration. found close to trails, those sections are closed to the public. Nighthawks nest on the ground, making them vulnerable to Unfortunately, not everyone complies with our requests and free-range cats and dogs. nests are abandoned and depredated. Nature reserves should be the places where our species at risk are safe. Common nighthawks have one of the longest migration jour- neys of any of our Salt Spring species. A study by researchers Ren Ferguson, a contractor with SSIC, searches for nesting at Birds Canada placed GPS satellite tags on nighthawks at nighthawks in our reserves. Evening surveys in mid- to late 13 locations in its breeding range across Canada. Most of the June reveal locations of displaying males, which can assist in birds spent the winter in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes locating nests. Ren follows up with daytime nest searches in 14 The Acorn ~ Newsletter of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy open areas. “The thing that stands out the most for me about are hard to see, and leave the area as soon as possible. Avoid this species is their vulnerability when they are nesting. To using pesticides in your garden, promote beneficial insects observe the female on the ground in the open really brings and support organic farmers. Reduce light pollution to lower home just how easily the eggs and chicks can be eaten by losses of insects. Work to reduce avian mortality at home natural predators, free roaming house cats and dogs off-leash. and work (https://www.birdscanada.org/you-can-help/ I witnessed two nests in Andreas Vogt Nature Reserve that top-6-ways-to-help-birds/). were not successful last year. It clearly takes a community effort to ensure these beautiful birds have a safe place to nest.” If we work together we can help to reverse the decline of this charismatic species so that every June we can hear the peent How can you help? Please obey signage at our nature and booms of the Common Nighthawk. reserves. Keep your dog on a leash when in nighthawk habitat. If you flush a nighthawk, walk carefully, as the eggs —Susan Hannon

Beavers at Blackburn Lake Nature Reserve

left: Mum and kit. | right: The main beaver lodge at Blackburn Lake Nature Reserve. | below: Paw prints in the mud. | Photos: Simon Henson

I was introduced to the beavers at the Blackburn Lake Nature the lake, closer to Hitchcock Pond. It had a minimal amount of Reserve on a cold day in December 2013. Although I didn’t new material added at that time, but it appeared that they had actually see them, just their footprints in the mud and some transferred their efforts to the main lodge, which was consider- chewed-on twigs next to the old boardwalk at the south end of ably larger in size. the Reserve. Like most beavers, being nocturnal, the Blackburn beavers prefer to leave their lodge and venture out between The winter of 2016 was particularly challenging. Weeks of dusk and dawn to forage, feed and repair their dams etc. relentless rains gave rise to water levels of flood proportions. Creeks became raging torrents and even the wooden bridge For me, this became the first of many daytime observations that capped the beaver dam at Hitchcock Pond was underwa- of evidence of the beavers’ various activities in the Reserve. ter. After water levels dropped, to help stem the water leaking Volunteering, as both warden and photographer at Blackburn, from the dam, the beavers started to work on a second dam gave me the opportunity to study them and better understand several meters downstream from the bridge, but subsequently how they were changing the wetland ecosystem. Their activ- abandoned it several weeks later. ities throughout the Reserve illustrated how they harvested both the smaller alder and willow saplings, as well as the larger In order for me to see more of the comings and goings of these trees lining the lake and pond watercourses. The more I studied amazing wetland residents, I set up three game cameras located them, the more questions came to mind: e.g. how many beavers close to their working ‘highways’, in the fall of 2017. The timing were there at Blackburn and is there a breeding pair? was perfect. After a few weeks of studying an adult beaver going about its normal activities, I was delighted to see two small kits In the late winter of 2015, a friend offered to take me by canoe join it and begin what appeared to be their foraging training for to the location of the main lodge built amongst the cattails that the next few months. It was also interesting to note that one of bordered the NE side of the lake. From a reasonable distance, the kits was still being nursed in September. After a two-year using my telephoto lens, I was able to capture some very close absence volunteering at Blackburn, I am observing them once shots showing the new material on the lodge itself, and a large again and it is gratifying to know that they continue to exercise cache of branches below the waterline of their winter ‘pantry’. their important role in shaping the local wetlands. Subsequent drone flights the following spring established the —Simon Henson location of a second, smaller lodge located at the NW end of SPRING 2021 15

Our newest Board member: Alex Harris Alex Harris is a photographer and filmmaker who focuses on topics of social and environmental justice. She is also the Communications Manager at Raincoast Conservation Foundation. Since a young age, she has fostered a deep connection and responsibility to the environment. Alex sees media as a critical tool to uplift voices, elicit empathy, inspire action and create change. She is humbled to work alongside dedicated environmental stewards and commu- nity leaders. For fun Alex can be found taking pictures of fungi and plants.

As a member of the Steering Committee Nancy helped write the Conservancy’s Constitution and application for Conservation Covenant status. She was elected to the first Board in 1995 and during that time she was active in the Save the Mill Farm campaign. She was a staunch supporter of the South and West Salt Spring Conservation Partnership, which was organized by the Conservancy subsequent to the successful Mill Farm campaign. Nancy loved the rela- tively undeveloped south and west areas of Salt Spring and for many years she served as Volunteer CRD Warden for the Mill Farm Park Reserve and adjacent Crown Lands. Nancy served on the Board of the Conservancy for many years and upon retirement she remained committed to Conservancy initiatives. She was a steadfast supporter In Memoriam: Nancy Braithwaite | 1928-2021 of the environmental movement in B.C. and in her later years she placed a conservation covenant on her forested It is with sadness that we mark the passing of a Conservancy land in the north end of the island. co-founder Nancy Braithwaite. Nancy was staunch sup- porter of the environmental movement in British Columbia Those of us who had the privilege of working with Nancy for much of her life. For many years she served as the will always remember with great fondness her outstanding Salt Spring Trail and Nature Club representative to the commitment to environmental preservation, her remarkable Federation of B.C. Naturalists. Nancy brought this expe- perseverance, astute observations and wry sense of humour. rience and knowledge to the Conservancy Steering Committee in 1994. —Maureen Milburn and Fiona Flook Co-Founders, Salt Spring Island Conservancy 16 The Acorn ~ Newsletter of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy

Photo: Pierre Mineau

WE THANK OUR 2021 Sitka Foundation FUNDERS The Province of BC’s Community BC Hydro Gaming Grants Program Country Grocer Thrifty Foods Government of Canada’s Habitat Numerous private donors Salt Spring Island Conservancy Stewardship Program for Species Office: 265 Blackburn Road A big thank you to the production Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 2B8 at Risk team for making this newsletter Hours: 10-4, Monday – Thursday Habitat Conservation Trust possible. (Office closed to public at this time) Foundation Phone: 250/538-0318 Fax: 250/538-0319 Salt Spring Island Foundation [email protected] www.saltspringconservancy.ca Registered Charity No.: 89006 Salt Spring Island Conservancy Membership Application Donations: In addition to my 3977 RR0001 Individual 1 yr @ $25 3 yr @ $75 membership fee, I have enclosed my donation in the amount of: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Family 1 yr @ $35 3 yr @ $60 Penny Barnes Youth (under 16) 1 yr @ $15 OFFICE COORDINATOR & BOOKKEEPER $ $ $ Kathryn Luttin Senior or low-income 1 yr @ 20 3 yr @ 60 ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT (individual or family) Debra Cobon Business 1 yr @ $55 3 yr @ $165 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Tax receipts will be provided for Susan Hanon (President) Name(s): ______donations of $20 or more. Pierre Mineau (Vice President) Address: ______Lionel Johnson (Treasurer) Please send me Conservancy Gail Bryn-Jones (Secretary) ______email updates. Katharine Byers Michael Dragland Phone:______Please send me the Acorn via Alex Harris email. Tara Martin Email(s):______Please contact me about becoming a monthly donor Dave Secord or join online: saltspringconservancy.ca/get-involved/membership/ Acorn Design: Harry Bardal