www.saltspringconservancy.ca Number 64 The Newsletter of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy Summer 2017 Protecting Isabella Point Isabella Point—an historic and much-treasured Salt Spring covenants (690 acres) on the island. Conservation covenants south-end promontory—is now permanently protected by a are placed permanently on title and require current as well as voluntary conservation covenant. future landowners to protect the ecological features of a piece Landowner Basil Franey treasures the moss-covered rocky of land. The covenant holders are responsible for monitoring bluffs and rugged shoreline of the point and has worked the covenants and ensuring that the provisions are honoured. with the Conservancy and Islands Trust Fund to develop a In the Islands Trust area, through the Natural Areas covenant to preserve this special place on the island. The land Protection Tax Exemption Program (NAPTEP), approved also includes Douglas-fir, cedar, maple and arbutus trees, and conservation covenants can convey a 65% reduction in it harbours several Species at Risk, most notably the Peregrine property taxes on the protected portion of the land. In Falcon and Band-tailed Pigeon. The rare Sharp-tailed Snake addition, the federal Ecological Gifts Program conveys has also been located nearby. important income and capital gain tax benefits for qualifying The Conservancy now holds 17 conservation covenants on covenants. Please contact the Conservancy if you would like Salt Spring (798 acres), and the Islands Trust Fund holds 23 to explore the possibility of a covenant on your land. 2 THE ACORN ~ Newsletter of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy Conservancy AGM June 10 students. The Centre educates its guests about the importance of the land and the adjoining Blackburn Lake Nature Reserve in You are welcomed to attend the Conservancy’s Annual General protecting the environment and Blackburn Lake as a source of Meeting on Saturday, June 10. Aside from the formal AGM potable water. Recently, they installed a bat house to encourage elements starting at 1:30 pm, the day will also include a special bat populations and are considering other options to enhance presentation by Bob Weeden (3 pm) about his 57 years of wildlife habitat. engagement in conservation. At 4 pm, the Board will host a special reception to thank and honour Bob for his 22 years of If you are a landowner interested in joining the Stewardship service on the Conservancy Board, as he is stepping down to Agreement program and would like a site visit by one of the focus on his reading, writing and apple farming and to enjoy a Conservancy’s biologists, please contact our office. We can bit more leisurely life. arrange a visit and provide you with recommendations to care for and steward your land. The brief AGM will include remarks from Board President John Borst, a review of 2016 financial statements by Treasurer Lionel Johnson, an overview of 2016 accomplishments by Executive Board candidates Director Christine Torgrimson, a summary of the revised At the June 10 AGM, members will have the opportunity to Conservancy bylaws by Vice President Ashley Hilliard and elect two new members to the Conservancy board of directors. election of new board members. The Board was particularly interested in seeking women As a member, you will be asked to vote on acceptance of the candidates and younger candidates, ideally with young families. financial statements, adoption of the revised bylaws (a requirement Gail Bryn-Jones and Sam FitzZaland are running for the two of BC’s new Societies Act) and election of new board members. new Board positions. Members and supporters are invited to attend any or all of the Gail Bryn-Jones | Gail loves taking kids June 10 events. If you plan to come to the 4 pm reception, into nature and bringing nature to kids. A please RSVP by June 1 to [email protected] so teacher on Salt Spring for almost 30 years we can have plenty of appies and drinks on hand! and a BC wilderness guide for over 10, her passion and care for the outdoors comes from a lifetime of canoeing, backpacking, Salt Spring Centre of Yoga joins sailing and skiing. Stewardship Agreement program Gail did her undergrad and professional years at UBC and The Conservancy has completed a master’s degree in Language and Literacy at UVic in welcomed the newest 2015. She has taught middle school French Immersion and has landowners to join a been Administrator at the Centre School. Now she teaches water growing number of monitoring of Ganges Creek and describes beaver habitat at the island landowners Blackburn Reserve to Grade 4 and 5 students in her nature-based participating in its class at Salt Spring Elementary. voluntary Stewardship Gail began volunteering with the Conservancy a decade ago on Agreement program. the Education Committee. Since then she’s seen you at an AGM, a The Salt Spring Centre fundraiser or a bat or bird talk, and probably washed your coffee of Yoga will steward its mug, too. Last year, she helped with Blackburn Creek restoration 65-acre property to help and painting the storage shed. Gail would be pleased to serve on conserve nature for local the Conservancy Board. Brian Hutchings and Rajani Rock are members wildlife. Sam FitzZaland | Sam FitzZaland is the of the Salt Spring Centre Stewardship Committee. | Photo: Laura Matthias Brian Hutchings, who co-owner and general manager for Green has been involved in City Builders on Salt Spring Island. He the Centre since its inception in 1982, is part of the Salt Spring built the Conservancy’s multi-use, energy- Centre Stewardship Committee and the Elders Group that efficient building completed in 2015. Sam oversee the property activities. is passionate about green building practices The Salt Spring Centre has stewarded its land in many ways and, whenever possible, incorporates over the years and continues to do so. Brian highlights the energy-efficient elements into his building projects. successful organic garden project, which focuses on growing Sam earned an MBA from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, then worked without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and the committee’s as a project manager for an affordable housing developer in plans for a “food forest,” which will minimize cultivation for a Oakland, California. He has worked in a management capacity sizeable area. Most of the former farm fields are being left fallow on large residential housing developments in Silicon Valley and in to provide habitat for wildlife and rejuvenate the soil. The Whistler. He moved his family and business to Salt Spring in 2013. Centre is also controlling invasive plant species. A lover of the outdoors, Sam enjoys sailing, biking and hiking. He A low-impact trail along Cusheon Creek helps the Centre is excited about the potential opportunity to contribute to the Salt monitor the creek environment with the help of Centre School Spring Conservancy in a board capacity for the next 2 years. SUMMER 2017 3 Citizen scientists befriending birds and butterflies From left: Barn Swallow, Dun Skipper | Photos: Laura Matthias Our Citizen Science project has been launched! Over two As with the other butterfly teams, she’ll walk the same path, dozen volunteers have been trained in butterfly, bee and bird with little deviation, in the same direction once a month to do identification and in data recording, and they started gathering the official data recording. Transects are walked only when the data this May. temperature is above 18 to 20°C with no wind or rain. Linda Gilkeson, PhD, is an entomologist with a particular Veronica Norbury, MSc, is a wildlife biologist who provided interest in butterflies and other pollinators. She has carefully formal basic training on bird identification by sight and trained 10 volunteer scientists in the identification of butterflies. song and on reporting protocols. Experienced birders were In the old days, entomologists would catch and pin the paired with new birders, and these pairs began walking their butterflies for positive identification. Nowadays, however, designated routes on May 8 and May 15 at sunrise, with two scientists either record sightings or, when possible, gently catch more dates in June. butterflies in a net, use a magnifying glass for identification if Diana Symons, one of necessary and then let them go. According to Linda, Salt Spring the volunteers who was has about two dozen species of butterflies, and most are native, willing to bird watch before so they’re easy to tell apart for the trained eye. 6 am, received both the bird identification and Gloria Dorworth is one of butterfly training. She has the butterfly volunteers trained by Linda. Since a great interest in ecology her childhood, she has and the outdoors and saw had a fascination with and this as an opportunity compassion for insects, to learn more and meet especially butterflies and other like-minded people spiders, and birds as can be Diana Symons | Photo: Coreen Boucher with varying degrees of seen in her artwork. knowledge. With her citizen scientist In June and July, the citizen scientists will summarize their partner, Gloria will walk a data before giving a public presentation at the Art & Nature Gloria Dorworth transect in Duck Creek Park, Fest at Blackburn Lake Nature Reserve. The Citizen Science Photo: Coreen Boucher which is close to her home. Initiative was funded by the Salt Spring Island Foundation. 4 THE ACORN ~ Newsletter of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy Thirteen new species identified on Salt Spring Island Hans Roemer taking a closer look at rare mosses and lichens with a hand lens. Above: Carrina Maslovat monitoring plants on Mt. Maxwell. Photo: Laura Matthias Below: Carolina Meadow-foxtail | Photos: Laura Matthias Salt Spring Island is more unique and special than you might Carolina Meadow-foxtail was found in know.