Meeting Notes
Friends of Tod Creek Watershed meet the first Wednesday of every second month.
You are welcome to join us.
Mission: To protect and enhance the integrity and biodiversity of the Tod Creek Watershed.
To view notes from previous meetings, use the “Meeting Notes” Archive links on the right panel.
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FRIENDS OF TOD CREEK WATERSHED
MEETING NOTES – 14 MARCH, 2018
Mission: to protect and enhance the integrity and biodiversity of the Tod Creek Watershed.
Regrets: Joanne Delage
Present: Michael Derry, Ian Duncan,Winona Pugh,Bernie Bowker,Pat Carfra, Lori James Derry, Carmel Thomson, Anne Allen, Audrey Barnes, Mary Haig-Brown
Adoption of Agenda
Adoption of Meeting Notes of 3 January, 2018
Treasurer’s Report
Closing balance 3 Jan, 2018 $744.68
BC Lake Stewardship Society membership 50.00
Closing Balance 14 March $ 694.68
Announcements:
Saanich Environmental Awards – nominations are open. For information: saanich.ca/enviroawards. Think of a business or youth group who might be deserving and nominate them!
Sent a letter of support for PSS to Pacific Salmon Foundation.
Saanich Inlet Roundtable – Winona reports they are working on the derelict boat issue as well as the number of anchored freighters and unlicensed boat moorings with a view to having the inlet declared a Geopark.
Next meetings:
March 15 at Brentwood College 2:30-5:00
May 17 at Saanich Fairgrounds 2:00-4:30
October 11 at Shoal Harbour Centre 2:00-4:30
School Bus Tour funding has been approved. Tour will happen on May 25th. Volunteers needed. Andrea Neumann will do the bird watching on the flats. She says she can get lots of volunteers. Jenny Eastman will do Trevlac Pond. We can cover Whitehead Park. More information will follow shortly. Please consider volunteering for what will be a really fun day – especially if we have enough volunteers. Please let Mary know if you are interested: mhaigbrown@telus.net
EDPA Public Hearing March 17th 10:00 am at Spectrum Community School, 957 Burnside Road West. – Winona reported this is a last chance to save this important piece of legislation and have input on changes that could be made to it without leaving our very important wetlands unprotected.
Succession at FTCW. Winona has agreed to take over as Chair and Lori will record the notes. A big thank to both of them. Mary has one more meeting.
Carinna Kenigsberg, Manager of Community Partnerships at Power to Be may come to our next meeting. Please visit their web site at. https://powertobe.ca
Wells and groundwater. Anne and Ian attended the workshop on wells and well safety last week. They reported on a very informative meeting. Provincial authorities said that most wells are registered, usually done by the drillers. Registering puts the well on iMap and means that a later well cannot be drilled nearby and lessen your flow. There is no cost for registration.
Green Shores level one training is being offered. See:
Registration is now open for the Level 1 Green Shores training workshop, being held at UVic on April 6th. Poster with details is attached, please forward to anyone interested.
Registration can be done online here:
https://continuingstudies.uvic.ca/science-and-ecological-restoration/courses/green-shorestm-training-program-level-1-workshop
Or by phone: 250-472-4747 and it’s offered FREE of charge. Such a deal!
Projects:
Water quality – ongoing Winona, Mary and Ian go out each month and take readings at 7 sites in the watershed.
Tod Creek Flats – We are developing a Multi-use Management Plan. We have met with Saanich, Lana Popham as our MLA and Min of Ag., and Derek Masselink of the Ag Ministry so far. The plan is evolving as the land owners work on it.
South Prospect Lake Park – broom removal. Mary did not engage the Green Team this year so we will have a session ourselves. Winona is organizing a session on Sunday, April 8th, broom pull and picnic. Details to follow but save the date.
Whitehead Park and Lohr– maintenance continues on both sites. We are clearing some blackberries at Lohr Road. They are doing amazingly well in the rich soil. There is also a burrow leading toward the stream. Winona has similar ones at her place. Maternity sites for otter? muskrat? Even beaver?
Lake Stewardship – Winona reports Lake Pulse is a Canada wide programme to monitor 12 specific lakes for a variety of parameters in its first year. Prospect is not one – yet, but Winona hopes to get it on the list.
Web Site – Lori
Computer Photo Class: LightRoom [Instructor: Andrea Kucherawy, through Camosun College]. Lori has taken this course and has found it very useful. She asked if FTCW could split the course fee with her ($250 is our share). Motion passed unanimously.
Lynda.com is site that lists courses for internet tutorials, and it is free with your library card. If you are interested in seeing what they have to offer, go to: https://www.lynda.com The site also lists Blurb which was used for “Prospect Lake: Reflections” our Heritage Society book. This self-publishing program is excellent for anyone interested in creating their own book [family history, photos, poetry, travel, you name it], and Lynda.com offers hours of free tutorials, again through the library. Go to http://www.blurb.com to see what is available.
Heritage Society – Winona
Walk to Dominion Brook Park is being arranged by Winona. A friend of hers will give us a tour of the creek restoration. Trip is planned for Tuesday, April 17th in the afternoon. Winona will send out details when they are confirmed.
Book project – the group is working on other projects and in order to do several projects need the name of a publishing house. They would like to use “Friends of Tod Creek Watershed Publishing Co.” The membership happily agreed.
Maltby Lake – Carmel reports that they are working through details for protection. TLC and HAT are being very supportive.
Next meeting – May 2nd, 2018
Location – Haig-Brown/Bowker house.
We then watched a great slide presentation put together and set to music by Lori with her new found skills [which is being posted on our Facebook page].
