Crazy arbutus keeps its leaves and sheds its skin, who ever heard of such a contrary tree? This is the opening line to a song called “Sterner Stuff” written in 1975 by Gulf Islander Bob Bossin. I first heard the song when I was in my late teens, living in Read more
On February 16th we were pleased to host 15 members of the UVic Ecological Restoration Club. This was the fourth consecutive year the Conservancy hosted the Club. Under the coordination of Executive Member Katia Bannister, the Club members contribute their time to habitat restoration projects across southern Vancouver Island and Read more
If you’ve visited St. John Point Regional Park recently, you may have noticed piles of logs and stumps lying in the lower field above Kadonaga Bay. These pieces of wood, also known as coarse woody debris (CWD), play essential roles in ecosystems, and have been intentionally placed at St. John Read more
How we can find a balance between the benefits of public access to nature conservation areas, while minimizing our impacts on the values those places are meant to protect? This balance requires active effort by land managers, as well as cooperation from public park users. Part of being a responsible Read more
Serendipity – the occurrence of events, by chance, in a beneficial way. It’s true that serendipity played a role in the history of the purchase and protection of St. John Point, and it all started about nine years ago this month. Let me explain. In 2013 and 2014, after some Read more
As a kid, I remember riding my bicycle along the Galloping Goose trail in Victoria and seeing Scotch broom plants densely packed along the sides of the trail. Their brilliant yellow flowers caught my eye as their aromatic scent filled the hot summer air. To me their blooming marked the Read more
The new habitat restoration site at St. John Point has now been planted with native trees and shrubs thanks to the hard work of community volunteers and students from the Mayne School. All the plants were grown from locally collected seeds and cuttings and grown in our native plant nursery Read more
In recent weeks, Conservancy staff and volunteers have begun a new habitat restoration site at St. John Point Regional Park. The site may not look like much yet, but in the coming years it will be transformed into a Douglas fir forest, home to a diversity of native plants, animals, Read more
In 2017 our community came together in an amazing way, raising money to help purchase what is now St. John Point Regional Park. This 68 acre park is a huge addition to the small public land area on Mayne Island being managed for nature conservation and low-impact recreation. Since becoming Read more
Our staff and volunteers have been busy at St. John Point over the fall and early spring, creating habitat for native species to thrive. If you frequent the park you may have noticed two fenced areas were created in recent months, one down slope from the parking lot around a Read more