PKOLS – Mount Douglas Conservancy

The Salish Sea archipelago, in which the Saanich Peninsula is included, is an enormously biodiverse region that supports unique mega flora with diverse topographies and microclimates. Throughout this unique ecological zone, there are populations of rare species that vary from area to area.

The following article in the Rain Coast Conservation Foundation talks about how, for both Washington State and BC, the Olympic Mountains shadow has created what they call a “profound amount of micro-habitat diversity in this area.” In the San Juan Islands alone, with only 0.26% of the landmass of Washington, it supports 30% of the native plant species. The same is true of the British Columbia side of the border.

The article speaks to the need, in times of our climate devolution, how important it is to protect this area’s species from extinction.

In June of this year, the Environmental Protection Tribunal of Canada clarified an issue of dogs running at large within a migratory bird sanctuary. An individual was fined for having their dog off-leash in Cadboro Bay, which is in the Migratory Bird Sanctuary. The claimant argued that the dog had not harmed anything. The tribunal found this argument had no merit and upheld the finding. This is backed by multiple studies indicating migratory birds have a severe response when dogs are within 100m, whether on or off-leash. As a consequence of this response, they often fail to nest and sometimes burn so much energy in avoiding the danger that they abandon their nest. The outcome of dogs within migratory bird sanctuaries is almost always the plummeting of species within the area.

Justine Hunter’s article in the Globe and Mail highlights the unique species found in Southern Vancouver Island and how many are found nowhere else in the world, species that are in danger of becoming extinct. This is highlighted in the following passages from the article.

“The region of Southern Vancouver Island, where I live, supports more biological diversity than anywhere else in British Columbia – a province that in turn has the highest biodiversity in the country – but it also has the greatest number of species that could disappear forever. The average 10-kilometre-square piece of land in Victoria is home to at least one dozen plant and animal species at risk, including some that live nowhere else in the world.

Despite this, land for development is at a premium and nature is disappearing as the region expands. Even those temperate rainforests, sandy beaches, and flowering meadows that have been protected, are being loved to death by visitors. The consequences are potentially dire: When we wipe out a species, whether plant or animal, it is not only the loss of something unique – the biodiversity that humans depend on to survive is eroded.”

This highlights how important it is to ensure we preserve for future generations nature reserves within the South Island communities to prevent many of these species from going extinct.

Reference

Saving the Species at the Edge of Extinction: When we wipe out a species, it is not only the loss of something unique, the biodiversity that humans depend on to survive is eroded. Justine Hunter, Globe and Mail Victoria, BC July 8th, 2023

The Great Horned Owl is a large owl that hunts at night. They are about 70 cm tall with a 160cm wing span. The males and females are very similar in appearance, with the females being slightly larger. They lay their eggs in January through February, often in hollow areas found in trees or abandoned nests. In 35 days, hatchlings will appear.

PKOLS – Mount Douglas is a nesting ground for Great Horned Owls, making it essential to stay on trails within PKOLS – Mount Douglas conservancy.

References

• Atlas of the Breeding Birds of British Columbia
• Go Hiking, Great Horned Owl

We often repeat the protection mantra: please stay on the marked trails. There are several excellent reasons for this. The most obvious is that our feet treading the ground compresses the soil and trample plants. Then, where we walk others will follow: a new trail is born.

Another important reason to stay on marked (official) trails are that many of the natural residents of this nature preserve, all sorts of animals, make their homes in the undergrowth. They can tolerate visitors to their neighbourhood but soon feel threatened when safe areas shrink. These understory residents include Garter snakes, native Banana Slugs, Pacific Chorus Frogs, native terrestrial snails, native Alligator lizards, and Western Red-Backed Salamanders, Rough Skinned Newts, butterflies and moths in various pre-flight stages.

Keeping human and canine feet on marked trails is especially important for the ground-nesting birds in the preserve. These ground nesters are busy preparing nests and incubating their eggs and young. They don’t want to leave their eggs but will do so if we or our dogs venture too close. Every bit of stress they feel reduces their chances for success. This makes the preserve poorer in the long run. Remember, PKOLS – Mount Douglas serves to preserve the natural area and provide a setting for our rest and recreation.

Using an online resource called ebird, a place for bird enthusiasts to record their observations, we can find observations of many birds. Ground nesters include Mallard, Canada Goose, California Quail, Sooty Grouse, Common Nighthawk, Killdeer, Pacific Wren, Dark-eyed Junco, Spotted Towhee, Orange-crowned Warbler, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden Crowned Sparrow, and Wilson’s Warbler. Hummingbirds nest low to the ground in the oaks near the summit. Swallows nest in the steep rocks on the south slope. These birds need and deserve a chance to incubate their eggs and rear their young with as little disruption as possible.