The Heron Newsletter Autumn 2021

Extracted text (beginning)

the “powerhouse” who 
inspired us all p.3
Heron
the
A newsletter from the Islands Trust Conservancy, protecting islands in the Salish Sea | islandstrustconservancy.ca
Leaving  
her mark
autumn 2021
Beauty in  
what you don’t see:  
Basil Franey 
p. 2
Reconciliation:  
Reflecting and learning 
  
p.
 2
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Conservation Superhero Focus: Basil Franey
As we sit on a bench on Isabella Point, Fulford Harbour, Basil Franey 
remarks “I’ll bet 30 ferries go past here every day, and the people on it 
aren’t aware of the reason they are looking at a natural space rather than 
buildings and a driveway”. Basil and his late wife Margaret bought land on 
Salt Spring Island in 1980 to build and retire to from Vancouver. When, 
five years later, there was a plan for a “gigantic fish farm” on Isabella Point 
they decided to purchase more land in order to ensure that never hap-
pened. Basil placed a conservation covenant on five acres of the land, on a 
high point. “There is a fantastic view all around, and it’s just beautiful.” 
At 97, Basil says, “I feel good about it. I have never had any regrets. It gives 
me peace of mind to think of it being always unspoiled.”
We all have much to thank those that place conservation covenants on 
their land, whether we are aware of it or not. As Basil well knows, there is 
so much beauty in what we’re not seeing. feather-alt
Are you interested in placing conservation covenants on your land?   
Call Kathryn Martell, Ecosystem Protection Specialist 250-405-5176 kmartell@islandstrust.bc.ca
Acknowledgement
Islands Trust Conservancy acknowledges that we work within the treaty lands and territories of the BOK
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, Qualicum, Quw’utsun Tribes, scəẃaθən məsteyəxʷ, Scia’new, 
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ilwətaʔɬ, SEMYOME, shíshálh, Swwú7mesh, Snaw-naw-as, Snuneymuxw, Spune’luxutth, ST/ÁUT W̲, 
Stz’uminus, ɬəʔamɛn, toq qaymɩxʷ, Ts’uubaa-asatx, Wei Wai Kum, We Wai Kai, W̲JOL
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P, W̲SIK̲EM, 
Xelált xw, Xwémalhkwu/
ʔop qaymɩxʷ, and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm. 
Drum detail. photo: lisa wilcox
Basil Franey has never regretted placing a conservation  
covenant on land on Isabella Point, Salt Spring Island.  
cover and above photos: Carla Funk
Finding fossorial snakes on Salt Spring Island
The Sharp-tailed Snake is secretive and semi-fossorial (burrowing) which makes 
it hard to find and study. Species-at-risk funding has enabled the Islands Trust 
Conservancy to use breakthrough methods more typically used for crime scenes:  
the use of mapping environmental DNA, to survey these elusive snakes. feather-alt
Read the scientific article, co-authored by Salt Spring and Pender Island  scientists 
Carrina Maslovat, Laura Matthias and Jared Hobbs.  
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21008529
Reconciliation progress at Islands Trust Conservancy
Since adopting a Reconciliation Declaration in July, 2019, Islands Trust Conservancy 
Board and staff have received training on identity, place, acknowled

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