Denman Conservancy Association

At the Annual General Meeting of DCA, in March 2006, the first “Doug Olstead Award” of two hundred dollars ($200) was given to Robin Michin for his volunteer work at Recycle. Unfortunately, no student has applied for this award since then.

Volunteer opportunities abound on Denman; assist a “not for profit” group such as: Concerts Denman, The Seniors, DCA with Walks and Talks or trail building, Marine Stewardship with beach clean up, help a senior or a shut-in for free, or work at Recycle. These are just some suggestions. Scholastic excellence is not a primary factor to apply for this award.

Any interested student or a person knowing a student whose name should be brought to the attention of DCA should do so in writing before Dec. 31, 2008 to Box 60 Denman Island, B.C. V0R 1T0 or contact Carol Freeman for further information 335-2535.

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

March 3rd 8:00 p.m. in the Back Hall. See you there. Renew your membership, ask questions, and offer ideas. As always, the Board relies on the ideas, energy and enthusiasm of the general membership. If you are interested in joining the Board, please call Denise Mackean (335-1608) to put your name forward for nomination.

What! No Home and Garden Tour in 2008?

It’s true! There will be no Home and Garden Tour in 2008. But don’t be upset--the tour will be back in 2009. This event has been going non-stop for 17 years and needs some refocusing to stay current. Our plan is to take this next summer off to re-think, re-new and re-launch the amazing Denman Island Home and Garden Tour.

The tour was started all those years ago to raise money for the purchase of the Inner Island Nature Reserve and the Lindsay-Dickson Forest. Literally thousands of volunteers have participated in this fabulous and famous fund-raiser, supported by gardeners and nature lovers on Denman Island and as far afield as Japan. Over the years the tour has provided many thousands of dollars to fund projects and purchases by DCA. We honour the contributions of all the gardeners, volunteers and co-coordinators whose efforts have made our Tour a delightful experience and an effective fund-raiser.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, all those who contributed to the DCA's Home and Garden Tour can feel quite proud. Garden tours have become very popular since our tour began. Our tour is clearly among the best but there is still a lot of competition for gardeners' attention. Ferry fares are rising to new, dizzying heights and are starting to scare off tour goers. In recent years we have depended on the same few gardeners to be the mainstays of the tour. This year two of those wonderful spaces will not be available to us. That felt like a sign that something needed to change. When we decided not to have the tour this year we didn’t know that a much smaller ferry would be replacing the Quinitsa until June at the earliest. Given the history of this ferry not returning to service as scheduled, it makes even more sense to take this year off. Are we psychic or what?

What would you like to see in 2009? More vegetable gardens? Green building techniques? Designer outhouses? Want to be on the Tour in 2009? We very much value and welcome your input and want to hear from you! Please contact LeeAndra Jacobs at 335-1802 or write to the DCA fund-raising committee at Box 60, Denman Island, B.C. V0R 1T0

Fundraising Update

DCA has been making fabulous progress in raising the funds necessary to meet our main objective, paying for Central Park. Our work began in earnest March 2006 when Conservancy’s membership unanimously approved acquisition of the 147-acre property. In less than two years we’ve staged two letter-writing campaigns, two garden tours, a gala evening of entertainment headlined by Todd Butler with a silent auction, an evening with Robert Bateman and a woven rug raffle. We’ve received funds through the Boxall bequest, the Forestry Cooperative’s gift, memberships, sales of T-shirts, jewellery, maps, the Fall Faire book sale, and the many donations directed to DCA from supporters near and far. Several of our friends and families have made thoughtful gifts to us through contributions to Conservancy.

Payment Review: The initial payment of $298,000 was made in September 2006. Our first mortgage payment of $40,000 was made in April 2007 and we have the funds to pay the next one in April 2008. We’ll then have three more payments of $40,000 each to go, the mortgage being completely paid in April, 2011 at which time we’ll be retiring in Aruba—just kidding! Seriously folks, your responses to our solicitations have warmed our hearts and kept our spirits going. The task feels huge but you have come forward with volunteer energy, money, donations of goods, and THOUSANDS of hours. We thrive on the support of kind people such as you.

Morrison Marsh Update

DCA has been awarded the management contract for the Island Trust Fund owned Morrison Marsh Covenant Area. We have the responsibility to administer the property according to the management plan created in mid 2007. As part of the immediate tasks to be undertaken, DCA will be preparing an access to the property at the end of Greenhill Road and posting signs alerting of possible danger areas. A work bee to mark the trail is in the early planning stage, more to come … Watch the Grapevine.

Technically, those who use the existing path are trespassing on two private properties. For the present, the owners are not protesting... DCA will in the next few months be constructing a path that lies entirely within the conservation area. For now, please tread lightly on the trail from Greenhill Road, especially on the first 400 metres or so.

DATES TO SAVE: MARK YOUR CALENDARS

March 1, Saturday morning, 10 - 12 in the Conservancy Room in the Old School. John Tayless will talk about Herring, Plankton, and Sea Lions.

March 21, Friday, DCA will be serving the treats at Ian Tamblyn Concert at the Denman Community Hall. Tamblyn has played in local, national, and international folk music scenes since the 1970s. This powerful multi-instrumentalist and accomplished lyricist/vocalist was nominated in the 'best solo artist' category at the 2007 Canadian Folk Music Awards. Don't miss this terrific evening!

June 14, Saturday. Celebrate with DCA the beginning of summer with a special evening including a gourmet dinner, prepared by several super Denman Island chefs. There will be some; soon-to-be-announced, fun and exciting after dinner entertainment you won't want to miss.

Thanks to Lee Andra Jacobs, J Thornton, Susan-Marie Yoshihara, Carol Freeman and Mikell Callahan for their contributions to this issue of the newsletter.

Newsletter, May 2008

Central Park

The DCA Central Park Committee and other volunteer helpers have been busy all winter planning and constructing a trail network which will encourage people to use this park. Mainly we are able to use routes that are well established from the old logging days.

Our major thrust was to improve the connector trail from the Old School to Pickles Road via Crown Land and the Inner Island Nature Reserve. This trail is now functional, signed and well used

The main entrance to Central Park now boasts a large new sign. A small trail designed for off-road walking parallels Denman Road from the main entrance to the graveyard corner.

We plan an emergency vehicle entrance off North Central Road but otherwise no motorized vehicles are allowed in the Park.

A loop trail with a boardwalk over a wetland is in the planning stage for next Fall. We have received a Mountain Equipment Co-op grant to help with these trail improvements.

We are still paying off an interest-free mortgage on the property and fundraising continues towards this goal. Our second of five annual payments was made on April 1.

Come out, bring your friends and visitors and enjoy a walk in the park.

No Garden Tour?

It's true! There will be no Denman Island Home and Garden Tour in 2008. This event has been going non-stop for 17 years. DCA has decided to take 2008 off to refresh the popular tour. We plan that the renewed Home and Garden Tour will be back in 2009.

Taylor's Checkerspot Butterfly

The endangered Taylor's Checkerspot butterfly (In Canada known only from Denman Island at present) is expected to be flying from early May to early June. The butterfly's wings are about one and a half inches across and have an attractive black, orange and cream chequered pattern. They nectar on wild strawberries, hairy cat's ear flowers and daisies.

Photo by Andrew Fyson

In April, the small dark caterpillars are most easily seen sunning or feeding (on Plantain or Speedwell) on trails in open meadow or shrubby areas associated with shallow wetlands. They may be found anywhere in such habitats. Note the row of 8 orange spots along the caterpillar's back!

Photo by Andrew Fyson

Observers have been out looking for the larvae, which have been found on a number of sites including in Central Park, the Settlement Lands and in the Railway Grade Marsh covenant area.

DCA's Annual General Meeting

Directors were re-elected at the AGM held on 3rd March. The current list of Directors and Officers is:

Sheila Carnegie
Annie Corddry
David Critchley
Patrick Fawkes
Carol Freeman
Dave Freeman, Treasurer
LeeAndra Jacobs
Denise MacKean, Secretary
John Millen, Co-Chair
J Thornton, Co-Chair
Susan-Marie Yoshihara

At the AGM retiring director John Tayless was thanked for his valuable service to the Conservancy cause
John has been a great friend to Denman Island and to the Conservancy. John joined the Conservancy Board in 2007 to fill a vacancy. Of course, this was not the first time for John to enter the fray and serve on the Board as he had been a director from 1998 to 2002.
John's a pretty modest guy. How many of us knew that he has a PhD. in Marine Biology, was the curator of the Honolulu Aquarium, that he was the Vice President and Dean of North Island College for many years and acting president for two years?

When the Emperor of Japan visited the aquarium in Hawaii, John gave him a guided tour. The Emperor is a marine biologist and very interested in a type of fish called a gobi. John prepared a specimen of this fish for the emperor to take home with him.
John has lived all over the world: 3 years in Borneo, 4 years in Southeast Asia, 6 years on Pacific Islands and 3 years in the Caribbean. We Denman Islanders are fortunate because after living in all these fascinating and beautiful places, John discovered Denman Island and chose to live here.

John is responsible for creating the wonderful series of walks and talks that Patrick continues for the Conservancy. His annual herring talk is always a big hit and John is scheduled to lead a low-tide beach walk again this year. This time while on the Board John started the Natural History Committee.

Board member Carol Freeman shared a story that demonstrated John's special leadership skills. In 2002 John led an intrepid group of kayakers on an excursion out into Lambert Channel to observe the sea lions sitting and barking on Norris Rocks as they waited for the herring run.
There were about 8 boats. All was going well until a motorboat spooked the sea lions. They slipped into the water in groups of about 15 to 30 and began swimming and circling the kayaks. John quickly got the kayakers to raft up and paddle slowly but resolutely around the top of the reef and then head to Heron Rocks and to shore. His calm and decisive leadership and problem solving kept the group safe.

Doug Olstead Award 2008

Francis Duchesne was the 2008 Doug Olstead Award recipient. Francis is in Grade 10 at Vanier. He is interested in outdoor activities such as biking and skiing. Watch for him at Recycle or helping out at other community events. Good Luck Francis in your future endeavours.

TTo other Denman teens: keep track of your volunteer activities and write to tell us about it. Address your letter to Denman Conservancy, Box 60, Denman Island, and you too may be the recipient of the Doug Olstead Award for community service in 2009.

Lindsay-Dickson Nature Reserve

The Islands Trust Fund (ITF) has owned the Lindsay-Dickson Nature Reserve (LDNR) since 2001. DCA serves as its Manager, and soon as its Covenant Holder. Over the past year, DCA and ITF have been working together to register a conservation covenant on the property's title to bind any future owners to protect Lindsay-Dickson's special features in perpetuity. Jenny Balke updated the environmental baseline study that serves as an appendix to the covenant document.

As some of LDNR is in the Agricultural Land Reserve, the placement of the covenant requires the approval of the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) who conducted a site inspection of the property in mid-March. Work on the covenant is on-going.

DCA has just been awarded a grant of $5000 through the Invasive Alien Species Partnership Program of Environment Canada for outreach and education about invasive species using the shore line area of the Lindsay-Dickson N.R. as its principal demonstration site

Morrison Marsh Nature Reserve

DCA has recently taken on the role of manager of this Reserve for the owner, Islands Trust Fund. We have started putting up signs and those who have seen the puzzling references to “Private Property” will be relieved to know we have arranged to get replacement signs that do not have this wording.
There are fine walking trails through the Reserve connecting to Boyle Point Park and the adjacent block of Crown Land.

The next planned development is to create a proper entrance to the Reserve at the end of Greenhill Road. A sign and a new cleared trail will be installed. Presently the access crosses two private properties and the trail will have to be rerouted for several hundred meters to stay within the Reserve boundary.
Those interested in helping with this work should contact a director to volunteer their services, or watch for advertised work parties.

Baillie Grant assists Young Denman Birders

The introductory bird study offered by DCA has been taken up enthusiastically. Denman youth will team up with experienced local birders and examine Denman bird life. The James L. Baillie Memorial Fund for Bird Research and Preservation is providing funds for binoculars, bird guides and field notebooks for the young participants. This program will involve at least five field visits beginning in May and there will be a presentation of projects to the public in mid-September.

Stop Press !

The Editor was wishfully thinking we would have space to include a map of that newly opened trail that takes us from Central Park, through the Crown land to Inner Island Nature Reserve coming out on Pickles Road about 100 metres north of the bridge across Pickles Marsh.
No such luck! But we are working on printing ‘brochures’ with trail maps for various locations on Denman. There should be some out by summer.

We can, however, report in this space the success of DCA's application for a grant from Environment Canada's Species at Risk program for work on the preservation of habitat for the Taylor's Checkerspot butterfly! Well done Jenny.

The Money is Out There

That is my basic belief about fundraising: the money is out there; the challenge – and the fun – is in figuring out how to get it.

At the beginning of 2008 I signed a contract with DCA to research funding possibilities and write grant proposals, thus setting myself up for a fun challenge. At first I wasn't so sure where the “challenge” part it was supposed to come from. After all, DCA has a proven track record of astonishingly successful fundraising. Wouldn't I just be following in the well-worn footsteps of the past?

Over the past four months I've learned that DCA is an organization in transition. Due in part to the success of past fundraising, DCA has grown tremendously, and its funding needs have changed. With nine properties equalling 772 acres under its care, land management has become a priority, rather than land acquisition.
As the organization grows, so do needs for an expanded office and regular staff. Also, DCA’s ongoing educational work continues, from newsletters such as this to the Walks and Talks program. As well, ideas for new projects are percolating all the time. As a result, funding needs and fundraising tactics must be realigned.
So, although I am very much relying on past work, I am also part of change, with all its challenges and excitements.
One sign of a healthy non-profit organization is diversity of funding sources; DCA achieves that through combining institutional fundraising with the work done by its extremely effective fundraising committee, its active membership and its many community volunteers.

Thus far, I'm happy to report on the success of our application to Mountain Equipment Co-op for $5338 to finance trail development in Central Park. This will fund the creation of a couple of new looped trails, including 100 feet of boardwalk over Central Swale as well as a path leading to a lookout bench with a view looking over the northern extension of the Graveyard Marsh towards the Beaufort Range.
I look forward to future successes.

Laura Busheikin

Request for Expression of Interest

Note: The following notice was previously printed in local publications. The submission date has now passed.

Request for Expression of Interest for
Biological Services
DCA wishes to contract out biological surveys related to its management
of land and covenants over 9 properties on Denman Island. Interested
parties should provide information supporting their qualifications and
experience by 10 May 2008 to:

Secretary, DCA PO Box 60 Denman Island B.C. V0R 1T0

For further information contact:
John Millen__335-2868___millenj@telus.net or
Patti Willis___335-0351___pcdsres@telus.com

A Blog for all Season

We have created a Blog dedicated to Nature observations on the Island. You can find the Blog at denmanconservancy.blogspot.com, (or use the link at the top of this page). DCA members are invited to contribute to this Blog. Members please e-mail or phone John Millen or Jenny Balke to be registered and receive instructions on how to make your own 'Posts'.

Caring for the Conservancy Legacy

"In Perpetuity"
"Isn't that a long time?"
"Yes! A very long time, it means forever."

The hard work by Denman Conservancy volunteers over the past 18 years has resulted in the protection of natural ecosystems on nine Denman properties by covenants and/or ownership. DCA functions as a Land Trust with responsibility for perpetual management of these wonderful places.

Recently the DCA Board has been focussing on establishing good management practices for all these properties. This work provides interesting jobs for Denman residents and increases the proportion of our funds that must be spent on operations rather than on land acquisition.

To contribute a stable source of funds for DCA we established an Endowment Fund last year with The Vancouver Foundation. A good portion of our endowment Fund came from the bequest we received in 2006 from the Boxall estate. We invite our members and supporters to add to this fund over time, to ensure the continued success of DCA in managing our Denman Island special places in perpetuity.

One way to make such a gift is a charitable bequest, a gift that is made through your Will. You can choose to leave DCA a predetermined sum of money or a percentage of your estate. A bequest is a way to support DCA while achieving significant tax savings for your estate.

You can also make direct contributions to the Endowment Fund at any time. A charitable receipt will be issued.

Forthcoming Walks and Talks

Organized by Patrick Fawkes

May 10: Birdsong Outing, Jenny Balke, Patrick Fawkes

May 17: Settlement Lands Walk, Andrew Fyson, Patrick & others

May 24: Tree Island, Andrew Fyson, Jenny Balk & others

May 31: Central Park to Pickles Walk, Andrew Fyson, Annie Corddry

June 7 : Medicinal Plant Outing, Sheelagh Mackenzie

July 5 : Low Tide Walk, John Tayless

Also planned are walks through Lindsey Dickson Nature Reserve and the Railway Marsh covenant area and a forest walk with Hamish Kimmins. Watch for announcements in the Grapevine!

Saturday Farmers Market
at the Old School
Begins May 17 (Long Weekend)
Visit the DCA Booth for
Memberships, Tee Shirts, Cards, Trail maps

Land and Covenant Manager

Andrew Fyson has agreed to serve DCA as part time manager for our properties and liaison with owners of our covenanted land.

Andrew studied botany at Oxford and earned a PhD at the University of Dundee. After years of experience in research and teaching in Canada, Germany, and the U.K, he moved to Denman Island in 2005 to start something very different: "To grow my own food, immerse myself in a rich and fascinating environment, and to find a new path for examining nature through art."

Saturday, June 14 *** SPRING SWING FLING *** Saturday, June 14
Exotic Drinks, Popas - from 6 PM

Swing Dance Lessons with Lily Harnet, and DJ Ken Osmanich
Fundraiser for DCA, at the Hall

Thanks to Jenny Balke, Laura Busheikin, Carol Freeman, Patrick Fawkes, Andrew Fyson, LeeAndra Jacobs, Denise MacKean, John Millen, Patti Willis, and Susan-Marie Yoshihara for their contributions to this issue of the newsletter.

Newsletter, October 2008

Central Park Update

This fall, we are still hoping to make the improvements to Pickles Road Trail that have been discussed and planned all through the summer. The trail starts from the park entrance near the Marcus Isbister Old School Centre and runs more or less parallel to the western boundary, to the northwest corner of the park where it exits precisely at the corner, joining an existing trail that continues through the adjacent crown land. With luck, and weather on our side, Steve Isaak will be taking his low impact machine in to make a small but solid and culverted crossing of the boggy hole. With the completion of this work, Pickles Road trail will be the Central park portion of a multi use trail suitable for pedestrians, bicycles and equestrians running from the Old School Centre to the junction of Pickles road and Central road.

However, until the work is completed, the upper end of the trail is unsafe for equestrians and bicycles at all times and for pedestrians when wet because of poor footing across a small wetland area. A warning sign for equestrians near the crossing is currently alerting users to the situation. We strongly urge pedestrians to use caution on this part of the trail, particularly in wet conditions.

This past summer, the Central park committee has been busy with planning and trail maintenance and is pleased to see that the trails are being used regularly. We are excited about the visible recovery of forest and restoration of habitat. Please keep dogs strictly under control out of respect for other users who may not be comfortable with them and for the safety of wildlife. We ask as well that all droppings be removed.

Baillie Grant wrap

September's Baillie Bird Wrap-up was delayed due to the organizer's unfortunate altercation with a step ladder. The discussion of the Baillie projects is planned for October 24th. Activities by young birders and their mentors will continue during the winter.

Taylor's Checkerspot Butterfly

Notes by Andrew Fyson

Commemorative Stamp

On October 1st 2008, Canada Post issued a set of 4 stamps to draw attention to the beauty and endangered status of the Taylor's Checkerspot butterfly and 3 bird species. Islanders can celebrate Denman's stewardship of this endangered species on letters by regular mail!

Breeding on the Settlement Lands

The Taylor's Checkerspot has its only known Canadian breeding colonies on Denman Island. This species is well established on the Settlement Lands where the larvae have been found feeding on Ribwort plantain and two species of Veronica.

In May 2008 I was studying a small wetland on the Settlement Lands when I observed a Taylor's Checkerspot fly by and disappear among the sedges and wood waste a few metres away. I followed and observed this female walk from one small plant to another and finally choose a 3 cm high Veronica scutellata plant where she started to lay eggs on the underside of a leaf.

Note the tiny eggs compared with the slender leg of the butterfly.

I knelt for over an hour observing and photographing the egg-laying until my knees could take it no more.

I observed the eggs for nearly a month before they hatched into tiny larvae, less than 3 mm long. These larvae built loose webs around the food plant. They consumed a plant every 2 days or so and then moved on to the nearest neighbour.

After a month they had shed their skin twice and grown to about 15 mm in length. At this time the larvae dispersed.

The butterfly larvae will hibernate until next March when they will recommence feeding as the days warm up and feed for another month or so before pupating. The adult butterflies will emerge in May and fly for around 3 weeks to complete their life cycle.

I will continue my observations next year. By observing their behaviour we can help design management strategies to protect these beautiful creatures.

Fundraising Perspective

An old Chinese proverb says, "As the purse is emptied, the heart is filled". Truly, philanthropy is a feel-good exercise, especially when one sees the direct result of his or her generosity. The DCA Fundraisers have just put together a donation request package and mailed it to every household on Denman Island, as well as all off-island members and supporters, of which there are many.

Our aim is to raise the next mortgage payment for Central Park, due in April of 2009 in the amount of $40,000. We can only do this with your help, and we hope you can respond in any way that you are able. No amount is too small, and your responses make us feel that our hundreds of volunteer hours spent maintaining our protected areas, providing instructive walks and talks and reaching out to you are not in vain.

Our auditors have almost completed their report for our September year-end, and happily we are still solvent! Our endowment at the Vancouver Foundation will produce an interest payment at the end of the year. Due to the current market turmoil, it is likely to be less than their traditional 5%, but will still be substantial. Other investments are in GICs at 4%. A tentative budget for the coming year has been prepared and will go to the Board for final consideration.

DCA has received a grant from the Direct Access program of the BC Gaming Commission.

This is one of the very few sources in BC of grant funding that can be used by charities for routine operating costs such as rent, insurance and salaries.

Home & Garden Tour 2009

After a year off, following seventeen years of Home and Garden Tours, DCA is coming back with a fresh rose. For the first time the tour will not be held on Father's Day weekend or even in the month of June. This season we honour our Mothers and Mother Earth with the Home and Garden Tour set for Mother's Day weekend, May 9 and 10. We realize there will be no roses to smell, but the beauty of bulbs, rhodos, baby veggie gardens and other treats will be ready to be beheld.

What a wonderful event for you and your Mom. The ticket is filled to over-flowing; with several stops, some never before on tour. You won't want to miss it.

Lindsay-Dickson Covenant Secured

It’s a long winding road! The final step to complete the protection of the Lindsay-Dickson Nature Reserve is the completion of the conservation covenant on the land. The Reserve is owned by the Islands Trust Fund and managed by DCA. Holding a covenant on the land gives us long term security against the government changing its mind about the value of maintaining the land as a Nature Reserve. DCA started campaigning as soon as it was formed in 1991 for the preservation of this land. Success came in 2001 when the Provincial Government purchased the property to be held by the Islands Trust Fund for conservation.

One of the Douglas fir veterans in Lindsay-Dickson NR (and also J Thornton)

As part of the Reserve is in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), it was necessary to obtain the approval of the covenant from the Agricultural Land Commission. The Commission, recognizing the special importance of the old growth veterans present in the eastern part of the Reserve, has approved an unrestricted conservation covenant on that part. The conservation covenant over the remainder recognises that agricultural land use is not prohibited within the ALR portion of the Reserve. On 15 October 2008 the covenants were accepted by the Land Titles Office for registration.

Walks & Talks?

Yes, there will be some this winter. Watch for notices in the Grapevine.

Teenage Volunteer Alert!

Denman Conservancy wants to remind young Denman Islanders that the Doug Olstead Award, to honour a teenage volunteer, is available again this year and must be applied for in writing before December 31, 2008. The award is worth two hundred dollars in recognition for volunteering in your community.

There are many opportunities to get involved on Denman, but we suggest the Recycling Depot. Gloria Michin tells me there is a need for help. What a perfect place to see and be seen on Denman! Come out and give it a try, get involved. With Climate Change facing us, you can do your bit to help save the planet right here on Denman. Think about it; if each community had a recycling program like we have on Denman, what a better place this world would be. On a more practical note, think about your volunteer experience and how that will help the look of your resume. This could make a difference for future employment and certainly for future scholarship applications.

Keep Denman beautiful by helping at Recycle and write us a letter at Denman Conservancy, Box 60, Denman Island, V0R 1T0

DCA on the Web

Conservancy Blog

Several Conservancy members have been posting their pictures and observations on the Conservancy Blog: http://denmanconservancy.blogspot.com/

There is a series of posts on beautiful Tumblewater Meadows in the Beaufort Range and a puzzle about the Tussock Moth caterpillars. All members of DCA are welcome to join in and share their nature news. Phone John Millen at 335 2868 for help in signing on.

Our new web site address is:

www.denmanconservancy.org for all the details on the Nature Reserves and properties we manage.

Regional District Grant-in-aid

The Comox Valley Regional District has awarded a Grant-in-Aid amount of $1000 to DCA towards the preparation of a management plan for The Settlement Lands, the large clearcut on either side of Central Road, between Pickles Road and Lake Road. The first step will be to do a baseline study of the existing ecosystem. This property is where the Taylor's Checkerspot butterfly was first recognised on Denman Island.

Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk

Denman Conservancy has received a grant from the federal government Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) for Species at Risk. The HSP provides grants for projects that contribute to the recovery of endangered, threatened, and other species at risk, and/or prevent other species from becoming a conservation concern.

Jenny Balke is leading Denman's Rare Meadow Species Stewardship Project. In September, Chris Junck of the Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team portrayed our picturesque and precious natural flora and fauna in an entertaining community slide show.

The project's next major task is to document this summer's research work. That means putting together all the property reports, transect counts and life history information that has been collected and working towards publication of some life history that has been documented for the Taylor's Checkerspot butterfly.

The HSP provides funding to "stewards" to protect or conserve habitats for species designated by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as nationally "at risk" (endangered, threatened or of special concern).

Public use of Conservation Lands

"Low impact Recreational use" is the phrase used in management plans to describe the expected public use of nature reserves. What does it mean? People walking on established trails are welcome in all the land managed by DCA. Remaining on the trails is important because that ensures the impact on vegetation is limited and wild critters have areas where they are secure from our disturbance.

Using a machine for transport can greatly increase a person’s impact. Motorised vehicles are not permitted on our trails and mountain bikes are restricted to a few designated trails.

Bringing animals with you is a further hazard to natural values. Horses are not permitted on the lands owned by Islands Trust Fund: the Nature Reserves at Inner Island, Lindsay-Dickson and Morrison Marsh. DCA is designating specific trails in Central Park for horses and, on the route between Central Park and Pickles road, DCA is considering a diversion trail for horses to use this connection without crossing Inner Island N.R.

Dogs are not prohibited from trails on DCA managed land; however they must be "under control". The control must ensure that the dog stays with its owner. For some dogs this means they should be on a leash. The intent is that the dog should not ever set off in pursuit of another animal or present an apparent threat to another person on the trail. In Nature Reserves elsewhere the rule is that dogs must be leashed. We hope this will not become a requirement on Denman Island.

Seasonal restrictions are occasionally required. Some summers are so dry that it is necessary to close the woods for fire protection. Disturbance of nesting waterfowl is another concern that can lead to a seasonal restriction in some areas.

Please visit the Conservancy lands. Your enjoyment increases the value of these areas to the community and is an important return for our preservation efforts.

Denman Properties Owned, Managed or Covenanted by Denman Conservancy Association

Property	Owner	DCA Role	Public trails & Access
Central Park	DCA		Trails from Denman Rd. and North Central Rd.
Inner Island NR	ITF*	Manager	Trail from Pickles Rd.
Lindsay-Dickson NR	ITF	Mgr. & Covenant holder	Trails from Mallard Rd. & Jemima Rd.
Morrison Marsh NR	ITF	Mgr. & Covenant holder	Trails from Greenhill Rd., East Rd. & Boyle Point Park
Settlement Lands	DCA		Management Plan under preparation. No public trails developed.
Winter Wren Wood	DCA		Trails from Lake Rd. & Nature Trail in summer
Railway Marsh Covenant	private	Covenant holder & Manager	Trail from Northwest Rd.
Komas Bluff Covenant	private	Covenant holder	No Public access provided by covenant
Chocolate Factory Covenant	private	Covenant holder	No Public access provided by covenant

*ITF = Islands Trust Fund

This Newsletter was put together with the assistance of: Jenny Balke, Annie Corddry, Patrick Fawkes, Carol Freeman, David Freeman, Andrew Fyson, LeeAndra Jacobs, John Millen and Carroll Taylor.

For newsletters published in other years, select from the following:

2000