Volunteer Covenant Monitoring Program Completed for 2014

TLC has wrapped up its volunteer-based covenant monitoring program for 2014. Thank you to our dedicated team of volunteers who gave their time and skills from May through August. With their help we have met our monitoring commitments at over 90 covenanted properties around southern Vancouver Island.

The team’s last monitoring day was Friday, August 15 at two covenants protecting rare Garry Oak ecosystem adjacent to Mill Hill Regional Park. These covenants were placed on two sections of land by the developer, who believed in the importance of conservation and sustainable development. TLC works with the stratas that own the land and ensures the covenanted area is being protected in its natural state.

This year TLC had the added responsibility of carrying on a study of a rare, Garry oak ecosystem-associated wildflower found within the covenanted area, called white-top aster (Sericocarpus rigidus). Protective measures such as deer fencing, photo-point monitoring, and invasive plant removal were begun by the Garry Oak Ecosystem Restoration Team in 2008. TLC was pleased to be able to continue GOERT’s work this year, with a count of the wildflower populations and extensive photo-point monitoring. We hope to return to continue the invasive plant control at this site in the near future.

If you are interested in becoming part of TLC’s covenant monitoring team in 2015, please check back in the Spring. It’s a great opportunity to gain practical experience and skills, as well as being an invaluable part of TLC’s annual work.

If you would like to support the TLC monitoring program that protects over 230 sites throughout BC with covenants, please donate today.