dU can see .ifwe work at it we can see 60 of even 70,” Grass says. In April, during a guided walk, Grass and his v group wit- nessed what he calls a migrant fallout. “When you get mixed species of vireos and warblers and other birds all moving through, the trees are literally dripping with birds. We had half a dozen species of war- bler.” You can often find Grass on the site at Osprey Point, a great vantage point from which to sit and just watch everything go by. His son Danny passed away of heart ‘failure a few years ago at age 16. Mooney and the WBT turned the point into a memo- rial spor to honour Danny. Says Grass, “He loved Osprey Point. You could sit here and see seals, otters, birds and trains.” The WBT conducts a bird survey on the first Saturday of each month § a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Maplewood. A volun- teer day is held the third Saturday every month. -. WBT president Patricia M. Banning-Lover walks the vol- unteer walk. The non-profit trust was formed in West Vancouver by Banning-Lover and her husband Richard Beard back when the Maplewood conservation area was just a dream. Beard sold his West Vancouver dental practice in 1992 to give himself the ime needed to establish the WBT. At the time, Beard and Banning-Lover were directors _at the British Columbia Waterfowl Society (the Reifel Bird Sanctuary). They trav- elled to Britain to consult with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds before co- founding .Wild Bird Trust. Says Banning-Lover, “We fig- ured they had been going for nearly.a hundred: years and would have something: ‘to _ teach us.” : One of the key lessons they learned early had to do with how they went about the task of securing funding. Says Banning-Lover,” “We had observed other people who had relied on government funding. If it’s withdrawn they’re down. the tube. We said look, ‘We'll keep this sim- ple. We'll. work out of home Offices, we'll work’ very hard there won’t be. any salaries.” tions ‘and’ fiindraising. There isn’t: really: anybody who cai pull?.the ’ plug. on us, That s¢ems to me, to be a good ching.?}63 The’ “goodness: flows like: wine this year. In May, a partnership was announced between Banrock Station Wetlands Foundation Canada and the. WBT. Funds raised ‘through . the sale of Australian Banrock Station wines throughout Canada will . be donated to Canadian orga- nizations-involved in wetland . conseryation? The:: WBT. is: projected to “receive $20;000° this year through the Banrock: partnership. -The money hi been earmarked for a fun ing campaign to establish th WET idle ‘Data Centre’ in “tierally : tional partnership with Italian winery Cantine ‘forresella SRL. The winery is donating 50 cents from every bottle of Torresella Merlot and Torresella Pinot Grigio sold in B.C. Banning-Lover puts in 60 wo 85 hours as a full-time pres- ident. It’s full-on commit- ment. “I live and breathe this. It's what it takes,” she says. The WBT is approaching its seventh birthday. Ir has Banning-Lover and Beard formed WBT Wild Bird Trust of B.C. specifically to enhance and restore the Maplewood conservation area, “What we found was potential. We really felt that if we had a chance to clean the site we would be able to restore and enhance it.” By Sept. 16, 1995, the trust was ready for a grand opening at Maplewood with Rick Hansen, Robert Bateman, representatives of Environment Canada and the land owners in attendance. Maplewood is the WBT's flagship site. The trust has a growing list of conservation initiative _ Its second sanctuary, NEWS photos Julie Irerson >” NATURALIST Al Grass leads tours at the Maplewood conservation area. His next monthly Saturday nature .~ walk is set for 10 a.m. Aug. 12. Meet at the sanctuary office at 2645 Dollarton Highway. McFadden Creek Heronry, is on Salt Spring Island. “We were able to buy the property and it’s a very successful Sreat blue heron’ nesting site,” Banning-Lover says. The prop- erty, located at the north end of the island, was bought in a joint initiative with the Phote submitted WEST Vancouver residents Patricia M. Banning- over and husband Richard Beard co-founded WBT Wild Bird Trust of British Columbia. *.. That way:we relied. on, dona-:- Waterbird Watch Collective and the Islands Trust Fund. Vith more than 120 active net the site is thought to be the largest colony of breeding great blue herons in B.C. The third WBT sanctuary is located in south Langley — the 32.4 hectare Forslund/Watson Nature Reserve. The land is owned by the province and is being managed in cooperation with the Langley — Field Naturalists. Says Banning-Lover, “I’m just snugging up some arrangements on what will be our fourth sanctuary and that will be out in Surrey. “The biggest thing I have in the future, and that’s why I'm not retiring this November, is the data centre. We're hoping to buy a proper- ty in Victoria and this will real- ly put Wild Bird Trust on the map. It will house a lot of con- servation data.” Back at Maplewood, Al Grass feads his next monthiy Saturday nature walk at 10 am. Aug. 12. Meet at the sanctuary office at Maplewood Maintenance Tune-Up 7 H Includes Labour to install nsw spark plege: check distribator cep, ¢ rotor, Check PCV. vaive; Check and adjust idle speeds (rpm's); - 1 Ask for details. Aff offers expire August 31, 2000 __ Quality Parts provided by North Shore Parts LESSEE tapkd 11392 Marine:Drive West Vancouver W | Rosd test. Rost cars and light pick-ups. 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