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ENVIRONMENT
Thousands of species share space with Metchosinites, and a group of citizen scientists are trying to catalogue all of them
Photos, clockwise from upper left: Western forktail damselfly/Ian Cruickshank. Crystal jellyfish/Garry Fletcher. Tropical kingbird/Val George. Little quaking-grass/James Miskelly. Wavy checkered beetle/David Bell. American mink/Liam Ragan. Moss-eating crambid snout moth/David Bell. American eelgrass/James Miskelly. Nordmann’s orbweaver/Rebecca Readerlee. Western pondhawk/Terry Carr. Western eyed click beetle/Garry Fletcher. Centre: European praying mantis/Joachim Bertrands. Courtesy of Metchosin Muse
When you think about Metchosin, think about CDF. That is, the Coastal Douglas-Fir biogeoclimatic zone. This zone borders sections of the Salish Sea including Metchosin. The CDF is one of the rarest ecological zones in BC, constituting less than 0.5% of the province’s land area. The native ecosystems of this zone are under continual pressure from expanding human development which makes monitoring the remaining undeveloped areas in the CDF a high priority.
Two ongoing multi-year projects, one on Galiano Island and the other in the District of Metchosin, have been sketching a picture of the existing animal, plant, and fungal inhabitants of the CDF zone. The Metchosin efforts, overseen by the Metchosin Biodiversity Project, started in 2011 with the spring Metchosin BioBlitzes. Later, autumn MycoBlitzes were added to provide a better picture of the local fungi. In 2018, Metchosin records were shifted to an iNaturalist database, which allowed a larger number of citizen scientists to participate and to make year-round photographic additions to the records.
To date, we’ve found and recorded 3,400 species that share Metchosin with Homo sapiens. In the course of the year 2022, some 350 people made over 5,000 iNaturalist observations within the bounds of Metchosin and Race Rocks. Almost half of these observations were of sufficient quality and accuracy to add to the permanent record. Some 600 experts from around the world chipped in to help identify the posted observations. These 2,000-plus observations represented about 1,000 different species, and, of them 130 were totally new to the Metchosin database.
We identified the following in Metchosin for the first time:
**Mammals.**Adding new mammals to the database is unusual. We increased the count by one, though. One of our observers, Maurice Robinson, added the infamous brown rat (aka Norwegian or sewer rat), the scourge of many farms and towns. The American mink was already in our records but both David Bell and Liam Ragan took excellent 2022 photos of this charismatic weasel relative.
**Slime Moulds.**Robin Banks posted an observation of a slime mould, chocolate tube slime, Stemonitis splendens, that we didn’t have.
**Insects.**Several beetles appeared in our records for the first time. We added new species of click beetles, lady beetles, longhorn beetles, bark-gnawing beetles, sun beetles, ground beetles, checkered beetles, and jewel beetles. For the moths, we found a twirler moth, a curvedhorn moth, a satyr moth, a snout moth, and a house moth that were new. There were two new flies, a horse-fly and a robber fly, as well as two new wasps, a crown borer wasp and a cross potter wasp.
A lygus bug and a seed bug made the list. A damselfly we had not seen before, the western forktail, and a new dragonfly, a pond-hawk, turned up. We also found new species of tunnel spider, aphid, leaf miner, leafhopper, springtail, gall midge, and woodlouse. Several observers spotted European praying mantises this summer. These insects must have been unusually abundant.
**Plants.**On the plant side, James Miskelly found several new species for our Metchosin records. One was a tiny bedstraw (either Galium divaricatum or G. parisiense). He also found our first quaking-grass, Briza minor, our first American eelgrass, Vallisneria americana, our first humped bladderwort, Utricularia gibba, and our first round-leaved sundew, Drosera rotundifolia. Sundews are usually found in boggy areas, which are rare in Metchosin. We also found a cancerwort, two new sedges, water horehound, bur-reed, and a mint.
**Marine life.**Garry Fletcher managed to snap a picture of a crystal jellyfish, Aequorea victoria, at Parry Bay. Karen Cram gave us a first look at a new nudibranch, the BC doto, Doto columbiana. Connor Wardrop noted a new red seaweed, Grateloupia californica. Terry Carr found an eelgrass isopod, Pentidotea resecata. Tom Hlavac, a diver and retired fishery officer, was able to snap a picture of a giant pacific octopus, Enteroctopus dofleini. Two people submitted records of our first great sculpin, Myoxocephalus polyacanthocephalus. In addition, we had a new anemone, a wolf eel, and a red velvet sponge.
**Birds.**Val George contributed our first records for the black-throated sparrow, Amphispiza bilineata, and the tropical kingbird, Tyrannus melancholicus.
In all, it was a great year. The Metchosin Biodiversity Project hopes that many more Metchosinites will take up their cameras and smartphones and help us count in 2023!
Written by_Kem Luther, local biologist and co-author of Mushrooms of British Columbia. Republished with permission from theMetchosin Muse_where this article was first printed.
RECREATION
Turf field promised last year might be cut due to ‘significant budget challenges’ facing Langford
(📸 Zoë Ducklow)
The construction contracts for Langford’s newest elementary school went to tender on March 17 without a commitment from Langford to contribute almost $1 million towards an artificial turf field with lights.
The field was promised by past mayor Stew Young, and was in the draft financial plan, but things have since changed and council might need to allocate that money elsewhere. The fire department says it needs 27 new firefighters, Westshore RCMP says it needs five new officers and a multi-million station upgrade that will cost Langford more than $80 million, and the YMCA just asked for an extra $950,000 in support.
None of that had previously been in the city’s five year financial plan, forcing council to make some hard choices.
Last year’s five year financial plan included $950,000 for an artificial turf field at the South Langford elementary, but “due to significant budget pressures that the City is facing in 2023, there is a need to prioritize all City projects to address the most pressing City priorities while keeping taxes as low as possible," Langford's Chief Administrative Officer, Darren Kiedyk, wrote in a memo to council last week.
$950,000 for a non-regulation field
Not only does Langford have other pressing things to pay for, it has already contributed to two other artificial turf fields with lights. Centre Mountain Lellum Middle School’s artificial turf field opened last fall, and a field on South Skirt Mountain is being built now with used turf from BC Place, while the Sooke School District waits for provincial approval to build North Langford Elementary.
Those two fields will meet the community’s needs for the next several years, “based on current population projections and sports team registration trends,” Langford staff say.
Space constraints at the South Langford location mean the field will be smaller than regulation size. Staff suggested in the memo that $950,000 for a non-regulation field might not be the best investment.
Council hasn’t decided not to fund the field; there have been other pressing matters that pushed this item lower on the priority list.
If Langford decides to contribute to the South Langford field to make artificial turf and lighting possible, changing the tender after a contract has been signed could come with extra costs, the Sooke School District said.
Around the 'Shore
🚒 The City of Langford is deeply saddened to announce the death of Assistant Fire Chief Lance Caven after a battle with cancer. AC Caven dedicated 30 years of his life serving the community. He joined the fire service as a volunteer in 1991, became a career firefighter in 2002, and was promoted to Assistant Chief in 2017. He dedicated his life to preventing fires and saving lives, and will be remembered for his love and passion for firefighting and fire prevention. Flags will be at half mast throughout the city and the region in his honour.
💛 Sooke community rallying around family of man whose death is being called suspicious. Mike Leier, 42, was a father of two and husband to Heather Leier. Police received a call last Sunday night to help a man in medical distress. The RCMP’s major crimes unit is investigating the death. They say he was likely injured near Jordan River, but further details have not been shared. A fundraiser to support Leier’s wife and children has been started by a close friend. [CHEK]
🏡 Coastal Shores Window Cleaning has you covered! From pressure washing, moss removal, gutter cleaning, and window cleaning, Victoria’s best exterior cleaning company is the “clear” choice!*
🏛 Langford-Juan de Fuca MLA—and former premier—John Horgan’s last day in public office will be March 31. A date has not been set for a by-election to fill his seat, long held by the provincial NDP.
🤝 Now hiring: Front Office Manager at Westin Bear Mountain Resort & Spa.
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Community Events
🌎 **The CENiC speakers series kicks off tonight!**The Colwood environmental group is hosting its annual speakers series over Zoom, five Tuesday evenings in a row starting March 21 with an update on Colwood’s low carbon resiliency plan and planning for climate emergencies, featuring representatives from the city. March 21, 7-8pm. Next week they’ll talk transportation, April 4 is protecting natural assets, April 11 is the economics of sustainable buildings, and April 18 covers environmental action in Colwood.
💦 **Transition Sooke public forum,**The Time is Now: Building Community Resilience Together is an event to hear from experts and discuss what solutions are possible in Sooke. All are welcome. March 26, 10am-3:30pm, Sooke Community Hall.
🎹 Sooke Philharmonic’s fourth concert of the season: featuring works by Rossini, Mozart, and Vaughan Williams, with a performance by soprano Nancy Washeim, a company favourite. April 1 in Metchosin and April 2 in Sooke.
🐰 Easter egg hunt in Royal Bay: Meadow Park will be full of treasures and activities for Easter fans. April 8, 11am.
What’s Offshore?
Nothing today!
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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH****MEGSON FITZPATRICK-ACERA
Coming summer 2023 to The Commons at Royal Bay
After 55 years in business, Megson FitzPatrick-Acera will be coming to The Westshore!
Keep an eye on their socials and website for up-to-date information. They’re looking forward to joining the many amazing businesses out in Royal Bay and they hope you’ll stop by and see them at #203-345C Latoria Blvd.