SWAN LAKE CHRISTMAS HILL NATURE SANCTUARY SOCIETY

IN 2024 WE OFFERED COMMUNITY NATURE INTERPRETATION PROGRAMMING TO 15 000 NATURE HOUSE VISITORS CHILDREN YOUTH ADULTS AND SENIORS - AND DELIVERED 230 PROGRAMS TO 3 900 SCHOOL-AGED STUDENTS WITH THE HELP OF 381 HOURS OF VOLUNTEERS SUPPORTING US. OUR JUNIOR STEWARDSHIP SERIES RAN EIGHT ROUNDS (THREE WEEK-LONG CAMPS +5 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SINGLE DAYS) WITH YOUTH AGES 6-12 DOING ACTIVE ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION FOR BOTH SENSITIVE GARRY OAK MEADOWS AND FOR IMPROVING HABITAT FOR THREATENED WESTERN PAINTED TURTLES ON SITE. WE ALSO OFFERED 12 SESSIONS OF AFTER SCHOOL OR WEEKEND PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND OTHER YOUTH. FINALLY WE REARED AND RELEASED 200 COHO SALMON IN OUR STREAM TO SEA PROGRAM WITH 22 ENGAGED COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM VICTORIA IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE CENTRE SOCIETY. IN OUR DIGITAL SPHERE OUR INATURALIST COMMUNITY SCIENCE OBSERVATIONS ROSE TO 18 578 WITH JUSTH OVER 64% OF THEM BEING RESEARCH GRADE - USEFUL TO SCIENTISTS AROUND THE WORLD. WE ALSO REACHED JUST OVER 240 000 PEOPLE VIA OUR WEBSITE AND INTERACTIONS/IMPRESSIONS ON OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS. WE FURTHERED OUR ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION OF THE NEARLY 170 ACRES OF THE NATURE SANCTUARY INCLUDING THE WETLAND AROUND SWAN LAKE AND THE THREATENED GARRY OAK MEADOW ECOSYSTEM ON CHRISTMAS HILL THROUGH OUR ADOPT A PATCH AND SEED SOWERS PROGRAM. THE SWAN LAKE NATURE SANCTUARY ECOSYSTEMS ARE CRITICAL FOR THE REGION'S WATERSHED. HEALTH AND THE MAINTENANCE OF RARE AND THREATENED SPECIES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. WE WERE AWARDED KEY BIODIVERSITY AREA STATUS FOR CHRISTMAS HILL WHICH WILL FURTHER HELP TO PROTECT THIS SPECIAL PLACE IN THE GROWING URBAN DENSITY OF VICTORIA BC. INVASIVE PLANT REMOVAL HAS CONTINUED AND REWILDIN WITH NATIVE PLANTS PROGRESSED WITH THE HELP OF 3 714 HOURS OF SITE VOLUNTEERISM. THE USE OF TRAIL COUNTERS IN 2024 BETTER HELPED US TO ESTIMATE THAT 93 000 VISITORS ARE CONNECTING TO NTURE ON OUR TRAILS ANNUALLY. WE WERE GRATEFUL TO RECEIVE BC COMMUNITY CAPITAL GAMING SUPPORT TO BEGIN A NATURE HOUSE RENOVATION THAT WILL ENSURE OUR SPACE HAS A MEANINGFUL UPGRADE FOR OUR REGULAR VISITORS AS WELL AS FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT REGULARLY COVENE ON SITE.