Spring 2006 Acorn Newsletter - Salt Spring Island Conservancy

8/8/2019 Spring 2006 Acorn Newsletter - Salt Spring Island Conservancy

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Acornthe

The Newsletter of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy Number 32, Spring 2006

http://saltspring.gulfslands.com/conservancy

Promoting Good Stewardship

Inside:Presidents Page .............. 2Directors Desk ............... 2New Planner .................. 3Features

Promises Adri t ........... 4Plane Ride ................ 14

Natural HistoryBounti ul Arbutus ...... 13

Inside SSICGood Stewards III ........ 7Belated Biology ............ 8

Acorn Volunteers ....... 14EventsCalendar ...................... 6Event Notes

Flying Dragons ......... 6Gi t at Risk ............... 6Eco-Home Tour ....... 9

Mud Kids Project ........ 10Grey and Black Water . 11Stewards in School ..... 12Essential Details ........... 15

The end o March was the conclusion o our second annualgrant-supported project ocused on species at risk and Garryoak ecosystems. We worked with snake expert ChristianEngelsto t to fnd sharp-tailed snakes, known only rom eight

sites in Canada, and one o the most endangered species onSalt Spring Island. It has been ound at Vesuvius, ChannelRidge, and Southey Point so we contacted members who arelandowners in those areas and encouraged them to talk totheir neighbours about the snake. As the snake pre ers warmsouth- acing rocky sites, we concentrated our site visits toproperties with these attributes and to suspected sightings.

We visited 53 landowners, 30 with the help o volunteernaturalists - o whom we need more: please contact us.

We gathered biological data and mapped occurrences o species at risk. Landowners were encouraged to establishstewardship agreements, adopt good management practices,

and consider conservation covenants.Project activities included mapping occurrences o

all project target species on Salt Spring, holding ninepresentations on species at risk and Garry oak ecosystems,contacting 157 landowners (including 87 new landowners)and one development company. Major results includedidenti ying two new occurrences o Entosthodon ascicularis(Banded cord-moss), a COSEWIC special-concern speciesnew to Salt Spring Island, and identi ying Riccia ciliata, thefrst record or this liverwort in Canada ( ound at ChannelRidge). New locations were recorded or the ollowingspecies at risk: phantom orchid, peregrine alcon, westernscreech owl, twisted oak moss, and yellow montane violet,as well as two new BC-listed species locations.

Project sta made stewardship agreements with 34landholders. The landowners we contacted were veryreceptive to learning about rare species and ecosystems, opento stewardship agreements, and eager to proceed with goodmanagement practices and recommendations. Many newlandowners that we met through neighbourhood meetings

are monitoring or the sharp-tailed snake and are interestedin stewarding and managing their land to provide habitat orspecies at risk. The Channel Ridge development companyallowed us to visit their 800-acre natural area to monitor

species at risk and put down sharp-tailed snake arti cialcover objects to monitor the snakes, and arranged ollowup meetings to discuss protection o sensitive ecosystems.Based on our completed habitat and species at risk mappingwe now have a greater awareness o where potential habitatmay be or species at risk, as well as more clearly de nedpriorities or uture acquisitions and covenants. Threemanagement plans were completed or landowners withsharp-tailed snake habitat, and one covenant baseline wascompleted or a landowner placing a covenant on Garry oakhabitat with a rare speciesoccurrence.

Best o all, tenlandowners have begundiscussions regardingpermanent land protectionthrough conservationcovenants, and 26 hectareshave been protected bytwo new conservationcovenants completed onland that contains Garryoak ecosystems.

The Conservancy ispleased to announce thatit has received $41,000 orits 2006 project: HabitatProtection and Stewardshipo Species at Risk on SaltSpring Island 2006. This

unding has come rom theGovernment o CanadaHabitat StewardshipProgram or Species at Riskand the Bullitt Foundation.

Come to the AGM!May 12th (Friday) 7pm: Lions Hall


2/16The Acorn - Newsletter o the Salt Spring Island Conservancy

Chance and ChallengePresidents Page

The spring edition o The Acornbrings us to themes o renewaland regeneration. Those o you who walk the paths o the

Andreas Vogt Nature Reserve or Manzanita Ridge or rambleabout your own property will see new growth everywhere.Thanks to the extraordinary e orts o SSIC members wecan now also appreciate the wonders o the Mt. Erskinepeak knowing that it, too, will be protected in perpetuity.This acquisition came about through the generous supporto many donors and through co-operation with partnerorganizations including the Nature Conservancy o Canada,BC Parks, the Georgia Basin Alliance and many others.

These nature reserves demonstrate our mandate and ourcommitment to preserving the natural habitat o Saltspring.

As spring expands our horizons again it is very hearteningto see our membership growing too and to see our capacityto expand our programs increasing year by year.

Our executive director, Karen Hudson, is now ull time.Our programs or youth are larger and very active. The

stewardship aspect o our work is always ront and centre;we exist in order to assist all o the residents o the island

in their e orts to be good stewards o the land and water. And it remains up to each o us to renew that commitmentto preservation and conservation in the everyday, theeverywhere o our lives.

There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks.Most o the time we are simply not patient enough, quietenough to pay attention to the story. ( Linda Hogan)

Again our thanks go out to all our volunteers, donorsand supporters or their continuing generosity and interestin the conservation work o SSIC. Maureen Bendick

Directors Desk Volunteers are the core o the Salt Spring Island Conservancy. Without just one o the Conservancys dedicated volunteers,Bob Weeden, you would not be reading this newsletter.Thank you to Bob, Brian Smallshaw, and the new newslettercommittee members or bringing us The Acorn.

I would like to acknowledge and thank some o ourother wonder ul volunteers that have been working behindthe scenes.

A ter a decade o work as chair o the Covenantscommittee, Maureen Milburn is stepping down as chair, butthank ully not o the committee. I remember sitting in theFul ord Inn with Maureen and Bill Turner in 2001 when theywere working on the Maxwell Lake watershed covenant. Iwas, and still am, amazed at their dedication to conservation.

A ter many years as chair o the Acquisition committee,Charles Kahn has also stepped down. Charles leaves a longlegacy o protected areas on Salt Spring, including his hardwork to purchase Mount Erskine last year. We hope that

Charles continues to be involved on uture acquisitions.Other hardworking committee members includeSamantha Beare, our longstanding Conservancy Treasurer,who has been looking a ter SSIC nances or over 6 years,and is now assisted by volunteer bookkeeper Mary Dashney,who helped us make the switch to a modern nancialsystem. Jean Gelwicks must not sleep because she is notonly chairing the Education committee and organizing 12public events a year; she is now also coordinating two schoolprograms. Charles Dorworth is our capable Land Restorationand Management chair, and he has Larry Appleby and TerryRidings monitoring our nature reserves on a regular basis.

Technical wizard David Denning has been making

event posters, and making sure we can see our guestspeakers presentations. Webmasters Rachel Ogis and BrianSmallshaw keep the Conservancy website up to date. O cevolunteer Dick Willmott helps out in the Conservancy o ceon Thursday mornings. Nina Denyer maintains our databaseo members, ormer members, donors, and public agencies.Ruth Taraso has been quietly coordinating volunteers.

Broom puller volunteers, Brian Smallshaw, ConradPilon, and Robin Annschild respond to phone calls, handout brochures, demonstrate and loan out the pullers, andcollect SSIC donations. Please note: The broom pullers canbe borrowed through Brian (South End) at 653-4774, Robin(Mid-Island) at 653-0039, and Conrad (St. Marys Lake) at537-8931. Pullers are commonly borrowed or three daysto a week, and donations and/or Conservancy membershipsare collected to cover maintenance o tools and to purchasenew pullers.

Kate Leslie and Deborah Miller, education committee

volunteers who are now our School Program Coordinators,have over 50 volunteers who are helping out on theelementary and middle school programs this spring at FordLake and Burgoyne Bay.

The Salt Spring Island Conservancy is constantly at workpromoting land stewardship, hosting regular educationalevents, and covenanting lands on Salt Spring. Whatever wayyou want to help, we have a role or you. There are manyways to volunteer, and we are currently looking or volunteersto assist with the Eco-Home Tour and Saturday market thisspring and summer. Please contact me at 538-0318 to inquireabout these and other volunteer opportunities. Karen Hudson

May 13 (Saturday) Mahon Hall 7:00pmNatural Features of Salt Spring

Michael Levy will launch his 2007 calendar with a slidepresentation on the Natural Wonders o Salt Spring! Michaelis donating $1 o every calendar sold at this event to the

Conservancy. Sponsored by Salt Spring Books who will bemaking a donation or the rst weeks worth o sales.


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Islands Trust Hires New PlannerThe Islands Trust o ce on Salt Spring has a new sta member,Mark Brodrick. Mark will bring a rural and environmentalplanning perspective to our local trust o ce. He has spentmuch o his planning career in remote communities in B.C.and Manitoba working with local communities and interest

groups to ashion land use planning programs that considerenvironmental protection and private land interests.Mark has an undergraduate degree rom the University

o Waterloo in Environmental Studies, specializing inEnvironmental and Social Impact Assessment. His MastersDegree is rom the University o Guelph in Rural Planningand Development.

Mark became knowledgeable about B.C. planning lawand issues during the time he chaired the process to createa land use plan or the Horsefy Forest District. This is alarge area composed mostly o Crown land that includes theHorsefy River drainage, a major salmon river. Throughcollaboration with community groups, recreation, shing,

orestry interests and others he cra ted a land and resourcemanagement plan that included policies as well as detailedmaps, implementation strategies and measurable objectivesto track progress.

Mark then moved to Manitoba where he worked onplanning issues related to both private and Crown land. Heassisted some 22 urban and rural municipalities out o theMorden Regional O ce and about 11 municipalities out o the Beausejour Regional O ce.

He is glad to have been selected or the job with

Islands Trust because it has allowed him to return to B.C.One o his long held pro essional interests is the merging o environmental protection and energy conservation into landuse planning. Lucky or us, Mark enjoys working with localcommunity groups!

Marks position will involve implementation o Salt

Spring Islands planning by-laws, preparing amendments,processing development permit applications, working withTrustees and providing similar planning services or otherislands in the Salt Spring administrative area, such as Thetis.He will also be working with the Community Housing Task

Force Committee and the Advisory Design Committee.My greatest challenge. Mark said, will be balancingthe interests o such a diverse community. He hopesthrough hard work he will gain the respect o all interests inthe community even i he cannot always please everyone.

Mark is looking orward to canoeing, shing, hiking,hunting, and reading. He ought to have plenty to do on SaltSpring! Mark has had di culty nding a large enough hometo rent that is walking distance rom the Islands Trust O ce,so i any Conservancy members can help, please call him atthe Trust O ce.

Mark at his desk Photo by Maxine Leichter

Miss the Hum?The Salt Spring Island Conservancys community educationpresentation on April 21st by Cam Finlay, a hummingbirdresearcher or the past 10 years, was another sell out -even in the expanded space o Mahon Hall. Everyone loveshummingbirds, and Finlays talk accompanied by slides,held the audience spellbound.

I you missed Cams talk, here are some consoling actoids. Any one o them could win at Trivial Pursuit:

17 species o hummingbirds live north o Mexico, ve inBC and two (ru ous, Annas) on SSI.

Hummingbirds nest early (late March or April) to let theusual two babes eed rom spring fowers.

Both sexes are polygamous, i not promiscuous.

Hummingbirds have about the biggest hearts,in proportion to body weight, o any bird. Bodytemperatures o 38.8C are normal down to air temps o 8C. Then they lower body temperatures and zonk out.

Normally weighing about 130 to the pound, they canadd another 25% to their weight in the ew days be oremigration. They can travel 500 kms between meals.

Males live 3-4 years, emales 6-7 years; The oldestbanded ru ous was 8 years old.

Hummers can fy backward, so they can migrate southto north without turning around.

Cats and glass are major killers o hummingbirds. Hangcats in ront o windows: that usually helps.


4/16 The Acorn - Newsletter o the Salt Spring Island Conservancy

Promises Adri tOnce upon a time, the able goes, there was no money inthe whole wide world. There were hardly any people, and(incredibly) no stores. Small, scattered groups o peopleshared the work o getting ood, building shelter and makingclothes, tools, weapons and utensils. Folks did what theycould or themselves and or amily and neighbours. Lucky

shers shared, knowing that next week another likely wouldnd a big berry patch or clobber an antelope with an atalatl,

and would share in turn.Eventually a ew people lived long enough to start

orgetting things, like owing a neighbour a cup o honey. Inthe ullness o time sinews tied around ngers became thestandard reminder. The trick was to remember what it wasyou didnt want to orget. For a while colour-coding (red ormeat, green or salad, yellow or corn) and using the righthand or amily and the le t or neighbours kept accountsstraight. As villages grew the rainbow-hued danglies becamecumbersome, especially or ne work like sewing.

Someone invented small, portable tokens to replacethose entangling strings. They were an improvement. Youramily could decide how to tell one kind o reminder rom

another, then pile them all in a corner. At each return o ahaunch o venison or bag o dried mushrooms, the amilyCGA moved them one by one to the cupboard where theywould stay until you borrowed again.

Then a truly amazing thing happened. The tokensreminding o speci c debts turned inside out and becametokens o values receivable. The more time you spentbabysitting in the next cave or waving burning eathers tostrangle someone out o unconsciousness, and the morezucchinis you could give to starving neighbours, the more

tokens you piled up. By evolving agreement an entirecommunity could use the tokens reely, not worrying aboutidenti ying the owner or owed. Tokens o salmon exchangeand diaper purchases all looked the same, and the tokenscame in graded sizes. Paying a big debt didnt require aknapsack.

Thus, goes the tale, money was born. Money betokenedpromises between responsible people, supported by thewhole community. Money had a home. Each piece had avalue agreed upon by members o the community as theytraded labour and goods every day.

Village-based money still exists in very isolated places,typically small islands where ercely independent inhabitantsignore no opportunity or symbolic rebellion against thelarger state. The local money echoes simpler times whenmoney tallied promises among trusting people.

For a long time city-states or nations issued, controlled,and stood behind their currency. Then banks got involved.First they just loaned money to temporarily embarrassedgovernments. Step by step their roles got bigger. Governmentslet banks lend more money than they had o ten about tentimes more. In e ect, banks created money. That was OKexcept when (as in the Great Depression) too many olksasked or their money back. The banks turned out to be asnaked o cash as the emperor was o clothes. Governments

today routinely borrow rom banks, domestic or oreign.Curiously, nations also insure bank depositors againstbank ailures, presumably using money they borrowed romthe ailed bank in the rst place.

As well, wealth exchanged today isnt in currencystamped with the promise o an accountable government,but in unny-money: pieces o paper or electronic notationscalled bonds, stocks, options, utures, lines o credit, creditcards and so on. Money and its aliases have broken adri t

rom the moorings that tied them to personal promise andcommunity guarantee. There is a lot more uture hope inthem than present reality.

Two and one-hal centuries a ter an absent-minded AdamSmith, puzzling out his philosophy o political economy,strolled 15 miles in his dressing gown, we have accepted thedrive toward personal gain as the dominant activating orcein individual lives, and capitalism as the organising principleo society. Business, the everyday vehicle o capitalism, i

expected to put competitive advantage and ormation o newcapital at the heart o its strivings. The theory is that publicgood always arises rom tussles in the daily marketplacewhere hordes o buyers and sellers seek maximum gain.

Un ortunately or the economist and person o business,society has clung irrationally to the notion that li e is notall about personal gain. Neighbourliness, sharing, bringingup good kids, artistic creativity, the search or some solidmeaning and other messy complexities are important,too. To a considerable degree we have allowed businessits own code o behaviour acilitating its specialised andnecessary purpose. However, the person o business is alsocitizen o society. The grey fannel suit o corporate power

may alternate daily with the many-hued JosephCoat o community, but the person, vexingly, is recognised in either.The salesperson in the BuyerBeware car lot risks an awkwardmeeting with his last victim in the co ee shop.

The global corporation is the most e ective shield yetinvented against social responsibility. The rm accumulatescapital rom myriad beclouded sources, shu fes it via digitalmementoes rom orm to orm, currency to currency, untilit has outrun its shadow o community attachment. It islaunched to its target, does its work o sel -aggrandisement,is partly dispersed to employees, CEOs, shareholders,lending institutions, and (i unavoidable) to governments.The surplus is reshaped or a new project. The owners o the capital may never visit the site where their money hasrecon gured the natural world and human community.

That scenario is spun out hundreds o times dailyaround the world, rom the Mimbres Valley o New Mexicoto Newmonts huge gold mine in Peru, sometimes to media

an are and political upset, usually without notice beyondthe project site. My home island recently experienced twosimultaneous venture-capital projects o the kind we nowconsider ordinary which is disturbing in itsel .

Our island, is home to about 11,000 people. A orestmanagement company bought 5000 acres o hill land onthe south end o the island. A resident manager supervised


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low-key orest work: silviculture, logging, log-sorting andbarging. Times changed, the company decided to sell. Thebuyer was a newly- ormed venture capital corporation whoseplan was to recover costs by cutting all saleable timber, thento sell house-lots with un ettered views.

To locals the idea seemed huge, sudden, disruptive andraught with ecological and societal consequences. According

to their natures residents lay down in ront o logging trucks,wrote letters to the editor, wrung their hands or ponderedpractical responses. The land was lovely, some thought,and would make a nice park. Leveraging the islands near-mythic status as a Canadian Shangri-la, islanders and agencypartners put together an o er o $21 million or 2600 acres.The company accepted. The land now is in park reservestatus.

From one perspective everybody won except or thetrees. The rm made its pro t rom logs and land, subdivisiondevelopment issues were bypassed, and parks were created.

You could even argue that the sudden appearance o thecommon enemy made it possible to buy the parkland. Fromanother perspective the benign outcome was pure luck, thekind that cant be expected when the next mortar shell o money bursts out o the sky.

The second project joined a local real-estate agent andbig-city money buy 1200 acres on the Islands north end,a ridge with ne views. The corporation proposed to build577 residential units, most o them clustered around a smallcommercial core in a 60-acre village. Sale o the 140 or solots in the rst phase was accomplished in the 1990s. In2004 bulldozers stripped the village site. The rst o 430village homes likely will be started in 2006. A block o

800 acres, rom which densities were donated to allow aclustered village, will remain wooded. Another large area, asteep, unstable slope to the islands largest lake, was given toa non-pro t society or watershed protection.

The islands housing stock and population will growat least 10% as a result o this project. The land alreadywas zoned to allow that level o development. The crucialdi erence with and without the venture capital is the timespan over which the homes are built, and their pattern onthe land. Clustering will reduce overall costs o developmentand community servicing, while the much aster rate o construction will strain community resources to the limitand beyond.

In North America, at least, communities desperate tocontrol the onrushing orce o outside capital begin to eel verylonely. Pleading to be allowed to prevent clear-cut logging,to slow the developers timetable or signi cantly change theproposal to integrate it more acceptably into communityli e, they discover that law and politics are not with them.There is good reason. Governments not only subscribe tothe general thesis that capitalism is the organising orce o aproper national li e, they also know that they cannot do their

job without the taxable surplus capital ormation generates.Their rst goal must be to create an environment in whichcapital ormation in general thrives.

Even i we agree that at the national level the vigour ocapital ormation is a public good, we do not have to concedethat every project o capitalism is a net good to the speci ccommunity in which it takes place, or even a net good at anyscale. Locally, public bene t has to be judged in a particularplace, and ecological consequences within a particularlandscape. They must be evaluated, not by strangers withtechnical competence and big lines o credit, but by localcontext and local experience. These are cumbersome,dispersed and idiosyncratic. Time or approximation,assessment and adaptation is crucial. It is that chance that ispre-empted by the loose cannon o global capital.

Most communities have a history o resilience, especiallywhen changes come in a orm we could call organic, arising

rom all that a community is, including its history, andproposing something incrementally, not radically, di erent.The earlier the warning and the slower the pace o physicaland societal change when it comes, the more success ully a

community adapts and innovates.Our community has many people in it with money toinvest. The log-and-sell corporation that aroused us borrowedmuch o its working capital rom an internationally knowninvestment corporation. They, in turn, got money rom sharebuyers. Ironically, it is very possible that some o the vocalopponents o the project were among its unders. Perhapsit serves us right, to be hit with boomeranging investments.

Without doubt many o the shares we buy, careless abouthow the money is used, add powder to the bomb that soonwill land on an unsuspecting community (too o ten, a rural,Third-World place) hal a world away.

The responsibility that must accompany power, in this

case the power o money, has lost its moorings. Perhaps someday investors will ollow their conscience. That is not nowthe way o the world.

Global capitalism is no more linked to intrinsic evilthan community capital is to intrinsic good. In both casesthe players assume the gain-maximising roles that businessdemands. They are inherently opportunistic and risk-taking.But the global player, like the global corporation, is morerestless and rootless. The environment o global businessgives the player more places to hide, and allows him or her totake on more ully the warped persona which, conventionalwisdom assumes, is most e cient in conducting business.

While circulating in a community, money and its ownersgrow closer to human purpose and the complex spectrumo human desires. Local money is less sure o itsel , morhesitant, more ambivalent. Its daily path is easier to ollow.It slows down, disperses and attaches itsel to local history,landscapes and politics. The drama o global capital is amasked ball; community business is a nude encounter. Bob Weeden

Volunteer to protect the environment or a ew years andyoull surely be called a do-gooder. Whenever it happensI have to grin to mysel . Given the choices o doing good,doing bad, or doing nothing, I dont mind the label at all.



Event NotesConservancy Events

May 12 (Friday): AGM 7pm Lions Hall. Guestspeaker Dr. Brenda Beckwith, Ecosystem Scientist -Ethnobotany, or Parks Canada, will present: KnowingEvery Corner o the Land: The Importance o LocalKnowledge in Ecological Restoration.May 13 (Saturday): Andreas Vogt Nature Reserve

Walk with Dr. Beckwith. 10am. Please pre-register bycalling the SSI Conservancy at 538-0318.May 20 (Saturday): Birding at Ford Lake with Bob

Weeden. Pre-registration begins May 15th by calling:537-5403. (Max: 12 people.) Meet at Garner Rd. gate at9:30am.May 26 (Friday): SSI Water - A Gi t at Risk - talk byguest speaker Oliver Brandes. Co-sponsored with SaltSpring Island Water Preservation Society, SSI WaterCouncil and Kairos. 7pm at the Community GospelChapel.

June 2/3 (Friday/Saturday): How Does the DragonFly? Slide presentation and nature walk by VictoriaBiologist/Conservationist Claudia Copley. Slide show atLions at 7:00 pm. Pre-register or walk on Sat. morning:538-0318.

August 6 (Sunday): Salt Spring Eco-Home Tour 10-4pm. Tickets will be available June 6th at Salt SpringBooks.October 20th(Friday): Otter Limits: all about otters.

Joe Gaydos will talk about sea and river otters. Slideshow and talk at 7pm at the Lions Hall.

Anchorage Cove B&BBaker Beach CottagesBalmoral By The Sea B&BBarbs BunsBeddis House B&BBold Blu Retreat

BootacomputerCreekhouse Realty Ltd.Green Acres ResortGul Island Picture FramingIsland EscapadesIsland Star VideoNeil Morie - ArchitectMurakami Auto Body &

RepairsSalt Spring Books

Thank you to our business members:

Salt Spring Centre o YogaSalt Spring Centre SchoolSalt Spring Co ee Co.Salt Spring Home Design

CentreSalt Spring Island Chamber

o CommerceSalt Spring KayakingSalt Spring Way B&BSaltspring Linen & Dry

CleaningSaltspring SoapworksSpindri t at Welbury PointSprague Associates Ltd.Terra Firma Builders Ltd.The Wine Cellar

Upcoming EventsFlying DragonsClaudia Copley introduces us to dragonfy ways at LionsHall on June 2 at 7:00pm, and leads us in a merry chasea ter the real thing on Saturday June 3. Join us!

Claudia has loved insects since childhood, and herwork ollows her passion. She is the entomology collectionsmanager at the Royal BC Museum and is vice-presidentand editor or the Victoria Natural History Society. She hastaught entomology, vertebrate biology and ecology at theUniversity o Victoria. Her experience includes work with theMt. Arrowsmith Biosphere Project and the extensive orestcanopy surveys headed by Neville Winchester at UVic.

Ms. Copley has lots o experience presenting naturalhistory programs at parks and schools. She is now pursuinga graduate degree on spiders, which, or an entomologist, iscrossing a political aisle just a ter an election.

Water: A Gift at RiskOn Friday May 26 at 7:00pm at the Community GospelChurch youll have an opportunity to learn about our preciouswater - especially water planning and the managementchoices we ace.

The SSI Conservancy, Water Preservation Society, Kairosand SS Water Council are sponsoring an evening with OliverBrandes o the University o Victoria speaking about TheSo t Path For Water.

Many Canadians think our reshwater resources are

boundless, and they are wrong. Only a small proportion o reshwater is located close to our homes and cities. Even lessis dependably available and o usable quality. Continuingto take more while ignoring waste ulness will lead us (andother li e) to an arid uture o our own making. The bestsolution is to create new water by changing our habits andusing present supplies e ciently.

The so t path, which starts by changing the concept o water demand, di ers radically rom conventional supply-

ocussed planning. The so t path looks ahead 20 to 50 yearsand redesigns water institutions and in rastructure. It aimsto ways toward long-term ecological and social well-being.

Oliver Brandes joined the POLIS Project on EcologicalGovernance at U Vic to lead their Water SustainabilityProject. He has worked on environmental and developmentalprojects in Costa Rica, Ecuador and northern Canada. Oliverprovides strategic water policy advice to many governmentsand non-governmental groups, ormerly was a director o the

Veins o Li e Watershed Society and has been re-appointedto the Capital Regional Districts Water Advisor Committee.

Water - as youve noticed! - is a big topic on our island. We need to anticipate and plan well or uture needs and hopeyou can come to this important and in ormative event.


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Inside SSIC

I you have ever admired the beauti ul heritage ruit trees atRuckle Park you may have taken it or granted that they bear

ruit. But 100-year-old trees dont bear ruit without care.Paul Linton, a pro essional tree surgeon, has been trimmingthose trees or approximately ten years. Because o Pauls

Good Stewards III: Paul Lintonexpert pruning some o those heritage ruit trees are back inproduction.

Since 1988 Paul has been the volunteer warden orthe Salt Springs ecological reserves. Parks are or peopleto enjoy, he notes, but reserves protect representative andspecial natural ecosystems or research an education. OurIsland has 1665 acres o ecological reserves, which Paulguards rom many threats such as eral sheep and goats,

rewood cutters, commercial salal gatherers, hunters,hikers and campers. Their incursions, Paul observes, makevulnerable wildfowers harder and harder to nd.

Paul Linton told me that he has always loved nature andeels a special calling to protect the natural environment.

How lucky we are, to have Paul part o our community!Paul also grows and donates the Garry oak seedlings

that the Conservancy sells. He sees Douglas- rs dying onour ecological reserves, leading him to wonder i changingweather is drying out our orests. I we plant oaks, he says,

it will be easier to replace drought-stressed rs. Maxine Leichter

Paul trimming Apple trees in Maureen Milburns orchardPhoto by Maxine Leichter

Conservancy member Paul Linton warns us to be care ul tocheck or the tiny black deer ticks, that live on SSI, when wecome home rom hiking or even gardening. They can transmitLyme disease. I you eel unusually tired, ask a doctor aboutthe possibility o this in ection.

AGM May 12th (Friday): 7:00pm Lions Hall

Guest speaker Dr. Brenda Beckwith, Ethnobotanist, ParksCanada, presents:Knowing Every Corner of the Land: The Importanceof Local Knowledge in Ecological Restoration

It has been written that George Rogers Sr., homesteaderat Christmas Hill, Victoria, in the late 1800s knew everycorner o his land. He managed this land as a working armand as a wildfower preserve or white awn lilies. People whodwell on the land develop an intimate knowledge o it overtime. This place-based understanding may not be rigorousbased in western science, but it has real-world meaning and

application. Local knowledge, such as this account, is animportant component o historical reconstruction studies.Moreover, local knowledge, a broader term that incorporatestraditional ecological knowledge, or TEK, o First Peoplesis integral to the research o cultural landscapes. Whenarchival and anecdotal in ormation, and TEK, are integratedwith contemporary ecological or horticultural studies,this multi aceted ethnoecological approach can providevaluable in ormation or ecological restoration initiatives.This interactive presentation will describe and demonstratethe importance o local knowledge in community-basedrestoration o Garry oak and associated ecosystems in

southwestern British Columbia. A discussion o the challenges

and bene ts o using local knowledge in landscape studieswill be included. Additional themes that will be addressedinclude: the acknowledgement o the aesthetics o landscape;the challenges o restoring heterogeneous communities;the re-incorporation o Indigenous management practicesin todays ecosystems; and, honouring the social role o restoration.

There will be time or questions and discussion, sobring your stories and well try to uncover the roots o yourplace.

Brenda R. Beckwith, Ph.D.Ethnobotanist, Parks Canada, Victoria, and

Adjunct Professor, School of Environmental Studies,University of VictoriaBrenda arrived in Victoria in 1997 rom Cali ornia to

work on her Ph.D. research with Dr. Nancy Turner at theUniversity o Victoria. Her interdisciplinary research ocusedon the ethnoecological reconstruction and restoration o camas landscapes; a prominent eature o the now endangeredGarry oak ecosystems o western Canada. While workingtoward her degree, Brenda has been involved in the designand implementation o management plans and restorationstrategies o regional Garry oak ecosystems. In this capacity,

Continued on page 10



Inside SSIC

On April 2nd and 3rd, the Salt Spring Island Conservancyheld a two-day workshop on Ecosystem Identi cation,Species at Risk and Covenant Monitoring. The workshopwas designed to enable Conservancy board and committeemembers to identi y sensitive and rare ecosystems on SaltSpring and to train them in the skills needed to monitorconservation covenants.

Newly hired sta biologist, Robin Annschild, led aSunday morning session on the bioclimatic zones o SaltSpring. She introduced participants to the two dominantzones on our island: the Coastal Douglas Fir moist maritimezone (mainly at elevations below 400 m) and the CoastalMountain Hemlock zone (at higher elevations). Robinexplained that the Coastal Douglas Fir moist maritimezone is very rare and greatly modi ed by human activity.

Although it provides the habitat or many red and bluelisted (endangered) plant and animal species, less than 2 %o this zone is currently protected in B.C. The participants

studied aerial maps o the various sensitive ecosystems o theGul Islands, ranging rom the coastal blu ecosystem alongrocky shorelines to orest stands dominated by coni ers over100 years old. They learned that, in the last decade, about 11% o these already rare and sensitive ecosystems have beenlost to urther human development on the Islands.

Karen Hudson, executive director o the Conservancy,led a session on species at risk and identi cation o invasiveplants. She told participants that Salt Spring is home tomany endangered species, such as the sharp-tailed snake,a small (less than 1 oot long), secretive, harmless snake

ound in warm rocky sites in the Vesuvius area, and likelyother sites on Salt Spring. The Conservancy is monitoring

populations o this snake, which is emerging rom its winterhibernation at this time o year, and Karen would like to hearrom anyone who thinks they may have seen one. Among

the endangered birds on Salt Spring are the peregrine alcon, Western screech owl, barn owl, and Western bluebird. Rare

plants include phantom orchids, several mosses and thetiny Macouns meadow oam, ound only at Ruckle ParkUn ortunately, many non-native invasive plants are oundon Salt Spring, ranging rom the ubiquitous Scotch broomto escaped garden plants, such as Daphne laurel. TheConservancy has lots o in ormation on endangered andinvasive species, which is reely available to the public. Inthe a ternoon, the participants went on a eld trip to viewsensitive ecosystems on Salt Spring and put their newlygained knowledge to the test.

On Monday, Chis Ferris, who monitors covenants orthe Islands Trust Fund, led a workshop on monitoringconservation covenants. A conservation covenant is a way

or individual landowners to protect sensitive ecosystemson their land in perpetuity. It is voluntary agreement,registered against title to the land, granted by the landownerin avour o two conservation organizations (two, to ensure

Belated Biology

Robin gives a talk at Maxine and Steve Leichters property Photo by Brian Smallshaw

Robin Annschild and Karen Hudson

Continued on page 10


9/16Spring 2006

A ter an extremely popular and success ul Eco-Home Tourin 2005, the Conservancy is organizing a second Eco-HomeTour or Sunday, August 6th. This years tour will eature a dayo guided tours to 8 unique ecological and sustainable homesbuilt on Salt Spring Island. Sustainable home technologieson the tour will include: windmill power, rammed earth,hemp straw bale, cob, straw bale, water-catchment, solar andgreywater systems. I you have a home that is very energye cient, uses passive solar, is o the grid, or was built usingalternative materials, we would love to talk to you aboutparticipating in this years tour.

Volunteers are needed to help with the Tour again thisyear as helpers, gatekeepers, and a variety o other roles.Discounted tickets will be available to all volunteers to attendthe tour. Many volunteers helped out or a ew hours lastyear, and then spent the rest o the day touring the homes.

Advance tickets will be on sale at Salt Spring Bookson June 6th: 250-537-2812. Same day tickets may be

available at 9:00am at Gul Island Secondary School, 112Rainbow Road in Ganges. Carpooling and cycling are highlyencouraged. Please meet to orm carpools at 9:30am. Carscan be parked at GISS parking lot or the day. Tour mapscan be picked up at Salt Spring Books and the Salt SpringIsland Conservancy o ce, Suite #201, Upper Ganges Centrebeginning July 16th.

The Conservancy and the Salt Spring Climate ChangeChallenge are sponsoring this years Eco-Home Tour. Allproceeds go to support the operations o the Conservancy toeducate schoolchildren, the public, and landholders aboutland and water stewardship.

For more in ormation, please call: 250-538-0318, email:

[email protected], or check the Conservancywebsite: http://saltspring.gul slands.com/conservancy/ Lookor urther announcements about the Eco-Home Tour and

extra events being planned in The Gulf Islands Driftwood. Karen Hudson

Eco-Home Tour

Andrew and Adinas yurt - Eco-Home Tour 2005 Windmill on Eco-Home Tour 2006

Conservancy Events



Mud Kids Project Fails to Launch A ew months ago, graduate student Corey Peet was talkingto some local parents about Ganges Harbour when he hada great idea. Why not take the practices he employs in hisresearch, and get high school kids involved in monitoring theharbour? Peet, who is nishing a Masters o Marine Ecologydegree, and studying juvenile salmon stocks, realized thathis methodology could easily be trans erred to a youth-based project. All it would take would be or someone withknowledge to go out and be active to help answer a newlytopical question is the harbour really dead?

To answer this question, such a project would requireseveral trips out just to determine what types o plants andanimals are living in the harbour. Populations would thenbe monitored periodically to see how recent development isa ecting them. Peet suggests looking at the health o speci cstocks and habitats, or example salmon, invertebrates, andeel grass.

Peet believes there are several good reasons that high

school students should get involved with such a project. Somany people are absorbed by the media and the computerworld they orget about the natural world. But this is anabsolutely necessary part o education i we are going tocreate any impetus or sustainability.

However, in contrast to this need Peet sees a negativetrend in how governments are managing environmentalconcerns. There is a continuous lack or cut to unding orguardianship issues, including the sheries, he reports.Lack o unding similarly makes a high school project in the

eld di cult, as it would depend on nding extra resources

or a teacher, a boat, and gas.Briony Penn, the well-known environmental activist

and writer, sees a disturbing ailure to include ecologicalconcerns in education. She eels we place such a lowpriority on learning these issues. We dont as a society evenrecognize that this is important work. As a parent, she alsohas reason criticize the Ministry o Education or its role.There is simply no time in the our-day school week to doanything like this, and the real victims are the kids, saysPenn. I think it is absolutely appalling that we cant even getthe kids to the beach.

Even with time and support rom the school system, ayouth project to monitor the harbour would need to nd adedicated coordinator. Peet has unexpectedly ound himsel moving to Cali ornia or a job, and it is not clear who couldtake his place. When asked i a volunteer youth projectcould possibly replace a school-sponsored one, Briony Pennpoints out that groups like the Conservancy are already at

their limits on volunteer work, and urthermore, these issuesshould demand a bigger priority. We need to have teachersand time to take out our kids. I we want herons, i we wantwhales, i we want porpoises and salmon, weve got to dosomething about it.

As to whether the harbour is already dead and there orenot worth bothering about, Corey Peet thinks its veryunlikely. Ten knots out there are thousands o salmonIwas amazed to learn how many salmon are migrating rightpast here. In the spring they are everywhere you go. Elizabeth Nolan

Robin and Conservancy members Photo by Karen Hudson

that should one cease to exist, the other will still hold thecovenant). In the covenant, the landowner agrees to protectall or a speci ed part o the land on terms agreed betweenthe landowner and the conservation organizations. Theconservation organizations agree to hold the covenant andto carry out annual monitoring o the land in consultation

Continued rom page with the owner. The Salt Spring Island Conservancy holdsand monitors a number o conservation covenants on SaltSpring. Landowners have the satis action o knowing thatthe sensitive eatures o their property will be protected

orever. In addition, they may quali y or a reduction in theircurrent property taxes.

More in ormation about conservation covenants, theecosystems o Salt Spring, endangered species, invasiveplants and practical steps any landowner can take to be agood steward o their land are available rom the Salt SpringIsland Conservancy. Call Karen Hudson, at 538-0318 or visitthe Conservancys web page at http://saltspring.gul slands.com/conservancy.

she has been a member o the management committee orthe Garry Oak Woodlands at Government House, a membero the steering committee or the Garry Oak EcosystemsRecovery Team (GOERT), technical advisor or the GarryOak Restoration Project (GORP), and is currently a membero the board or the Society or Ecological Restoration, BChapter (SER-BC). Brenda works as an ethnobotanist orParks Canada in Victoria and is an Adjunct Pro essor at theUVic where she has taught in the School o EnvironmentalStudies and the Restoration o Natural Systems Program.

Continued rom page


11/1611Spring 2006

Grey/Black Water Systems Tour As a city dweller or most o my li e, there were severalbasic topics about which I remained bliss ully unaware andunconcerned. One o these areas was water consumption:in Vancouver the supply was apparently unlimited, and inmy experience airly clean. My husband and I were quiteannoyed upon moving to Salt Spring to learn that the watercoming through our taps was not t or cooking, muchless drinking. Grudgingly, we added a water service to ourgrowing list o weekly expenses.

Another topic Id probably never given a thought towas where the poop goes. Despite a Grade 8 eld trip to thetreatment plant in Richmond, I never, ever worried abouthow to deal with poop or where it went. In the city, a quickfush sends your sewage immediately out o sight and out o consciousness. On Salt Spring we could smell it. Even awarm day made the make-shi t septic eld just o our deckwoe ully obvious.

Most readers are no doubt already aware o the issues that

Ive become used to over the past three years. As residents o a small, mainly rural island, we are constantly questioningthe availability o water i the current pace o developmentcontinues. We are testing our wells or arsenic and tryingnot to contaminate the ew resh water sources. During thesummer, we restrict our own watering practices or our wellsrun dry. But we can also pay more attention to where thepoop and waste water -- go. Putting a grey water systemin place is one way that homeowners can help manage wateruse more e ciently.

Andrew Haigh is one Salt Spring homeowner who isthinking about these questions. Many know him romSalt Spring Books, which he co-owns with his wi e Adina

Hildebrandt. You may also have met the pair last summer onthe Conservancys Eco-Home tour, where their hemp-balehouse was on view during the rst stages o construction.Haigh has a long history as an entrepreneur in various elds,including selling and installing Czech designed, eco- riendlysewage treatment plants since 1997. He has been eager toput his knowledge into use at his home on Salt Spring withgrey water and black water treatment systems.

Waste water rom the home alls into two categories.Grey water is basically everything rom any sinks, the shower,laundry, etc., while black water is human waste and waterfushed down the toilet. In most homes, both types o wastewater end up together in a septic tank. Solids are taken careo by bacteria, while water eventually fows through diversepoints into a septic eld. However, since grey water accounts

or at least 60% o water used in the home, there are manybene ts to separating grey water or on-site treatment andre-use. As Haigh says, A normal septic system isnt verygood and sewage plants tend to very expensive. I we canseparate [grey and black water], with some thought we cancreate a better system.

According to Haigh, i only 40% o waste water needs togo into the septic system, that system can be much smallerand less burdened. A typical three-bedroom house uses 300gallons o water a day, and requires a 250 square oot septic

eld. With an alternative plan or grey water treatment, theeld need be only about 100 square eet. Haigh eels that a

large septic eld is basically a waste o water. Its not doinganything use ul and its not very well treated.

Grey water does require some treatment, because o bacteria, but it can be rerouted and puri ed through topsoil. This type o use, especially in developing countries andareas with limited resh water access, is quite well-known.Commercial grey water designers Oasis Design note thatwith reuse, plants use otherwise wasted nutrients, limited

resh water resources can be used or human consumptionrather than irrigation, and groundwater is able to recharge.They also cite lower chemical and energy use and the abilityto build in areas unsuitable or conventional treatmentas bene ts; the last could be particularly help ul to SaltSpringers building on rocky terrain.

Haigh has designed a ltration system at his homewhere grey water goes rom a septic tank, to a reed bed, to a

sh pond, to a garden. The sh act as canaries in a coal mine i they are okay, he knows the ltration system is workingand the water can be used. Perhaps more controversial is hisexperimental black water system, a similar series o ltrationplots that ends in a bog garden. As Haigh states, the blackwater going into a normal septic eld can leach into thewater table and the lakes. With this series o treatmenttechnologies, by the time the water gets to the bog gardenits o much higher quality than would come out o mostseptic elds. In a bog garden, a liner sheet keeps the gardenconstantly wet. Any overfow would dissipate undergroundto use ul plants planted around the liner.

Despite the many bene ts to alternative sewage treatment

in an environment like the Gul Islands, it is not somethingthat will easily be done in the near uture. Haigh was able tocreate his system under the Ministry o Healths InnovativeTechnology Program, but rules concerning sewage haverecently been changed to remove any potential liability romthe Ministry. Even a very simple grey water treatment systemwill now require a Registered Designer and a RegisteredInstaller, which all septic installers are now required to be;the problem is nding someone who knows enough aboutalternative grey water treatment. Haigh should have thesecourses completed by later this year. An innovative systemsuch as this will still require an engineers stamp, somethinghe should be able to also arrange.

On Salt Spring, water use and sewage treatment are twoareas that will soon become critical to our ability to thrivehere. They are also issues that already deeply concern anyonewho cares about the place where they choose to live. In the

uture, maybe well all be paying more attention to where thepoop goes. Elizabeth NolanFurther Reading:Gaias Garden by Toby Hemenway. Chelsea Green, 2001.www.oasisdesign.net www.greywater.comwww.crd.bc.ca/water/conservation/recycling/greywaterin o.htm


12/16


13/161Spring 2006

Natural History

A partridge in a pear tree cant compare with a clatter o band-tailed pigeons in an arbutus tree. Or a rummage o robins. They gorge on the berries o autumn, along with

juncos, varied thrushes, purple nches, woodpeckers,blackbirds seems like any bird who likes easy pickings

joins the party. They raise a cacaphony o song and argument,sending showers o red-gold nuggets bouncing o myroo and rolling over the moss like scattered beads. Nowcome the browsing deer, casually vacuuming up the le t-overs o the birds dining. What a

banquet or theanimals!

The Bounti ul Arbutus

Ive heard olks dismissthe arbutus as messy. These treescertainly demonstrate their existence, withscatters o pearl-like forets in spring, shags andcurls o bark in summer, showers o parchment leaves inearly all, cascades o berries mid-autumn, and twigs anytime.Those o us who worship her ( or she cavorts through the

rs and poises on cli s like an acrobatic goddess), see thisshedding as evidence o continual renewal. But we worrythat too many leaves appear diseased, and too many treesare dying.

The U.B.C Botanical Garden on-line orum re ers toarbutus decline. The experts say the trees are strugglingagainst naturally occurring, mildly pathogenic ungi,made more virulent by the sensitivity o the arbutus toits environment. For several years, perhaps decades, ourregion has su ered persistent drought, which stresses the

trees. Add to that their dislike o shade: Douglas rs whichcrowd on the same rocky ground limit the airy, open,sunny terrain the arbutus pre ers. Then theres the human

actor: probably the increasing pollution, including marinepollution, is a signi cant stressor in our area. Closer tohome, compacting or saturating the soils around their roots,or pruning their limbs (thereby admitting disease-causingorganisms) may cause the trees to die. Aside rom givingthe trees space and light, staying away rom their roots, andcontrolling competing trees, theres not much we can do tosupport their good health. Irrigating established trees is notrecommended, since it encourages sur acerooting (usually s h o r t - l i v e d ) .

Moreover, in summerthe trees are somewhat

dormant.During the past

year who hasntbeen struck bythe extraordinaryabundance ofowers and ruitproduced bylocal arbutus? While proliseeding may bea sign o stressit is also part oa natural cycle,and not anindication that a

given tree is about to expire.It seems the best we can do is stand back, and minimize

our human infuence on this most grace ul o trees.By the way, was that a ruckus o ravens I noticed this

morning, pecking high ruit in top-heavy glee? And whatwee creature stowed the hal -dozen arbutus berries in thetoe o my boot last night, outside the back door? Wendy Hilliard



That Next Plane RideFeatures

Airplanes are ugly emitters o greenhouse gases, and GHGs arepartly responsible or our planetary thermostat getting badlyout o whack. We all know that. What we might not knowis that the Kyoto Protocol doesnt include emissions rominternational fights. Why? Can you believe it? Negotiatorscouldnt gure out how to divide up responsibilities!

Apparently no th graders were invited to help. They letairlines o the hook.

From a Sierra Club o Canada news note I learned thataircra t are the most polluting orm o transportation weveyet devised, and the astest-growing. Aircra t burn the most

uel per mile during takeo and landing, but it is the travelat high altitudes that puts the crap exactly where it will doits worst.

Now listen up: aviation uel is not taxed at all. Zip, nada. We subsidise the most polluting orm o transport.

Judy and I are trying to cut back on our own productiono greenhouse gases. An apple rom New Zealand or a tomato

rom Cali ornia just wont make it to our table. We boughta car that gets 70 mpg on diesel uel and use it or all on-Island trips that dont involve a yard o manure or a buncho rewood. We pick up hitchhikers so they can give ourSmartCar powerplant (gerbils) a rest. Sweaters solve thechilly-house issue. I go to only one-third o the meetings towhich Im invited.

THEN WE GO ON AN AIRPLANE RIDE! Thats it. Weve blown our whole money-squeezing, energy-savingprogram.

So what do we do? Most o our air travel is to visitamily, and, darn it, that eels important. Lives and times

have conspired to separate our kids widely: San Francisco,

Alaska and New York. Sibs are in Switzerland, Ontario, NewEngland and North Carolina. I we visited each one everyother year which we dont that would mean three longfights annually. We love to see other parts o the world thatarent practical to drive to. Since 1999 weve been to Inuvikonce and HawaiI thrice. My head says thats too much, mylandscape-lovin heart says it aint enough by hal .

And what happens when St. Peter says Times up! toone or another o our pushing-80s relations? Wed like to saygoodbye. More GHG beclouding the sun. Ive had enoughpractice eeling guilty that I know I can carry the load, butthat doesnt help the planet or our grandkids. With luck welldie rst so they can eel guilty.

To tell the truth, I dont know what to do. We can lobbythe P.M. to tax aviation uel so prices go up and I cant a ordto fy. Maybe manu acturers, who plan to double the worldsaircra t feet in 15 years, can be convinced to make thosebehemoths more e cient. Maybe we can gure out how totake Amtrac to San Francisco next time we see our son.

I have a list o trips we wanted to take but didnt. Willthat help?

Oh, in case you thought o this, too, i Judy and I wantedto move to the spot de ned by the lowest sum o distances torelatives even weighting against kin we dont kith so o tenwed live just outside Foxwarren, Manitoba. Thats dj vu

all over again: we le t Alaska to get away rom congealewinters and mosquitoes.

I keep tripping over the idea that the plane will fywhether or not Im on it. The fight wont be cancelled untila threshold number o olks dont go. I have the eeling thatnothing much will change until big batches o discretionaryusers corporate travellers, convention goers and holidaycharters, or instance decide that virtual meetings arevirtuous and that a holiday on the ground can be OK.

While Im in the throes o personal puzzles over air travel,the mail is sure to bring me a fyer rom UBC announcinggrand trips theyve been able to o er with help rom thetravel business. I might get another rom a big conservationorganisation like National Audubon Society. UBC doesit to help alumni, but someone who can a ord a fight to

Antarctica can get there without help. The university (whosepro s may have helped to blow the whistle on greenhousegases) ought to be concerned enough about our planet to

back away rom promoting air travel. And, yes, Auduboneatures trips to places where there are lions and tigers andsuch, but that doesnt justi y promoting air travel. Maybe, inboth cases, the process has been shu fed o to a departmentwhose goals are more corporate than conserving. Bob Weeden

To Plant This Acorn......Occupied many hands, and they made light work o it.I elt nothing like an olde tyme editor - no urrowed brow,ink-stained hands, 3:00am alarms or empty brandy fasks

in desk drawer - and more like Mr. Gilberts Admiral whoblunders about while is Navy well serves the Queen withouthim.

The Navy in this case starts with the Regular O cerswho do their jobs by rote. Theres Maureen Bendick withher presidential message, Karen Hudson with her insidersview on how we unction, board member Jean Gelwickscontributing all things educational, and SSIC director BrianSmallshaw with his lectronic legerdemain pulling acornsout o a hat into which I threw a potpourri o ound objects.Maxine Leichter is close to becoming a reluctant Regularwriter about Good Stewards.

Also, you may have noticed two contributors, each o whom red both barrels in their debut salute in this issue.Elizabeth Nolan and Wendy Hilliard, excellent writers,have ormed an O cers Reserve that will help make (readunknowingly take over) uture Acorns lively and engaging.

A ter Apple Photo converts the weightless and unlovableelectrons to tactile, cherishable paper, the crew in the engineroom does its crucial job. Ive happened upon this set o swabs (Rumiko Kanesaka, Nigel Denyer, Andrea LeBorgne,Dick Willmott, Ruth Taraso , Jean Gelwicks and o ten others

olding, labeling, sealing and sorting 400 copies or more o our newsletter. To my Calvinist soul they were having ar toomuch un. Better cut their ration o grog and du .


15/161Spring 2006

Editor: Bob WeedenLayout: Brian Smallshaw

Board o Directors:

Samantha Beare (Treasurer)Maureen Bendick (President)Nigel DenyerCharles Dorworth

Jean GelwicksMaxine LeichterSteve LeichterLinda Quiring (Vice-president)Brian SmallshawRuth Taraso Bob Weeden (Secretary)Doug Wilkins

The Salt Spring IslandConservancy#201 Upper Ganges Centre,338 Lower Ganges Rd.Mail: PO Box 722,Salt Spring Island BC

V8K 2W3O ce hours : Tues/Wed/Thurs10 am - 3 pmPhone: (250) 538-0318Fax: (250) 538-0319Email:[email protected]

Web site:http://saltspring.gul slands.com/ conservancy

The Acorn is the newsletter o the Salt Spring Island Conservancy, a local non-pro t society supporting and enablingvoluntary preservation and restoration o the natural environment o Salt Spring Island and surrounding waters. We welcomeyour eedback and contributions, by email to [email protected] or by regular mail. Opinions expressed hereare the authors, not subject to Conservancy approval.

Membership Application Youth (Under 16) 1 yr @ $15 _Senior or Low-Income: 1 yr @ $20 _ 3 yr @ $60 _Regular Single 1 yr @ $25 _ 3 yr @ $75 _Regular Family 1 yr @ $35 _ 3 yr @ $105 _Group/School 1 yr @ $35 _ 3 yr @ $105 _Business 1 yr @ $55 _ 3 yr @ $165 _

Name: ______________________________________Address: ________________________________________________________________________________

Postal Code: _________________________________Phone: ______________________________________Email: _______________________________________

r Please send me the Acorn via e-mail. (We NEVER give out members email addresses to anyone!)

r This is a renewal or an existing membership

Donations In addition to my membership ee above, I have enclosed

my donation in the amount o :$50 _ $100 _ $250 _ $500 _ $1000_ $2500 _ $5000 _Other ___________

Tax receipts will be provided or donations o $20 or more.

Volunteer Opportunities

We have a Volunteer Application Formthat best describes areas you wish tohelp in. For now, which areas interestyou? Please check o :r O ce Work (typing, ling or

computer work)r In ormation Table at Saturday

Market (May through September)r Education Programsr Annual Fundraising Eventsr In ormation Table at SSI

Community Eventsr Joining a SSIC Committee (Land

Restoration & Management,Fundraising, Covenants, Acquisitions, Education,Stewardship, or EnvironmentalGovernance)

r Other: ______________________

Printed on 18% recycled paper

Essential details

Help Wanted: Do you like talking to riendly people? Do you have 4-8 hours a week that you could volunteer

to the Conservancy? We need YOU to volunteer!Please call Karen 538-0318 or more in ormation.

Items Wanted:Donations o any o the ollowing grate ully received.

O fce Items Other Items Vacuum cleaner Saws, clippers

Speaker phone CompassLaptop computer LoppersSmall re rigerator Hand secateurs

We would also appreciate donations o gi ts, such as newbooks or items related to nature or conservation, to give toour educational speakers, who volunteer their time.

O fce UpdateGarry Oak SeedlingsThanks to a very generous donation by Paul Linton, theConservancy now has about 600 Garry oaks, gathered asnuts in 04, planted, and now potted in 8 pots in gooddirt. We are selling them as a undraiser or $10 each, or3 or $25. We encourage Salt Spring landowners that livein current or ormer Garry oak ecosystems to plant oaks,and we can provide in ormation on the best way to do so.Please call 538-0318 to arrange purchase o oaks, or ormore in ormation about endangered Garry oak ecosystemson Salt Spring.

Small Things Help!Please remember to put your shopping receipt in thegreen Conservancy receipt box at GVM, and to sayCredit #58 at the check-out at Thri tys. You can

also credit the Conservancy when you take back yourbottles to the Salt Spring Re und Centre (Bottle Depotat GVM). Every little bit helps!

Ganges PO Box 722Salt Spring Island BC

V8K 2W3


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40026325Ganges PO Box 722Salt Spring Island BC

V8K 2W3

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Spring 2006 Acorn Newsletter - Salt Spring Island Conservancy

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