The annual calendar of the W̱SÁNEĆ people notes that the Bullhead Moon or SX̱ÁNEȽ, roughly corresponding to April, is the season where good weather is the norm, but these days can bring sudden thunder and lightning storms. In Roberts Bay we are certainly getting the good weather! Low tides bring the Great Blue Herons to feed on the mud flats before flying back to their chicks in the rookery nests on Marina Way. This newsletter contains information about:
- Saanich Peninsula Environmental Coalition (SPEC) Survey
- Friends of Sidney Parks (FSP) at the Third St beach access
- Camas blooming in the Ardwell Native Plant Garden
- March 28 Bird Walk and Tea
- Another creosote log on the beach
1. Take SPEC’s new Check Up! Survey #2
Last month’s newsletter contained an article on the Saanich Peninsula Environmental Coalition’s March 7th Community Meeting. A Summary of the discussions at that lively meeting is attached to today’s newsletter. The Coalition (SPEC) is now inviting community members to participate in the second Check-Up! Survey on environmental planning and collaboration across the Saanich Peninsula.
Building on last year’s survey, this follow-up aims to better understand how community perspectives are evolving, raise awareness of current environmental planning efforts, and gather input on actions that could strengthen ecosystem health, collaboration, and regional resilience. This survey asks you to review the actions brainstormed by community members during the March 7th Workshop and share your perspective on which actions should be prioritized in the lead-up to the October election.
Your input will help highlight which policies matter most to residents in shaping priority actions across the region. We encourage you to take a few minutes to share your perspective before the Survey closes May 1st.
Find the survey here:
https://www.placespeak.com/en/topic/6761-engage-in-the-saanich-peninsula-bioregion/#/survey
2. Friends of Sidney Parks
The Friends of Sidney Parks Society and Town staff selected the park and beach access to Roberts Bay at the end of Third St as the first site to remove non-native invasive plant material. Curtis Evans and Jocelyn Gifford of Roberts Bay Residents joined the Friends on Saturday April 25, and plan to volunteer regularly. On Tuesday and Saturday the group pulled and dug up enough tenacious, well established ivy to clear a large area from the Beaufort Road corner to the park itself. They left a very impressive ivy pile for Town staff to pick up! Walk by and see the difference after only 2 sessions! Friends of Sidney Parks Society was formed by a group of Sidney residents who volunteer with Friends of North Saanich Parks and plan to take a similar approach here. It involves continuing to work on a particular park until it is cleared of invasive plants. Then, while moving to another park, they also monitor the original site for regrowth and return as often as necessary to maintain the healthy native biodiversity of the original site.
If you are able, additional volunteers are needed and very welcome. This is an opportunity to meet neighbours and enjoy exercise, conversation and laughs while making a real difference to biodiversity and habitat close to home. Sidney has approved a $1600 grant-in-aid to purchase of tools and supplies. Town staff provide overall direction and an orientation for each park, including safety protocols. Work at the Third St beach access will continue Tuesday and Saturday afternoons until mid-May. Contact friendsofsidneyparks@gmail.com
3. Camas Time
May in the W̱SÁNEĆ calendar is the time of the PENÁW̱EṈ – MOON OF CAMAS HARVEST, when “our people traveled to family locations to harvest camas bulbs (ḰȽO,EL), which was the source of starch in our diet. This was a cherished time for the people of Saanich – it marked the time when they could begin traveling through their territory again”. The W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council website is an excellent resource for all of us to learn more about the people who have lived here for millennia.
This photo of beautiful blue camas in bloom is from the Native Plant Garden at the Ardwell beach access, but there are several places in the region where camas meadows are more like the family locations where W̱SÁNEĆ people cultivated camas meadows for thousands of years, maintaining the harvest of bulbs at this time of year. Click here for a good, brief article about the historical and ecological importance of camas in the region, and the best spots in Victoria to view it now.
4. March 28 Bird Walk and Tea
Approximately 45 participants braved the cold wind and light rain for the Friends of Shoal Harbour’s 11th annual event, which this year was held at Nymph Point Park and the Sidney/North Saanich Yacht Club. Highlights included the Great Blue Heron colony actively refurbishing more than 30 nests, a female kildeer who performed the “broken wing” display to draw attention away from her nest, and a tour of the beach restoration work by the Peninsula Streams and Shorelines Society to enhance forage fish spawning habitat.
The event concluded indoors in the warmth of the Yacht Club for refreshments and to hear from Bob Peart, President of Friends of Shoal Harbour, a citizens initiative dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Shoal Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Chloe Kraemer, Beach Program Coordinator with Peninsula Streams sumarized their research and collaboration with organizations along the BC and Washington State coastlines through the Coastal Forage Fish Network. Craig Cuthbert of Friends of North Saanich Parks highlighted the extensive work of that organization’s volunteers removing invasive plants like ivy and daphne from Nymph Point Park above the beach. “The event once again demonstrated the strong community interest in local conservation efforts and the value of bringing people togethert to learn about and appreciate the natural environments of the Saanich Peninsula.” Friends of Shoal Harbour
6. Another Creosote Log
Occasionally logs soaked in creosote wash up on Roberts Bay beaches. On April 19 the strong petroleum smell of this one near the Seagrass beach access north of Ardwell, drew the attention of a walker. A Google search reveals that Creosote contains over 300 chemicals. When exposed to sunlight and heat, it leaches toxic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) into the beach sediment, impacting nearshore spawning areas and leading to high mortality rates for surf smelt and herring. Tiny crustaceans and larvae in the beach sediment ingest or touch the toxins, passing the contanimation up the food chain as they are eaten by fish or waterbirds. If not removed, over time the wood breaks down, contaminating the sediment beneath. “Creosote turns what should be a productive habitat for crustaceans and shellfish into a hostile, toxic environment.”
For humans, contact can cause skin irritation, respiratory problems and other health issues. This log has been reported to the Town which we understand has a contractor to remove it.
Best wishes until the next newsletter. Let’s hope the dire predictions for a hot, dry summer don’t come true, though the reports on accelerating climate change make that seem very unlikely. We can do our best to keep ourselves and the environment as cool and hydrated as possible.
Roberts Bay Residents
Jocelyn Gifford, Communications
