Events

As the health & safety of our members, volunteers & interested public are paramount, the Garry Oak Meadows Preservation Society (GOMPS) has POSTPONED our Annual General Meeting in accordance with Government Health directives.  GOMPS Board of Directors will be in touch with members when we have determined how best to proceed in this regard.

While our Garry Oak Nursery no longer has official volunteer work parties, our Board members work to ensure the nursery continues to function. We have just finished planting the collected fall 2019 sprouting acorns!  The Nursery work area is structured to ensure social distancing, so interested volunteers are welcome to join us weekly on Sunday mornings from 10am to 1pm.

During this challenging time, GOMPS deeply appreciates the SUPPORT shown by our members & interested public through their memberships and donations. 

Even though there is uncertainty, please know that we continue to advocate for Garry oaks and their associated ecosystems as well as growing Garry oak seedlings for planting in our communities!

Moralea Milne was a former Director with our Society and one of the most devoted and passionate voices in our struggle to save Garry oak ecosystems.

Milne, a member of Metchosin council since 2008, was known for her leadership and her commitment to environmental issues.

Her celebration of life was held at 2 p.m on Sunday August 5th at  the Metchosin Community Hall, 4401 William Head Rd.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Metchosin Foundation.

Text adapted from the Times Colonist, August 6, 2018 and photo from http://camashill.blogspot.com

GOMPS 2018 Annual General Meeting

Join GOMPS on Tuesday, May 29 @ 7PM at the University of Victoria in David Turpin Building Room A102.

Protect your land: Learn more about  Conservation Covenants

After a short Annual General Meeting of the Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society, our guest, Barb von Sacken of Habitat Aquisition Trust (HAT), will present information on Conservation Covenants.

You can prevent damage to natural areas
– limit logging to ecologically sustainable forestry
– prevent sub-division and development
– protect a wetland

Barb is originally from the Okanagan Valley where farm life provided ample opportunities to explore fields, forests and wetlands and peek her interest in the natural world.   This lead to a degree in Geography from UVic followed by over 10 years working with the Ministry of Environment (MoE) , developing provincial standards for ecological classification and mapping. Travel and work with MoE honed her appreciation of the varied landscapes in B.C. and piqued an interest in land protection strategies, particularly of rare and endangered landscapes.  Prior to joining HAT Barb was also involved in environmental education and outreach through the Environmental Technology and Geography Departments at Camosun College.

Since the fall of 2015 Barb has been with the HAT as the Land Acquisition Coordinator.  At HAT Barb leads the work on the covenants program, working with public and private landowners to assist them in placing permanent protection on their lands through conservation covenants or acquisitions. In addition, Barb performs annual compliance monitoring on HAT’s covenanted properties.

Note: This presentation is meant to introduce  participants to Conservation Covenants and will present a general overview. Conservation covenants are complex legal documents and legal advice should be sought.

Click here for a poster of the event.

GOMPS AGM 
GARRY OAK NURSERY ESTABLISHMENT & FUTURE 
DATE: Monday, April 24, 2017 
TIME: 7:00-9:00PM 
LOCATION: UVic, Rm C118, David Strong Building 
​(Evening parking is available on-site for $3 after 6PM) 

​​Please join GOMPS (Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society) for its AGM & to celebrate the Establishment of GOMPS Garry Oak Nursery!

​GOMPS Board is excited to share with you an update on the establishment of GOMPS Garry oak nursery & plans for its future as well as a celebratory cake! 

The nursery ground is being prepared now and we hope to move our new seedlings (grown from locally-sourced acorns) this month into the nursery. Volunteer opportunities will then be available.

Please remember to renew your membership (just $15 individual, $20 for
family) to support this venture and/or advocacy for Garry oak meadows.

ALSO:  As our Board is always looking for new members, please consider letting your name stand for election – everybody wins!

Please NOTE:  Our updated GOMPS website: http://www.garryoak.info 

There have been many exciting changes at GOMPS. Do you have any questions for our Directors? Have you renewed your membership for 2017?

You can email us or use our Contact Form on the website. Memberships will be sold at the AGM.

Your voice is important as is your support and we look forward to seeing you at our AGM!

Garry oaks’ future is in all our hands!

GOMPS Board of Directors
Website:  http://www.garryoak.info

The Future of Garry Oaks & Associated Ecosystems
DATE: Tuesday, June 7, 2016
TIME: 7:00-9:00PM
LOCATION: UVic, Rm C118, David Strong Building
(Evening parking is available on-site for $2.50 after 6PM)

Please join GOMPS (Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society) for a short AGM followed by refreshments & then a facilitated discussion on the evolution of our charitable society & how we might renovate our role in the struggle to preserve Garry oak ecosystems. In this new millennium, NGOs, charities & societies such as ours are seeing a decline in membership, funding & local participation – what can we do to reverse this trend?

If you care about British Columbia’s only native oak & its most threatened ecosystems, please join this vital community discussion on the future of GOMPS – all interested public & issue-focused groups welcome! We need your input:

• What role GOMPS can, could & should play in Victoria’s natural areas scene?
• In which direction should we focus our efforts?

If you know of anyone else with interest, passion or expertise in the fields of conservation, biology and natural areas protection, please extend this invitation to them.

Do you have any questions for our Directors? You can email us or use our Contact Form on the website.

Your voice is important as is your support and we hope to see at our AGM!

Our future is in your hands!

GOMPS Board of Directors

Join our Society Tuesday May 26, 2015 at the University of Victoria for our Annual General Meeting. 

The meeting will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 pm in the David Strong Building, Room C118. 

More details are in the image below or click here to download a PDF copy of our Annual General Meeting poster for display in your office, favourite coffee shop or at your community centre!!

The Minutes and Reports from our 2013 Annual General Meeting.

Click here to get the PDF version of the AGM 2013 Minutes.

The GOMPS Annual General Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday May 6th from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at Goward House in the “Theatre Room”.

Guest speaker will be Dr. Richard Hebda of the R.B.C. Museum. His presentation, “New Insights in Climate Change: Adaptations and Oak Ecosystems”, will illustrate latest impacts of climate change and their likely impacts on Garry oak ecosystems. Prepare for a lively discussion!

Richard Joseph Hebda (Short Biography 2013)

Dr. Richard Hebda has been Curator (Botany and Earth History) at the Royal British Columbia Museum 34 years and adjunct faculty at the University of Victoria for 28 years. He curated Climate and Climate Change exhibit at the museum and was the first faculty coordinator of the Restoration of Natural Systems Program at UVIC. He studies vegetation and climate history of BC, climate change and its impacts, ecology and origins of Garry oak and alpine ecosystems and botany of grasses. Richard Hebda is (co)author of 120+ scientific papers 250+ popular articles on native plants and climate change; (co) author/editor of several books and major reports including recently published Saanich Ethnobotany. He appears often on TV and radio, and in newspaper interviews.  He recently received the Queen’s Jubilee medal for his work in palaeontology.