Whitehead Park: 1st Jan 2017.
16th Jan 2017: Inspecting the park, planning the future plantings and enjoying what we have:
From the west side of the park, note the ducks in the creek.
Audrey, walking on Goward toward the bridge.
Michael, Mary and Audrey, note how high the creek is.
Beaver cutting of small tree.
Some of our labelled plants.
‘Wild Life Tree’ designation, looking well used.
The evolving east side of Whitehead Park.
Note the changes from these March 2012 photos of our first plantings:
March 2012
March 2012
23 January, 2017
Audrey, Lori, Michael and Mary met at the Park to see how it looked. Still cold but the buds are beginning to swell and the birds are singing. Flock of American Coots on the creek. Everyone worked: ½ hours.
30 January
Mary and Audrey pulled blackberry roots over by the big tree. They continue to come out easily, but it was so cold that we took our frozen hands home after ½ hour.
6 February
Snow, no work done
13 February, 2017 – Cold and snowy
13th Feb 2017
Cold and snowy, no work done today but lots of great shots of the park in winter.
20 February, 2017
Audrey, Lori and Mary. Getting more blackberries out of the roses, pruned roses back from path. Lori took pictures. As well. Don Illingworth came to discuss plants and help us get the blackberries out.
27th Feb 2017
More roses and blackberries by Lori and Mary. Don Illingworth and Shelby arrived with approx. 100 plants. Because it was snowing so heavily we could not plant, but we did place them approximately where they will go. Very beautiful, but cold. We worked: 1 hour.
Plant delivery from Saanich [Don and Shelby].
6 March
Mary, Don and Sandy Munns planted what they brought last week.it took over 2 hours but it was great to see. Doug fir and salal up slope and lots of willow, dogwood, ninebark, roses etc. down nearer the water. It snowed a little, but the work got done and looks great. Volunteers worked 2 ½ hours.
13 and 20 March
Mary was away. Lori and Michael spread more chips on the trails. We have asked for mulch for the new plantings.
27 March
Michael, Audrey and Mary were joined by Nancy, who has just moved here from Winnipeg. Saanich has brought the mulch and Michael used the wheel barrow to bring it to the new plants while Nancy and Mary spread it around their roots and Audrey attacked more blackberries. We will finish that job next week and then ask for more chips for the trails. Lots of buds on everything. The pink current is in full bloom and the red is not far behind. Everyone worked for two hours.
April 3, 2017
We spent the morning spreading mulch. Michael wheelbarrowed load to places it was needed and I think we have mulched all the new plantings and lots of the older ones. Lori raked the path as well. I discovered that the mystery plants that we thought might be dead and that the deer loved is Lonicera involucrate (Black twinberry). We should have guessed by how much the deer had pruned it. I wish I could say I figured it out, but really I found one with a label still on it. The pink current is still full out and the red is showing colour. Lori, Michael, Audrey, Nancy and Mary spent almost 2 hours.
April 10, 2017
A glorious day in the park. Adam Stel and two of his sibs came. After a look at Kelly’s puppies we did a tour of the site to take stock. Things are coming along nicely with the warming weather. The pink current is still looking lovely. The red is not as robust looking as last year. Add mulch. Michael got to work on the last of the mulch while the rest of us had a good look at the west side. Adam and his sibs Jayda and Royce decided to concentrate on getting the reed canary grass out of the plantings on the west side. There are also a few blackberries springing up. They soon had a good pile for Saanich to pick up, and the hardhack and roses are looking glad to be free of their bonds. Audrey and Nancy could not resist working on the blackberries that are creeping through the grass where we first started working years ago. Cardboard and mulch are needed for the next step. I finished helping Michael with the mulch spreading. Don Lowen came by bringing students to release their coho in the creek. So great to see the park being enjoyed.
Later in the day Michael brought a huge load of cardboard.
April 17, 2017
Saanich has delivered chips and 2 loads of mulch. Michael placed wheelbarrow loads of mulch at spots on the east side some of which we have spread around the plants. Audrey continued chasing blackberries since they are still easy to get out. Nancy spread mulch and did blackberries. On the west side Adam, Jayda and Mercedes Stel worked on the cardboard and mulch. The girls cleaned the tape etc. from the cardboard and Adam spread it around the plants they had cleared of RCG last week. Lots of great work done. 7 people for 2 hours.
22 April, 2017
SOUTH PROSPECT LAKE PARK worked with the Green Team to clear primarily broom from the upland area north of the parking lot. It is two years since we have been here and we did not do the whole area before so there was plenty to do. Nine volunteers from the Green Team and one from FTCW hauled out a huge pile of broom, some dead but most of it green, a combination of sprouts from before and stuff we had not reached before. Also got some large Daphne. 4 hours plus 1 hour reconnoitring yesterday.
24 April, 2017
Lori and Mary spread the mulch piles that Michael had placed last week around more of the plants. They are looking healthy; I hope the mulch keeps them that way through the summer. Audrey is still chasing blackberries and is eying the Lamium. On the west side Adam and Royce Stel finished cleaning and spreading the cardboard and covered it with mulch. 5 people for 1 ½ hours.
Slough sedge [Carex obnupta]
April 3, 2017
We spent the morning spreading mulch. Michael wheelbarrowed load to places it was needed and I think we have mulched all the new plantings and lots of the older ones. Lori raked the path as well. I discovered that the mystery plants that we thought might be dead and that the deer loved is Lonicera involucrate (Black twinberry). We should have guessed by how much the deer had pruned it. I wish I could say I figured it out, but really I found one with a label still on it. The pink current is still full out and the red is showing colour. Lori, Michael, Audrey, Nancy and Mary spent almost 2 hours.
April 10, 2017
A glorious day in the park. Adam Stel and two of his sibs came. After a look at Kelly’s puppies we did a tour of the site to take stock. Things are coming along nicely with the warming weather. The pink current is still looking lovely. The red is not as robust looking as last year. Add mulch. Michael got to work on the last of the mulch while the rest of us had a good look at the west side. Adam and his sibs Jayda and Royce decided to concentrate on getting the reed canary grass out of the plantings on the west side. There are also a few blackberries springing up. They soon had a good pile for Saanich to pick up, and the hardhack and roses are looking glad to be free of their bonds. Audrey and Nancy could not resist working on the blackberries that are creeping through the grass where we first started working years ago. Cardboard and mulch are needed for the next step. I finished helping Michael with the mulch spreading. Don Lowen came by bringing students to release their coho in the creek. So great to see the park being enjoyed.
Later in the day Michael brought a huge load of cardboard.
April 17, 2017
Saanich has delivered chips and 2 loads of mulch. Michael placed wheelbarrow loads of mulch at spots on the east side some of which we have spread around the plants. Audrey continued chasing blackberries since they are still easy to get out. Nancy spread mulch and did blackberries. On the west side Adam, Jayda and Mercedes Stel worked on the cardboard and mulch. The girls cleaned the tape etc. from the cardboard and Adam spread it around the plants they had cleared of RCG last week. Lots of great work done. 7 people for 2 hours.
22 April, 2017
SOUTH PROSPECT LAKE PARK worked with the Green Team to clear primarily broom from the upland area north of the parking lot. It is two years since we have been here and we did not do the whole area before so there was plenty to do. Nine volunteers from the Green Team and one from FTCW hauled out a huge pile of broom, some dead but most of it green, a combination of sprouts from before and stuff we had not reached before. Also got some large Daphne. 4 hours plus 1 hour reconnoitring yesterday.
24 April, 2017
Lori and Mary spread the mulch piles that Michael had placed last week around more of the plants. They are looking healthy; I hope the mulch keeps them that way through the summer. Audrey is still chasing blackberries and is eying the Lamium. On the west side Adam and Royce Stel finished cleaning and spreading the cardboard and covered it with mulch. 5 people for 1 ½ hours.
1 May, 2017
Mary and Audrey spread more mulch on plantings, particularly the Black Twinberry that had not been done yet. Also took out some blackberry starts there. The place is looking nice with all its new leaves and some flowers. 2 people for 1 hour.
8 May, 2017
Adam and Royce worked on more cardboard and mulch, while the rest of us toured the site with Kristen Miskelly. We had asked her to come to give us some advice about planting on top of the cardboard/mulch over the reed canary grass. We also toured through the east side to show off what we had done. Kristen helped us identify some of the sedges we have been puzzling about. Carex obnupta (slough sedge) is looking beautiful just now. Dewey’s sedge is very delicate looking with the flower buds just starting to show. Winona, Lori, Audrey and Mary walked with Kristen while Adam and Royce worked away. 1 ½ hours.
Royce spreading cardboard for the suppression of weeds on the west side of the creek, along Goward Road.
15 May, 2017
Nancy, Audrey, Adam and Royce Stel and Elizabeth Bowker were all there. Adam and Royce did more cardboard and mulch. Michael and Lori brought a big box and then some from Capital Iron. Adam and Royce are moving along the stream bank, slow going as there are so many little roses and other things we planted. They will certainly benefit from not having to compete with the Reed Canary Grass. The rest of us worked at weeding out the Shiny Geranium from among the hardhack that came for Saanich a couple of years ago. We got some young blackberries as well. Great day. Six people for 1 ½ hours.
Kristen Miskelly, on a consult tour of WHP, stops to meet a biker riding through the park.
22 May, 2017
Holiday weekend so we took the day off.
29 May, 2017
Mary was in Vancouver. Audrey worked at Lohr Road getting thistles before they bloom.
5 June, 2017
Audrey, Adam, Royce and Mary went to Lohr Road to get thistles and blackberries. There are not as many as last year, but still plenty to keep us all busy. Adam worked on the creek side of the barrier while Audrey, Royce and I pulled thistles and dug a few blackberries in the main part. We had to make trails through the yarrow and some grasses in order to get to them, but I am sure that getting the aggressive invaders will help more than our careful trampling will hinder. We worked for 1 ½ hours before the sun made it too hot to carry on.
12 June, 2017
Adam brought Royce, Jayda and Mercedes as well as Jill Alders. With Audrey and Mary we worked at Lohr Road again. More thistles pulled and some blackberries. Not much left to go. The big project was getting the Yellow Flag Iris out of the creek. I brought a ladder and Adam went down into the creek and pulled the YFI and Reed Canary Grass. He was soon joined by his sister and they both got pretty wet, but did a great job. Jill’s mother stopped by and will sign the Saanich waiver when I get a copy to her. A great day.
19 June, 2017
Mary and Adam cleaned up more cardboard and spread it. The added mulch. Adam wheeled and dumped and Mary got out the blackberry that has been growing in the cedar by the parking lot. We had a new tarp and put the blackberry and YFI Adam dug out ages ago on the tarp. Not much mulch left so I will call Saanich. Worked for 1 ½ hours.
26 June, 2017
Adam, Audrey and Mary. Saanich has picked up our pile from last week and also the one at Lohr Road and left us a load of mulch in the corner of the parking lot. We spread the rest of the cardboard and finished up the first mulch pile although we could have used a rake, and started on the new one. I went looking for our rake on the east side, but the horsetail and everything else has grown up so high I couldn’t find it. I did get wet jeans by walking through the horsetail. Worked for 1 ½ hours.
3 July, 2017
Mary was on her own today so she picked staples and tape out of cardboard a pleasant enough job for awhile. I stayed 1 hour.
10 July, 2017
Mary and Audrey worked out where we will work with the students on 18th July. There is more blackberry mixed in with the ivy so we will have to tackle that first. We can also have some people working on cardboard and mulch. I think we can break the jobs into enough parts to accommodate 28 students – I hope. After 1 hour in the park we went over to Durrance Lake to do WQ. Winona and I could not get there yesterday because of a big bike race.
17 July, 2017
Audrey and Mary for ½ hours. Spread a little cardboard and checked how much RCG we can cover. Saanich will bring mulch and tools tomorrow. I went to the airport to pick up a granddaughter.
Facing WHP, standing on Goward Road parking lot.
18 July, 2017
26 students from Quebec with 4 leaders from the Y worked for 1 ½ hours spreading mulch and cardboard as well as pulling lots of blackberry and ivy. Very satisfying but tiring. Winona, Audrey, Caleigh Aalders, Audrey, Jonas Kobrc were great supervisors. One parent billet worked hard as well.
25 July, 2017
Adam and Mary spread a bit more mulch and tidied up after Saanich had hauled away our pile from 18 July. 1 ½ hours.
31 July, 2017
Mary on holiday, Audrey in a wheelchair, all taking a break.
These four photos, same as the one above: standing on Goward Road, facing WHP.
cardboard and top fill: lasagna gardening
7 August, 2017
Mary took a quick walk through the park. Itching to get to work on the trails on the east side and knocking back a few blackberries. We need some more volunteers. ½ hour.
14 August, 2017
Mary decided to rake the trails on the east side and see where it got her. Quiet work, not too difficult. I started at Goward Road and soon got to the ephemeral stream crossing. After that the RCG is starting to encroach, but it is still manageable. Went past the roses that are still propped on their forked sticks. Someone has been hacking at them so I tried to tidy them a bit but did not have leather gloves so moved on instead. Picked at the beaver stump plantings and then decided to call it a day. 1 hour.
28 August, 2017
Did not go to the park. Working on the FTCW history.
[*see new page: FTCW History Project: 5 members put in 166 hours of volunteer time on this project. Entered in STATS for Aug, but work encompassed Aug, Sept & Oct for presentation on Sat Oct 14th]
https://www.todcreekwatershed.ca/ftcw-history-project
4 September, 2017
Tori and Mary worked on the east side clearing the south trail. Started by trimming blackberries by the beaver stumps and then moved along the south side discovering trail chips under massive horsetail and creeping butter cup. Tori lay in the cool shade on the newly uncovered chips. I managed to gather a pretty big pile up by the road, but I know it will dry up to not looking like much in a day or so. I discovered that my wheel barrow is gone! In its place is a wooden tool chest complete with hasp, but no wheels so not a fair trade as far as I am concerned. 1 ½ hours.
11 September, 2017 – No work done.
18 September, 2017
Mary raked the path in from Goward Road to the beaver stumps. Then cleared the creek of its summer debris and horsetail. It will need more when the leaves fall but it is good to get it started. I wish I had a wheelbarrow. Much tidying to be done before the first Watershed Bus Tour on 7th October. 1 hour
26 September, 2017
Mary, Valerie Haig-Brown and Sher Morgan worked on the trail along the south side and back to the mail trail. We cleared horsetail, blackberry, and morning glory. That part of the trail is ready to receive visitors. The pile by the road is getting big so I will call Saanich for a pickup next week. 1 ½ hours for 3 people.
3 October, 2017
Big push to try to get the East side looking great for the Watershed Tour on Saturday. Mary used her truck to take a wheelbarrow up to the park. Sher Morgan and Winona joined her. We move the thistle pile and all the chips from the west side, so it is tidyish over there. The chips went on the trail from the beaver stumps up to the corner. We pulled lots of grasses and some blackberries from among the alder, cedar and Oregon Grape we planted so long ago. Those plants are now well rooted and starting to put on plenty of new growth. Soon the neighbours will have some privacy. We finished off the chips on the trail at the entrance to the east side so it looks inviting. We could do lots more, but this will have to do. 3 people for 2 ½ hours.
9 October, 2017
Thanksgiving Day – no work done. The people on the Saturday were impressed by the work done as well as Winona’s description of what the lake stewards have done.
16 October, 2017
Michael came with his wheelbarrow and spread chips on the trail from the top to where we left off last time. We need more chips so I will call Saanich. While he was doing that Mary pulled blackberries from among the roses by the wildlife tree. I noticed them during the tour on Saturday and was itching to get at them. They had had a good summer and were busily tip rooting. The tips were easy to pull out but we will have to get at the mail roots a little later. We are waiting for the rain. 2 people for 1 ½ hours.
23 October, 2017
Saanich brought a load of chips which Michael spread on the lower trail as far as the little stream. We will need some more. Mary cleared more horsetail and some blackberries of the plantings. The salal is looking very perky which was good to see. I hope it spreads. 2 people 1 ½ hours.
30 October, 2017
Busy elsewhere. Ordered more chips
5 November, 2017
Saturday Second bus tour. Mary went up to rake trails before the tour. There has been snow and lots of leaves have come down. The place is looking ready and the tour went very well. It was the largest one yet so a bit hard to talk to people when we were on the east side, but fine on the west side where there is more group room.
6 November, 2017
Doing water quality so no park work done.
We have decided to give the park a rest (and ourselves) until after Christmas.
4 December, 2017
It is almost sunny so I could not resist going up to check on the park with Tori and a rake. It was beautiful. I raked the last of the leaves from the trails and the creek. Winter is such a lovely time to view a garden. The bones show and there are always surprises. I saw a clump of very large dirty white mushrooms pushing up through the leaves and a nearby sword fern. In fact most of the ferns are looking very showy just now green against the back ground of brown leaves. The bits of salal look as if they are getting ready to spread. I can never decide if I should clear the leaves, horsetail stalks and grasses from the little treasures including evergreen trees of several types or if it is better to leave them as protection. I do a bit of both. How lucky I am o have this beautiful area to play in. After an hour I went home since my fingers were frozen.