Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 14

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Surrey Nature Centre
14225 Green Timbers Way

We’ll gather at 6:30, call to order at 7:00 and wrap up by 8:30 pm
All are welcome, but please RSVP to info@greentimbers.ca if you plan on attending.

 

Surrey’s Natural Areas Partnership 

SNAP has started up for 2019. Keep an eye open for hard-working people in their distinctive grey t-shirts with the green frogs throughout the City! We received funding from all five MPs (again) this year.

Is there an area in Surrey that you think could benefit from SNAP’s Invasive Removal or Habitat Restoration team? Please let us know at info@greentimbers.ca. It can be anywhere in Surrey.

Above: The 2019 SNAP team, with Partner group members from Green Timbers Heritage Society, Sunnyside Acres Heritage Society, White Rock Surrey Naturalists and the City of Surrey


Above: The 2019 outreach team at Green Timbers Lake, ready to show people exciting nature stuff!

 

Surrey Clean Sweep: Sunday April 14

We had a good turnout for Surrey’s Clean Sweep. Unfortunately didn’t get too far before our bags were full. We should do it again!


Sorry, I can’t remember everyone’s names, but I think we had fun. We found some Lego (who throws out Lego?), various bits of cars, broken tiles and full can of Febreeze, along with all the other usual stuff.

SkyTrain down Fraser Highway

Thanks to everyone who responded to Translink’s online survey about SkyTrain down Fraser Highway, or attended one of the open houses.

 

Surrey Nature Centre Plaza planning


The design work for the work on the Surrey Nature Centre plaza seems to be moving along. Let me know if you’d like a copy of PDF of the design so far. It seems to be spread over three phases. There isn’t any plans for a stand-alone outdoor toilet. The impression I get is they’re working on a plaza, not a reworking of the facility. You’ll notice there are trees running through the parking lot. I suggested the arboretum should be continued into this space, with didactic panels and tree labels. Please let me know if you have any comments or ideas and I’ll pass them along.

 

Green Timbers maintenance and planning tour

On Thursday May 8 Ken Crosby, the Natural Areas Coordinator at the City did a walkthrough of Green Timbers and what the natural areas department is doing to protect and enhance the area around the lake. The team over there at the City is keen to share and will be doing more of these. Is anyone interested in coming along for the next one? This one took about an hour and is very instructive.


Part of Ken’s tour was talking about how we can keep the beavers but minimize the damage they cause to trails and trees. There are two lodges and two dams. This one is on the lower pond. It might be hard to see, but the industrious rodents have incorporated rails from the split rail fence here.

Notes:

100th Ave entrance:

  • The kiosk at the entrance: the back is not seen; could be moved front and centre, like Redwood Park, to become a central focus point
  • Poor pedestrian access from parking to the trails
  • Missing bike tracks in the lot, perhaps a bike rack by lake?
  • Existing gate is super wide.
  • Handicap access could be better
  • Painting stalls lines would allow more spaces for vehicles
  • Goal: make a more welcoming entrance

 

Trail to lake area:

  • SNAP will be doing blackberry removal on main path to lake
  • The main trail is a vehicle access trail for fish-stocking, garbage etc
  • Water access before lake… the area needs the fence back up — it’s a risk
  • Muskrat found in swamp area too

 

Beaver biggest challenge:

  • Not all bad: some invasives like yellow iris that may be drowned by rising water
  • Need to stabilize fluctuations of water levels before reconstruction
  • Lower lake has dam too, but not a priority, it has a bigger bowl to contain pond
  • Fire risk with fine branches in dam
  • 2 lodges
  • Policy is to co-exist. Beavers can’t be relocated
  • Beaver are all along Surrey’s river systems.

 

The meadow:

  • Meadow is managed to stay a meadow
  • Mowed to 6 inches or so annually
  • Voles and vole runs in there
  • Hardhack bushes are kept for bird habitat
  • Reed canary grass is tall, invasive, non native. Too tall for Raptors to get through to catch critters. Difficult to remove

 

Dogs off-leash and feeding wildlife education issues

 

Nature play area edge of picnic area:

  • Non native shade trees — some trees were getting planted when we were there
  • Gets a lot of use, older stumps starting to go, will need fixing in a few years
  • Forest is good shape, keeping deciduous as a buffer

 

Green Timbers Lake:

  • Water is fed into system from well, bubble up just below the dam
  • Asking engineering to help with water stuff
  • Fish stocking done by Freshwater fisheries, Gofishbc website
  • SNAP team picks up lost hooks once a month
  • Best stocked lake in lower mainland
  • 5 meters at deepest point
  • Some concerns over ducks getting hooked, but that’s very rare
  • Cat tails canlt take over because of depth of lake, check on Cosmos!

 

Overall: this is one of the top natural areas in Surrey!