Darts

Hello, fellow darters

let us begin the fun again at the thetis island marina pub. on wednesdays, we will gather and have a great 'precision' time. please let me know if able to make it that day. looking forward to your arrival. we will be able to enjoy supper and liquids there for nourishment.

remember to bring your darts. there are some available at pub.

friends will gladly loan, also.

contact me at 250 246 4968 or beachflaneur@gmail.com

HORTENSA thank you

Bat Count

BC Annual Bat Count helps monitor endangered wildlife Program calls for bat roost reports and volunteers. 

Spring is here, and with warmer nighttime temperatures our BC bats are now returning to summer roost sites.

One of our more familiar species in buildings and bat boxes is the Little Brown Myotis. Like all BC bats, the Little Brown Myotis is an essential part of our ecology, consuming many insect pests each night. Unfortunately, the Little Brown Myotis is endangered in Canada due to white-nose syndrome, a fungal bat disease. The fungus responsible has recently been detected in BC for the first time, sounding the alarm bell for BC’s bats.

A simple way to support bats is to participate in the BC Annual Bat Count this June. The BC Community Bat Program is requesting colony reports and volunteer assistance for this citizen-science initiative that encourages residents to count bats at local roost sites.

The BC Annual Bat Count is easy, fun, and safe, not to mention vital for monitoring bat populations. “The counts are a wonderful way for people to get outside, learn about bats, and be involved in collecting important scientific information” says Rob Welsh, coordinator of the Thetis Island Community Bat Program. Volunteers wait outside a known roost site, such as a bat-box, barn, or attic, and count bats as they fly out at twilight. A guano sample can also be sent in to identify the species of bat at the roost site. Find more information at https://bcbats.ca/get-involved/counting-bats/. 

The count data helps biologists understand bat distribution and monitor for impacts of the devastating bat disease called white-nose syndrome. White-nose syndrome is an introduced fungal disease, fatal for bats but not for other animals or humans. Results from the Bat Count may help prioritize areas in BC for research into treatment options and recovery actions.

Funded by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, the Habitat Stewardship Program, the Thetis Island Nature Conservancy, and with support of the BC Conservation Foundation and the Province of BC, the BC Community Bat Program provides information for people dealing with bat issues on their property or who have questions about how to attract bats. To find out more about bat counts or white-nose syndrome, to report a dead bat, or to get advice on managing bats in buildings, visit www.bcbats.ca or call 1-855-9BC-BATS.

Contact: Rob Welsh -- rmwelsh@telus.net or 250-246-1547

Photo Credits:

White-nose syndrome spread map with BC Pd detection shown with a red star. Modified from www.whitenosesyndrome.org and http://www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/white_nose_syndrome_reports_and_maps.php

Bats peeking out of a roost site – J. Saremba, Burke Mountain Naturalists

click on map for full size.

From the Library

A Friend of the Library will welcome you from 10-1 on Monday.

Celine

Extreme Fire Hazard

With the persistent dry and breezy weather, and with more to come in the forecast, it's possible Thetis Island will be entering Extreme Fire Danger Rating beginning Monday June 5th. The extremely dry forest poses a significant fire risk. New fires will start easily, spread rapidly, and challenge fire suppression efforts. General forest activities may be restricted, including open burning, industrial activities and campfires.

After 3 days of extreme fire hazard all high-risk activities must stop. High risk activities are outlined below in an excerpt from the Provincial Wildfire Regulations and apply to both Crown and Private Land.

In the Wildfire Regulation, high risk activities mean each of the following:
(As per Provincial Wildfire Regulation consolidated April 2023.)

(a) mechanical brushing;
(b) disk trenching;
(c) preparation or use of explosives;
(d) using fire- or spark-producing tools, including cutting tools;
(e) using or preparing fireworks or pyrotechnics;
(f) grinding, including rail grinding;
(g) mechanical land clearing;
(h) clearing and maintaining rights of way, including grass mowing;
(i) any of the following activities carried out in a cutblock excluding a road, landing, roadside work area or log sort area in the cutblock:
(i) operating a power saw;
(ii) mechanical tree felling, woody debris piling or tree processing, including delimbing;
(iii) welding;
(iv) portable wood chipping, milling, processing or manufacturing;
(v) skidding logs or log forwarding unless it is improbable that the skidding or forwarding will result in the equipment contacting rock;
(vi) yarding logs using cable systems;
(j) to (q) Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 213/2008, s. 1 (b).]

Please be diligent with your outdoor work.

Keith Rush

Chair, Board of Trustees

Thetis Island Improvement District

From the Library

A Friend of the Library will greet you from 1-4 Sunday.

Library patrons, please check to see if you have library materials needing to be returned. Some have been out a long time.

Enjoy our special island library.
Celine

Cutting Broom in Bloom

Let's All Do Our Part and Reduce Potential Fire Hazard Risk

There was a very informative notice a few weeks ago in eSpokes regarding broom….

Scotch Broom is an invasive noxious species and poses a significant wildfire risk for our island. Test burns have proven that these plants are especially volatile due to the high oil content and dead material that accumulates under the healthy and old plants. When left to spread, Broom grows rapidly crowding out native plant regrowth.

Cut Broom now as it is more vulnerable when in bloom. Cut at ground level as not to expose the stem is preferred, leaving the roots to die in the heat of the summer. Each plant eliminated is up to 18,000 future seeds that have been denied the opportunity to spread. This simple task will undoubtably protect our community and lessen a potential wildfire.

I’ve noticed the broom situation getting worse on Thetis and considering how flammable it is, (not to mention how invasive it is) it would be great if everyone could make an effort to clear at least some broom around their road and ditch areas.

Please consider cutting some while it is still in bloom.

N Duncan

Donated Items Needed

Hello community!  

I am trying to find a twin bed and mattress for my elderly neighbor who has been sleeping on the floor/couch. Happy to pay and pick up if you happen to have one kicking around. Also accepting donations of the following to make her place a wee bit cozier:

House plants

Art for the walls

Picture frames 

Side table

Small kitchen island

500 SQ ft of laminate flooring

Rugs

Please reach out to:

 harbourcitycontent@gmail.com 

if you'd like me to swing by to get these items out of your storage room! Very grateful for the community's support - let's make sure all of our residents (and especially our elders) are living a comfortable and safe life! 

Thank you so much 

Jess

Sunday Church

The "on screen" speaker this Sunday the 4th is Brennan Manning.

The topic is "God loves you just as you are".

10 AM at the Community Centre, all are welcome.

Further info---Ernie 250-252-0144

Geotextile Fabric

15' wide roll by approximately 250' long. A heavy-duty fabric that acts as a separation layer between rock and soil. These needle-punched non-woven fabrics are non-biodegradable, tear resistant and are permeable with varying water flow rates. Common applications include pond liner protection, drainage systems, as a separation layer under rip-rap or in soil erosion prevention projects. $300. 

Contact Stuart at info@stuartprice.com or 1-250-888-7015

Saturday Summer Market

Looking forward to seeing you at the Saturday Summer Market 

69 Pilkey Point Road Howling Wolf Farm 10 to 2!

Your Marketing Team

Forbes Hall Community Dinner – June 10th

Get your tickets now to enjoy an evening out at Forbes Hall with friends and neighbours.  

For tickets contact: Ellen Rush 250-416-0013 or Don Sinclair 250-246-4291

or email info@forbeshall.ca

Note: Tickets need to be pre-purchased for this event. Ticket payments will not be taken at the door.

To view full-size poster withdetails, click here or on the image.

Reminder: ThINC Nature Stewards Program Sunday June 4, 2PM

Come out to ThINC's Nature Stewards Program Info Session at Forbes Hall on Sunday, June 4 from 2 - 4 p.m. and find out how you can give biodiversity a boost on your property.

Please note that the plant walk by Elder Augie Sylvester which was to follow the info session has been postponed until further notice. Thank you for your understanding.

See you Sunday!

The ThINC Team