THANKS TO ALL OF YOU THAT MADE “VOLUNTEERS IN THE CAMAS” TRULY A CELEBRATION!

Thank you to Mayor Nils Jensen and Parks representative, Hazel Braithwaite for opening words and to the Oak Bay Council, Oak Bay Parks Recreation and Culture Commission and Oak Bay Parks Manager, Chris Hyde-lay, for their permission and all their support.  Also attending were Councillors Michelle Kirby, Tara Ney and Kevin Murdoch and Commissioners Matt Fairbarns and Suzanne Weckend-Dill.

Partnering with Amanda Evans, leader of the Greater Victoria Green Team was absolutely the best!  We enjoyed every thing we did together.  Having her Green Team at Uplands Park events is also so much fun. By using social media so much, she brings in new volunteers of all ages, especially the young teaching them to love their Naturehood. 

The Bald Eagles were excellent…their music providing a sense of joy, a rhythm to the afternoon and happiness in everyone’s soul.

Thanks to my incredible Friends of Uplands Park Steering Committee, Chris H-L, Ron, Chris G, Elizabeth, Anna, Cathy, Wylie, Matt and Rick who always “steer me in a corrected direction” and who were responsible for their own areas.  Thanks to Kathleen Matthews for being our Social Media Manager and photographer and to Ida Spader for helping with family activities.  Thanks to all who set up, took down and hosted tables.

Thanks to our families…Tom, Eric, Jorey and T.J. for doing whatever they were asked.

Thank you to the leaders of our Wildflower Walks, Matt Fairbarns and Wylie Thomas and to the leaders of the Bird Walk, Geoffrey, Jean and David Newell.

 

Thanks to Oak Bay News for their excellent article,  recording interviews at the event and for their continued support of community events.

Thanks to the partners who created displays and activities and to their hosts:

Parks Canada – Fort Rodd Hill

CRD Bowker Creek Initiative

OB Artists Community Society

OB Heritage Commission

Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary

Orca Whale Awareness

Nature Kids for removing ivy and growing and planting baby fawn lilies

We were sorry that HAT and Nature Conservancy of Canada were unable to come at the last moment

Thanks to all the organizations that provided food:

Thrifty’s – $400 including a cake  and 3 tents!

Dominos on Foul Bay near OB Avenue provided 40 large pizzas!

Fairways on OB Avenue

Save On Foods on Fort Street

COBS Bread Hillside for scones

Hide + Seek Coffee on OB Avenue for coffee

Starbucks on OB Avene for coffee

Everything was eaten!!!

Thanks to all the organizations that donated prizes:

Dig it – Handwear

Friends of Uplands Park

GardenWorks OB Avenue

Greater Victoria Green Team

Hide + Seek Coffee OB Avenue

If You Care Products

I.O.N. Clothing, Government St.

Ivy’s Bookshop OB Avenue

LUSH Soap Government St.

Mason Street Farm

Nicholas Randall OB Avenue

Oak Bay Recreation Centre

Oak Bay Flower Shop OB Avenue

Penny Farthing Olde English Pub

Rogers’ Tudor Sweet Shop OB Avenue

Saanich Native Plants on Haliburton Rd

Serious Coffee OB Avenue

The Soap Exchange Hillside Ave

Township of Esquimalt

and to Home Hardware, OB Avenue for tool discounts throughout the year.

We can thank them best by being their customers!

Margaret Lidkea, Chair of Friends of Uplands Park

friendsofuplandspark.org and on Facebook