Mayne Island Conservancy Society

Workshops and Demonstrations

MICS is offering a series of workshops and demonstrations designed to help community members get to know their island better. From identification of native species, to planting techniques, invasive species removal, and integrating native ecology into your garden design, participant in these workshops will become more knowledgeable about this island and the many things that live here, as well as learning practices that will help to maintain and enhance the qualities that make this such an amazing place to live..

Walkabouts

A key component of this program is to hold walkabouts on Mayne Island properties, beginning in spring 2012. At the owner's request, these walkabouts are a two-way exchange in which MICS staff and volunteers will tour private properties along with the owner, and share knowledge about the species and characteristics, as well as practices that will help to maintain and enhance the qualities that are valued.

Upcoming Workshops & Demonstrations

Native Plant Propagation Workshop, Saturday Feb 11th 1:00-3:30 at the Ag Hall

Join the Mayne Island Conservancy Society for a Saturday afternoon of hands on learning. The workshop will begin with a short presentation by biologist Rob Underhill on the benefits of using native plants, followed by participants working their way through a series of five hands-on workstations.You will learn propagation techniques for growing arbutus, blackcap raspberry, salmon berry, red flowering currant, twinflower, stonecrop, and moss. Each participant will leave with their own native plants. Come prepared to get your hands dirty!

There are many benefits to gardening with native plants including attracting butterflies, birds, and mason bees into your garden. By extending nature into your back yard you can create a living environment where plants and other organisms will interact. Native plants are already adapted to our seasonal challenges such as hard frosts and dry summers, and therefore do not require insulation or watering.

All materials will be provided by the Mayne Island Conservancy Society. We will be asking for small donations to help cover the cost of soil. Due to limited spots, pre-registration is required. Please RSVP to Rob Underhill at Email: stewardship@conservancyonmayne.com Phone: 1-250-893-7110.

A mini-report on this workshop and copies of the resource materials presented are available on our Native Plant Propagation page. When you click the link a new page will open - please scroll to the bottom.

Native Plants Walk & Medicine-Making Workshop

With Jenna Rudolph, co-founder of Eagle Awareness School, Vancouver BC

• Sunday November 27th
• 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
• Meet at Hatake, 622 Gallagher Bay Rd.
• Please bring a glass jar with you, and wear comfortable walking shoes
• Pre-registration necessary. To register contact Chris Fretwell by phone at 250-539-5168 or by email at c_frets@hotmail.com

From the forest to the apothecary - join us for an afternoon walk in the forest, followed by a medicine-making workshop. On the walk we will learn identification techniques for a variety of native plants, including some with medicinal properties. We will harvest some of these, using proper sustainable harvest guidelines, and learn to make medicinal tinctures using the plants harvested.

Jenna Rudolph is co-founder, director and lead instructor at Eagle Awareness School. Jenna has been sharing the magic of the natural world with young ones for the last five years. She coordinated a gardening program for three years in Victoria, and then sought to teach in wilder places - sharing her knowledge of edible and medicinal plants. Through an Environmental Studies degree from the University of Victoria, Jenna was able to study with renowned botanists and learned how integral plants are to people all around the world. She has apprenticed with various herbalists and botanists from British Columbia, and facilitates plant walks and medicine-making workshops. Basketry and wildcrafting are some of Jenna's major passions, and she is crazy about processing food to store it for the seasons in which wild food is less abundant. Jenna loves singing loudly while on her bicycle, and enjoys having picnics and dinner parties with loved ones. She is closely connected to Vancouver Island's Garry Oak ecosystems.

The following November Workshop and Field Trip was cancelled due to illness - We hope to re-schedule in the Spring of 2012

Gastropod Identification Workshop

Snails and slugs, aka 'Gastropods', are famous for slowness and slime. But they are much more than merely mucous! Come and discover the rich diversity of Gastropods, their history on the Gulf Islands, and why they are important!

With Jennifer Heron, of the Ministry of the Environment

• Date TBA
• 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
• Meet at Community Centre.
• Interested in attending? Please contact Chris Fretwell by phone at 250-539-5168 or by email at conservation@conservancyonmayne.com

This Sunday, November 20th at 1pm, the Conservancy is hosting a gastropod ID workshop at the Community Center. Jennifer Heron, of the Ministry of Environment, will be leading the workshop. Jennifer has a full afternoon planned, which will take 3 hours in total and by all accounts is a really great and stimulating workshop. We'll start it off at the Community Center with a presentation and overview of gastropods found on southeastern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, then move on to an identification exercise with some amazing specimens Jennifer will be bringing, and then finally we'll go outside to find and identify some gastropods in Mt Parke

This workshop is a training exercise for MICS staff and volunteers, but is also open to community members interested in an in-depth workshop on the topic. Please RSVP so that we know how many will be attending and can prepare materials accordingly.

A few optional ideas for preparation for the workshop:

• take photos of gastropods you see in your backyards or out for walks. If you can send these photos to me, I can pass them on to Jennifer for use in the presentation
• collect empty shells to bring in on the day of the workshop
• a coverboard can be made easily and placed in a moist location in your yard to be checked weekly. it should be roughly 8-24" and made of cardboard or wood (untreated)