If anyone doubted Kathleen Burton鈥檚 devotion to preserving Swan Lake Christmas Hill Sanctuary, a visit to Saanich鈥檚 urban refuge last Sunday would have set them straight.
During a drop-in event titled Grossology, the non-profit society鈥檚 executive director ate six live mealworms 鈥� a challenge she agreed to meet if it would inspire a minimum $500 donation.
Her bold act during an event celebrating 鈥渢he disgusting science of Grossology鈥� where visitors could 鈥渆xplore slug slime, owl barf and even the scoop on poop鈥� raised $3,000.
It was part of a campaign to raise $800,000 to replace the south section of the Saanich wildlife habitat鈥檚 aging floating boardwalk. The first phase, the north section鈥檚 makeover, was completed in 2015.
鈥淚t鈥檚 on the water, so it鈥檚 really a way that people are able to see the lake from another angle,鈥� said Burton during a visit last Wednesday.
It鈥檚 being built with contributions from supporters of the society that maintains the natural habitat and Swan Lake Nature House, home to its popular school and nature programs.
Nearly 10,000 students come to Swan Lake for its programs each year, and 65,000 visitors walk its trails year-round, says Burton, stressing the urgent need for the boardwalk upgrade.
On Wednesday, the society got $500 closer to achieving that goal when a woman dropped by with a cheque in memory of the late Frank Neate, a longtime volunteer board member.
Neate was a sterling example of the kind of volunteers whose involvement is essential to the survival of Swan Lake鈥檚 picturesque marshlands and Christmas Hill鈥檚 oak-forested highlands.
鈥淲e have some who have been聽volunteering for the past 20聽years,鈥� said Burton. 鈥淜eeping up with the invasive species is a huge task and every Tuesday morning these people are here to help remove them. It doesn鈥檛 matter if it鈥檚 hot and sunny, wet and rainy, or freezing cold and snowing, they鈥檙e outside doing the work on Christmas Hill or around the lake. It鈥檚 just amazing.鈥�
Joan Cowley, the society鈥檚 board chair, said she loved to see visitors young and old enjoy such an accessible destination in the heart of an urban area where people can appreciate nature and help protect it.
鈥淚t really is the natural heart of the city, an area where anyone can come by bus, foot or bike,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a place you can just relax and connect with nature in a really positive way.鈥�
Public affection for this ecological oasis was obvious as parents wandered the grounds of this 鈥渓iving classroom鈥� with their children on Wednesday.
鈥淚鈥檓 just discovering this for the first time,鈥� confessed Leah Eunson, cradling her eight-month-old daughter Clover while her other daughter Summer, 5, snacked on apple slices.
鈥淚t feels like a hidden gem, and now I want to tell everybody about it,鈥� said Eunson, whose daughter just started home-schooling and gave her Biology Buddies class a thumbs-up.
鈥淥ur whole family loves nature 鈥� I鈥檓 pretty sure of that,鈥澛爏miled Summer, who can鈥檛聽wait to bring her dad to see聽this magical place.
Christine Beegan said it was great being back at the nature sanctuary with her home-schooled son Elijah, 6, this breezy, sunny afternoon.
鈥淗e loves the ecology and being outside and he learns so much. They have lots of projects and activities and he always comes out of it having had a great time,鈥� she said.
Violant Burges was back for the second year with her daughter, Alia, 6, with her little brother Axel, 3, in tow.
鈥淚f you go to a normal playground you don鈥檛 see much nature,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou see some trees but not what is naturally occurring like in this environment.鈥�
Program naturalist Coral Forbes said the question she鈥檚 most often asked is about the identification of certain birds, plants and animals.
鈥淭he second most often asked question is: 鈥楥an I hold the snakes?鈥欌�� she said, adding: 鈥淥ur school programs are about spiders, snakes, owls and bats. We don鈥檛 do kitten programs for a reason.鈥�
The objective is to provide more education about lesser-loved animals, she said. Naturalists will even take a garter snake out of his Nature House home to be held.
鈥淓veryone loves holding snakes 鈥� or they don鈥檛,鈥� she said with a laugh.
