Children's Wildlife 5-Book Series to help conserve Canadian animals

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Created: Wednesday, 20 September 2017 16:22

Teacher, artist, illustrator, and local author, Sherry Ewacha-Poole is lending her support to Habitat Acquisition Trust (HAT) with proceeds from a new book series raising funds for nature.

Written by Sherry Ewacha-Poole and published by Wildlife Matters Publishing, the A-Z Wildlife Series highlights 130 animals from all over Canada with each of the 5 books focusing on a different region, including our own West Coast.

Each book features 26 well-loved creatures. Some of the animals showcased in The West Coast are the Orca whale, the Spirit Bear, and the Vancouver Island Marmot, with informational fun facts about their natural history alongside colourful illustrations done by hand. These books bring a menagerie of educational wonder to any family’s bookshelf. They also give children a chance to take part in helping these animals remain living in our forests, mountains, rivers, and seas, as $5.00 from the purchase goes directly to habitat protection, enhancement, and restoration programs with HAT.

“When we learn about and admire the animals around us, it’s only natural to want to see them protected and remain a part of our shared world. With this partnership, children get a chance to not only grow their understanding of wildlife, but also feel empowered that they are a part of keeping them safe. These are the kind of special books that make a wonderful and meaningful gift full of inspiration.” - Alanah Nasadyk Community and Development Coordinator, HAT.

Sherry has chosen to donate $5.00 from the sale of each book to the Habitat Acquisition Trust to fund the protection of habitat for wildlife featured in her illustrations. Books can be purchased at 825 Broughton St., Victoria. Those purchasing books are advised to call ahead at 250-995-2428 to ensure copies are on hand. The series can also be purchased online at: https://wildlifematters.ca/the-a-z-wildlife-series/ , and purchasers are reminded to mention Habitat Acquisition Trust in a note before check-out to ensure a portion of proceeds goes to local wildlife conservation.

“Compassion and concern for our wildlife starts with knowledge and awareness, and if these books can raise that awareness, then I have accomplished what I set out to do,” says Sherry.

Sherry has already donated two sets of the books directly to HAT. These books will be available at the Conservation Connection Benefit Banquet through a silent auction on Oct 12th. Tickets for this nature fundraiser event are on sale at http://hat.bc.ca/c4c until Oct 1st.

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East Sooke Conservaton Covenants

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Created: Tuesday, 19 September 2017 13:40

Habitat Acquisition Trust protects two stunning private natural areas in East Sooke with conservation covenants. These properties are maintained by caring landowners, HAT, two co-covenant holders, the Capital Regional District and The Land Conservancy, and a number of volunteers and supporters that contribute to the covenants’ long-term management. These covenants total 17.3 hectares (42.7 acres) of precious habitat.

The first of these two covenants places protection over a beautiful Douglas fir forest. The hillsides are lush with an abundance and variety of pillowing green moss. Tiny, delicate orchids that defy human cultivation grow here by the plenty in tandem with the symbiotic fungi they depend on, hidden away beneath the soil. During spring, white fawn lilies and shooting star flowers pop up, decorating the landscape with fleeting, fragile beauty. As the summer dries out much of the region, this covenant remains much wetter, being close to the ocean, often blanketed by dense fog that seems to wrap itself snuggly around the hill tops, until a swift wind disperses it. Marking the landscape are a number of standing dead trees or snags, with old peeling bark and hollows excavated by woodpeckers, which are teaming with life, big and small.

Living among the trees and hills are many different animals, some seen, some heard. A cougar takes its meal watching from a waterside ledge, brown squirrels twitch and skitter along tree branches, and a bear lumbers by contently filled with today’s forage. A chorus of bird life fills the air with chirps and tweets; a Belted Kingfisher’s persistent patience pays off as she dives and perches, dives and perches, finally scooping up her just deserts, the Stellar’s Jays dip and swoop, woodpeckers, both downy and pileated peck away, and raven’s call is heard from beyond the fog. Even birds like sooty grouse and, a species considered of special concern provincially, the olive-sided flycatcher are spotted in this natural refuge. Dragonflies also zip by and the Golden skipper butterflies pass through, never staying still for long.

The second covenant in East Sooke is a nursery for amphibians, a place where animals like newts can breed safely and migrate within a protected forest and wetland. Here, years of teamwork tackling the invasive Scotch Broom by the landowners and Habitat Acquisition Trust staff and volunteers have left the land virtually cleared of the most invasive plants, including the persistent yellow-flowered shrub, a success story in many ways.

“Do we love this land? Yes. Do we want to walk this land as its guardians? Yes. We want to ensure that some land in BC stays in its natural state for generations to come.” – Covenant Landowner.

The landowners that protect this natural area are passionate. They know the land very well and care deeply about the incredible virtues it holds, explaining,

“Winter here is magic. When the fog is in the Sooke Basin, you can look down and watch it slowly rise. Then come whipping past in the wind. It’s almost like you’re living in a cloud.”

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From the wetlands and older forests to the open meadows, these 17 hectares are home to many plants, animals and ecosystems that are becoming increasingly rare within the CRD. For example: Olive-sided flycatchers, Band-tailed pigeons, and Red-legged frogs, which are all considered species of special concern both provincially and federally live in these covenants. Forested ecosystems represented in these covenants such as the Douglas-fir/Arbutus, Arbutus/Hairy manzanita, and Western red cedar/Douglas-fir /Oregon beaked moss are considered provincially red-listed, meaning they are threatened or endangered.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can create a conservation legacy with a covenant, please contact HAT at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To sponsor the East Sooke conservation covenants today with a gift to the HAT Land Protection program visit hat.bc.ca/donate or call 250-995-2428.

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Volunteer Spotlight: Emily Rudderham

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Created: Thursday, 07 September 2017 13:13

Emily Rudderham first reached out to Habitat Acquisition Trust about volunteering in December of last year. Since then, she has shown us lots of love through taking on the role as Volunteer Restoration Coordinator. Even with a busy schedule, Emily regularly takes the time to help organize the habitat restoration days many of us take part in and enjoy.

For all of Emily's good work volunteering with us, we would like to shine the spotlight on her this month. Thank you Emily!

Emily says, "Volunteering with HAT has been awesome - it's given me so many opportunities to learn, and a first hand look at what it's like to make a career out of conservation. So a gigantic 'thank you' to everyone at HAT for taking me on!"

Volunteering in the field at Senanus Island, Havenwood Park, as well as Ruby Creek this year as well, Emily says her favourite experience though has been, "a monitoring survey of the Ivan Island conservation covenant which I did with Wendy and Barb."

"We traversed a beautiful piece of densely forested property, that had a mind-boggling array of native wildflowers. We were monitoring the movement of invasive species. It gave me a chance to participate in environmental monitoring and to see how strong (and important) the bonds are between the landowner and HAT."

Emily adds, "It's been incredibly eye-opening and interesting to have a behind-the-scenes look at the sheer amount of work that goes into running HAT's various programs. If anything, working with HAT and seeing the passion of the staff and volunteers has really reinforced my decision to pursure a career in conservation."

Fall promises to be an exceptionally productive habitat restoration season here at HAT. We are so grateful to have a team-player like Emily to count on as we bring the community together for nature.

Photos: (left) Here she is at the Havenwood Park Restoration day this spring! Emily is a champion of digging up invasive Himalayan Blackberries. Go Emily, go!

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Community Collaboration Feature

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Created: Tuesday, 05 September 2017 15:57

Local artist Wilson Tutube

Wilson Tutube partnered with Habitat Acquisition Trust to incorporate his art into this year's Conservation Connection Forum poster design. This collaboration encapsulates the spirit of the community coming together for nature that the Conservation Connection Forum seeks to instill.

Wilson blends traditional First Nations art inspired by his Nuu-chah-nulth heritage with themes of wildlife and conservation, creating one of a kind works of art.

As a volunteer at the Royal BC Museum, working with the invertebrate collections there, Wilson's artwork depicts some of the specimens preserved at the museum. Wilson also draws inspiration from conservation issues facing species like bats, amphibians, and bees. 

"Bats aren't common in First Nations art, so I blended elements of traditional wolf designs to make my own unique bat design." - Wilson Tutube.

Wilson says that he sometimes encounters people that believe traditional stories are at odds with science. Wilson prefers to encourage ideas of cooperation between tradition and science with his artistic interpretations, and sees the two as able to work in tandem for the betterment of the world.

You can find Wilson's art at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea. You can also contact him to buy art at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also visit the Seaton St.Tunnel, which goes under the the Trans-Canada Hwy, to see his art in a recent mural dedicated to reconciliation.

Habitat Acquisition Trust is so grateful to Wilson Tutube for sharing his art with us all and bringing conservation concerns as well as an interest in natural history to light in a creative and meaningful way. 

For more information on the Conservation Connection Forum and tickets, please visit hat.bc.ca/c4c. We would like to connect with you too!

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