A Very Musical Restoration Event
October 23rd saw the 3rd Annual Oak Haven Stewardship Event in partnership and friendship between the Wavelengths Community Choir, the Gettin’ Higher Choir (GHC), and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Victoria Capital Region (BBBS).
For the past 3 years, members of Wavelengths, GHC, and BBBS have joined HAT at Oak Haven Park in Central Saanich where we have navigated wind, rain, and cold to get members of these four great communities together and outside. What began as a way to meet new people, to share some socially-distanced space, and get the chance to do anything together during the pandemic, these stewardship events have grown to be an annual tradition.
This year, with rain clouds looming, the group managed to stay dry while focusing on removing some of the Spurge-laurel (Daphne) from the cross-roads between the two main entrances to Oak Haven Park, adding to the work we’ve done in previous years. While the other two events focused on removal of Scotch broom in the park’s beautiful highland ḰȽO,EL,ENEȻ (Prairie Oak) meadows, this year we worked to remove a patch of Daphne that was crowding out several native species (like chocolate lily, camas, and trailing blackberry), giving the native species a better chance next spring.
The group of dedicated volunteers were able to see the positive impacts of ongoing restoration and stewardship at Oak Haven. After three years of participating in the ongoing stewardship of the park, we walked to the summit and were surprised by how little Scotch broom had grown back after previous years’ efforts – a credit to not only our efforts but those of the HAT restoration crew who have spent time both last summer and this year supporting the restoration plans for the park. We also got to take in the impact of what a group can accomplish with good cheer, some music in our hearts, and a good set of loppers.
As always, thank you so much to Denis Donnelly, Wavelength’s Director, and his partner Lynne, Cathy Baker and Dick Jackson, the Directors of GHC, and Mike Wyeth (also a member of GHC) and Rhonda Brown at BBBS for their support, for keeping us involved in your communities, and for being part of ours. Stay tuned to both the Wavelengths Community Choir webpage, and the Gettin’ Higher Choir webpage for news about their upcoming concerts (both in January 2023). HAT is the beneficiary of the Wavelengths concert, and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude for their support. HAT has benefited from the funds raised at the shared virtual concerts that both Wavelengths and GHC held during the pandemic. To see a powerful tribute to conservation from last year’s online fundraising concert, please check out the YouTube for the GHC.