The streamside water birch habitat on Keremeos Creek that was purchased by a conservation group in January officially has a name.
READ MORE: Conservation group acquires property on Keremeos Creek
On Sept. 28, the Southern Interior Land Trust (SILT) named the property the R.E. Taylor Conservation Property to honour wildlife conservationist Ron Taylor.
Originally from Winfield, B.C., Taylor was a career teacher and avid outdoorsman, according to a SILT media release. He is said to have influenced and mentored hundreds of young and old hunters, fishers, trappers, biologists and conservationists.
In 1988, Taylor helped to create SILT, a non-profit land trust, and has served on its board of directors since the society was formed. He has been an active member of the Oceola Fish and Game Club for decades and has also served on its executive and that of the BC Wildlife Federation. He spent years advocating for a balance of natural resource use and protection at the Okanagan-Shuswap Land and Resource Management planning table, the release reads.
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Taylor has also served for several years on the Board of the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.
”His willingness to share his time and knowledge to so many fish and wildlife related endeavours has had positive and lasting impacts on natural resource management in the province,” the release says.
Located on flat valley bottomland near Olalla, the property is home several species at risk, including the yellow-breasted chat, western screech owl, Lewis’s woodpecker, barn owl, badger and common nighthawk. Deer, bear, moose, bobcat and other wildlife also use the property and rainbow trout and other fish live in the creek.
READ MORE: The many hats of a B.C. conservation officer
Some of the funding to purchase the R.E. Taylor Conservation Property came from the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. “SILT appreciates the hunters, trappers, guides and anglers that support the foundation through their licence fees, and SILT’s other donors that help make our habitat acquisitions possible—for all living things,” the release reads.
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