News/Reports
AGM 2023 Friends of Ecological Reserve.
A REVIEW OF MILESTONES – Jan 2022 TO Dec 2022
Rick Page, President
The 2023 Annual General Meeting was held virtually on June 7, 2023. I’d like to acknowledge the directors that are not standing for re-election – Stephen Ruttan and Megan Howse. Thank you for your contributions. Stephan has been on the Board for almost 4 decades and has been an immense asset.
Strategic Plan
With the immense assistance of Ruth Beck and Colin Rankin, the Board has adopted a new Strategic Plan. The major improvement was to incorporate the principles of UNDRIP.
Strategic Goal 1. Support of ER Wardens
In some regions, the Kootenays in particular, new wardens have been added this year. Our Parks liaison, Rike Moon, has been wonderful to work with but she has been on maternity leave since the summer. Kate Zealand has been working with Harold Sellars very effectively since then and they are trying to ensure that all wardens are aware of FER and will subscribe to the Log.
FER is ever grateful for the ER wardens we do have, and thanks those who send us their reports which FER files as part of the public record for these ERs. Anyone interested in being a warden should check our website (https://ecoreserves.bc.ca/) where you will find a list of reserves needing wardens and how to apply under the “get involved” tab.
Strategic Goal 2. Promote Research in ERs
ERs are established to protected natural environments and serve as monitoring bench marks and research sites.
As we heard at the AGM in January, 2021, BC Parks iNat project is cataloging thousands of species in BC Parks and ER’s. Tom Reimchen continues his stellar research at Drizzle Lake ER that has resulted in dozens of scientific publications. Tom is also the warden. Race Rocks ER continues to offer opportunities for student research through Pearson College.
If you know of other research in ER’s, please contact us.
Strategic Goal 3. Support a Robust Network of ERs.
The British Columbia government joined Canada in adopting the 30X30 goal of designating 30% of our land and sea area as protected by 2030. The program in BC is indigenous led and we haven’t yet identified an appropriate role for FER in the process. We hope to be actively involved in 2023 so that this major effort in conservation includes new ecological reserves.
BC Parks continues to lack the resources to do the job that we would like to see but the new administration seems more amenable to environmental protection. Time will tell.
Strategic Goal 4. Promote and Extend Knowledge of ERs
The Log continues to be our main vehicle for communication with wardens and our members but we have also distributed electronic copies to our NGO partners and key government officials.
Strategic Goal 5. Sustain Volunteer organization
The FER Board of Directors has continued to meet virtually. What was forced on us by the pandemic has
proven to be a boon as we have some excellent directors that do not need to reside in Victoria. Harry
Crosby and I hiked the Lasqueti ER and have developed close ties with the Lasqueti Island Nature
Conservancy (LINC) who will be helping us to repair and maintain the fence in the ER. Harry visited a
number of wardens.
Garry Fletcher with assistance from Fred Beinhauer maintains our website and if you haven’t visited it yet, you must. All the past Logs, information on every ER (current and proposed), and links to all the research in each ER. Louise
Beinhauer (Newsletter Editor) and Michael Brinsmead (Treasurer) continue to support the Board.