Watch for Western Painted Turtle Hatchlings

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Created: Friday, 02 April 2010 16:58

We got some bad news from Beaver Lake Road yesterday - 5 baby Western Painted Turtles had been run over.  This particular stretch of road is one of the worst in Victoria, with records of road kill hatchlings every year since 2008.

In an effort to reduce the number of turtles killed on this stretch, HAT and the District of Saanich have installed "Turtle Crossing" signs to alert drivers.  This signs will only be up during crossing seasons, so if you see one, please keep an eye out for turtles.  If you do see a turtle, please let us know by calling the HAT Office at 250 995-2428 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Pacific population of Western Painted Turtle is an endangered species. Road mortality has been identified as one the major threats to their survival in our region.  Picking turtles up almost never helps them, even if they seem lost (they probably aren't!), but turtles on roads is the exception.  Help them cross the road in whatever direction they are going, so that less cautious drivers do not hit them accidently.

Gala Dinner a Success

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Created: Monday, 01 March 2010 14:47

Thank you to everyone who attended the Gala Dinner, and made it such a wonderful evening.  We hope that you can join us again next year!

Tickets to Gala Dinner available now

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Created: Wednesday, 10 February 2010 14:06

SOLD OUT. If you missed the Gala Dinner, we hope you can join us at the next HAT event!

Join us for this Green Tie event at McMorran's Beach House on February 25th. Doors are at 6:00 pm, Introductions at 6:30 pm and Dinner is at 7:00 pm. McMorran's Beach House is located at 5109 Cordova Bay Road.

HAT is pleased to announce its Gala Dinner on February 25th at McMorran’s Beach House. This Green Tie Dinner is HAT’s premier fundraising event of the year, and we are pleased to be joined by such distinguished guests as keynote speaker Ben Parfitt, noted jazz guitarist Rob Cheramy, and ‘A’ News reporter Erick Thompson.

Other highlights include a silent auction featuring unique items donated by local businesses (see a sneak preview of auction items below), and the  presentation of HAT’s Conservation Legacy Award to Andy MacKinnon. Andy is best known for his work on the widely used resource book "Plants of Coastal British Columbia", and through the many students that have attended his Temperate Rainforest Ecology course in Bamfield.

Our keynote speaker, Ben Parfitt, is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing on  environmental issues in British Columbia for nearly 24 years. He has an abiding interest in the health of the province’s forests and the many conflicts that have arisen over how BC’s abundant natural resources are managed or mismanaged. Over the years, he has had many memorable adventures including watching bears feed on salmon in a pitch-black forest on Haida Gwaii at 2 in the morning; tromping though forests above Cowichan Lake in search of elusive and extremely valuable matsutake mushrooms; and encountering more than a few unsavory characters in the province’s waste disposal business.

Ben is a coauthor with Michael M’Gonigle of Forestopia: A Practical Guide to the New Forest Economy, author of Forest Follies: Adventures and Misadventures in the Great Canadian Forest, and a winner of numerous national and provincial journalism awards for investigative features written for Vancouver’s weekly news magazine, The Georgia Straight. Ben will talk about the tremendous challenges that climate change poses to forest conservation, and the important role that forests play in storing carbon, and what we may have to be prepared to do in future years to ensure that forests do not become lasting sources of carbon releases.

Contact the HAT office for tickets or for more information- 250 995-2428, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A Sneak preview of some of the items up for auction:

Sea Kayaking Tour on Gabriola Island (Gabriola Sea Kayaking)

Song - written & produced by Jeremy Fisher on the winner's topic of choice!

Pallet of Sea Soil (Foenix Forest Technology Inc)

1.5 hour native plant gardening consultation with Pat Johnston

Certificate for wine tour and tasting for up to 20 (Merridale Cidery)

$100 Gift Certificate to Blue Crab Restaurant

Cooking class package for 2 (Chef Heidi Fink)

Energy Audit (cityGreen)

Personal training session (Capital City Boxing)

Gift basket of assorted bottled beer (Lighthouse Brewing Company)

Orchid & organic orchid fertilizer (Gardenworks)

Designer cake by pastry chef Tamara Batori (Tiffin Treats)

Zero-mile diet seed kit and book (Salt Spring Seed Co.)

Gift Certificate to Sapphire Day Spa

Two $50 gift certificates, sports bag and stainless steel travel mug (New Balance)

$50 gift certificate to the Shine Cafe

Pottery item (Chosin Pottery)

2010 LTABC Seminar Series at Naramata

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Created: Wednesday, 20 January 2010 11:10

“Building a Culture that Sustains Land” Naramata, BC March 18-20^th Join BC’s land trusts, naturalists, stewardship, conservation and land use organizations & agencies in this foremost Land Trust and Stewardship Seminar Series, hosted by the Land Trust Alliance of BC. This three day event includes site visits to protected areas, including Skaha Bluffs, restored riparian areas and other Okanagan cultural sites.  Plus local experts, Harold Baumbrough and Mike Sarrell, will give fascinating presentations on snakes, fire and other features of BC’s incredible biodiversity. In addition to a full day workshop by renowned North American fundraiser Kim Klein, there are another 15 seminars about protecting BC’s biodiversity and carbon storing forests and grasslands for healthy communities and a healthy climate. Thanks to the Real Estate Foundation and the Islands Trust Fund, we are pleased to be able to provide travel subsidies to member organizations. This event is open to all, plus a ride sharing connection service is available.  Please contact us at 250-538-0112 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  The program and registration is online at www.landtrustalliance.bc.ca.  Pre-registration discounts are available until March 1.