My name is Patti Willis and I am a Denman Conservancy Association Board member. Islands Trust Conservancy has been a critical supporter of Denman Conservancy Association’s efforts to protect ecologically important lands on Denman Island. With a recent land donation, we are at about 25% of Denman Island under protection. Our aspiration is 30% by 2030.
Islands Trust Conservancy is Covenant Holder and/or owner of a number of our protected lands. Their technical support has been invaluable, as well as their financial support of land management.
The islands can be quirky and independent, including Denman. Islands Trust Conservancy has adapted itself to the culture of the island, with our relationships with Islands Trust Conservancy staff always congenial and fruitful.
I have lived on Denman Island for 55 years. I experienced the pre-Islands Trust era in which we were “sitting ducks” for “pillaging.” The establishment of Islands Trust Conservancy secured a natural legacy for the future.
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Islands Trust Conservancy has six protected areas on Denman Island including two covenants, the Winter Wren Wood Covenant and the Settlement Lands Covenant, and four nature reserves, Inner Island Nature Reserve, Lindsay Dickson Nature Reserve, Valens Brook Nature Reserve, and Morrison Marsh Nature Reserve. The Denman Conservancy Association has been instrumental to the protection and ongoing monitoring and restoration of these protected areas, and we are immensely grateful for their partnership and support. Fun fact: The Inner Island Nature Reserve was donated from the Denman Conservancy Association in 1992, becoming Islands Trust Conservancy’s first nature reserve!
This year, Islands Trust Conservancy is celebrating its 35th anniversary! This blog post was submitted in celebration of the organization’s anniversary – recognizing the stories and memories of our community members throughout the islands.
Islands Trust Conservancy (ITC) is a conservation land trust dedicated to creating a network of protected areas on the islands in the Salish Sea. Since 1990, ITC has worked with island residents and communities to protect the places they care about. Through generous donations, ITC has protected 115 properties – 34 nature reserves and 81 conservation covenants totalling more than 1,385 hectares of land. We are committed to ensuring this unique region’s protection for generations to come.
Join us at: https://islandstrust.bc.ca/conservancy/how-you-can-help/.
Learn more about the places we protect at: https://islandstrust.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/attachmentviewer/index.html?appid=eb7447641f72494e95b8fa030365b3b2.