Volunteering and Support Opportunities during the Season of Creation
The Season of Creation (September 1 to October 4) is a perfect opportunity to find new ways of supporting (and participate in) environmental groups and causes in our community. Here's a list of some of the groups active in our community.
The Friends of Bowker Creek Society
bowkercreek.org
The Bowker Creek watershed headwaters are at UVic, with a tributary in Cedar Hill Park golf course. Bowker Creek meanders through Saanich, Victoria, and Oak Bay, flowing roughly parallel to Shelbourne street, around Hillside Mall towards the Royal Jubilee Hospital, past Oak Bay High School and empties into Oak Bay near Glenlyon-Norfolk school. It is literally beneath our feet throughout much of the land where we live and work. This local organization supports the restoration and enhancement of Bowker Creek and its watershed to a healthy state, guided by the vision and goals of the Bowker Creek Blueprint. They are working towards realizing a vision where the varied human uses and natural areas in the Bowker watershed are managed to minimize runoff and pollution, making Bowker Creek a healthy stream that supports habitat for native vegetation and wildlife, and provides a community greenway to connect neighbourhoods. They have a number of initiatives that you can support and join.
Peninsula Streams Society
peninsulastreams.ca
The Peninsula Streams Society helps coordinate stream restoration and habitat conservation on the Saanich Peninsula. They also provide associated groups with the technical expertise and resources to help achieve their goals. Their goal is to achieve healthy aquatic habitat that supports self-sustaining populations of native species in both freshwater and marine environments. They pursue this objective through research, restoration, innovative projects, public education and private land stewardship.
The Greater Victoria Green Team
www.meetup.com/Greater-Victoria-Green-Team
Restore, Conserve, and Connect to our Environment throughout Greater Victoria. The Greater Victoria Green Team is a regional-wide environmental volunteer program and is part of the National Charity Green Teams of Canada ( http://www.GreenTeamsCanada.ca ). They are a group of people from all over the Greater Victoria area who get together to help restore our local environment in the Capital Regional District. They work with Municipal and Provincial Parks, Charities, Non-profit organizations, Societies, Stewardship and Watershed groups to tackle environmental issues through co-operation and teamwork. They also volunteer at farms to promote local sustainable agriculture. If you care about the environment, local food security, and meeting other passionate people then this local group provides many opportunities.
The Victoria Natural History Society
http://www.vicnhs.bc.ca
The Victoria Natural History Society (VNHS) formed in 1944 and currently has about 750 members. They are a volunteer-run organization. Members have developed their interest in nature in a wide variety of ways—some are professional biologists, others are students, most are amateur or volunteer naturalists. VNHS provides an opportunity for those interested in the natural world to come together to share their ideas and experiences. They also organize initiatives such as am annual butterfly count. The primary objectives of the Society are to stimulate active interest in natural history, to study and protect flora and fauna and their habitats, and to work with other societies and like bodies having interests in common with this Society.
The Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team
goert.ca/index.php
Dedicated to the recovery of Garry oak and associated ecosystems in Canada and the species at risk that inhabit them. The Society was incorporated in BC in 2007. It is rooted in a long-standing multi-stakeholder partnership of experts from all levels of government, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, First Nations, volunteers and consultants who first came together in 1999 out of a common interest in conserving and restoring these unique ecosystems and the species that comprise them.
The Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society
www.garryoak.info
Formed in 1992 by local citizens concerned that native Garry oak woodlands and meadows were rapidly disappearing due to expanding human habitation in the Capital Regional District. The society is dedicated to the preservation, protection and restoration of Garry oak stands and their natural habitats. They are 100% volunteer run, and opportunities include working at their Garry Oak Nursery with a dedicated task force. They grow oaks from locally collected acorns to help preserve the species. Volunteers are crucial to the project and help with many aspects of nurturing these vigorous seedlings.
Rocky Point Bird Observatory
rpbo.org
Rocky Point Bird Observatory (RPBO) has been a member of the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network (CMMN) since 1994. Members of the CMMN track the migration of Canada's birds in the spring and fall each year, adding to our knowledge of population trends, demographics, phenology, and other essential information about the species that pass through each location. This information is used by governments, environmental organizations, scientists and others to direct our collective actions and improve our ability to conserve Canada's birds. Most CMMN members are small non-profit organizations that depend on large numbers of motivated volunteers. Your support is welcome and very much appreciated!