|
July, 2019
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shoreline Care
It’s the time of year for us to begin our marine monitoring work for eelgrass and bull kelp. These species provide important habitat and food to many of our marine creatures, and for this reason have been the focus of long-term monitoring efforts for the past 11 years. Each year we monitor one of three bays on a three year rotation. This year Gallagher Bay is up on the schedule and we’re curious to see what’s changed since the eelgrass there was last mapped in 2016. If you see a group of kayakers and divers in the shallows, give us a wave!
|
We'd like to extend our gratitude to those who have supported our Shoreline Care campaign—it's thanks to you that we can do this important work.
Our Bull Kelp mapping will begin in August when this annual kelp has reached the peak of its growth. This year, thanks to a grant from the Habitat Stewardship Program, we’ll be coordinating an expansion of our long-term monitoring program in partnership with community groups such as the Galiano Island Conservancy Association, the Pender Island Conservancy Association, The Saturna Island Marine Education and Research Society, and the Valdez Island Conservancy.
|
|
If you’re interested in volunteering as a kayak surveyor this year, please contact us at 250-539-5168 or info@mayneconservancy.ca.
|
|
|
|
|
Bat Update
The Conservancy has had a good start to our summer 2019 bat counts. We’ve visited a number of properties across the island for our first round of surveys to collect data on current bat population numbers and species. The second round of surveys begins July 11 and goes until August 5, where we will re-visit survey locations after pups are flying. We are still looking for new roost sites on the island. The surveys are easy and low-stress for homeowners. Conservancy summer staff simply wait outside and count bats as they fly out at twilight.
|
If you have seen more than five bats flying around your property or you think you have a bat roost, get in touch by calling 250-539-5168, emailing jill@mayneconservancy.ca, or stopping by our Farmers’ Market table. We are there every second Saturday.
|
|
Funding support is gratefully acknowledged from the BC Conservation Foundation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Congratulations to Andrew Simon, a 2019 Islands Trust Stewardship Award recipient
At the June 2019 Trust Council meeting the Mayne Island Conservancy intern, Andrew Simon, was awarded a 2019 Stewardship Award for his volunteer work on creating a “Living Field Guide” for Galiano Island.
|
Biodiversity Galiano, which Simon initiated in January 2016, is a community-based initiative to document the flora and fauna of Galiano Island. To date, more than 2,000 species have been documented, represented by more than 10,000 occurrence records contributed by 150 people.
|
|
Since its inception, the project has engaged island residents and organizations across a broad cross-section of the community, through activities that incorporate natural history studies, the arts, and even music. Andrew was a key organizer for our recent Mayne and Galiano Bioblitz. The Mayne Island Conservancy Board congratulates Andrew for this deserving award.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Is Your Membership Up To Date?
|
|
Our new Family Membership is proving very popular, at just $15 per family.
Advantages of a Conservancy membership:
|
- Help staff and volunteers of the Mayne Island Conservancy continue to work towards making positive environmental changes through our projects, events, outreach and education activities
- Receive monthly invitations to our diverse array of guest speakers, workshops, film night, native …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Plants for Pollinators
|
|
|
Lori Weidenhammer is a Vancouver-based artist originally from Cactus Lake, Saskatchewan. For nearly a decade she has been exploring the persona Madame Beespeaker, reviving the tradition of telling the bees. She also appears as The Queen Bee at schools and community events. Lori is a member of the Second Site Media Collective and Women Who Run with the Bees. Her collaborative media works with her partner Peter Courtemanche have been shown in Canada and abroad and she has also worked in devised theatre in Canada and the UK. As an artist/educator Weidenhammer works with students of all ages on eating locally, planting for pollinators and community gardening. She is passionate about art that creates and strengthens community bonds and makes the world a better place for humans and bees.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Perseid Meteor Shower
|
|
August 10th, Evening (Place TBD)
|
Hold the date of August 10th for our annual Starry Nights event – we’ve invited back Scott Mair who has guided us through the August Night Sky - with any luck (clear & smoke free skies) we’ll have a chance to see the Perseids meteor shower and much more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
