I saw my first wood duck at Tranquille Marsh.  Yippee!

- Ian

Thar's snakes in them thar grasslands!

I saw my very first rattlesnake last week. I’ve lived in Kamloops for nearly 5 years and explored many grassland areas, but I had yet to see a rattlesnake, gopher snake or rubber boa in the wild.

Now, some people hate snakes, and I suppose I understand why. They seem really scary, and often people have irrational fears that we’re going to get bitten. I actually love snakes; as a kid I would trap garter snakes while camping and make them my friends, much to my mother’s chagrin. But rattlesnakes have eluded me in my grassland visits, which I was both disappointed and NOT disappointed with. It’s certainly better to be actually looking for a rattlesnake versus unexpectedly getting too close to one, though I always take care to be aware and listen and look for signs.

I went out with a local wildlife biologist, John, to check out a den site. I was both nervous and excited – I love seeing something new, especially something as elusive as a rattler, but I didn’t know what to expect. We made our way to ****censored top secret information, if I tell you, I will have to….well, I will have to get in big trouble from the Ministry of Environment J ****, walking slowly, listening for any rattling, watching for any snakes. We looked and looked, and thought maybe we had been skunked, until…

John put out his hand and whispered “OK – come slowly, there’s one over here.” I crept around a rock outcropping, keeping a good distance, and then I saw it. He (could have been a she, but I wasn’t about to figure it out, so let’s go with “he”) was all coiled up under a rocky outcropping, watching us warily. Clearly, we had disrupted his basking time – and soon he started shaking his rattle and flicking his tongue. It was incredible – the sound from his rattle was exactly what you hear in the movies as he shook it beside his head. I wish I’d have had my camera, but instead I just had to take a mental picture to share with this story. He was beautiful – strong and big, tucked in behind a large clump of bunchgrass, in a perfect coil.

It saddens me to know these beautiful animals are now blue listed in our province, but I’m not surprised.  A large highway ran close by, both fragmenting its habitat and increasing its chances of dying on the asphalt (which snakes love, because it’s so hot). Houses filled the spaces beyond the highway; because people are fearful, snakes are often needlessly killed rather than just left alone. Trust me – a rattlesnake will try to avoid humans, and warnings are always given when you get too close.

I feel really lucky to have had this experience – not everyone will see rattlesnakes in our grasslands, and so perfectly placed to give us a great, safe look. I hope those people that do come across rattlesnakes treat them with the respect and admiration they deserve.

Learn more about the Western Rattlesnake: their behaviour, risks to their survival and why they are so important for ecological health. Go here for more information.

Tasha.

A better investment than that grande triple shot skinny vanilla latte no foam...

A few years ago, I volunteered on an organizing committee for a fundraising dinner. I remember when I was told we were expected to pay for our tickets, just like the attendees – I was miffed. “Are you kidding?” I asked, “I gave up hours of my time and I don’t even get a free dinner?”

I couldn’t believe it. Surely my time counted for something, right? But I paid my dues and went to the dinner. Once the people were seated, the presentations started and the wine was flowing. I looked around at this beautiful dinner with the amazing auction items we had gathered and I felt so proud. We had done this – and I had helped. While I watched people listen intently to the speaker, explaining the importance of why they were there and where the money was going to, I got it. My time did not equal money: rather, my time and money were an investment that brought 150 people to a dinner to raise even more money and awareness for this cause I so passionately believed in.

Thus my love for non-profits was born. 

Flash forward a few years and here I sit, nearly entering my fifth year working for the GCC, and I am proud to tell you that I am a member. Every month, like clockwork, $5 comes out of my bank account to support the organization that paid me the five bucks in the first place. I wish I could to tell you that I’ve been a member since the beginning of my employment here, but that would be untrue. I always thought of excuses, something I could use the $30 per year for instead of my membership. I broke my sunglasses! Well, there goes my $30 membership to new ones. (Yes. I wear cheap sunglasses.) I went out for dinner 2 nights in a row! Well, there goes my $30 membership dues. Whoops.

But then we started talking about monthly giving at a staff meeting. Really, what was $5 a month? A fancy coffee at Starbucks? A small bag of popcorn at the movies? We started talking about what a great thing this would be for our organization. An automatic withdrawal from your bank account every month, and a tax receipt at the end of the year? No renewals? No lump sum? Sign me up!

The thing is, it COSTS money to set up a system like this.

I know I prefer monthly giving. Something automatic, something I don’t have to think about. And with a small amount, I never miss it! I do this for other charities I donate to, and would like to do it for mine. So, we decided that we would invest in our own organization, and we would, between staff, give enough in monthly donations to pay for the automatic system so that our members could also have this handy option. 

Why?

Because we believe in the organization, we believe in ourselves, and we believe in our membership.

If you want to become a monthly donor (for as little as $5 a month, but by all means, give more if you want to!), please go to http://www.bcgrasslands.org/fundraising.htm. Download our membership form, fill it out and fax, email or snail mail it back to us.

The grasslands will thank you (and so will I.)

Tasha.