Free workshop gives primer on irrigation
The Cowichan Watershed Board is presenting a free efficient irrigation workshop Saturday, Feb. 17.
Karen Hounsome will speak on micro and drip irrigation and efficient watering. This event is aimed at the home gardener, who wants to do their part to conserve dwindling summer water supplies. Hounsome will discuss how we can better manage our lawn and garden water needs as we adjust to our region’s changing climate.
So get ready to learn about micro-drip system components, system design, installation and tips on controller scheduling and maintenance.
The session runs from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Mesachie Room at the Island Savings Centre in Duncan.
Pre-registration is required through Eventbrite and there are only 40 seats available: https://efficient-irrigation.eventbrite.ca
Hounsome is certified by the Irrigation Industry Association of B.C. in golf irrigation design, commercial irrigation design and water auditing. She is also the past president of the IIABC and currently serves on the certification board.
Speaker to focus on plight of Palestinian children
At noon on Sunday, Feb. 18, George Bartlett, a retired Toronto lawyer, will speak about his three months spent as an Ecumenical Accompanier in a community in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Bartlett was there as a human rights observer, accompanying others working in non-violent ways for peace and offering a protective presence to communities at constant risk from Israeli soldiers and armed Israeli settlers.
His talk will focus in part on the circumstances and treatment of Palestinian children under occupation. That focus complements the ongoing campaign of Defence for Children International, “No Way to Treat a Child” (www.nwttac.canada.dci-palestine.org/).
The event takes place at Duncan United Church, 246 Ingram St.
The Ecumenical Accompaniment program was begun in 2002 by the World Council of Churches.
Speaker to put the ‘fun’ in fungi for Naturalists
The Cowichan Valley Naturalists’ Society is inviting everyone to come and learn from forest ecologist Andy MacKinnon Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
After completing graduate work in mycology (the study of fungi) at the University of British Columbia in 1982, MacKinnon worked on-and-off as a forest ecologist for the BC Forest Service until his retirement in 2015. While at the Forest Service, he was responsible for ecosystem classification and mapping and for a program of forest ecology research focused on old growth structure and composition, effects of climate change, and B.C.’s native plants, fungi and lichens. His recent research interests include ecology of B.C.’s ectomycorrhizal fungal species. He was lead B.C. scientist for Environment Canada’s 2017 ranking of Canada’s threatened and endangered fungal species.
MacKinnon is currently president of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society, and an enthusiastic participant, speaker and field trip leader for various mushroom festivals in southwestern B.C. each autumn.
The event takes place at 1080 Wharncliff Rd., Duncan. Some refreshment served, please bring a cup.