May 26, 2017
Dear Friends of Conservation,
This year will be recorded in TLC’s history as one of outstanding achievement. Together we have accomplished what many thought was impossible with the successful completion of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) process. TLC has emerged from creditor protection more focused and ready to tackle our next challenges in the name of conservation.
This month we celebrate another significant milestone for the organization; May 2017 marks TLC’s 20th year of conservation. Over the last two decades we have seen some difficult times, but we have also achieved some incredibly brilliant acts of conservation.
TLC’s Covenant Program now protects more than 12,750 acres throughout the province. These protected areas include streams, lakes, riparian areas, forests, greenbelts, and rare and endangered species.
Throughout TLC’s recent restructuring the monitoring of our covenants remained a priority with our Board of Directors. In the last year our Covenant Program has been able to successfully
- train 219 volunteers from other land trusts and students from the University of Victoria and Vancouver Island University to identify invasive species and monitor covenants using scientific methods;
- support volunteers in donating 975 hours to protect ecologically important sites while learning hands-on monitoring and restoration skills; and
- remove more than 136 m3 of Scotch broom, ivy and other invasive species from covenant areas, roadsides and parks.
This spring our Covenant Program has successfully held three stewardship events at Ayum Creek Regional Park Reserve to remove invasive periwinkle (Vinca minor) from 2,500 square feet of sensitive habitat. While pleasing to look at (if you’re not an ecologist) this species is invasive in our Coastal Douglas Fir (moist maritime) biogeoclimatic zone.
Partnering with the CRD and the Greater Victoria Green Team, our Covenant Program staff and volunteers were also able to remove 60 lbs of garbage and approximately 4 m3 of invasive species including English ivy, English holly, Himalayan blackberry and daphne laurel from TLC’s conservation covenant at Atkins Road, located near Thetis Lake in Victoria.
Invasive species like these are crowding out native vegetation, threatening our ecosystems and putting sensitive species at risk of extinction. TLC’s Ayum Creek Covenant protects 15.5 acres of habitat for spawning salmon, western red-backed salamanders, BC red-listed (aka “endangered or threatened”) purple martins, and BC blue-listed (aka “of special concern”) Pacific sideband snails.
Annual monitoring of covenanted lands like Ayum Creek and Atkins Road are critical to their conservation. Monitoring ensures that invasive species are held in balance and alerts us to the areas of greatest need for our restoration efforts.
Monitoring and enforcing TLC’s conservation covenant portfolio also provides opportunities for students to learn about invasive species, scientific monitoring methods and land protection. When volunteers come out to join us in our monitoring, or help us restore a site under threat from invasive species, they learn hands-on skills in restoration, covenant monitoring, species identification and have the opportunity to reconnect with nature and learn from one another, as each person brings a unique set of skills and insight.
We need your help to continue the monitoring and restoration work required to protect ecologically sensitive covenants for all species.
Funds are needed to cover the cost of restoration tools, monitoring equipment, transportation, staffing and supporting our volunteer network. With an annual gift of $1,600 or a monthly donation of $133, you can support the monitoring and continued protection of one of TLC’s conservation covenants for the entire next year.
An economical and collaborative means of protecting a wide range of special places, conservation covenants, our volunteer model and partnerships with other land trusts and groups like the Greater Victoria Green Team allow TLC to leverage volunteer resources, making your gifts go further.
This year you can make an even greater impact on the 241 conservation covenants that TLC holds for protection throughout the province.
Frances Sloan Sainas, Chair of TLC’s Board of Directors, has issued a challenge to those who respect and appreciate our beautiful and often sensitive ecosystems: to celebrate TLC’s 20th year of conservation, Frances will personally match gifts up to $20,000 for the Covenant Program.
On the ground I witness how truly spectacular the covenants we hold are. Ranging from less than an acre in size to over 2,300 acres, each one protects important habitat for the species that find refuge there. Please consider sponsoring a covenant or a restoration event today to take advantage of Frances’ generous matching gift offer. Donations to the Covenant Program are eligible for 2017 tax receipts.
You can make a difference for habitats like Ayum Creek. Your financial support is essential as we continue to enhance our Covenant Program. Thank you for your dedication to protecting important habitat throughout B.C. for the past 20 years. We would not be here today without you!
Sincerely,
Torrey Archer
Covenant Manager
P.S. Our volunteers bring a variety of backgrounds to our monitoring and restoration activities. All skill levels are welcome provided you are comfortable with the physical activity we have planned for the particular event. If you are interested in getting involved please don’t hesitate to give me a call at 250-479-8053 or email covenants@conservancy.bc.ca for more details.
