Julien Gullo – 2022 Recipient of the John B. Holdstock Scholarship

Congratulations to Julien Gullo – 2022 Recipient of the John B. Holdstock Scholarship

Julien is a mature student majoring in Natural Resources Science (BNRS) at Thompsons Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops who has had a fascination with animals for as long as he could remember. He is passionate about the natural sciences and feels privileged to live in a region where the natural environment is abundant and accessible.

“I take my career path seriously and feel obliged to pay back the communities that have supported me, either directly or indirectly, in my journey,” he states.

Julien has volunteered for an array of projects, conducting yearly breeding owl surveys for Birds Canada, and coordinating volunteers for the SIMDeer citizen science project. His pastimes include backcountry skiing, hiking, canoeing and hunting that sparked his endless curiosity and lent themselves to working in field biology and community engagement. Julien is currently conducting research at John Prince Research Forest near Fort St James, BC with funding assistance from the Undergraduate Research Experience Award Program (UREAP) at TRU. He is investigating competitive dynamics between American Red Squirrels and Northern Flying Squirrels. Julien believes his success as an ecologist/ biologist is dependent on his ability to embrace both human and non-human communities to create and maintain balance for more sustainable relationships.

“I want to harness my creativity and passion for wildlife to produce both good scientific work and to help connect communities to their natural surroundings by generating interest in ecological topics while promoting environmental stewardship.”

With special thanks to the JB Holdstock Scholarship Committee members:

• • • • • • • • • Judie Steeves, Southern Interior Land Trust
                • Deb Kennedy, The Nature Trust of British Columbia
                • Dan Buffett, The Habitat Conservation Foundation
                • Dave Henshaw, British Columbia Conservation Foundation Board Director
                • Kevin Holdstock

Grasslands Restoration Begins with Young People

Seeing the patch of black mud is a jolt in a rolling sea of new spring green on the hills north of Grand Forks—the damage caused by a vehicle driving off into the grasslands recently purchased by the Southern Interior Land Trust to conserve habitat.
But on Earth Day, Apr. 22, a group of students from Perley Elementary School accepted seedling trees, a small shovel and detailed instruction from Interfor professionals, then went off into the damaged areas to take on the responsibility of restoration.
Both silviculture supervisor Jamie Hibberson and environment and land use superintendent Randy Waterous of Interfor organized the day and not only helped the students out in their task, but rewarded them with hotdogs for lunch.
Tramping through muddy areas where tires had churned up the budding wildflowers and fresh grasses, the grade six and seven class of Sarah Mace spread out with their shovels and yellow pine seedlings and worked all morning.
In all, they planted nearly 300 seedling trees with the intention of returning often in the future to watch them grow and provide shade for Chocolate Lilies and Arnica, and habitat for the wide variety of birds which call this grassland home. Mature trees, even once they die and begin to decay, provide vital homes, shelter and foraging for more than 70 species of birds and wildlife, insects, fungi, mosses and lichens
“It was an inspiring day, to watch all these young people talking to their little trees and encouraging them to be happy,” commented SILT president Judie Steeves, with a grin, adding, “They really seemed to take their job seriously and realize restoring the land to its natural habitat is important.”
If further vandalism to this land is prevented, the little trees will grow tall and strong and anchor the land from melting snow, which today is flowing down the fresh tire ruts and down the track, eroding the earth and carrying it away down the hill.
In 2020, SILT bought this 109-hectare parcel of open bunchgrass with thickets of aspen and hawthorn, District Lot 492, to conserve it for a herd of bighorn sheep and the deer who are desperate for the late winter flush of green provided here.
It was found that rattlesnakes, gopher snakes, spadefoot toads, tiger salamander and badger also make this home, as well as a great variety of birds, some endangered.
The purchase was a joint effort of the family of the late Walter Mehmal; the B.C. Conservation Foundation Land for Wildlife Fund; the Brandow family; the Wild Sheep Society of B.C., the Grand Forks Wildlife Association and other donors and SILT supporters.
Later that year, an additional 35 hectares of an adjacent property, Lot A of DL 493, also at the end of Morissey Creek Road, was purchased for the same reasons, and with some of the same support, with the addition of Tom and Jeninfer Foss and the Wild Sheep Foundation of Alberta, The Habitat Conservation Trust Fund and the Government of Canada through its Natural Heritage Conservation Program.
Both acreages are open to enjoyment by the public, for hiking, birdwatching, picnics, photography and other recreational pursuits, but the use of motorized vehicles on either property is illegal.
“Our hope is that our Grand Forks Grasslands will continue to provide healthy, natural wildlife habitat forever,” Steeves added.

Tuc-el-nuit Lake Shoreline Assessment Reports

Shoreline property owners on Tuc-el-nuit Lake near Oliver can now download their free Love Your Lake shoreline assessment reports, with property-specific suggestions on how to protect water quality and lake health.

Read the complete story here on Castanet.

Elementary Students Plant Trees on Grand Forks Grasslands

Emily Rooke, a student at Perley Elementary, carefully plants a yellow pine tree donated by Interfor on the Southern Interior Land Trust’s grasslands property at the end of Morissey Creek Road, on Earth Day.

It was inspiring to watch these young people nurture the little trees they were given by Jamie and Randy, who also explained how to plant them so they would survive,commented Judie Steeves, president of SILT.

It was a beautiful day and great to watch them roam over the greening-up hills, digging a hole and placing the little tree in it. Most said they planned to return over the years to find their trees and see how they grow up, which will be really neat.

Photos by Judie Steeves