Water gauge readings are sent to our hydrologist Garth van der Kamp.
Jan 9/ 2024
No workers on Monday Jan 8th, as there was a hard rain. Stopped by for the water gauge reading today.
Water gauge reading, sent to Garth.
Jan 15/ 2024
Audrey, Mary and Lori did a walkabout on a frosty day. We assessed our priorities for the coming months and took photos. [3 people x 0.5 hr for 1.5 hrs; plus 3 x 0.5 hrs travel time for 1.5 hrs = 3 hours]
Cold and frosty day.We plan an ephemeral stream bed here, trying to divert the run-off around the back of this Cedar tree and away from the parking lot. Water gauge reading, sent to Garth. A Robin in the Skunk cabbage patch. Our ephemeral stream on the east-side. Our rose bush clippings, prunings, and cuttings giving the Hawthorne trees some breathing space.Nootka rose hips [Rosa nut kana] aka Bristly Rose.Harkhack [Spiraea douglasii] Frost on the Oregon grape leaves [Berberis aquifolium]
Jan 22 & 29/ 2024
Audrey and Mary worked today, alas no photos.
Feb 5 & 12th/ 2024
Most of the crew are away, so no work, no photos.
Feb 19/ 2024
Audrey and Lori worked bit of clean-up. [1.0 hrs x 2 people for 2 hrs; plus 0.5 hrs x 2 for 1. 0 travel = 3 hrs]
Winona and Fallon came by for a visit. The wharf has some broken boards. Photos sent to Pulling Together, just as an FYI as the notice is from Saanich. Water gauge readings, sent to Garth.
Feb 26/ 2024
Audrey and Lori, short work in the cold [0.5 hrs x 2 people for 1.0 hrs plus 0.5 hrs x 2 people travel time for 1.0 hr = 2 hrs]
March 4th, 2024
Audrey, Winona and Lori met with Pulling Together Coordinator for annual Restoration Action Plan and travelled to South Prospect Lake Park for assessment of the broom plants [1.0 hrs x 3 people for 3.0 hrs; plus 0.5 hrs x 3 people travel time = 4.5 hrs]
Water gauge reading, note the plant debris on our gauge. The water is really flowing.Winona, Audrey and Lori met with our Pulling Together Coordinator, Katie Turner; and Maddy Litster, Natural Areas Practitioner, ISA Certified Arborist [ with Tree Risk Assessment qualification].
Maddy took this photo.
March 11/ 2024
Audrey and Lori pulled roses [that are encroaching into the paths], and moved some Salmonberry that were growing in the ‘Classroom’. Two workers for an hour each, plus travel = 3 hrs.There is a woodpecker in our snag. And although you can barely see the bird, he is indeed at the very top of the tree.I think this is a Cormorant, spending a bit of time diving for fish.Beautiful reflections.Our Canadian goose couple, dropped in. Here it looks like someone has shovelled dirt from the parking lot and put it onto the grass. Water gauge.Some Daffodils trying to show themselves.
March 18/ 2024
The wharf is awaiting repair. Looking from Goward Road bridge, up Tod Creek to Prospect Lake.The water gauge.The water gauge.This is a big year for the June plum. Audrey cutting the tall wire fencing into half heights, as we only need to protect the small trees from the beaver. Kitty holding the wire fence roll, it gets very tight toward the middle and needs more than one person to cut.Audrey, Kitty & Lori worked for 1.5 hrs each [plus 0.5 hrs each travel time = 6.0 hrs Salmonberry bloom.
March 25/ 2024
The water gauge.Hard to see, a little from on the wheelbarrow leg.We suspect a small invasive Bull Frog, next to Kitty’s hand for size. I’ll put this photo to iNaturalist and get a definite ID.We had a great pile of trail chips waiting for us, and we were able to spread the entire load along the trails.Today’s crew: Kitty, Audrey & Lori [photographing]. We donated 6.0 hrs total volunteer time today.
April 1/ 2024
This young man caught two Rainbow Trout within minutes of arriving at the park this morning. The water gauge.A Red-headed sapsucker was drilling a tattoo on the metal sign post, it made quite the noise. You can just make out our volunteer Skunk cabbage on the west-side of Tod Creek [almost mid-photo].We found 4 Trillium on the east-side, we planted one here last year. The Skunk cabbage are doing well on the east-side, haven’t bloomed yet. Just up & to the right of middle photo is the blooming Skunk cabbage on the west-side.Today’s crew: Audrey, Winona, Kitty & Lori. We worked pulling weeds and fencing the Trillium = 6 hours total.
April 8/ 2024 rain so no work today
April 9th Water Gauge reading
April 15/ 2024
The dock remains closed for repair.We found this large bird wing.Maybe Heron. Water gaugereading.We have Trillium blooming. Protected the plants with wire fencing.The Lamium corner, which we did a good job of pulling out. Here’s today’s crew: Kitty, next to the Lamium pile], Audrey with her bucket full, and Lori photographer.Saanich crew came by with Treat Bags for all of us. Very thoughtful!
April 22/ 2024
Another beautiful Monday morning at Whitehead Park.This is from WHP west-side, looking toward where we have done most of our work these past few years.Water gaugereading.Today we worked on the roses, as they are a bit aggressively moving onto the trail paths. Here Audrey battles large canes.And Kitty stand next to one load of branch trimmings.This trail was barely manageable for safe walking. One of our Trillium plantings is holding on, protected by a wire fence. Today’s crew: Audrey & Kitty stand next to a pile of cuttings almost as high as the trail mulch. Lori as photographer.
April 29/ 2024
Water gaugereading.The busy rose corner is getting cleared out, making room for walkers. A before photo, from rose corner looking toward Goward Rd.An incredible pile of garden debris from these last two weeks.The after photo [see before above].Another after photo of this part of our trails.Today’s crew: Audrey, Kitty & Lori [photographer].
May 6th/ 2024
The Pulling Together group often prune main & lateral canes, plus a lot of suckers from the rootstock, as we try to keep the trails user friendly and easy to navigate.
Audrey here, assisted by Kyla & Maddy [Saanich workers] in removing large rose canes.This corner has sprouted aggressive roses, right onto the walking trail. Audrey, Maddy & Kyla with the pile of canes etc to the left.
May 13/ 2024
Audrey, Kitty, Mary & Lori worked just on the roses today.
This past weekend, including Mother’s Day, was beautiful weather. Unfortunately, someone has flattened the Saanich sign wanting to keep people off the wharf, hiding the evident wood decay. Reported. Mary [proving our trails are maintained for walkers using assistance], Lori, Audrey & Kitty here. Our water levels have been recorded, along with numerous watershed points, by FTCW volunteers. Saved on Excel, they are then uploaded to Water Rangers, as a part of our longitudinal data.Some of the birds that the “Merlin” app picked up. We always wrap up with a group photo, beside our work pile. Today, as we left walking down Goward Road, we spied a Barred owl.
May 20th/ 2024
Unable to work today.
May 27th/ 2024
Audrey, Kitty & Lori worked on more roses removal and pulling lots of Cleaver.
Audrey & Kitty in front of a huge, now removed, patch of roses.
June 3rd/ 2024
Too windy for volunteers in parks today.
June 10th/ 2024
No work today in the park, but Lori was able to put up posters for this coming Saturday June 15th Broom Pull at South Prospect Lake Park. Unfortunately, all the ones along Goward Road were removed; however the sign was posted on our Facebook page and the fb page: Prospect Lake Neighbours, with lots of views.
June 17/ 2024
Kitty, Mary and Audrey, in a bit of light rain. The trails are completely walker friendly, so that’s great to see. We really trimmed the grass, horse-tails and roses to make the trails easy to navigate. Audrey, Mary & Kitty, next to our good pile of cuttings on the left.
June 24th
July 1st: No work today
July 8th/ 2024
FOR THE NEXT SIX WEEKS, AUDREY BARNES KINDLY TOOK PHOTOS AND NOTES FOR THE SAANICH PULLING TOGETHER PROGRAM:
