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
7TH NOVEMBER, 2012
Mission: To protect and enhance the integrity and biodiversity of the Tod Creek
Watershed
Present: Winona Pugh, Audrey Barnes, Rick and Donna Todd, Bernie Bowker,
Mary Haig-Brown
Regrets: Pat Carfra, Joanne Delage, Frances Hunter
1. Adoption of Agenda
2. Adoption of 12th September meeting notes
3. Announcements:
a. TD Grant has come. $2125 was applied for to help with removal of the
Yellow Flag Iris. Since this particular stage has been done the money will
go to the replanting of the site and the ongoing restoration.
b. Presentation to Pulling Together Training Session Saturday, 17th Nov. We
have been asked to make a presentation to other stewardship groups
about Yellow Flag Iris. We will use photo boards and talk for a low tech
presentation.
c. BC Lake Stewardship letter and developments – Winona wrote on our
behalf to protest the MoE removal of $75,000 grant to the BC Lake
Stewardship Society last spring. With help from our MLA the protest
was highlighted and the grant has been restored. This may now make
possible a Lake Stewardship Course at Prospect Lake. Winona will keep
working on this.
d. Ads on our web site? Would we like to be paid a yearly renewable fee
for text based ads? We decided against this.
e. Conservation Connection – Lori, Audrey and Winona attended and
found the event very informative. Planned giving presentation said that
giving investments is more useful to groups that cashing the investment
in and handing over the money. That way the Capital Gains Tax is not
deducted from the gift. As always the nature walk with Andy McKinnon
was full of interesting information.
f. Turtle paddle with Christian Engelstoft 3rd October 2012. This is his
follow up email:
It was most enjoyable, and I am willing to repeat it sometime next spring when we might
actually see a turtle.
It is very difficult to find turtle nests, the best way is to see them lay eggs, So it might be
better to ask G Maclean if he has seen any turtles and encourage him to look out for turtles
next June and July. Looking for emerging nest means to look for small square hole in the
dirt about 4-5 cm wide, a rather specialized hobby.
I also thought that it might be an idea to contact the golf club, they might have reports of
turtles on land or in their pond
I can assist by 1) identifying pictures, 2) go to the site.
If there is a Prospect Lake neighbourhood society I would be happy to attend a meeting and
give a talk about turtles.
I am also open to discuss any idea you think would help the turtles.
We will definitely plan another paddle with Christian in the spring.
Watch for notification and invite any interested friends. The more
people watching out for Western Painted Turtles the more we will learn
about their habits.
4. Finances – Joanne Delage has prepared a spread sheet to keep track of our
expenses against the various grants received. A printout of this was
circulated to much appreciation. Many thanks for that and her continued
work keeping track. Our current bank balance is $3,342.59.
5. Projects:
a. Tod Creek as Salmon Habitat: Monitoring of conditions along creek
continues weekly. Dissolved Oxygen is still low in spite of rising water
levels. Mary, Winona and Audrey are continuing with the work begun
by Lin Callow to take water level readings and measure water
temperature and dissolved oxygen at four stations in Tod Creek
Watershed, namely Lohr Road, Farmington Road, Durrance Lake and
Durrance Road.
b. Meadowbrook Reservoir: Visit to dam with Ian Bruce and new owners.
Repairs to dam will proceed slowly. The new owners are very interested
and work at clearing the dam and readying it for repair work as their
time allows.
c. Whitehead Park: Prospect Lake Students planted alders given to them in
the spring by Peninsula Streams. This year we had about 15 trees
returned.
Tree Appreciation Day planting event took place on Sunday, Nov. 5th.
This event is sponsored annually by Saanich Parks and this year
Whitehead Park was one of the sites chosen. Saanich Parks brought 200
trees and shrubs and some goodies. A small group of us aided by
volunteers and Saanich Parks staff, Don Illingworth and Mike, planted as
much as we could. The reminder is in the enclosure on the east side of
the creek and we will plant them as time allows. We have asked Saanich
to bill us for some of the plant material to be paid by grant money.
Lori is making an album of the plants we have put in the park as well as
design drawings of work done. This will be a wonderful record of what
works well in this stream side restoration.
Final reports and letters of thanks are now due to Fido Evergreen and
Saanich Matching Grant. Winona to do Fido, Mary to do Saanich.
6. Heritage Society: The book Prospect Lake Reflections has proven a huge
success. 150 copies have been presold. More copies will be available for
purchase via the web site. Prospect Lake School is using the book in their
classroom as part of knowledge of the community. Members of the
Heritage Society will work with the class on this project. A presentation
was made to the Arts, Culture and Heritage Advisory Committee of Saanich
and the Public Library has bought four copies.
7. Next Meeting: 2 January, 2013 at 7:30 pm.
Location: Audrey Barnes: 140 Kiowa Place
