November 2010

Next Meeting:  5th  January, 2011 at Pat Carfra’s house, 181 Goward Road.

Present: Bernie Bowker, Audrey Barnes, Lori James Derry Winona Pugh, Pat Carfra, Frances Hunter, Art Dimock, Sherron MacPherson, Woody Thomson, Mary Haig-Brown

1. Adoption of Agenda

2. Adoption of Meeting Notes from 7th  September, 2010

3.Updates:
a)    Conservation Connection – Audrey and Bernie reported on a very successful day.  They were impressed by the discussion among politicians and their commitment to the environment.  They noted there were no provincial Liberals on the panel.  The presentation by CRD Parks offered a chance to talk to Parks personnel.  They also enjoyed the networking with other groups.
b)    Hartland Happenings – Mary did not register soon enough to reserve a table this year.  We agreed we would like to attend next year.
c)    Saanich Parks Volunteer training – Winona, Sherron, Audrey and Mary attended.  The discussion about signing for a criminal record check in order to be a Lead Steward was interesting. No FTCW members agreed to sign.  We appreciated the chance to talk with other volunteers and laughed at how many invasives were being pulled from parks.  A tour of Cuthbert Holmes Park to view recent work near Admirals Bridge and discussion about plans for plantings on Tree Appreciation Day (Nov 7th) was instructive
d)    World River’s Day – happy time at Whitehead Park with the willows gone
e) Prospect Lake School garden and Hort Centre – Sherron and Lori have arranged for students from Glendale Gardens to come and do a proper clean up and mulching of this garden.  This will happen this Friday Nov 5th at 9:00 am when Derek Duffy and his students come.
f) Survey re boats on Prospect Lake – Rick and Donna are away.  They will bring the draft questionnaire to the January meeting.  Art has the results of a visual survey he did in 1987 counting power (ski) boats.  It would be interesting to repeat this next summer to see if there is a difference.  We also wondered about students gathering data on all boats on the lake and including counts at the two boat launching sites.  This issue will be discussed more fully at our next meeting.
g) Web site: Winona, Lori and Mary had lessons from Dave Renfroe.  Check out the web site.  We are slowly getting brave enough to make more entries.
h) Heritage Society: Lori and Sherron have launched a GAB (Guided AutoBiography) group as a fund raiser/awareness for the Society.  They are working on a brochure for a Heritage walk in our neighbourhood..  Lori and Winona have been to the archives where they found a map with the names of the original settlers.  They will be conducting their first interview tomorrow.  The subject is Mrs. Durrance.  The curator of Craigdaroch Castle will be the guest at their next meeting.
i) Saanich Parks Plan – Winona attended the session for Parks volunteers yesterday.  Again a discussion about the Criminal Record checks.  Also a discussion about speaking to the press as an individual or as a representative of Saanich Parks.  A need was expressed for an inventory of plants and other resources in natural areas of the parks preparatory to a Parks Plan.  Attendees also noted the need for more support for Saanich staff especially over the removal of invasives.  Mary will be attending a similar session for Saanich Committee members on Monday.
4.Projects:
a)Tod Creek Flats – Mary reported that grant proposals are going ahead.  We were rejected by the Real Estate Foundation of BC, are on the short list for Van City EnviroFund, and have submitted proposals to Agriculture, Environment & Wildlife Fund and to Enviro Canada’s EcoAction Fund.
b) Killarney Creek Fan – Winona has learned that we will need more partners for the project to be successfully funded.  We will build these partnerships and apply again next year.
c) Meadowbrook Reservoir – Mary, Ian Bruce and retired engineer Mike Thompson looked at the dam today.  Mike suggested a method of repair that would not involve digging into the existing dam and would probably not involve any heavy equipment needing to cross the stream.  Details are being worked out in time to apply to Pacific Salmon Foundation in February.
d) Whitehead Park – Pat reported on a chance meeting with the biologist, Sarah Stallard, who oversaw the removal of the willows.  She had driven rebar into the sediment.  Near the bank the muck was 5 feet deep and farther out it was 10 feet deep.  The hope is that the weir will be opened slowly so that this sediment is not washed down all at once.  Members continue to work in the park on Mondays at 9:30 am and welcome anyone who cares to join us.  With the help of Marian McCoy we planted some native willow stakes (from Rithet’s bog) on Monday.  Members thought that we had done enough of that and were reluctant to see more willows (even native ones) go in where the others had come out.  We still have much picking up to do and will concentrate on the east side of the creek.

5.New Business:
a)    Development Permit – Estelline Road.  The request is to add on to the existing house in the area between the current house and the road.  We saw no problem with that and have advised Saanich planning of our decision.
b)   Eastlake Communities Pulling Together – Sunday, 14th  November from 1:00-3:00 – Frances has made a wonderful poster and handbills advertising this event.  We will post these on mailboxes and pass out the handbills.  Mary to send a copy to Invasive Plant Council of BC to post on their website. Pat and Frances will deliver notices to residents near Eastlake.  Mary will ask Marian if Saanich can lend us some tools.
c)    Septic Savvy – Saturday, 20th  November 2-4 p.m. at Prospect Lake Hall– Winona has some posters which are on some mailboxes already and members took more to post.  The event will include some information on related issues such as composting and Saanich’s pesticide by law.
d)    Book List – Lori has made the attached list of the books in our library.  If anyone would like to borrow one, let Lori know.  SOMEONE HAS BORROWED SAANICH HERITAGE STRUCTURES.  WILL WHOEVER IT IS PLEASE RETURN IT TO LORI?
6.Walks:  We will go to Mary Lake in the Highlands.  Date and time to be announced.

7. Next Meeting:  5th  January, 2011 at Pat Carfra’s house, 181 Goward Road.