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Amble and learn on community-led Jane’s Walks

Four community-led walks through Oak Bay on May 5, 6, 11, 12
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The Community Association of Oak Bay welcomes Oak Bay residents to join in on four community-led walks in Oak Bay, three this coming weekend and one the following, inspired by urban writer and community advocate Jane Jacobs. (Submitted)

The Community Association of Oak Bay welcomes Oak Bay residents to join in on four community-led walks in Oak Bay, three this coming weekend and one the following, inspired by urban writer and community advocate Jane Jacobs.

Explore Oak Bay’s urban forest, discover the Naturehood by the Salish Sea, appreciate native flora restoration sites, and learn about “The Prospect”, Oak Bays’ first proposed Heritage Conservation Area. The walks will be led by volunteers Ron Carter, Jacques Sirois, Rick Marshall and Sharman Minus.

“The best way to get to know your neighbourhood is to walk it. It is also one of the best ways to get to know your neighbours,” said Rick Marshall.

Marshall is leading Sunday’s Appreciate the Native Flora Walk.

“Friends of Uplands Park and others have done tremendous work to restore the ecology in Uplands Park. That’s a wonderful example of that kind of work,” said Marshall. “There are also some smaller sites in Oak Bay where people have been working, some back as far as 1994, to restore native vegetation and remove invasive plants. So we will visit some of those sites and someone who has been working in that site will talk about the work they have done and how others can get involved.”

120 participants came out last year for the four walks, that average about 3 kms and take an hour and a half.

“South Oak Bay is such a wonderfully walkable community,” said Marshall.

Explore our Urban Forest

Arborist Ron Carter takes residents on an amble to meet remarkable local trees and talks about how to protect them.

Time: 10 a.m., Saturday, May 5

Start: Fireman’s Park, 1703 Monterey Ave.

Discover our Naturehood by the Salish Sea

Naturalist Jacques Sirois discusses the ecology and wildlife of the Naturehood on a walk from Oak Bay to Kitty Islet. Bring binoculars.

Time: 10 a.m., Sunday, May 6

Start: Queen’s Park, Beach Drive at Windsor

Appreciate the Native Flora

A tour of local sites where volunteers are restoring the natural ecology will be led by Rick Marshall.

Time: 2 p.m., Sunday, May 6

Start: Monterey Centre, 1442 Monterey Ave.

‘The Prospect’

Sharman Minus will take residents on a tour of the Prospect Neighbourhood which has significant cultural and historical value as it contains 11 of Oak Bay’s 30 designated heritage homes.

Time: 11 a.m., Friday, May 11 and 2 p.m., Saturday, May 12

Location: contact sharmanminus@gmail.com (tour limited to 20 participants)

For more information go to caob.ca.

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The Community Association of Oak Bay welcomes Oak Bay residents to join in on four community-led walks in Oak Bay, three this coming weekend and one the following, inspired by urban writer and community advocate Jane Jacobs. (Submitted)