The Nature Conservancy of sa国际传媒 hopes to raise $100,000 in the Cowichan Valley -- and $1.7 million altogether -- to buy a chunk of pristine wilderness near Cowichan Bay.
David Chase bought the property in 1955. Now 98, he hopes the conservancy will take over caring for the land. "I spent half my life keeping it like a park," he said in a conservancy press release.
The conservancy has a conditional offer on the 40-hectare property and must raise the cash from public and private sources by July 24.
"It's got a number of endangered ecosystem types on it that make it a really high conservation concern, including Garry oak and the associated species," said Katie Blake, co-ordinator of conservation projects for the conservancy's sa国际传媒 office in Victoria.
The land is located on the lower reaches of Mount Tzuhalem, near a seven-hectare plot declared an ecological reserve by the province in 1984. The Chase woods cover an area from sea-level to 400 metres from the summit and contains a microcosm of coastal Douglas fir and Garry oak forest.
"It's not always easy to find a piece that's 100 acres big that's got so much wonderful, intact ecosystem on it," Blake said. "It really has a lot of appeal for us because not only is it a great big chunk of rare ecosystem, but there's also the potential for it to connect with natural areas, as well." For information, call 1-888-404-8428, or e-mail bcoffice@ natureconservancy.ca
