Conservation Property Dedicated to Lifetime Conservationist Ron Taylor

The Southern Interior Land Trust (SILT) recently added a fifth property to its conservation holdings—a gem of intact streamside water birch habitat on the banks of Keremeos Creek near Olalla.

On Saturday, September 28th, SILT dedicated it the “R.E. Taylor Conservation Property” to honour Ron Taylor of Winfield, BC, in recognition of Ron’s life-long commitment to wildlife conservation. A career teacher and avid outdoorsman, Ron has influenced and mentored hundreds of young and old hunters, fishers, trappers, biologists and conservationists. Ron, through his strong conservation ethic, has always spoken on behalf of fish and wildlife and for the wise use of wild spaces.

Ron helped to create SILT, a non-profit land trust, and has served on its Board of Directors since the society was formed in 1988. He has been an active member of the Oceola Fish and Game Club for decades and has also served on its executive and that of the BC Wildlife Federation. Ron spent years advocating for a balance of natural resource use and protection at the Okanagan-Shuswap Land and Resource Management planning table. He has also served for several years on the Board of the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. Ron’s willingness to share his time and knowledge to so many fish and wildlife related endeavours has had positive and lasting impacts on natural resource management in BC.

Situated on flat valley bottomland, the R.E. Taylor Conservation Property provides habitat for at least six federally listed species at risk including yellow-breasted chat, western screech owl, Lewis’s woodpecker, barn owl, badger and common nighthawk. Deer, bear, moose, bobcat and other wildlife also use the property and rainbow trout and other fish live in the creek.

SILT works to keep its properties open to all types of wildlife-related recreation. SILT believes that doing so rewards the people that contribute to habitat conservation. Partial funding to purchase the R.E. Taylor Conservation Property came from the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. SILT appreciates the hunters, trappers, guides and anglers that support the foundation through their licence fees, and SILT’s other donors that help make our habitat acquisitions possible—for all living things

Ginty’s Pond: Wetlandkeepers Course – Report

by Kasey Moran…

Event Overview

Wetlandkeepers Courses are delivered by BCWF and cover a standard set of skills related to wetland classification, plant identification, and soil analyses. For more information, see their website:

https://bcwf.bc.ca/wetlandkeepers-courses/

In addition to the standard Wetlandkeepers Course content, this event involved an in-depth community-based conversation about Ginty’s Pond. Many Cawston (and area) residents recounted memories of the pond when it would have been classified as a shallow open-water wetland, rather than the cattail marsh that exists today. Some community members expressed a concern for the pond’s current appearance, and expressed a desire to restore it to its former state to facilitate recreational uses like ice skating and boating. SILT’s executive director, Al Peatt, expressed his understanding that a 7:3 ratio of open water to emergent vegetation would optimize habitat value for wildlife.

Read the Full Report Here

Vulcan Consulting Supports SILT Mandate

Pictured above is Peter Nazaroff from Vulcan Consulting presenting a cheque for $2,000 to SILT President, Ross Everatt.

Mr. Nazaroff wanted to support SILT’s efforts to protect and secure conservation lands and also appreciated the fact that SILT’s Board of Directors are 100% volunteer.

SILT Meadowlark Festival – Cold Creek Property Tour Sold Out

SILT hosted a sold out walk and talk tour of its Cold Creek conservation property near Keremeos on May 18^th. The tour, in support of the Meadowlark Nature Festival, attracted 20 participants of all ages. SILT President Ross Everatt, outdoors writer Judie Steeves, cottonwood expert Kasey Moran and wildlife biologist Al Peatt led the tour of SILT’s 20-hectare Cold Creek property where over 200 plant and animal species occur. The Cold Creek property is a wildlife corridor that fronts the Similkameen River and extends from an intact cottonwood stand through dry shrub-steppe to steep cliffs, and includes a spring-fed year-round stream.

SILT appreciates and thanks the Meadowlark Nature Festival and everyone who came out with us to Cold Creek; we made new friends, had many engaging conversations and enjoyed a great walk.

You can help SILT conserve other gems of habitat for all living things through your donation of cash or land by clicking on this link.

Photos – courtesy Judie Steeves