The Salt Spring Island Conservancy is celebrating 30 years of grassroots efforts to protect the island’s natural heritage. Since 1995, it has worked to acquire and manage ecologically valuable land, support landowners in becoming good stewards of their own land, and provide public outreach programs.
Seven dedicated women shaped the Conservancy’s early years. They established the SSIC as a registered charitable organization and held the first board meeting on January 13, 1995. Their first campaign was to protect the old-growth forest on the Mill Farm, along Musgrave Road, a process that took two years. By 1997, the Conservancy had raised $192,000 for the CRD’s purchase of the land, was engaged in 16 other projects, and had launched its own publication, The Acorn. During this period, the SSIC became the first conservancy in BC permitted to hold a conservation covenant on private land. Conservation covenants enable landowners to protect important ecological features on their land, while continuing to own the land. This marked a major step for conservation in BC, as previously, only government entities could hold these agreements.
Blackburn Lake Nature Reserve: Photo: Simon Henson
In the late 1990s, as part of the efforts to protect the Texada lands from logging and to ultimately create Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park, the Conservancy played a pivotal role in protecting 263 acres of Maxwell Lake watershed lands. This was reportedly the first watershed covenant in British Columbia.
By 2001, the fledgling organization had grown to where it needed an executive director. A staff scientist was hired and public education initiatives were launched, including a guide for new island residents and a popular bird checklist. Soon thereafter, the Conservancy’s first two nature reserves, Manzanita Ridge and Andreas Vogt Nature Reserve, were created through the generosity of the landowners.
Stewards in Training Program. Photo: Salt Spring Island Conservancy
In 2004, volunteer Jean Gelwicks spearheaded the Stewards in Training program, inspired by Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods. Twenty-one years later, the SSIC continues to offer this program, providing hands-on environmental education for island students in Grades K-7. That same year, the Conservancy received its first grant from the Government of Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program, supporting research on species at risk.
Blackburn Lake Nature Reserve: Photo: Peter McAllister
The Conservancy launched a Land Stewardship program in 2005 to provide customized advice to private landholders interested in learning about how to be good stewards of their land. This free program involves an SSIC ecologist walking the land with the owner, preparing a report on the land and species observed, and providing stewardship recommendations. This program currently helps to protect more than 1620 acres of diverse, valuable ecosystems on Salt Spring Island.
Creekside Rainforest Nature Reserve. Photo: Pierre Mineau
Over the past thirty years, the Conservancy has established 11 nature reserves for islanders to enjoy, such as the popular Mt. Erskine reserve (part of Mt. Erskine Provincial Park) and the Blackburn Lake reserve, which protects an important water source for the island. Creekside Rainforest Nature Reserve, a rare 15.5-acre parcel of coastal temperate rainforest near Beddis Beach, is one of the SSIC’s newest reserves. Maps of its reserves can be found on the Conservancy’s website: saltspringconservancy.ca/protect/nature-reserves
In total, the Conservancy now protects more than 1640 acres in 11 nature reserves and 19 private conservation covenants. However, its nature reserves are not financial assets it can draw on; they are lands to be held in perpetuity to conserve their ecological diversity and wildlife habitats. The Conservancy relies entirely on grants and donations to acquire, restore, and manage these rare and valuable areas, as well as to provide education opportunities to children and a diversity of workshops and presentations to adults interested in our native ecosystems.
With this in mind, the Conservancy has launched a campaign to build an endowment fund, with a goal of $1,000,000, to provide a long-term foundation for its work. More information on how to support the SSIC’s mission can be found on their website: saltspringconservancy.ca/30th-anniversary
After three decades, the Salt Spring Island Conservancy remains true to the vision of its founders: ensuring that the island’s natural beauty is preserved for generations to come.
