Dear Supporters:

Spring is slowly unfurling, a few days of warm sunshine rushes the process, then back to gloomy, wet, cold days with new snow at higher elevations. This morning I commiserate with the cheerful little buttercups currently gracing the hillsides and the Desert Centre grasslands but think they must be shivering while I sit in my cozy office space. When driving through Richter Pass I scan the hillsides to see signs of emerging balsamroot leaves and anticipate the hills of cheerful yellow interspersed with the drifts of white Saskatoon blossoms. Flashing by on the highway the transformation of the winter landscape to green, yellow and white seems like a yearly miracle. Other tiny flowers need us to slow down and gently walk the wild spaces to be enjoyed. Yellow bells shyly look to the soil from which they came and a myriad of tiny flowers emerge, colour the landscape for a few days, or longer, if cold weather inhibits pollinators from doing their job. Once fertile seed is assured blossoms wither and drop and many species fade back into the soil before the hot summer sun bakes the hillsides. From miniscule to large, the seed bank assures future flowers and is part of the food chain.
While some of us may become impatient with the rain, I am thankful that the ground is frost free and the 'liquid gold' from the clouds is penetrating the earth, providing much needed moisture. I am also happy to see the precipitation expressed as snow at the higher elevations. The February 1st snow pack reading told us that Okanagan Basin snow packs were at 79 per cent of normal and the Similkameen snow pack was just 73 per cent, so high elevation snow at this time is very welcome as this feeds our summer water supply.

Up at the Desert Centre the ponds are full; spadefoot and salamander eggs are developing and many will survive to grow and reproduce again next year. These eggs also provide food for other wildlife. Migratory birds have returned and are some of the lucky ones as their habitat is still intact. Today's rapid development of wild spaces often means birds travel far to what they have known only to find a totally altered space which no longer provides them with nesting sites and food, their safe place to rear their families. Fortunately, the Desert Centre, the Nature Trust, The Nature Conservancy, B.C. Parks, Protected and Wildlife Management Areas - along with caring landowners who designate portions of their land for wildlife - provide at least some habitat. 

Having lived at the south end of the Similkameen Valley since 1970 I have observed dramatic change and look back to the perseverance of the Desert Society's founding members; hats off to you and your followers for securing the habitat at the Desert Centre and providing a safe haven for so many species. Hats off to all the volunteers who recognize the importance of this space and assist staff and Board members in achieving the Society's goals. A final hats off to our members. Your support is valued. Becoming a member is an easy and practical way to 'volunteer', particularly when distance or circumstance inhibits physical volunteering.

Now I must venture into the cool, rainy day and remind myself that any inconvenience caused by the rain is far outweighed by its benefits. May your spring unfurl and provide many wonderful moments in nature and may a visit to the Desert Centre be part of your plans.

On behalf of the Osoyoos Desert Society Board
Lee McFadyen
President, Osoyoos Desert Society