What once was the Elkington Property is now the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve. It is truly a natural gem - a woodland estate that has stood largely untouched since it was tended for bulbs, greens and game by the Cowichan people. The old house was the birthplace of Gerald Elkington, who decided over his long life not to subdivide and develop his family home. Many Maple Bay residents travelled past the estate admiring the twisting stately oaks, and the spring flourish of colour. Now there is nothing else like it along that drive - in fact less than a handful of intact, protected Garry oak ecosystems remain in the Cowichan Valley.

Barbara Stone, and many of her friends and neighbours, raised the call to prevent imminent development on the Elkington Property. The Cowichan Community Land Trust (CCLT) Society supported these dedicated people, forming a committee to raise funds locally. When it was seen that the purchase price was too much for a purely local effort, the Nature Conservancy of Canada was brought in as a partner in the purchase.

The CCLT supports individuals and groups who wish to protect land and steward watersheds through conservation covenants, voluntary stewardship agreements, and even through land purchase. As a registered charity, CCLT can provide certain tax benefits to donors. We are the Cowichan region's local land trust and we work in partnership with provincial, national, and international land trusts and conservancies, as well as with local governments and conservation organizations.

We do not advocate vocally for natural area conservation, leaving the important role of political activism to others. This year we received the Silver Award of Excellence for stewardship and education from the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund of BC. CCLT and community partners were recognized for eelgrass restoration work in Cowichan Bay.

We urge the community to remember our local non-profit land trust, working quietly in the background for the past 12 years to conserve and protect nature in our beautiful community. Give us a call to find out more about us 746-0227 or visit our website at www.island.net/~cclt.

Tracy Fleming

President

Cowichan Community Land Trust

Submitted to the Cowichan "Pictorial" Newspaper; Comment "In Our View", Sunday, April 22, 2007. Published in the May 20, 2007 edition.