If anyone doubted Kathleen Burton’s devotion to preserving Swan Lake Christmas Hill Sanctuary, a visit to Saanich’s urban refuge last Sunday would have set them straight.
During a drop-in event titled Grossology, the non-profit society’s executive director ate six live mealworms — a challenge she agreed to meet if it would inspire a minimum $500 donation.
Her bold act during an event celebrating “the disgusting science of Grossology” where visitors could “explore slug slime, owl barf and even the scoop on poop” raised $3,000.
It was part of a campaign to raise $800,000 to replace the south section of the Saanich wildlife habitat’s aging floating boardwalk. The first phase, the north section’s makeover, was completed in 2015.
“It’s on the water, so it’s really a way that people are able to see the lake from another angle,” said Burton during a visit last Wednesday.
It’s being built with contributions from supporters of the society that maintains the natural habitat and Swan Lake Nature House, home to its popular school and nature programs.
Nearly 10,000 students come to Swan Lake for its programs each year, and 65,000 visitors walk its trails year-round, says Burton, stressing the urgent need for the boardwalk upgrade.
On Wednesday, the society got $500 closer to achieving that goal when a woman dropped by with a cheque in memory of the late Frank Neate, a longtime volunteer board member.
Neate was a sterling example of the kind of volunteers whose involvement is essential to the survival of Swan Lake’s picturesque marshlands and Christmas Hill’s oak-forested highlands.
“We have some who have been volunteering for the past 20 years,” said Burton. “Keeping up with the invasive species is a huge task and every Tuesday morning these people are here to help remove them. It doesn’t matter if it’s hot and sunny, wet and rainy, or freezing cold and snowing, they’re outside doing the work on Christmas Hill or around the lake. It’s just amazing.”
Joan Cowley, the society’s board chair, said she loved to see visitors young and old enjoy such an accessible destination in the heart of an urban area where people can appreciate nature and help protect it.
“It really is the natural heart of the city, an area where anyone can come by bus, foot or bike,” she said.
“It’s a place you can just relax and connect with nature in a really positive way.”
Public affection for this ecological oasis was obvious as parents wandered the grounds of this “living classroom” with their children on Wednesday.
“I’m just discovering this for the first time,” confessed Leah Eunson, cradling her eight-month-old daughter Clover while her other daughter Summer, 5, snacked on apple slices.
“It feels like a hidden gem, and now I want to tell everybody about it,” said Eunson, whose daughter just started home-schooling and gave her Biology Buddies class a thumbs-up.
“Our whole family loves nature … I’m pretty sure of that,” smiled Summer, who can’t wait to bring her dad to see this magical place.
Christine Beegan said it was great being back at the nature sanctuary with her home-schooled son Elijah, 6, this breezy, sunny afternoon.
“He loves the ecology and being outside and he learns so much. They have lots of projects and activities and he always comes out of it having had a great time,” she said.
Violant Burges was back for the second year with her daughter, Alia, 6, with her little brother Axel, 3, in tow.
“If you go to a normal playground you don’t see much nature,” she said. “You see some trees but not what is naturally occurring like in this environment.”
Program naturalist Coral Forbes said the question she’s most often asked is about the identification of certain birds, plants and animals.
“The second most often asked question is: ‘Can I hold the snakes?’” she said, adding: “Our school programs are about spiders, snakes, owls and bats. We don’t do kitten programs for a reason.”
The objective is to provide more education about lesser-loved animals, she said. Naturalists will even take a garter snake out of his Nature House home to be held.
“Everyone loves holding snakes … or they don’t,” she said with a laugh.
