Kwetlal (Camas) Day on Sunday May 4, 2025 was the best ever with good dry sunny, warm weather.
It was such a pleasure to have Diane Sam, Songhees Cultural Support Leader, doing a lovely welcome to her traditional Chekonein family land. Margaret enjoyed meeting her and her Granddaughter who received a Trillium plant, in flower, thanks to Lara Lauzon and Ron Carter. Mayor Kevin Murdoch Introduced her and welcomed everyone to the event. Several Councillors attended.
Margaret thanked Oak Bay Council, Oak Bay Parks, the FOUP Board members, all the volunteers and school classes that have helped to restore natural area parks, and the volunteers helping at Camas Day.
Fifteen organizations had excellent displays that engaged over 450 visitors along with the excellent music of Ron Carter and the Bald Eagles Band whose music brings the whole event together.
Family activities included building a Bewick’s wren nest in a paper dish, bubbles, chalk and colouring. Refreshments donated by Thrifty’s Foods, Oak Bay Starbucks and Friends of Uplands Park were enjoyed by all, and totally disappeared. Thank you to Hillside Thrifty’s and Oak Bay Starbucks for their generosity!
The excellent one-hour Camas Meadow Walks by botanists, Wylie Thomas and Matt Fairbarns, were well attended with 35 people or more in each of 3 walks.
Prizes for the Free Draw this year were native plants grown by Wylie and Margaret to encourage people to plant native species in the private gardens. The Master Gardeners of Greater Victoria held a wonderful Conference this year about Mixing It Up, and the importance of all community members planting native species in their gardens or on their balconies, along with the garden plants. In this way, we can spread the seed base of the GOE, which is an ecosystem of a warmer climate, and therefore help to prepare for the warming of our climate with increasing both plants and pollinators. Winners were delighted to be able to choose a one gallon pot or 3 small pots.
A generous $400 was donated by those attending.
Thanks to the following organizations that had displays:
Anderson Hill Friends, Friends of Bowker Creek, ReconcilliACTION Oak Bay, Community Association of Oak Bay, Native Bee Society of BC, Habitat Acquisition Trust, Master Gardeners of Greater Victoria, SeaChange, Satinflower Nursery, Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society, Friends of the Greater Victoria Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Nature Canada, Friends of Ecological Reserves, Victoria Natural History Society, Vancouver Island Decade of Ecological Restoration and the University of Victoria Restoration Club.
Thank you for donations of food from Thrifty’s Hillside and coffee from Oak Bay Starbucks (and Oak Bay Parks for coffee and doughnuts at the set-up)!
Looking forward to seeing you next year!
Sincerely,
Margaret Lidkea, DSc
President of FOUP Society
Partnering with Oak Bay Parks
