Jan 25, 2018 - Fairyslipper Forest Protected as Thetis Island's First Publicly Accessible Nature Reserve

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Protecting Canada’s Islands in the Salish Sea 
News Release  
200-1627 Fort Street, Victoria, BC  V8R 1H8 
Telephone: 250-405-5186   Fax: 250-405-5155 
Toll-free via Service BC 1 800-663-7867 or in Vancouver 604-660-2421 
itfmail@islandstrust.bc.ca     www.IslandsTrustFund.bc.ca 
2018-01-ITF 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 
Fairyslipper Forest Protected as Thetis Island’s First Publicly Accessible Nature Reserve 
New protected area coming to B.C.’s Thetis Island 
 
Thetis Island, British Columbia, January 25, 2018   Fairyslipper Forest on Thetis Island, B.C. is now permanently 
protected as a nature reserve. The new 16-hectare (40 acre) nature reserve on lower Burchell Hill is the result of a 
partnership between the Islands Trust Fund, the Thetis Island Nature Conservancy and the Cowichan Community Land 
Trust and is named after the delicate calypso ‘fairyslipper’ orchids that bloom on the hill each spring.  
 
The property is Thetis Island’s first publicly accessible nature reserve, offering residents and visitors opportunities for 
walking and hiking on nature trails through the forest. To maintain the natural features of the land, only low-impact 
activities will be permitted. 
“I am thrilled by the support we received on this campaign to create the first publicly accessible nature reserve on 
Thetis Island and sincerely thank each and every one of our supporters,” said Ann Eriksson, founding board member of 
the Thetis Island Nature Conservancy. “This beautiful forest will be protected forever, and each gift, no matter how big 
or small, is a part of that conservation success story.” 
Over three years, Thetis Island residents and other individual supporters raised over half the purchase amount of 
$560,000. Inspired by the community’s passion for conservation, the campaign received generous contributions from 
the Sitka Foundation, ($50,000), the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s Environmental Enhancement Fund 
($5,000), and the Gosling Foundation ($2,500). The campaign finally reached its goal through a generous bequest of 
$210,000 from an endowment fund created by Syd Watts and Barbara Dowd, who recognized the Cowichan 
Community Land Trust in their will.   
“The protection of Fairyslipper Forest is regionally significant,” said Kai Rietzel, Executive Director of the Cowichan 
Community Land Trust. “Fairyslipper Forest Nature Reserve protects a maturing stand of Coastal Douglas-fir forest. 
These types of forests contain the highest diversity of plant species in British Columbia and typically have a high 
number of species in need of protection.”     
“The Islands Trust Fund is proud to have partnered with the Thetis Island Nature Conservancy and the Cowichan 
Community Land Trust to acquire this wonderful property,” said Tony Law, Chair of the Trust Fund Board. “This 
purchase is a great example of a community working together to ensure the natural areas we enjoy today continue to 
benefit future generations.” 

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