​It is with sorrow that we report the passing of Pierre d'Estrube. Pierre was a founding member of the Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society. His passion and dedication were a driving force behind our Society's efforts to preserve and protect the fragmented Garry oak ecosystems rapidly in decline throughout Greater Victoria.

A celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, March 11 from 2 to 4 PM at the Union Club.

Here is a link to the notice in the Times Colonist: 
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/timescolonist/obituary.aspx?n=pierre-franois-destrube&pid=184324601 

Saanich Parks and Recreation is creating a new strategy and plan for 2017-2022 regarding programs, services, parks, trails and facilities. They are seeking a wide range of community input.

​Please take a few minutes to provide them with your thoughts regarding older adults and Parks and Recreation.

Online Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OAS_Survey2
 
Public Website: http://olderadultstrategy.weebly.com/

Our Spring 2015 Newsletter is available!! 

Click here to get the PDF version of the Garry Oak Leaflet, Spring 2015. 

If you need a PDF Reader, try a free PDF viewer download from Adobe get.adobe.com/reader/‎

To visit us on Instagram -- click here http://instagram.com/gomps_victoria. 

Our Instagram is YOUR Instagram! We want you to share your favourite Garry oak related photos with us (and everyone else in the world) on Instagram!

In 1992 we were concerned about the disappearing Garry Oak woodlands and meadows so we formed a society in Victoria, BC to help address the preservation, protection and restoration of Garry Oak habitat. We want to be able to share Garry oak ecosystems with our grandchildren! 

Send us your favourite Garry oak related photo to grow.oaks@gmail.com and each week we will post them on our Instagram page. Remember, this is the internet - we can not guarantee any rights, access or image controls. Anything you submit to us, if we accept and post it, will be credited to you (if you provide your name) -- but it will go out onto the Internet, and into the universe, and be subject to the same policies as all Instagram users. The Instagram details, policies and guidelines can be found on the Instagram web site's Help Centre https://help.instagram.com/ but we simply ask that you follow their Community Guidelines https://help.instagram.com/477434105621119/ and remember, don't send us any pictures that you wouldn't want your grandma to see!

Photos sent to GOMPS should be emailed in JPG/JPEG format, 200 - 600 DPI resolution and must be in a square format! Please provide contact information as we may verify your permission before posting.

All images received will be credited to the sender or another photographer if specified/cited. GOMPS will not use submitted photographs for any other purpose without expressed written permission from the sender. Our goal is to promote Garry oak ecosystems and we can think of no better way to share the love of Garry oaks than with a photo!

Photos may be submitted to grow.oaks@gmail.com but please note - not all photos will be posted immediately, we are not computers, just volunteers. If the volume of submissions is high we will post images as time permits.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL OF BC “TOGETHER IN ACTION STEWARDSHIP ORGANIZATION AWARD"!
​The Friends of Devonian Park is a long-time stewardship organization based in Metchosin, outside Victoria. This group of volunteers has worked every Sunday November to March since 2002 at Devonian Park, a popular oceanfront regional park in Metchosin that includes Douglas-fir, maple and Garry oak meadows and a creek. The volunteers have put in more than 3700 volunteer hours over the years – an amazing long-term commitment. They have removed over one tonne of invasives from the park, including Scotch broom, Himalayan blackberry, ivy and spurge laurel. This has allowed the return of a significant number of native species, the restoration of a beautiful Garry oak meadow, and the groups’ dedication has fostered a stewardship ethic that many others have embraced.
 
Read more here: http://bcinvasives.ca/resources/programs/together-in-action-awards/2015-award-winners/ 

Sage advice from VNHS President Darren Copley on the Linden Looper caterpillars which seem to be chewing away at some of the Garry oak trees:

Typically this problem fixes itself, so wait it out. Not much can be done to prevent the current generation of caterpillars from finishing their life cycle as they should be pupating soon, but plan on tackling things for next year. For fall and winter, this problem can likely be treated like the winter moth as Erranis females are wingless.

See the GOERT pdf which includes options for control using Tree bands to prevent the females from laying eggs at http://www.goert.ca/documents/Operophtera-brumata.pdf and here's another good page on tree banding: http://www.truro.ca/tree-banding.html

While Btk can be used earlier in the year to kill all young Lepidoptera (moths and butterflie) Larvae, think twice before using it in or near a sensitive ecosystem with rare butterflies -- Btk is non-selective and kills all larvae!

Other great predators of these looper larvae are Chestnut-backed Chickadees. Also, be careful not to stomp on any caterpillars that look like they have eggs layed on the outside of their bodies. This could be from a parasitic wasp or fly which will hopefully help out over time.

Our Spring 2014 Newsletter is ready! 

Just click here to get the PDF version of the Garry Oak Leaflet, Spring 2014. 

If you need a PDF Reader, try a free PDF viewer download from Adobe get.adobe.com/reader/‎

Hi. Welcome to our new website. We hope you like the new organization and design. We hope to post news updates here in the coming  months. Thanks for your continued interest and support!!

To contact us, please use our Contacts page.