Denman Conservancy Association

P.O. Box 60 Denman Island BC CANADA V0R 1T0

Central Park

Settlement Lands

Morrison Marsh

Lindsay-Dickson N R

Winter Wren Wood

Inner Island N R

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Stewardship

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Wetland in Central Park, Denman Island.

Residents of Denman Island (1200 of us) and our many visitors treasure the natural environment of the Island. The Conservancy focuses our efforts on its protection. We have had some success and we have much more work to do. Explore below for an understanding of our island's ecology and our work to preserve it.

Denman Island is located in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada. It is a small rural gulf island near the east coast of Vancouver Island south of Courtenay.

The Denman Conservancy Association was founded in 1991 by a group of volunteer community members who came together with the goal of preserving unique, environmentally sensitive and historically important parcels of land on Denman Island, B.C.

Denman Island is one of the few remaining places where visitors can experience the quiet grandeur of an original forest in the Coastal Douglas fir (CDF) biogeoclimatic zone. Less than 1% of the CDF zone remains in its natural state; of that 1%, only a small fraction is protected. The rest, including remaining stands on Denman and other Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia, is perenially under the threat of logging and/or development.

Until 2006 about 5% of Denman Island was set aside for park land and nature reserves. Since then, largely due to initiatives of DCA this percentage has been increased to almost 10% by the addition of conservation covenants and acquisition of land for conservation.

Click on each of the properties shown on the map below to see detailed information.

Morrison Marsh N R Lindsay Dickson N R Central Park Inner Island N R Settlement Lands Railway Marsh Covenant Komas Bluff Covenant Chocolate Factory Covenant Winter Wren Wood Danes Creek Covenant North Danes Creek Covenant South

In addition our voluntary stewardship program , and the dedication of many private land owners on the Island ensures that conservation is well served on Denman Island.

Denman Island Conservation Notes is a Blog dedicated to Nature observations on the Island. DCA members are invited to contribute to this Blog. Members please e-mail or phone John Millen to be registered and receive instructions on how to make your own 'Posts'.

SUCCESSES:

Conservation Covenants placed on Komas Bluffs
and
Railway Grade Marsh
and
156 acre Settlement Lands acquired by DCA

  • As a result of the settlement of DCA's legal case against 4064 Investment Ltd. significant additional land has been set side for conservation on Denman Island. For more about the legal case see Press Release & Case History.

Central Park property bought by DCA

  • A 147 acre block in the middle of Denman Island was purchased in September 2006. This land is adjacent to Denman Road, the major thoroughfare across the island. Central Park is the southern anchor to a chain of conservation proprties and Crown Land that stretches northwest for 5km to the shore of Chickadee Lake. See 'Vision' map & Newletter.

Morrison Marsh Property Preserved

  • A 125-acre block of forested land, adjacent to Boyle Point Park has been donated to Islands Trust Fund, to be preserved in perpetuity for its conservation values. DCA holds a conservation covenant on this land and has been appointed manager of the Reserve for the Islands Trust Fund Board.
    see also Times Colonist article

Lindsay-Dickson Forest Preserved

  • The Islands Trust Fund of BC has acquired the 134-acre Lindsay-Dickson forest for preservation. It is a rare remaining fragment of the ancient forest ecosystem that once covered coastal British Columbia. Conservancy holds a conservation covenant on this land and been appointed manager of the Reserve for the Islands Trust Fund Board.
    Description and Photos

Winter Wren Wood property purchased in 2000

  • Conservancy purchased a key six acre parcel on Lake Road on November 30, 2000. It is six forested acres at the southwest corner of Chickadee Lake. The land is bisected by Lake Road. On its South side, the property abuts a quarter section of Crown Land. To the West, it abuts the Crown-owned Chickadee Place which occupies the Western foreshore of Chickadee lake. To the East it joins the 80 acre Chickadee Lake foreshore parcel which the Conservancy worked hard to purchase but was unable to reach agreement with the owner. The DCA remains interested in realizing the conservation of this parcel.

Inner Island Nature Reserve

  • In 1992 the Conservancy acquired the 10-hectares comprising Inner Island Nature Reserve and donated the land to Islands Trust Fund. This property connects to an existing 23-hectare nature reserve around a large beaver pond, creating a sanctuary for over 60 species of birds as well as beaver, mink and river otter. DCA holds a conservation covenant on the Inner Island Reserve and manages it for ITF.


Denman Conservancy is a signatory to the Declaration on the Principles of Parks and strongly endorses these principles.

Aerial photo of Denman Island
Denman Island with Hornby Island at right
Vancouver Island at left
(photo by Lynn Thompson)

Donate Online to the Denman Conservancy Association Endowment Fund

The purpose of the Denman Conservancy Association Endowment Fund is to provide funds for the future management of properties acquired by the Denman Conservancy Association. The fund is held and managed by the Vancouver Foundation.


For more information, to become a member, or to make a donation please contact the following:

The Secretary
Denman Conservancy Association
Box 60
Denman Island, B.C. V0R 1T0

or:

Site updated on 10 March 2012 © copyright 2007-2012 Denman Conservancy Association