Over the course of four separate Friday afternoons in October and November, TLC hosted covenant monitoring workshops at the University of Victoria (UVic). Students and members of the general public gathered together and learned about the standardized monitoring techniques that TLC uses to compile data on the covenants. These data allow us to determine if the covenant is healthy, undergoing any change (e.g. seasonal, or disturbance from nearby developments) and whether invasive species are present or not.
The workshops were two hours long, with the first hour taking place in a classroom and the second hour in Cunningham Woods, a small forested site within Ring Road at UVic. These woods served as our outdoor classroom, and enabled us to demonstrate the things we had learned in class. Cunningham Woods was recently slated as a potential site for development in the new UVic campus management plan, but has since been taken off the development list due to a large outcry from students who want to see these woods preserved. Cunningham Woods, though small and heavily infested with invasive species, is also a site with considerable amounts of standing dead wood (also known as wildlife trees) and coarse woody debris (any dead wood lying on the ground that is in some stage of decomposition). While they may not look “pretty”, these features are incredibly important to create structural diversity of the forest, which is important for bird habitat. The rotting wood is also home to various fungi, which break down the nutrients and help return them to the system to be used again. Even with the presence of the invasive species, Cunningham Woods is still a functional, thriving green haven for students that just want a breath of fresh air, and maybe to catch a glimpse of a pileated woodpecker, one of the birds commonly found on site.
TLC partnered with the Environmental Restoration Club (ER Club) of UVic, who have been actively restoring the site since 2012. Together, we walked the perimeter of the woods and divided them into two regions, one quite a bit wetter than the other and therefore supports different species. Using GPS, we also outlined the areas that had undergone restoration (mostly invasive species removal and some planting of native seedlings) to get an idea of the landscape and the changes it’s undergone.
The first workshop introduced what covenants are, and how they can be used as effective tools for conserving land. The workshop also introduced standardized ecological inventory forms, known as ground inspection forms, which are used to compile both biotic and abiotic attributes of the area. Everything from GPS coordinates to type of soil, and all the plants, animals and fungi in between, are recorded on these forms.
The second workshop covered the photo-point monitoring technique, where photographs are taken from the exact same spot (found via GPS) each year to track landscape changes. After choosing a spot that is representative of the region, four photos are taken (North, East, South and West), as well as one more showing the spot from which those photos were taken. The spot is then triangulated using two permanent structures nearby (e.g. a large standing tree, a boulder), ideally things that are significant enough to remain for many years and be recognized. These structures are termed “witness markers” and the distances from each witness marker to the photograph spot are recorded. This, combined with a simple sketch of the site overall, serve as “back-ups” to find the spot again, should GPS technology fail. In the bush, you never want to rely solely on technology as it can, and often does, experience hiccups! Additionally, with lots of canopy cover from bushy trees, the accuracy of the GPS unit can range from 2-10 metres. It is hard to find a specific spot when you have a range of 10 metres!
The third workshop focused on identifying and classifying hazard, aka wildlife, trees. These trees, as stated before, are important for bird life and fungi, and should also be noted as they can fall down and potentially injure someone. The workshop also covered soils – how to dig a soil pit and identify the different layers, and what these layers tell you about the hydrology and nutrients at the site. One of the methods of classification involved a “taste test” of the soil, to help determine how coarse or fine the fragments are, and therefore how much water they can hold. The pictures included here show TLC staff member Andrew MacKinnon digging our first soil pit while students look on. One dedicated volunteer leader of the ER Club, Lindsay Kathrens, braved the soil and decided it wasn’t too bad, and soon enough we were all munching away.
The last workshop was entirely field based, and incorporated all previous workshop information. We walked the perimeter of the woods, dug another soil pit, established a photo-point monitoring site, and filled out the ground inspection form. The workshops were educational and successful in getting students outside to learn, and saw about 10-20 participants each time.
TLC hopes to continue using Cunningham Woods as a training ground, and considering the site is no longer on the table for development, this has high potential.
TLC has plans to monitor riparian area covenants during January and February to investigate the seasonal changes from increased rainfall. If you’re interested in attending these covenant monitoring visits, and/or future workshops, please email Torrey Archer, the Covenant Coordinator, at covenants@conservancy.bc.ca or call TLC’s office at (250) 479-8053 for more information.
You can help TLC continue to protect important ecosystems sustainably across BC by supporting the monitoring and enforcement of TLC covenants. Please complete our online donation form to show your support today!
Photo Credit Torrey Archer.
