Pacific chorus frogs. Rough skinned newts. The Pacific great blue heron.
These are some of the species that make themselves at home in the Conservation Area at Maplewood Flats in North Vancouver.
And these are the honorary “titles” that donors can earn when they help the Wild Bird Trust replace the conservation area’s faltering groundwater pump.
“Tragically, we have been experiencing drought in the pond and our system was failing,” says its Help Fill the Pond! fundraising page on CanadaHelps.org. Precision Service & Pumps of Abbotsford will replace pump for $10,000, and the need is critical.
Many species rely on the 96 hectare intertidal zone of mudflats and salt marsh, as well as the 30 hectare upland area including fresh water ponds designed by Dr. Patrick Mooney two decades ago. More than two hundred and fifty species of birds have been observed here to date.
“All living things at Maplewood Flats are linked together in food webs built upon a foundation of plants that capture the sun’s energy, turning it into the fuel that supports animal life. We all share the precious resources of space, air, food, and water with these organisms.”
The pump helps properly maintain the pond.
All donations are eligible for a tax receipt. Donors will be recognized as the “fundraising pond” fills up in the fall issue of Wingspan. Donors are asked to pick a species level (listed more by size rather than importance) and donation amount:
- $50 Pacific Chorus Frog
- $75 Rough Skinned Newt
- $100 Purple Martin
- $500 Hooded Merganser
- $1,000 Pacific Great Blue Heron
The CanadaHelps.org fundraising effort, which is almost at the halfway mark, ends Friday but donations are always welcome at WildBirdTrust.org.
The Wild Bird Trust of British Columbia, which manages the conservation area, is a non-profit society dedicated to providing wild birds with sanctuary through ecological protection and restoration, and support communities with education, culture, and reconciliation programs.
