NEWS RELEASE
MILLSTREAM CREEK WATERSHED CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCED WITH
4:1 MATCHING GIFT OPPORTUNITY
Charity to receive $248,000 in grant funding to support the acquisition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 12, 2020
Victoria, BC – The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC) has launched a new fundraising campaign to protect 27 acres of Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF) ecosystem in the Millstream Creek Watershed. Located in the District of Highlands, this lush and diverse mature forest includes characteristic veteran trees and three different wetland types (sedge marsh, hardhack marsh, and skunk cabbage swamp) found between undulating hummocks topped with rocky outcrops of Garry oak and arbutus.
The smallest and most at-risk zone in British Columbia, the CDF biogeoclimatic zone is home to species at risk including the Northern red-legged frog (Rana aurora) (listed as Special Concern by COSEWIC and federally under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA)). Of all the zones in the province, the CDF has been most altered by human activities. Less than 1% of the CDF remains in old growth forests and 49% of the land base has been permanently converted by human activities.
The Millstream Creek Watershed property also provides connectivity for wildlife and the local watershed. With two defined creeks (Earsman Creek in the east and an unnamed creek in the west) and numerous ephemeral streams, the parcel functions as a water source for the sensitive lake system found to the south. Protecting this parcel would secure a more intact watershed ecosystem. Further, this mature forest supports greater connectivity of wildlife corridors including the adjacent 42-acre Mary Lake Nature Sanctuary and established Capital Regional District (CRD) parks in the area.
The Millstream Creek Watershed campaign is supported by $248,000 from available government grants. TLC aims to raise a remaining $375,000 to protect this precious habitat by the end of the year. An anonymous donor has generously offered to match gifts toward this goal at ratio of 4:1, until December 31, 2020. With this opportunity, TLC seeks to raise a further $75,000 to secure the Millstream Creek Watershed.
“TLC envisions a future for the site that protects the vast biological diversity found within its boundaries while including educational opportunities for participants in the land trust’s existing Passport to Nature Program and Deertrails Naturalist Program,” said Cathy Armstrong, TLC Executive Director. “Partnership opportunities with the local like-minded organizations and Indigenous communities abound to support education surrounding the importance of conservation, from both scientific and traditional perspectives, as well as appropriate restoration activities.”
Support for the Millstream Creek Watershed acquisition can be arranged by calling TLC at 1-877-485-2422 or by giving online today at www.conservancy.bc.ca/millstream.
About
The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC) is a non-profit, charitable Land Trust working throughout British Columbia. TLC’s primary mandate is to benefit the community by protecting habitat for natural communities of plants and animals. Founded in 1997, TLC is membership-based and governed by an elected, volunteer Board of Directors. TLC relies on a strong membership and volunteer base to help maintain its operations.
Learn more about TLC’s Millstream Creek Watershed Campaign, other projects, and programs at www.conservancy.bc.ca.
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Media contact:
Cathy Armstrong
TLC Executive Director
Office (250) 479-8053
Cell (250) 588-4945
Email carmstrong@conservancy.bc.ca
