May 1, 2022
Dear Friends of Conservation,
It might be spring, but this week in the Clearwater River Valley we witnessed hail and flurries, trails hidden knee-deep in snow, ice-covered bodies of water, and below zero temperatures. Despite the cold, small signs of spring’s arrival are sprinkled throughout TLC’s Clearwater Wetlands and Wildlife Corridors: brilliant, blooming swamp lanterns are beaconing bears, sandhill cranes with necks elegantly extended in flight are announcing their return with rattling bugle calls, and a pair of hardworking beavers have increased their activity to stop the flow of the spring melt.
As I write this letter to update you on TLC’s current activities and programming, I have just returned from a hike with Deertrails Naturalist Program participants and our volunteer naturalist instructors through our protected area and neighbouring Wells Gray Provincial Park. During this week-long intergenerational, place-based learning opportunity, 11 participants joined instructors Briony Penn, Lyn Baldwin, Nancy Flood, Maleea Acker, Trevor Goward, and Nancy Turner to share their naturalist knowledge while exploring TLC’s 140 acres of wetland, meadow, and forest in the Valley. We were also honoured to learn about the Indigenous history of the Valley from former Simpcw Chief and Thompson Rivers University Chancellor Nathan Matthew.
Our wetlands including ancient swamp and shrub fen are alive with the return of migratory birds, bats enjoying a buffet of bugs, and motoring muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus). Early one morning we caught sight of a bushy red and blond tail belonging to a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) darting into our 8-acre meadow featuring Canada’s richest assemblage of Moonwort ferns (Botrychium virginianum). In our wildlife corridors we have witnessed evidence of moose (Alces alces), black bear (Ursus americanus), and grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) including excrement, tracks, fur, and even a couple of glimpses! This week has been full of binoculars, hand lenses, and journals, and Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia was never far from their fingertips!
Experiencing the curiosity of Deertrails participants has been heartwarming.
These opportunities for aspiring naturalists to explore the natural world with seasoned experts are few and far between. From peat bogs to glacial lakes, dust lichen to mountain caribou, subject matter explored naturalists’ connections to these areas of conservation and the narratives we share. Bringing together a multi-disciplined, blended approach with poetry, mapping, nature journaling, hiking, species identification, and more, TLC’s Deertrails Naturalist Program has rejuvenated participants and instructors alike while strengthening their connection to place.
The relationships participants are building between one another and with our experts strengthen our collective culture of conservation here in B.C. as they take away a profound sense of the importance of these habitats and ecosystems. This was echoed in the feedback participants have shared with us: they were blown away by our protected area, and our knowledgeable and enthusiastic instructors. One participant’s comment has stuck with me: “Deertrails is the community connection I needed to remind me of what’s possible.”
While COVID-19 has splintered community for many and made gatherings so difficult over the last two years, this session has reinforced just how important this in-person educational programming truly is. I am thrilled that the program exceeded participants’ expectations and that the group has such a strong desire to stay connected to one another, the instructors, and TLC following the program. They are already brainstorming ways to connect and get together again!
In addition to their ecological value, sites like the Clearwater Wetlands and Wildlife Corridors
provide unique opportunities for research and education.
In order to protect sites like these for their ecological, educational, and cultural values, TLC must invest in their continued stewardship; the initial costs of acquisition are just the beginning. Maintaining property can involve repairs, ecological restoration, monitoring fire risk, upkeep of pathways or fencing, and more. Of course, acquiring parcels through direct acquisition is not the only means by which the organization protects at-risk ecosystems and habitats. For sites of ecological importance that cannot be acquired, conservation covenants offer an alternative legal protective measure. This year we announced the protection of 16.6 acres of rare and sensitive forests on the Sunshine Coast known as Gospel Rock. Conservation covenants, while a more cost-effective method of protection, also require continued resources for annual monitoring and stewardship.
We need your help to protect special places for years to come.
Today marks TLC’s 25th anniversary of conservation. Over the last 25 years supporters like you have helped protect more than 12,000 acres with 250 conservation covenants and a further 2,784 acres of habitat where the organization holds title. To celebrate this achievement, we are raising funds to support our most precious ecosystems for decades to come. The 25th Anniversary Endowment Fund, to be held with the Victoria Foundation, will support ongoing costs we accrue as we continue to protect these special places in perpetuity. We were pleased to announce that donors have stepped forward to match gifts made to the endowment fund dollar for dollar up to $40,000. That means that for each dollar you donate today we receive two!
Will you join other donors in supporting TLC’s vital work?
Please consider donating online or by calling 1-877-485-2422 to make your donation today towards protecting and maintaining sites like the Clearwater Wetlands and Wildlife Corridors in perpetuity. Donations are eligible for 2022 tax receipts.
Thank you for generously supporting TLC’s vital work. Your passion and support are making a difference in protecting B.C.’s most precious ecosystems for years to come!
With gratitude,
Cathy Armstrong
Executive Director
