General

View historical GOMPS newsletters online. 

Click here to display a list of them, The Leaflet, from 1994 – 2010, in PDF format.

​If you wish to see current issues of the Leaflet, click here.

​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 

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.

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.